Choice is a great thing, so we'll never complain when a new rangefinder hits the market. The more competition there is, the better choice we have in terms of makes and models at the lower end of the price scale when we're looking to equip ourselves with a new laser rangefinder.
More choice, however, does mean choosing the right distance measuring device become harder - and that doesn't include choosing between a laser or one of either the best golf watches or best golf gps gadgets. This is a good problem to have, of course.
I find myself being excited to test medium-to-low priced lasers as much as the fancy ones that cost up to double times the price, so I braved the winter cold at Royal County Down to give Vistaget's latest laser a workout - the Golvia Pro, which comes with an RRP around $250. This sits roughly in the middle of the price scale, right at the top end of what we'd consider the best budget rangefinders but still sigificantly better than the feature-packed $500+ options we see in our best golf rangefinder guide.
I'll begin with first impressions because they're very good. This is a visually appealing device that feels solid in your hand without being too heavy or bulky. An in-built magnetic strip is a clever feature, as is the red light that shines when you're using the device with the slope feature active - a feature I feel every rangefinder should find to show your playing partners that you aren't using said feature in competition play (this could have been helpful in the recent Barstool Sports Internet Invitational!). It's also IP54 weather resistant, so not fully waterproof but enough to protect you from a few showers out on the course.
The carry case is also impressive - too often, especially with cheaper rangefinders, brands cut costs and give you a flimsy carry case that doesn't do justice to your device, but not here. It's a sturdy, well-built case that provides a safe haven for your laser and is also easily accessible during your round.
The first thing that struck me when it came to on-course use is how impressive the display was. My first day testing was a typical grey, gloomy Northern Irish December afternoon and my fear was that the display would be dark, thus making it harder to see the target I want to find the yardage to. Unlike a lot of rival budget options, the Golvia Pro features a display Vistaget claim is 80% brighter and when coupled with 7x magnification, provides a pleasingly clear view of the hole ahead of you.
Two features I found helpful were both the slope feature as well as the Tri-Measure Tech that allows players to learn the yardage between two spots without standing at each, but measuring the difference between both.
This rangefinder does have one fatal flaw, however. It's not a flaw that will impact you if you're club sports those mirror pin reflectors that compliment rangefinders, helping them shoot the flag with ease. During my first round of testing on the Championship Links, where the pins feature the reflectors, getting a yardage to the flag was easy. Although the size of the aiming circle being too big for my liking, getting a number to my target was still relatively simple.
However, during my second round of testing on the Annesley Links at RCD in which the flags don't use the pin reflectors, I often struggled to shoot the flag from over 100 yards. The further I got from the flag, the harder it was to accurately shoot the flag, so much so that when I was over 150 yards from the flag I often didn't bother trying to shoot it.
It's a shame and is the only real criticism I can make of this device, but it is a really important one. If you play regularly at a club without reflectors on top of each flag stick, you'll likely struggle like I did - if you don't, then you shouldn't have to worry. However, charging $250 for a rangefinder in which I struggled to accurately shoot small targets from distance is disappointing, especially considering how great the display is!
To conclude, this is a valiant device if you're after a simple 'pick up and shoot' laser that also packs in a couple of nice features with slope and the Tri-Measure Tech. Water resistance and a two year warranty also shows Vistaget care about both their customers and their products, but the size of the aiming circle and difficulty of accurately shooting your desired target as a result is a critique that is too big to ignore. However, it feels like one that is easy to fix and thus I'm looking forward to seeing what the brand have up their sleeve in the future because they have the basis here for a top quality device, it just needs a few quality of life improvements.
