Shot Scope L1 Laser Rangefinder
Remember the days when measuring distance to the flag usually came down to pacing off from the 150-yard bush? Thankfully, most of those pesky bushes are gone and in its place are laser rangefinders.
If you’re a serious and competitive player, rangefinders are almost a necessity. You can’t be uncertain as to distance before executing a shot. But in truth, they’re a necessary crutch because most of time you know the distance—within a few years—already. Still, you gotta have a rangefinder to keep one’s mind clear and certain.
New to the U.S. market this year, is the Pro L1 Rangefinder by Shot Scope Technologies out of Edinburgh, Scotland. Shot Scope made its name in wearable technology, specifically with a smart golf watch which in addition to distance measurement also provided real-time on-course performance tracking capabilities. I have friends who have GPS watches but to me they lack the ability to lock onto distances other than the pin and the green. Laser rangefinders are great to pick up distances to penalty areas and bunkers. So for me, I always opt for a rangefinder.
First off, the Pro L1 is a quality-made product that is also well-designed. It fits neatly into the hand and is water-resistant as one might expect coming from Scotland. It comes with a premium carrying case with carry clip, lanyard, cleaning cloth and a CR battery. And it’s affordably priced at $199.00.
In terms of performance it’s again top-drawer, able to accurately measure within four inches up to 875 yards. It has three modes: continuous scan, golf mode with target-lock vibration, and a speed mode. But most players will use only the golf mode. There is an optional adaptive slope feature which allows the user to determine the compensated distance based upon the shot being downhill or uphill. For handicap and tournament play this feature is not allowed, but it can be disabled easily by a quick flip of a switch on the side.
I also liked the feature where the optical display can be either in red or black by simply switching a button on the side.
The Pro L1 comes in two colors: black with blue trim or black with grey trim. Either one would look sharp coming out of wrapped present on Father’s Day! Hint, hint….
Available at most golf retail stores, including Golf Galaxy, Dick’s, PGA SuperStores and online at www.shotscope.com
