The range finder for discerning golfers
Pros:
Yardage is more accurate than GPS, slope feature is very useful
Cons:
Not legal for tournaments, sometimes difficult to range semi obscured targets
The Bottom Line:
If you're an avid golfer who is looking for an accurate, versatile range finder to help you lower your score, then the Bushnell PinSeeker 1500 w/slope is the definite buy.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I've had the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 w/slope for almost a year now and it's a definite buy for discerning golfers. The 7x magnification matched with Bushnell's PinSeeker technology make range finding at any distance fast and extremely accurate.
I initially bought the 1500 w/slope to find the distances each of my shots were carrying during practice. The driving range I frequent is a multi story facility so the lower deck is better to simulate real yardage, but the upper deck allows you to see where your ball lands exactly. By using the slope function I can hit from the upper deck and reverse read the ranges to find my theoretical distance. This ability alone has saved me strokes on the course because I know exactly how far my shots are going now.
Having used the 1500 w/slope for some time now I've found it is ultimately useful on the course. The PinSeeker function is no gimmick. In order to find the distance to the pin you simply line up the pin (or target) in the center circle and press the button until the pinseeker icon is highlighted. It will give you two yardages, one for the straight line distance to the target, and another compensating for slope (effective shot distance). Finding distances generally takes no longer than 5-10 seconds, definitely not something that interrupts play.
Build quality is top notch. The outer case for the 1500 is solid and water resistant. I've used it in rainy conditions and have yet to see any adverse effects. Optics are coated and extremely clear, the 7x magnification is really useful for looking at targets above 150 yards. Some times I use it to locate drives before I even leave the tee box. It has a good amount of weight which helps keep it stable when in use.
There are a few drawbacks to using the 1500 w/slope. The first is it isn't legal for tournament play. Secondly, it can be tough to correctly range targets that are slightly obscured. For example, if the pin is on an elevated greed and only the flag is visible, it is possible to accidentally get the range for the hill obscuring the pin. Mist/rain/fog also make it very difficult to get the correct range, the laser just can't make it to the target in those conditions.
There are definite advantages to having the 1500 w/slope over your standard GPS type of range finder. Given a clear line of sight, the 1500 is more accurate than a GPS hands down. GPS receivers are only as good as their signal and normally are no more accurate than +/- 5 yards. I often play with people who use the latest GPS equipment and there are times where they'll give me a range and then 10 seconds later say "wait, it's changing." GPS can give you front/middle/back ranges on a green, but the 1500 can give you range to the pin. Finally, the greatest advantage to me over GPS is I can range anything. If there's a hill in the fairway I want to target or fly over I can range it. I can range the front and back edge of any hazard to see how far I need to carry. I sometimes even range the group in front of me to see if they're at a safe distance before anyone in my group hits.
