What I’m about to say is going to make me sound like a golf dinosaur: Until last month, I had never used a handheld rangefinder. Shocker, I know! But the devices just never seemed to jibe with me.
In my junior golf days, like our forefathers from generations past, I calculated yardages the old-fashioned way, by pacing them off, using fairway monuments and sprinkler heads. As I got older, I utilized digital golf-cart screens or mooched off a playing partner who had a rangefinder and was willing to zap the pin for me.
In more recent years, I tried and enjoyed the Garmin Approach S70 watch, with its full-color screen and the ability to see an aerial view of the hole as well as intermediate yardages. But there was just something about the idea of holding a rangefinder to my face and peering through the viewfinder that I found overly difficult and time-consuming. That is, until I finally decided to try the new Garmin Approach Z10.
What I loved about the Garmin Approach Z10 rangefinder
This Garmin Approach Z10 solved everything that had previously given me pause about using a rangefinder. It’s lightweight and compact, with an internal magnet that attaches securely to the golf cart.
It’s also supremely easy to use. There are only two buttons to worry about: Power and Mode. Power turns on the rangefinder and locks in your target, and Mode turns the slope feature on and off. You can also use Mode to elect to measure distances in meters instead of yards. The 6X-magnified viewfinder makes it a seamless endeavor to locate the flagstick or any target you desire up to 350 yards away. The Z10 also provides an encouraging vibration to let you know you’ve locked onto your target properly.
When the slope mode is turned off, an external light on the outside of the rangefinder turns on to indicate that Tournament Mode is activated — a helpful visual cue for you and your playing partners or opponents. When the slope feature is on, you can also get a “plays like” reading underneath the measured yardage that is displayed in the viewfinder.
When the Z10 is paired with the Garmin app, you can also see the distance to the pin from the front and back of the green as well as ranged distances on a course map that reveal distances to everything in play. Once paired with your smartphone app, you can also locate the Z10 in case you ever leave it behind.
The Z10’s simplicity and ease of use made me wonder why I had avoided rangefinders for so long. If you’re looking for a no-frills distance-measuring device that gets the job done quickly and efficiently, the Garmin Approach Z10 is a worthy option I’m excited to add to my gear repertoire going forward.
The best news? For a limited time, you can save $50 on orders of $250 or more at PGA TOUR Superstore — and the Garmin Approach Z10 is a qualifying item! Just use promotional code SAVE50 at checkout. Click on the link below to order yours now!
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: golf.com
