Bushnell Hybrid Laser Rangefinder GPS

In this Bushnell Hybrid Laser Rangefinder Review, Joel Tadman assesses the device that combines GPS and laser functionality in one unit

Bushnell Hybrid Laser Rangefinder Review

Bushnell is one of the leading laser rangefinder brands in golf and the Hybrid model combines both GPS capability with laser precision in one device.

The GPS information is displayed on a screen on the side of the unit, surrounded by clearly-labelled buttons to navigate through the features.

Users can see distances to the front, middle and back of the green as well as distances to hazards. Through the viewfinder, golfers can use the laser capability to ascertain the distance to the flag using PinSeeker with Jolt technology, which produces a vibrating burst when the target has been picked out from the background.

The GPS and Laser functions are powered by two different sources, a USB rechargeable lithium ion battery and CR2 battery respectively, so they both don’t need to be switched on together.

When they are working concurrently, golfers are notified of the distance to the front and back of the green through the viewfinder as well as the distance to the flag and the hole number. Golfers can also measure shot distances and use the Hybrid in competitions as there is no slope function.

Laser rangefinders provide fast, accurate distances to a specific target but they do have their limitations – like on blind shots where the flag isn’t visible and the ambiguity of the position of the flag on the green.

The addition of the GPS capability on the Bushnell Hybrid goes a long way to rectifying this. Golfers now know how far the flag is on the green and can then employ a more effective strategy and club selection to take potential hazards out of play.

There are four easy to grasp buttons on the side that help you turn on the GPS and choose the appropriate course of the 36,000 preloaded.

The hazard distances are especially useful off the tee, a situation where lasers aren’t often employed, in deciding on a club to carry or finish short of any danger while knowing the yardage to the middle of the green helps hugely on blind shots. It can even measure shot distances - useful to know if you've crushed one down the middle and want to feel good about your game.

It perhaps doesn't offer as much information or have the wow factor of the Garmin Approach Z82, but for golfers that want both laser and GPS functions as well as simplicity, the Bushnell Hybrid is certainly worth considering.

Bushnell Hybrid Laser Rangefinder Review