Laser Rangefinders are a great accessory to have in your bag when the golf course your playing doesn’t have GPS enabled golf carts or you don’t own a handheld GPS unit. One of the biggest problems with laser rangefinders is that they can sometime inadvertently capture background target images instead of the target your aiming at. This is the problem that Bushnell is trying to solve with the Bushnell Pro 1600 Tournament Edition with PinSeeker.
How Laser Rangefinders Work
Bushnell’s laser rangefinders use an eye-safe Class 1 Laser beam which is invisible to the human eye, that is bounced off a distant object when you press the button on the rangefinder. Next, a high-speed digital clock measures how long it takes for the laser beam to reach the target and back. In less than a second, the rangefinder can calculate the distance within +/- 1 yard and displays the results on the LCD display of the unit. Viola! You now know the distance of your target.
Bushnell 1600 Pro Target Modes
The Bushnell Pro 1600 Tournament Edition Laser Rangefinder offers two modes for determining the distance of your target: PinSeeker and Scan.
The PinSeeker mode is designed for you to easily get the reading of the flag without capturing background target distances, like surrounding tree, or bushes. In the event more than one object is detected, the closer of the two objects is shown on the LCD display.
The other mode is Scan mode, which allows you to pan across the landscape and get updated distance information displayed on the LCD of the distances between you and the targets you are scanning. This would come in handy if your wanting to scan the distance of a greenside bunker or water hazard, etc.
Performance
The Bushnell Pro 1600 rangefinder can measure ranges anywhere from 5 -1600 yards and 400 yards to the flag with +/- 1 yard accuracy, which is great on long par 4 or par 5 holes on the golf course. The unit itself is 100% waterproof with Rainguard HD which is a patented, permanent, hydrophobic, oleophobic lens coating that causes moisture from rain, snow, sleet and your breath to instantly bead-up into smaller droplets and scatter. In other words the lens won’t fog up, like an untreated lens would, which is great when playing in a hot and humid environment or in the cold.
The size of the unit is much larger than the Tour V2 and may seem a little big, but it’s actually very comfortable to hold in your hand and not heavy. The unit does come with a zippered and magnetic closure carrying case that can be snapped onto your golf bag or carried around your waist like a fanny pack.
The Pro 1600 sits very comfortably in your hands and has a nice textured no-slip surface on the top and bottom of the rangefinder, making it very easy to hold while wearing your golf glove. The eyepiece for the unit can be retracted by twisting it, so it will fit more comfortably against your face. The Pro 1600 has 7x magnification and does a great job of making distant object seem very close. I found that extremely helpful when trying to find the flag from 300 yards out and identifying hazards on the golf course.
The two target modes of the Bushnell Pro 1600 worked really well in my tests. On a very tree lined course in a residential community, I found the PinSeeker mode to work very flawlessly and not capture the surrounding trees for my measurements. I verified this, by comparing my results against a handheld GPS unit for the course I was playing. One thing that is important to mention, is that the 1600 doesn’t require a reflective prism to be on top of the flag to get your measurements, which is great.
The scan mode also performed well at giving me updated distance measurements of targets as I scanned the course of the hazards. For example, I wanted to find out how far I needed to hit my shot to clear the creek running across the fairway, it was very simple. All you have to do to change modes is click on Mode button located to the left of the retractable eyepiece with the unit powered on.
There’s a reason why Bushnell’s laser rangefinders are so popular on the PGA Tour, and that’s because they work. As a consumer, you might balk at the idea of paying $399 for a laser rangefinder and opt for a GPS instead, but you don’t have to download course maps, etc when using a laser rangefinder, and it works on any golf course. If your serious about golf and want accurate distances, this is a sound investment.
Bushnell 1600 Pro Tournament Edition Laser Rangefinder $399
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
In my experience Bushnell has been making steady improvements in their Pro 1600 Laser Rangefinder. The quality of components has improved along with more rugged design and higher attention to fit and finish of this Pro 1600 Laser Rangefinder. Compared to other brands, Bushnell Pro 1600 Rangefinders are a great value. I would strongly recommend these models for anyone interested in hunting or all around, sporting rangefinders.
As far as value rangefinders are concerned, I consider Bushnell Laser Rangefinders to be one of the best lineups of great laser rangefinders on the market. Bushnell continues to innovate and improve their rangefinders offering year after year. Whether you are considering your first laser rangefinder purchase, or simply want to add to your bag of great optics – you can not go wrong with Bushnell Rangefinder. There are quite a few sites that are offering good deals these days, but one of my favorite has been http://riflescopes.webyshops.com. They have great selection and prices and they also donate part of their profit to various charitable causes.
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