Bushnell Golf challenged Shawn Royster, an avid speed golfer, to play a round of golf with the Bushnell neo+ GPS rangefinder and one without it. Royster captured his day on the links and created this video to show how the Bushnell neo+ improved not only his score, but the time it took him to play his round.

Bushnell Golf  neo+ GPS Rangefinder

• The neo+ is the smallest, most compact golf GPS unit available and is simple and easy to use as it works right out of the box.
• The key to the performance is an improved technology that helps provide “Instant Course Recognition” and “Auto Hole Advance” to enhance the golfer’s experience as the device automatically displays a map of the golf course and begins to interact with each hole. Once you get to the course and turn the unit on, you can play your entire round without ever touching another button!
• With no membership fees ever throughout the life of the product, users have instant access to more than 16,000 pre-loaded North American golf courses.
• The neo+ gives the user quick and accurate readings to the front, center and back of the green, as well as up to four preloaded, customizable hazards per hole with minimal interaction.

Bushnell neo+ GPS Rangefinder $149.95

Bushnell Outdoor Products, makers of the #1 laser rangefinder on the PGA TOUR, today announced that they will extend their support of Patriot Golf Day, the Folds of Honor Foundation and the Patriot Golf Course as the exclusive measuring device for 2011.

After a successful 2010 program in which Bushnell donated nearly $90,000 to the Folds of Honor Foundation, Bushnell will continue to aid the foundation’s fundraising efforts by providing a percentage of every 2011 sale of the Bushnell Patriot Pack, which has been upgraded with additional items not offered in last year’s Patriot Pack.

Bushnell Tour V2 Patriot Pack
With the overwhelming success of the Tour V2 Patriot Pack, Bushnell has introduced two different Patriot Packs available immediately at retail. The Tour V2 Patriot Pack comes equipped with a Tour V2 laser rangefinder, limited edition Patriot golf embroidered towel, a blue silicone SKINZ, premium carrying case and extra battery at a manufacture’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $299.

Bushnell Tour V2 Slope Edition Patriot Pack
Also new for 2011 is the Tour V2 Slope Edition Patriot Pack, which features a Tour V2 Slope Edition laser rangefinder, limited edition Patriot golf towel with embroidered logos, a red SKINZ, premium carrying case and extra battery available for $399 (MSRP). The Tour V2 incorporates the same “PinSeeker” technology that has made Bushnell products the #1 rangefinder on the PGA Tour. Both Tournament and Slope Editions feature golf-grip touch points for enhanced feel and stability, and is capable of ranging up to 300 yards to the flag stick with incredible +/- one yard accuracy.

For each sale of the Tour V2 and/or Tour V2 Slope Edition Patriot Packs, Bushnell will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Folds of Honor Foundation. The Folds of Honor Foundation (FHF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a mission to empower deserving military families with educational support and opportunities.

About the Folds of Honor Foundation
Founded in 2007 by PGA Golf Professional Dan Rooney, a Major in the Air National Guard and a decorated military aviator, FHF provides post-secondary educational scholarships to the spouses and children of service members killed as a result of their military service to the United States. To date, more than 1,600 scholarships have been awarded by FHF.

“The Folds of Honor Foundation is a remarkable foundation that Bushnell feels privileged to be a part of, and we look forward to collaborating with the foundation and Major Rooney for many years to come,” said Blake Lipham, President and CEO of Bushnell. “The men and women who serve our great country and defend our freedoms across the world deserve as much support as we can offer, and Bushnell is proud to help support their efforts through the Patriot Pack.”

The FHF is the beneficiary of Patriot Golf Day, a joint initiative of The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association that encourages golfers across the country to add at least $1 to their greens fees over the Labor Day weekend. Sparked by the vision and dedication of Rooney, Patriot Golf Day has become the largest grassroots golf platform in the country and has raised more than $8.6 million in just four years with the support of golfers across the country.

“We are thrilled that Bushnell Golf will continue to support the Folds of Honor Foundation through the sales of the Patriot Pack, which was a great success in 2010,” said Rooney. “Patriot Golf Day has experienced great growth in just four years and has become an amazing tool to assist families of fallen or wounded/disabled military personnel.”

Bushnell Outdoor Products to Support FHF
Bushnell Outdoor Products also recently announced that its support of FHF and Patriot Golf Day will expand to the hunting and shooting side of Bushnell. In 2011, Bushnell will offer a Patriot Edition Combo Pack for the hunting and shooting consumer, featuring a Scout 1000 ARC Laser Rangefinder with a SKINZ cover that features the FHF logo.

Bushnell, the #1 choice of professional golfers, offers a full range of rangefinders, which continue to change and improve the way golfers assess distances, ultimately improving performance.

www.bushnellgolf.com

Last month Bushnell introduced the Hybrid Golf Rangefinder, which combines a laser rangefinder with a GPS for the ultimate all-in-one distance and measurement device. Watch this video of John Novosel from Bushnell, walk through the features of the Bushnell Hybrid Golf Rangefinder from the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show.

Bushnell Hybrid $499

Laser rangefinders are great for finding distance to the hole, hazard, etc. But sometimes a laser rangefinder isn’t helpful when you have a blind teeing shot/approach and have no point of reference. To solve this problem, Bushnell Golf has combined a laser rangefinder with a GPS to give you the Bushnell Hybrid golf rangefinder.  Debuting at the PGA Show, January 27-29, and available at retail in February, at a retail price of $499, the Hybrid is the first of its kind in the market.

GPS + Laser Rangefinder
The Bushnell Hybrid is a revolutionary combination laser and GPS product.  The laser rangefinding technology engineered into the Hybrid provides golfers with precise distances within one yard to virtually any point on any course in the world.  Over 90% of PGA Tour pros and top amateurs trust Bushnell laser rangefinders to provide them the most accurate distances available in golf today.

The Hybrid’s GPS function allows users to access more than 16,000 North American golf courses which have been pre-loaded onto the device, making it ready to use right out of the box without ever having to pay any membership fees.  The Hybrid’s GPS provides simple, at-a-glance distances to front, center and back of the green.  The Hybrid also offers four custom points on a hole that can be extremely helpful to reference on blind tee shots/approaches on a golf course.  The GPS distances are also convenient on days when it is “cart paths only” when golfers are deciding what clubs to bring with them.  Another great feature is the shot distance mode that makes it easy for the golfer to gauge how far a drive or an approach was hit.

With the Hybrid, you can now acquire exact distances to the flag, lip of a bunker, tree, or any other object on the course.  Knowing the exact lasered distance to the flag, as well as the GPS provided distance to the front, center and back of the green, enables the golfer to strategize and hit every approach shot with confidence.  Having the ability to use both laser and GPS technologies, the golfer now has the best of both worlds in one unit.  The Hybrid is legal for tournament play under USGA decision 14-3/0.5 that permits a committee to establish a local rule that allows a player to use a distance-measuring device to obtain distance information.

Available February. MSRP $499

www.bushnellgolf.com

Finding the right golf gift can be a little stressful, with so many options out there. Here are our picks for the best golf gadgets  for the golfer in your life.

rulesixteen Divot Repair Tool

rulesixteen from rulegolf is the first divot repair tool and putting alignment ball marker designed to make both green repair and putting simpler. The rectangular shape of its ball marker allows you to visualize your putting line and sink more putts. Its well-weighted stainless steel body is easy to find in your pocket. And its flip-and-slide action even gives you something to fidget with between shots. On the greens, rulesixteen puts precision within reach. www.rulegolf.com $15

Trion: Z Active Wristband

Rickie Fowler, Brittany Lincicome, Rory MciLroy, and Ryo Ishikawa wear them, so why not give the Active from Trion:Z wristband a try. Active combines the negative-ion and magnet technology that has made Trion:Z products so popular among professional athletes with a waterproof silicone band to be the perfect combination for active sports enthusiasts. Colorful, stylish and comfortable, the Active™ is sure to be a hit among young and old alike. www.trionz.com $21.99

Ladder Golf Tournament Edition

No this isn’t a gadget, but this game will be a huge hit at your next party. Leave the Corona Beer (maybe not the Corona) and frat boy lifestyle behind and graduate to some serious fun with Ladder Golf. Just setup the ladders 15 feet apart and start hurling your balls (bolas are made of real golf balls, specially designed brass inserts and premium nylon rope) and hope for it land on a rung or knock your opponents off. First person to score 21 points wins! Comes with 2 ladders, 4 sets of balls, and nylon carrying case. www.laddergolf.com $104

Golfscape Augmented Reality Rangefinder iPhone App

Golf GPS and rangefinders on the iPhone are nothing new, but this app takes the cake as the must have app for your iPhone. Why? Golfscape is unlike any other rangefinder because it uses augmented reality to pinpoint your position on the golf course, allowing you to identify potential hazards, choose your desired landing area and see real 360-degree viewing while on the course. With over 35,000 courses mapped and no annual subscription fees, this will be your first and last GPS rangefinder app for your iPhone. Golfscape iPhone App $19.99

Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC+

So you don’t own an iPhone, but you want a GPS rangefinder with no subscription fees, a color screen, and won’t break the bank. Problem solved with the Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC+. The Yardage Pro XGC+ features 16,000 course preloaded and ready to play, distance to any point on the hole, auto course recognition, and hole advance, and 2.2″ color screen. Best of all it’s tournament legal. www.bushnellgolf.com $180

Oh, you shouldn’t have

OptiShot Golf Simulator

You don’t need a ton of space or a ton of cash to have an indoor golf simulator thanks to this affordable golf siumulator from OptiShot. Optishot Infrared Golf Simulator combines Dancin’ Dogg’s award winning accurate swing and shot analysis with our own proprietary three dimensional visual golf software called “3DD Golf”.  All in the comfort of your own home. OptiShot $399

AccelGolf: GPS Rangefinder App for iPhone

Do you have a copy of AccelGolf’s GPS Rangefinder for the iPhone, Blackberry, or Android? If so, one lucky user who posts the most golf rounds using their app via Twitter starting 12:00AM EST Saturday, July 31 thru 11:59PM EST on Friday, August 6, will win a $50 gift certificate to the golf retailer, driving range, or instructor of their choice.

AccelGolf: GPS Rangefinder is a mobile app for the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, that provides statistical analysis of your golf game, calculates yardage, keeps score, and more! The best part is there is no annual fee to use the app or download courses.

What have you got to lose, except maybe some pride and a few dollars?

www.accelgolf.com

At the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show, I found out that Bushnell is the exclusive measuring device of Patriot Golf Day, the Folds of Honor Foundation along with the Patriot Golf Course. To support the fundraising efforts of this worthy cause, Bushnell is providing a percentage if every 2010 sale of their Tour V2 Patriot Pack to the Folds of Honor Foundation.

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The Bushnell Tour V2 Patriot Pack comes equipped with a Tour V2, Skinz with a Patriot Golf Day symbol on one side, and red, white and blue stars and stripes on the other, extra battery and premium carrying case for $299. An excellent value, since the Tour V2 sells for $349 and you’re getting a bunch of extras. Bushnell will also provide 20 complimentary Tour V2 Patriot Packs to be sold in the Patriot Golf Course pro shop with all proceeds supporting the foundation.

What is Patriot Golf Day?
Patriot Golf Day is a joint initiative of The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association that encourages golfers across the country to add $1 or more to their greens fees over the Labor Day weekend. Sparked by the vision and dedication of PGA Golf Professional Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot in the 125th Fighter Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, Patriot Golf Day has raised $5.1 million during its first three years.

The Folds of Honor Foundation (FHF), the beneficiary of Patriot Golf Day, provides post-secondary educational scholarships to the spouses and children of service members disabled or killed as a result of their military service to our great nation. FHF was founded in 2007 by Rooney, also a golf course owner, PGA Professional and USGA member.

Rooney has served three combat tours in Iraq. After returning from his second tour, Major Rooney was inspired to create FHF to empower deserving military families with educational support and opportunities by offering unique scholarships which can be applied to schooling now or held by FHF on behalf of young children until needed at the time of enrollment in a post-secondary educational institution. To date, 862 scholarships have been awarded by FHF.

“We have lost more than 4,000 soldiers and Patriot Golf Day is a way for patriotic Americans to assist families of military personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” said Rooney, who returned from his third tour in Iraq in 2008. “Bushnell Golf’s support of Patriot Golf Day has
added a critical fundraising component that is going to allow us to reach more families with scholarships and other forms of support.”

If you’re looking to buy a laser rangefinder, you really should consider picking up the Bushnell Tour V2 Patriot Pack. It’s for a great cause!

Bushnell Tour V2 Patriot Pack $299

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.

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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

If your on the market for golf GPS, there are tons of options available to choose from and at varying price points. What if your looking for a basic golf GPS unit that only gives you Front, Middle, Back of green measurements, and has only 4 buttons? You might want to check out the new IZZO SWAMI 1500 GPS.

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Look and Feel

The Swami is IZZO Golf’s answer to a simple golf GPS that is utilitarian in design and easy to us. The SWAMI is about the size of a garage door opener and features a large easy to read display with four buttons to operate the unit. The up and down arrows are meant for you to cycle through the holes your playing and the FCB (Front, Center, Back) for changing the reading to the front, center,or back of the green. The ENT button is used to power on and off the unit. The SWAMI body is made of plastic and has a slight curve at the top of the unit, and also features a mini-usb port for syncing and charging the unit. Also included is a belt clip for wearing the Swami on your belt if you feel inclined to do so.

Performance

The SWAMI 1500 GPS features Insta-Lok Technology & powered by the latest SIRFStarIII chip, which instantly calculates distance to the Front, Center and Back of the green of 12,000 US courses. The minute you fire up the SWAMIi, the GPS automatically recognizes the course you’re playing. This is a great feature, because you no longer have to cycle through a bunch of menu screens to start playing golf.

In order to begin using the SWAMI 1500 GPS, you need to install their SWAMI Map Manager desktop application on your PC (the SWAMI Map Manager is not MAC compatible) to load the courses on your SWAMI. After you have registered your unit and purchased the annual golf course map fee of $35 for an entire year, you can begin to add courses to the SWAMI. The SWAMI can store up to 10 courses at a time. Just locate your courses with its easy to use search by name or zip code, and hit the Load to SWAMI button.

In terms of battery life the SWAMI does come with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that holds a charge for a minimum of 12 hours at time. During my tests, the SWAMI held its charge and lived up to its specs. I like having a long lasting battery, because the last thing I want to worry about is the GPS running out of power or having to constantly recharge the unit.

How accurate is the IZZO SWAMI 1500 GPS ?
I discovered in my tests that the SWAMI was extremely accurate and quick at getting my measurements to the front, center, and back of the green. As mentioned before, the minute you power up the unit, it automatically recognizes the course your on. I compared the distance reported on the SWAMI against the course markers and with a laser rangefinder. I was very impressed by the Insta-Lok technology and how accurate and reliable it was.

The SWAMI is very easy to use and accurate, but it does have a couple of small drawbacks. First, I’d like to see the SWAMI Map Manger be available for MAC or at least offer a web based version of the software. In this day and age you really need to offer both a MAC and PC version of the software. Next, I’d like for the SWAMI to automatically advance to the next hole, after you completed your previous hole. It doesn’t take much effort to press the up arrow, but it would be one less thing to have to remember to do. I found myself several times expecting the SWAMI to advance to the next hole, only to realize I had to press the down arrow to advance to the next hole.

Overall the IZZO SWAMI 1500 GPS is great value for a no fuss golf GPS. If you’re looking for a simple and intuitive golf GPS, that is lightweight, accurate, and has great battery life, then pick up the IZZO SWAMI 1500 GPS.

IZZO SWAMI 1500 GPS retails for $99.99 with a one time $9.99 activation fee. No annual fee required.

One of key factors in club selection for an approach shot into the green, is assessing the distance to the pin. As we all know there are several options available to choose from in helping you determine the distance to the pin: laser rangefinders that are held up to your eye like binoculars and GPS units. Each of these options has there pros and cons, and with laser rangefinders it’s having to hold the unit up to your eye and keeping it steady to get your reading. This can cause some problems for getting an accurate reading, because your arms or hands might shake, making it difficult to get a quick distance measurement. Bushnell Golf has a solution to this problem with the release of its new pistol-shaped PinPro Laser Rangefinder.

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Look and feel
The Bushnell PinPro laser rangefinder, is a pistol-shaped point-and-shoot device designed specifically for golfers who play courses with reflective prisms on the flagstick. At first glance, the PinPro looks like a compact version of a speed gun device that a state trooper might use to measure how fast your car is driving. To use the PinPro you simply hold the device in one hand and aim down the site scope which sits atop the unit and aim the red dot theat appears at the reflective prism or object that you are trying to measure a distance of. Then you just press the trigger once you have your lock on your target and you’ll hear a beep as it begins to register your distance reading (in yards or meters), which will be displayed on the LCD screen  on the rear of the unit. 

The PinPro is also very lightweight and comes with an integrated carabiner clip, which you can attach to your golf bag for quick and easy access. This is a nice touch in my opinion, because you don’t have to waste time fumbling to get your rangefinder out of its protective case and helps speed up the pace of pay.

Performance
Does the PinPro work?

The PinPro is capable of ranging more than 300 yards to a reflective prism on a flagstick and 450 yards to trees. As I described earlier, operating the PinPro is so simple and easy to use, all you have to do is aim at the reflective prism, squeeze the trigger, and boom you have a measurement.

When I was able to lock onto a reflective prism, the PinPro was very fast in giving my distance measurement that was very accurate. Now if the courses you play routinely do not offer reflective prisms on the flagsticks, you are not out luck completely. You can actually use the PinPro to get distance measurement, assuming the green does not have any trees to interfere with the distance reading by aiming the PinPro at the flag. I used the PinPro in this manner several times and it was still effective, but it took much longer and multiple attempts to get the distance measurement. If you want to get a measurement on tree that’s on the course to determine distance to or past a hazard, the PinPro worked very well at doing that task.

The PinPro does have a few drawbacks, that I discovered while testing the unit. One of the key selling points of the PinPro is that its easier to use and than a traditional rangefinder, because you don’t have to hold it up to your eye. During my tests I did find it a little difficult to steady the unit with one hand on a windy day. I actually had to use two hands to keep the unit steady to get an accurate distance measurement. 

The other drawback of the unit is that in order to take full advantage of the unit, you have to play on a golf course that utilizes reflective prisms on the flagstick. I found it very difficult to find courses in my area that utilize reflective prisms, so keep that in mind before you purchase the PinPro. Like I mentioned before, it can be used on courses without reflective prisms, but the PinPro is not nearly as effective and it takes longer to get a reading. I’d like to see Bushnell come out with a similar device, that does not require reflective prisms on the flagstick.

Overall, the Bushnell PinPro is a good pistol-shaped laser rangefinder that is very accurate and easy to use, despite having a few drawbacks.

Bushnell PinPro Laser Rangefinder retails for $249