Bushnell Hybrid Pinseeker Laser Rangefinder and GPS Unit

Better than expected
I've had a callaway upro for the past 2 years and was ready for a change. I wanted a range finder instead of gps to get more accurate distances. I also wanted something faster than the upro, it seemed like I spent a lot of time messing around with the upro to get what I needed on the course. But, I didn't want to give up the ability to get distances on blind shots and layup distance on long par 5's. I'm very glad I found the bushnell hybrid. I've played a couple rounds with it so far and love it. The range finder, which I use 90% of the time, is very quick to get yardages and easy to find the flag from 200 in. The GPS is rather sparse, but has everything I need, back front middle and some other elements on certain holes, like a creek. You can also add your own items on courses you play a lot. The gps is very responsive and it moves from hole to hole on its own. The battery on the upro was aweful, sometimes not even making it through the round. While I haven't fully tested the...
Great combination of GPS and Rangefinder
I was looking into purchasing either a Golf GPS or Rangefinder when I ran accross this Hybrid that had both features. Amazon had the price down to $399 at the time so it was hard to resist. I've used it a few rounds and am very impressed. The Pinseeker feature works very quickly and is a snap. I basically point it in the direction of the pin and it finds the distance then displays the Pinseeker icon to verify it's been located. The GPS feature works great for those times I don't need precise yardages. My only complaint it that the GPS never finds my home course and I have to manually input it each time. This was before and after I performed the required connection to igolf for the GPS upgrades. Overall, I'm very happy with this product.
Excellent concept, however....
Got the unit as a gift. I like the concept of having both laser and GPS. When it works it is wonderful. The issue I am having is with the rechargable battery. The battery lasts one round and requires a complete recharge. Its more of a hassle than anything. My Pinseeker 1500 had one of those rectangle batteries and typically lasted up to 6 months. I would get a "low battery" message on the screen and would replace at the end of the round. It was more user friendly than having to plug in the hybrid after every round.
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Bushnell Pro 1600 Tournament Edition Golf Laser Rangefinder

Works great, much better than GPS
Just tested this rangefinder for the first time on the course yesterday, and already it has helped me to shave a few strokes off my game.

I played a local course and took the rangefinder and my golflogix gps. The Golflogix told me I was 120 yards out, the Bushnell said 103. I hit my pitching wedge (normally goes 100) and landed a few yards from the pin.

So long as your approach shot distances are fairly consistent, you'll benefit from not having to guess if the flag is front back or middle.

This particular unit is a little bulkier than some other rangefinders, but I find it very easy to hold onto. Also, the excellent pouch fits easily onto my golf bag, so taking it in and out to use is easy. I was able to easily grab pins under 200 yards instantly. Pins further out take a bit longer. Yesterday I was able to get a pin 353 yards out. An interesting experiment, but well beyond my golfing range.

I decided on this unit over a Leupold for 3...
It Is The Best
I am anal when it comes to making comparisons. Especially if I am buying through mail-order. I will research items for a long time.
When it came to picking a range finder I had it narrowed down to the Leupold GX 1 and the Bushnell 1600. The first comparisons I did were at my house.
The Leupold was small and lightweight,about half the size of the Bushnell. The first thing I noticed was the Leupold had a slight yellowish tint when looking through it. If I didn't have the Bushnell to compare it to (very bright and clear),I probably wouldn't have noticed it. Leupold said it was the coating on the optics. Whatever it is, I didn't care for the tint. I then started taking measurements outside my window. My neighbors house is brick and the Leupold would NOT read the brick at all. I then "shot" their front door and got a 50 yard reading. I then shot their awning which overhangs their door and it wouldn't give me a reading. After the 4th attempt it finally said 52 yards. That's...
Excellent rangefinder
I checked out this rangefinder, Bushnell Pro 1600 Tournament Edition Laser Rangefinder with Pinseeker, against the GPS devices, as well as some of the older Nikon laser devices. This one has wonderful ease of use and accuracy. It gives readings which are very repeatable. It seems to be durable.

I found several things that another user of prospective purchaser might consider helpful:

1. The silicone/rubber surface resists all kind of inks, so that it is impossible to inscribe your name on the outside of the device. I even tried to write my name with a small soldering iron, but the cover even resisted this. Eventually I decided to include a label with my name on it in the battery compartment.
2. The pinseeker feature is excellent for picking up the flag. Using the other setting is helpful in picking layup distances.
3. The battery will become exhausted when you need the...
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