Golf is a game of precision. The more accurate you can be with your approach shots the more likely you’ll take fewer putts from close range, leading to more pars, birdie opportunities and lower scores. The best women in the world are pinpoint accurate with their irons because they know their yardages and have a caddy to give them the correct number.
As amateurs we can’t employ a caddy but we can use technology to our advantage. There are two main leaders in this arena - the laser rangefinder and the GPS watch. But which one is better? We look at the pros and cons of each.
Accuracy
Hands down the laser rangefinder wins this award. It’s pinpoint accurate as you are getting an exact distance to the pin. A GPS watch, in comparison, will only give you a number to the front, middle or back of the green. While this is more than adequate for most, better players will definitely appreciate the difference of knowing the exact number to the pin.
Ease Of Use
The GPS watch arguably has the upper hand here. It’s portable and lightweight to wear. You can also get GPS hat clips if you prefer not to wear a watch or use an electric trolley with in-built GPS.
The laser rangefinder’s major flaw is that you need to be able to hold it steady while you point and click on the pin. Women with shaky hands often struggle to do so, although laser rangefinder’s do have in-built steady function. It’s still common to find women who simply can’t hold one steady enough to use it.
Obstacles
The laser rangefinder has one major flaw - what happens on a hole where you can’t see the pin? It could be a blind approach shot, a dogleg or a hazard like a tree blocking your view. They’ve also been known to struggle to pick up (detect) the pin on dull days, when it is foggy or low light (dawn or dusk.) The GPS device, in comparison, will work no matter where you are positioned on the golf course.
Battery Life
The laser rangefinder is powered by a small lithium battery similar to something you would use for any home electronic device. These are relatively inexpensive to buy and will last for dozens of rounds of golf. If you are sensible and carry a spare battery in your golf bag, when the rangefinder stops working it’s quick and easy to switch the battery out.
The GPS watch will need charging up on a dock or via a USB plug-in wire after every round. To some users this will seem slightly more laborious, however, if you get into the habit of plugging it in like your phone at night time then it’s never going to run out.
Portability
The GPS watch is small and lightweight. The strap has an ergonomic design that’s comfortable to wear and most users don’t even know they are wearing it. However, some golfers will find that the large round screen does feel a bit cumbersome to wear compared to a traditional more delicate-sized wrist watch.
The laser rangefinder comes in a carry bag that can be clipped onto the side of your golf bag for easy access. It’s small enough to fit into your hands and lightweight, so even if you carry your bag or push a trolley you won’t notice the extra weight.
Price
Pound-for-pound, the GPS watch is slightly cheaper than the laser rangefinder (the two budget brands in our tests are exactly £30 difference in price), however, the price of rangefinders has come down significantly in recent years.
A budget brand will now set you back as little as £130. There’s a proliferation of choices and more competition on the market (see our best golf rangefinders 2025), which means if ultimate pinpoint accuracy is your preference then a laser rangefinder is more affordable now than ever before.
In summary, there are many arguments for and against using a laser rangefinder versus a GPS watch, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Is accuracy your number one priority and how easy do you find each device to use? The best way to test what will suit your needs is to borrow a demo from a golf pro shop. Most will keep a stock of a test GPS watch or laser rangefinder for you to try.
The one thing that is certain is that using a distance measuring device will seriously benefit your golf game, bringing a whole new level of accuracy to your club selection and consequently scoring.
