Kiven J. Molina Blogs: A Laser To Rule Them ALL?

New Rule, New Tool

Yesterday we took a look at how the USGA has changed their interpretation of Rule 14.3 for distance measuring devices. By making removal of non-tournament features a software rather than hardware issue, the USGA has effectively changed the device landscape that golfers are permitted to use when practicing and when playing tournaments.

This change may not seem like much on the surface, but it really will change the rangefinder game, laser and otherwise. Companies can now add new non-tournament legal features, limited only by the imaginations of their engineers, provided those non-tournament legal features can be disabled for tournament play.

Combine this new freedom with the expanding capabilities of shot trackers and swing analyzers, and we may in fact be at the dawn of a new golf technology revolution.

But before we get too far off into the tangential future of new tech toys, let’s look at the laser that I actually have in hand today - the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope Laser Rangefinder.

One Laser to Rule Them All

The difference with this slope reading laser and the ones that came before it is the ability to swap between tournament legal and non-legal slope displaying modes via software instead of hardware solutions.

How is this accomplished? Simple. When you turn the unit on by pressing the red button on top, you hold down the button and, after a few moments, it will begin cycling through modes featuring yards or meters, and slope or no slope.

Accessing the menu through the power button took me by surprise. I actually kept trying to press the now purely decorative silver B button on the side of the unit. That’s how you used to get the menu... really it was, I swear.

My inept start aside, changing modes is simple and easy once you know how. My worry is that it may actually be too easy. So easy that someone during a tournament round could use it with slope engaged, and then quickly turn it off if questioned about it. Older slope-swappable units had some readily visible physical color difference, letting observers know if the unit was reporting slope yardages or not. Now you can’t tell if slope is on with a quick glance at the unit. You’ll need to take a measurement, and that’s when the cheater may be able to quickly swap the setting.

Let’s face it though, some of the members of your club are cheaters. This new tech is something else that can be added to one’s dishonesty arsenal, but it’s not going to make someone dishonest. Cheaters gonna cheat.

Anyway, let’s get into a bit more about using the Tour V4 since that’s a whole lot more important to discuss than whether or not Steve or Sally Sandbagger use it to cheat.

Looks and Ergonomics

I was surprised at the size of the V4 when I first opened the packaging. I knew that it would be smaller than my familiar Tour V3, but I was not prepared for how much the body style actually changed.

The transition from Tour V2 to Tour V3 was not huge shape-wise. The most significant thing in that model change was a change in unit color. This time, the color is the same between old and new models, but now the body has definitely morphed.

My first impression of the new body shape was that I didn’t like it. I have played many a round with the Tour V3 and the Tour V4 didn’t feel like the V3. I believe I actually had a bit of a damn-kids-get-off-my-lawn moment, thinking the old shape was better and why did Bushnell have to go and mess it up.

Then I started actually using the laser. Once I started lasering the trees on my street (that’s my usual I-can’t-wait-to-get-to-the-course-and-laser-targets activity), I could tell that the new shape was not the old familiar one, but perhaps it was more comfortable and accessible than I first gave it credit for.

Accessibility may be a strange term to use when describing a laser, but I think it works well when you think about using one. How is the access to the working parts of the laser such as buttons, the eyepiece, and other components needed for operation?

With the Tour V4 there are definitely some accessibility improvements. For example, adjusting the focusing diopter is way easier with the V4. The little lever on top of the V4’s eyepiece is significantly easier to adjust when compared to rotating the rubber eyepiece on the V3. You can almost do it one-handed. It’s easier with two hands, but doable with one. This is not possible with the V3. It is actually a pain to adjust even with two hands.

Ease of Use and On Course Performance

Ergonomics and ease of operation definitely go hand in hand. This is why when we test lasers head to head, the most important component of the test is time required to get an accurate measurement. In other words, speed.

Most lasers on the market these days are accurate, but not all of them are fast. Poor ergonomics, poor display, poor optics, and so on can all lead to longer measurement times. So is the Tour V4 fast?

Yes Virginia, it’s fast.

Now since I don’t have a whole bunch of lasers to put head to head, I can’t really give you an X number of seconds value for the V4. However, I have shot a multitude of lasers over the past few years, and I can confidently say that the V4 is on the fast team.

That said, there were a few speed struggles on the course. Bushnell's patented PinSeeker technology does its job, picking up the pin when there are false targets in the immediate background. Sometimes the V4 did take a little longer when there were background objects. Here is a photo of a situation where the Tour V4 struggled for a second to get the accurate yardage.

No reflector on the flag and trees behind. I knew I was about 150 out, but the V4 initially told me that the distance was 205. It only struggled for a second though, literally a second, before locking in on the flag. When playing courses with prisms on the flags, the V4 was deadly accurate and lightning fast, and I don’t recall any issues with locking on non-flag targets.

As I mentioned above, the new shape proved to be very comfortable in play. It’s small and light enough to use one-handed, and when you add a second hand, the laser settles and stabilizes into your grip. One of the criticisms of laser rangefinders, compared to GPS units, is that a shaky hand makes using the laser difficult. I don’t personally have this shaky issue, but the observed stability of the unit, when gripped with two hands, should make the V4 usable by most anyone.

Bushnell Tour V4 Slope Specs:

PinSeeker with JOLT technology
Accurate to 1 yard
Ranges 5-1,000 yards; 400+ yards to a flag
5x Magnification
Slope Technology provides compensated distances for elevation changes
Fast focus system
Ergonomic design with Stabi-Grip technology
Posi-Thread battery door
Rainproof construction
Waterproof
2 Year warranty
3-Volt CR2 battery and premium carry case included
MSRP: $399

High Points for the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope:

Optics: Excellent lens, and easy diopter adjustment for clear targeting.
Speed: Turns on and measures immediately. No lag.
Great Case: The Bushnell case is awesome, as always. Elastic closure for quick access, and a hook to attach it to a cart or bag. Longevity is excellent.
Targeting Non-Flag Objects: Adeptly measured trees, hazards, and other non-flag objects.
Range: 400 yards to a flag seems like enough. Most of the time I tested it from 220 or less, and it worked well from what I consider approach range.
Targeting: With a prism, killer. Without a prism, there were occasional momentary struggles while PinSeeker worked through the options.

Summary

So there are a couple of take home messages from all of this. First, the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope is an excellent laser rangefinder. If you are considering buying a laser to measure yardages this season, this is an excellent candidate. I’d support that purchase without reservation. If you are debating between the $299 no-slope version, and the $399 slope-swappable version, I’d say that improved versatility is worth the extra $100.

That thought also ties into the tougher question of should one upgrade to the V4 from a previous model? I’d say that you need to look at what type of rounds you play. If your current laser matches the type of golf you play, such as no-slope for tournament play, then upgrading may not be necessary. How valuable is it for you to be able to switch modes? As one who is playing casual and tournament golf this season, I find the Tour V4 to be a great tool, and it will likely cause me to leave the Tour V3 with dedicated slope readings at home.

Overall, I think that Bushnell has put together a fine little laser rangefinder that marries nicely with the new USGA ruling. The expected Bushnell quality is there, along with a new, potentially more comfortable body, and the with-slope/no-slope versatility.

Win a Tour V4 Slope

How would you like to have one of these for your very own? Just leave a comment below describing your current method for measuring yardages and you’ll be entered to win. One entry per person, with the winner being selected on or around April 29, 2016.