Blue Tees is now a thoroughly established name in the distance measuring device space. Whether it's the best handheld GPS devices, best laser rangefinders or even the best golf speakers, Blue Tees has been making high-quality and reliable products to enhance the on-course experience. Its new Series 4 Ultra rangefinder is its most technologically advanced to date, so I was excited to take it onto the course for a thorough test.
As with any Blue Tees product, the quality speaks for itself. From the carry case to the textured casing around the device, it feels like every penny of your investment has been well spent. That doesn't stop with the aesthetics of the product, though, as this feature-packed laser packs a real punch in functionality.
The biggest upgrades on the Series 3 laser are the new OLED display. There is an instant visible improvement down the viewfinder on this new version, with the course and pin coming into an even clearer view than ever before. The graphics are clear and bright, too, making it easy and quick to read once you have your number. That it also has a manual brightness control is very useful and comes into its own when you play early or late in the day or in changing light conditions. It means the graphics and display can always be the perfect brightness to quickly read the numbers.
Though much clearer than before, I found it took a little longer for the device to catch the pin than some other devices. It often got a little confused with trees or other obstacles behind the pin, and it would often take a couple of extra presses to pick the pin up. Versus the GolfBuddy Laser 2S Pro I've been primarily using this year, it was certainly a little slower at picking up the pin. That being said, the Series 4 Ultra has a clever auto-depth filter which automatically adjusts the focus to blur out any background distractions, which is a unique and helpful way of seeking out the pin. I'm not sure why, with all this technology, it was a little slower at picking up the pin, but nevertheless my experience with it was enjoyable, just not as efficient as some others I've tested this year.
One of my favourite features of the Series 4 Ultra is that it will leave the yardage numbers in the viewfinder for 10 seconds after you've scanned it. We've all been there before, where you've zapped the pin, read the number and by the time you've got to your bag to pick up a club, have forgotten the number completely. Luckily, this device has you covered by leaving that number in the viewfinder long enough for you to quickly glance back down and see it. So far as I'm aware, Blue Tees is the only rangefinder manufacturer to have this feature, and you'll find yourself using it pretty often if you're as forgetful as I am.
Elsewhere, it comes with some of the other bells and whistles you'd expect of a device priced at £299 ($300). Slope adjusted distances can be easily toggled on and off with a physical button on the side of the device, a built-in magnet is ideal to use as storage on the side of a ride on cart and the pulse vibration through the device gives a nice haptic feedback when you've eventually zapped the top of the pin.
All in all this is a very worthy upgrade on the Series 3 Max rangefinder and showcases the brilliant technology and innovations Blue Tees has up its sleeve. It sits higher up the price range in the laser rangefinder market, but it feels like the investment is worth every penny for the avid golfers out there.
