{"id":573,"date":"2012-11-28T16:35:31","date_gmt":"2012-11-28T16:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/daviddesmith.com\/?p=573"},"modified":"2013-08-20T15:11:51","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T15:11:51","slug":"birdie-machine-the-bushnell-tour-z6-rangefinder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/daviddesmith\/golf\/equipment\/573\/birdie-machine-the-bushnell-tour-z6-rangefinder","title":{"rendered":"Birdie Machine – the Bushnell Tour Z6 Rangefinder"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s a bit chilly but clear on the first tee at the Machrihanish Dunes golf course on the southwest coast of Scotland.\u00a0 I\u2019m armed with a set of nice rental clubs (that sadly have the wrong shafts for me), but I have a secret weapon that I\u2019ve brought along: the Bushnell Tour Z6 Rangefinder. I\u2019m going to put it through the paces here, under Scottish links golf conditions, and in Portugal, where I am hoping for slightly warmer temperatures.<\/p>\n

The opening tee shot from the back tees calls for a driver or 3-wood to the fairway, which doglegs left in the driving area.\u00a0 But which one?\u00a0 Out comes the Tour Z6.\u00a0 It gives me a carry distance of 213 yards over the bunker at the dogleg and 267 yards to the far side of the fairway where the heavy rough starts.\u00a0 With a breeze in my face, I can hit the driver.\u00a0 I block it a bit, but find the short grass.\u00a0 The Tour Z6 tells me that I have 107 yards left to the hole.\u00a0 A three-quarter wedge (there\u2019s no sand wedge in the bag!) leaves me hole-high, 15 feet away for birdie and I make the putt.\u00a0 Score one for the Tour Z6.<\/p>\n

On the 4th<\/sup> hole, my Bushnell tells me I have 114 yards to the flag, only the top of which I can see.\u00a0 I nail another three-quarter wedge perfectly (or so I think).\u00a0 Walking to the green, I can only see one ball on it \u2013 that of my partner who\u2019s hit his shot a little long and left.\u00a0 Did the Tour Z6 give me the wrong yardage?\u00a0 Did a gust of wind come up and cause me to air-mail the green?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 The ball is in the hole for an eagle two.<\/p>\n

Over the rest of the jaw-droppingly beautiful round at Machrihanish Dunes, I pull out the Tour Z6 on every full swing \u2013 and toy around with it in other ways.\u00a0 Can it give me the distance back to the golf house from the middle of the 10th<\/sup> fairway?\u00a0 Yep \u2013 it\u2019s 396 yards.\u00a0 A bit farther than I can hit it, but nice to know that the Tour Z6 can see that far, even if I can\u2019t.\u00a0 Some people might say that yardages aren’t that important on links golf courses like Mach Dunes, where the game is played on the ground and the winds wreak havoc with your ball flight.\u00a0 I totally disagree.\u00a0 While it’s true that I may need to play a knockdown shot here or there rather than hit the ball high, or play a low running chip shot from 100 yards, I still want to know that it’s 100 yards and not 75 or 125.\u00a0 Armed with the Tour Z6, I make two more birdies and shoot the best score I\u2019ve ever recorded on this course.\u00a0 Coincidence?\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 But maybe not.\u00a0 Using the Tour Z6 in Portugal a few weeks later (in much warmer and sunnier weather, thank you), I find myself once again zeroing in on flagsticks and getting good birdie chances.\u00a0 The fact that I only drop two of those birdie putts isn\u2019t the rangefinder\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n

Bushnell\u2019s Tour Z6 is one of the world\u2019s best rangefinders.\u00a0 Essentially a smaller, more compact version of the company\u2019s much-heralded Pro 1M, it\u2019s about as advanced as these units come.\u00a0 It operates simply \u2013 no gimmicks.\u00a0 It\u2019s tour certified so it\u2019s not one of those models that will automatically adjust for elevation, but I don\u2019t want that from a rangefinder anyway.\u00a0 What I want is a compact, accurate, easy-to-use unit that\u2019s built to stand the test of time. This Bushnell delivers that and more.<\/p>\n

LIKES<\/strong><\/p>\n

-Accuracy<\/p>\n

Bushnell\u2019s \u201cPinSeeker\u201d technology latches on to flagsticks quickly and lasers the yardage even more quickly.\u00a0 \u201cLightning fast\u201d would not be much of an exaggeration.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have the steadiest hands in the world, but I didn\u2019t have to hunt for the stick with this Bushnell.\u00a0 It saw it, lasered it, and it gave me true yardages every time.\u00a0 Bushnell claims that the Tour Z6 is accurate to \u00bd yard.\u00a0 I can readily believe that.\u00a0 And as I mentioned, the Tour Z6 had no problem measuring to distant objects.\u00a0 I measured to a flag 325 yards away at the Oceanico Victoria course in Portugal without any problem.\u00a0 Bushnell says the unit will pick up a flag at 450 yards, but I didn\u2019t have occasion to measure a shot quite that long.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>-Visuals<\/p>\n

The Bushnell Tour Z6 has amazing optics.\u00a0 Bushnell\u2019s \u201cVivid Display Technology\u201d absolutely lives up to its name.\u00a0 In bright sunshine or under dark rain clouds, the target was illuminated and easy to see.\u00a0 It was dramatically sharper (and brighter) than other rangefinders I\u2019ve used, painting the target in a pleasant orangey hue and offering yardages in a number display that almost looked 3D.\u00a0 Very cool. \u00a0I don\u2019t have the best eyesight in the world anymore (and can\u2019t\/won\u2019t play with glasses) so the fact that the Tour Z6 offers 6x magnification was a big plus.\u00a0 It\u2019s really nice to be able to see the contours of the green and all the greenside features from 190 yards away.\u00a0 Once I had adjusted the diopter, it gave me clear, accurate views the rest of the way.\u00a0 Seeing what you\u2019re shooting at is half the battle.\u00a0 Seeing it this clearly breeds confidence.<\/p>\n

-Size<\/p>\n

The Tour Z6 fits nicely into the palm of your hand.\u00a0 You can easily use it with one hand (though I generally use two).\u00a0 It\u2019s smaller than Bushnell\u2019s Pro 1M, but offers pretty much the same technology and accuracy.<\/p>\n

-Sturdiness<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever used a cheap rangefinder, you know how unreliable they can be.\u00a0 Some just feel flimsy, and others seem to burn through batteries faster than you can add up your score.\u00a0 The Bushnell Tour Z6 is a well-built rangefinder that feels solid, like it could survive Armageddon.\u00a0 The housing is metal covered with a perforated rubber that makes it easy to hold on to, even in wet conditions.\u00a0 It\u2019s also waterproof \u2013 something that came in handy on the 17th<\/sup> at Machrihanish Dunes when the heavens decided to give us a wee soaking.\u00a0 Even the lens has a \u201cRainGuard\u201d coating on it, so getting yardages in a Scottish storm is easily do-able.\u00a0 Changing the battery is a snap, too.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t worn out the one that was included with the unit yet, but inserting the 3-volt battery that came with it was a cinch.<\/p>\n

-APPEARANCE<\/p>\n

Does appearance matter in a rangefinder?\u00a0 Not really.\u00a0 The performance is what counts.\u00a0 That having been said, you use your rangefinder a lot during a round of golf.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a caddy \u2013 or a friend.\u00a0 Ideally, you don\u2019t want an ugly one.\u00a0 You want one that inspires confidence.\u00a0 The Tour Z6\u2019s black, red and white design looks sleek, modern and professional.\u00a0 I like it.<\/p>\n

DISLIKES<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s not much to dislike in the Tour Z6.\u00a0 You\u2019d really have to be a harsh critic to X this unit off your list for any reason.\u00a0 There were only two things I\u2019d change in the next model:<\/p>\n

-Firing button could be a tad bigger \u2013 or seated in a way that makes it easier to find and push in the midst of a hurried round.<\/p>\n

-Carrying case is larger than it needs to be \u2013 unless you have a tour bag, you can’t really store the unit (when in its carrying case) in the pocket of your golf bag.<\/p>\n

BOTTOM LINE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bushnell Tour Z6 is the best rangefinder I\u2019ve tested.\u00a0 It\u2019s solidly built, very accurate, easy as pie to use and its optics are flat-out brilliant.\u00a0 Priced at over $350, it\u2019s not cheap.\u00a0 But I\u2019m willing to bet that owning this sweet piece of technology will do more for your game than a new driver will.\u00a0 Get your hands on one and you\u2019ll see what I mean.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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