Rangefinder vs GPS Watch: Which Should You Buy?

Buy a laser rangefinder if you want an exact yardage to a specific target and play courses you can see across. Buy a GPS watch if you want glanceable green distances with no aiming, and play courses where you often can't see the flag. Most golfers only need one.

How each one works

A laser rangefinder fires a beam at whatever you point it at — the flag, a bunker lip, a tree — and returns an exact distance, accurate to a yard. It needs a clear line of sight and a reasonably steady hand. A GPS watchuses preloaded course maps to show distances to the front, middle and back of the green (and often hazards) at a glance, with no aiming — but it's course-data accurate, not laser-exact, and it can't range a random target.

Which suits how you play

• Choose a rangefinderif you want precision to the pin, play open courses with clear sightlines, and don't mind taking a moment to aim. It's the more accurate tool for a specific target.
• Choose a GPS watchif you want speed and simplicity, play tree-lined or blind courses where you often can't see the flag, and value a glance over a precise number. It also doubles as a watch and can track your round.

The value verdict: buy one

Plenty of good players carry both, but a value buyer doesn't need to. The two tools overlap — both tell you how far you have to go — so buying both is paying twice to solve one problem. Pick the one that fits your eyes and your courses, buy the value version of it, and put the savings toward the round. If you're leaning laser, see our best budget rangefinders; if you're leaning watch, see our best value GPS watches.