Golf Buddy has been a world leader in GPS golf yardage devices for many years and now they’ve added laser rangefinders to their product lineup with the LR5 laser rangefinder.
Golf Buddy LR5 Laser Rangefinder
The LR5 is a very small and handy laser which produces dependable yardages. Let’s take a look at some of the features.
Compact design, easy to handle. Nearly half the size of some lasers on the market.
Three targeting modes: scan, standard, pin
6x magnification in the viewfinder
Accurate to 1 yard
Water resistant. Not waterproof though, so don’t throw it in the lake.
First I really dig the footprint of this laser. Some lasers are ridiculously large. This one fits nicely in my hand and stows away in the included carrying case, or inside a pocket in my golf bag.
The laser locks onto the target quite easily and delivers solid and consistent yardages. Consistency is a big deal to me. Other lasers will produce different yardages every time you shoot the same target. That’s not a confidence builder!
The carrying case works just the same as most other brands’ cases, barring the little rubber strap which is supposed to aid in securing it. The mesh grabber on that strap fell apart. Not a crucial part though.
Conclusion
Finally companies are pricing golf lasers and golf GPS devices in a more reasonable range, not the crazy $500 price tag of years past. That money needs to be saved for this week’s latest driver, guaranteed longer and straighter than ever!
The Golf Buddy LR5 is small, accurate, and dependable. Solid.
I’ve started testing the new Golf Buddy LR5 laser rangefinder. My first round with the unit was a couple of days ago. Here’s a photo of the unit below.
Golf Buddy LR5 Laser Rangefinder
One round is not enough for me to write a review, but first impressions are that it is accurate and I love the small size. It fits in the palm of my hand.
Stay tuned for my full Golf Buddy LR5 Laser Rangefinder review soon.
My latest gamer in the golf GPS department has been the GolfBuddy VS4 Golf GPS. The VS4 is a tiny golf GPS, the size of a watch but without a watch band. Not only is this golf GPS tiny, it speaks your yardages to you. Suggested retail price on this unit is $179.99 but I’ve seen street pricing averaging at around $149.99.
GolfBuddy VS4 Feature List
Speaks yardages as well as informing golfer that he’s on a certain hole/tee box (just don’t hit shot from one hole to next tee box!)
Detachable back allows unit to be mounted to hat, belt
Water Resistant
Displays yardages to front/center/back of the green
Green view
Preloaded with 37,000+ global courses
Automatic course & hole recognition
Measures shot distances
10 hour battery life
Standard micro-usb charging cable
On The Course
I’ve found the convenience of the VS4 to be stellar. The unit is so small and light that I usually carry it in my left pocket (right pocket is tees and divot tool). When I want a yardage I can push the talk button through my pocket and the lady’s voice tells me “180 yards to center of green.” I’ve also mounted the unit on my belt and can easily see the center yardages as well as front and back. But lately I’ve had a Game Golf digital tracking device on my belt and don’t want a second device there. Another convenient place I can mount the unit is on the brim of my hat, similar to another brand of talking GPS.
The yardages in this unit are solid and accurate. I use a golf laser rangefinder as well, and the yardages to green center are either exact, or within 2-3 yards. The advantage of the GPS over the laser is that I can get yardages from anywhere without having to have a straight line of sight. And lately with my driving accuracy issues, I need yardages from behind trees, houses, cars, buildings, airplanes, mountains.
GolfBuddy VS4 Golf GPS
The unit lasts close to two rounds, about 10 hours. I make sure to charge it before every round.
Speaking of charging… a big gripe I have with watch sized golf GPS units is that they all have proprietary charging cables. So if you forget your cable, you can’t charge it by using a standard cable. That especially sucks when you are on a golf vacation. The VS4 uses a standard micro-usb cable for charging. Very convenient and if one forgets the cable, a new one can be purchased nearly anywhere for super cheap, like less than $2.00.
Critiques
The only missing feature I can think of with this great golf GPS unit is changing voices. I’d die and go to heaven if they put in the “scottish caddie” voice. When you click the button a burly caddie speaks to you in indecipherable gibberish and at the end of the yardage says “f*&*ing hit it!”
Accessories
I’m not a watch wearer but for those who are, an optional watch band allows this unit to be worn on the wrist.
Conclusion
I have at least 10 golf GPS units in my garage thanks to running a popular blog. The VS4 is the unit I’ve chosen as my go-to gamer. This is the one in the bag. The size, convenience, and accuracy make the GolfBuddy VS4 my GPS of choice.
In for review here at Hooked on Golf Blog is the new GolfBuddy VS4 talking golf GPS. This is a tiny, watch-sized golf GPS which speaks your yardages to you. See the video below for a sample.
I’ve used the unit for two full 18 hole rounds now and it is very solid. At times when the pin has been center-green, I’ve checked the distances with my laser rangefinder and they are exact.
GolfBuddy VS4 Golf GPS
Stay tuned for the full review in a week or two when I’ve had the opportunity to complete my comprehensive review.
Remember how big golf GPS’s were a couple of short years ago? Now they’re in your wristwatch…
In for review here at Hooked On Golf Blog is the cool new Golf Buddy WT3 golf GPS watch. The battery is charged and weather permitting I’ll begin testing of this unit this week. Stay tuned.
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