Hi Kevin,

I own the Bushnell Tour V3 Jolt as well and I simply love it.  Though, I do have the "slope version" ...which is not tournament legal.  So, just be careful to make sure that you buy the non-slope version.   As far as the rangefinder itself goes, I really appreciate mine.  The laser locks in nicely on the pin/flag and I get a very accurate reading on the distances.  The jolt feature provides good feedback to make sure that you know that you have locked on to the target. Once I know my distance, I trust my club selection and then do my best to put on a good swing.  I really don't worry too much about the distance -- unless there are mitigating factors like strong wind, in which case I just compensate by taking extra club, etc. 

The battery life is really good too...mine lasts about 40 plus rounds, including the sessions at the practice range where I am dialing in the various distances.   Good luck in your tournaments and I think you will be happy with the Bushnell Tour V3!

I recently bought one and think it is amazing. 

I would definitely recommend paying the money for it gives distance so accurate and easy to use .

Worth every penny.  I have the new Tour X model which has changeable lenses for legal and slope versions.  So for pratice ounds I use the slope indicator and for tournaments use the regular lens.  I had one of the original Bushnell range finders for about 15 years and it died a couple months ago. Button fatigue got me.

If you are doing tournaments at unfamiliar courses, I believe that range finders are a great benefit and worth the cost. The Bushnell V series is a great entry level devise. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that more expensive models have but it gets the job done.

There is another more affordable range finder, but for the few dollars you save, you sacrifice a lot of processing power and durability, or so I have been told.

I have the Bushnell V3 Slope Edition and absolutely love it.  I play new courses often and really like the quick ability to find out where everything is and pull the trigger on a golf course.  I like to play fast and love the ability to find my own yardages even though I am new to the course.  I do not play tournaments so suits exactly what I need.  If you play tournaments and new courses on your travels: take NCBob's advise as the X Version sounds amazing to be able to switch between the formats.  Either way you are in good hands with the Bushnell... IMO.  

Hey Kevin, I have the Bushnell Tour v3 Jolt version without the slope and I absolutely love it.  I have found it extremely beneficial since it takes the guessing out of your distances to the pin, hazards, 150 posts, etc.  My one bit of advice would be to buy a brand new one from an authorized retailer since it would come with a 2 year warranty.  I had one that developed some problems after 6 months and Bushnell replaced it for free since it was under warranty.  If you buy one used it does not have a warranty and you could be stuck out.  You can usually find a new one on sale for between $250 and $275.  Good luck!

I bought one last month on Amazon and I've used it now for a few rounds and wondering WHY I waited until now to get it..  Truly love it and very  happy with it.  I did not get the slope one but my buddy did.  I will say it's pretty cool that it tells you the actual distance with the slope BUT it's not legal for tournament play.  Either way the slope version is pricey...

Also, this comes in VERY handy when hitting the range.. 

IMO, you'll enjoy the V3 jolt and it'll be money well spent... 

Good luck with your tournaments!

I never see a Bushnell on tour. Do the caddies use these on tour?

Aloha JMT-064,

I have been to a couple practice rounds and almost every caddie and coach that's with the player is carrying a Bushnell. Checking yardages and making notes for the book.

Hey Kevin, 

sorry for the delay but worth every penny. Gives most accurate yardages and will help hit the ball closer to pins. Reccomend getting the tour x so when playing with friends you can get exact yardage but also when In tournament you can also get a yardage. Once again sorry for the delay 

Absolutely! They are a great investment if you will be playing unfamiliar courses. I own one and would recommend sticking with Bushnell as they are a quality brand and make very accurate lasers.  Good luck in your competitive play.

Like everyone has said, they are worth every penny!

I picked up a Bushnell Patriot pack on sale at my local shop last year.

I use it a lot at the range. It's nice knowing exact yardages, working on different shots.

Just make sure you get a tournament legal one.

I picked up a used one from a fellow golfer here in Houston.  Had been a full-on GPS user until I picked up the Jolt.  Hard to go back now.  I still like a GPS for the course mapping aspect, but there are now a good number of free or very inexpensive smart phone apps that fill that particular need that I've just about given up using my GPS.  It won't give you the tracking information that a good GPS unit will, but I've found it to be exceptionally accurate on the course and use it exclusively when I really need a distance to a pin.

Today I got the Bushnell Tour V3 Patriot Pack! Very Excited and very impressed with its performance! I will use it to practice and can't wait for tournament play! Thank you for all the replies i recieved! - Kevin

Nice Kevin!!!  Congrats on the purchase and glad to hear it's working out well for you...  Keep us posted on your tournament play..

I've got the Tour V3 with Patriot pack and it's a heck of range finder.  I don't have the slope adjuster because I usually use it in tournaments, but I've never had an issue with it and have now gamed it well over 100 rounds.

I'd recommend it bud. I've got one and use it countless times in a round.

Pro Tip: if you've got a Bushnell Factory Outlet near you you can get a factory refurbished model for a lot cheaper. I got mine for around $160, and they still back it for a year.

I want that new Tour X but may have to wait till a few if those are in the Outlet. 

Up until last year I always used a GPS (Garmin/SkyCaddie) and this year I switched to a Bushnell Tour V3.  So far it has been one the better decisions I've made.  I love knowing the exact number to the pin and I can shoot bunkers or other hazards while getting a more accurate reading than a GPS.  Plus, I take it to the range all the time and I am able to hone in my distances a lot better

I would highly recommend a Bushnell.  It will take your game to the next level

Congrats, Kevin!  Enjoy your purchase and good luck with your game!

I've used a GPS (Garmin)  for about 5 years and love the ease of use.  The mapping allows me to have a graphic picture of the hole with hazards and layup positions.   I get this from the tee box.  That feature alone is particularly helpful on blind shots and unseen hazards.  

What I don't like are the additional fees, poor customer support from Garmin.  It is annoying and costly.  My regular group uses a laser, GPS, and phone app.  We often compare yardages on our devices and they are all within 1-2 yds from 200 yds.  Results for front, middle, and back yardages are all equal.  Pretty good.

I've strongly considered chucking this unit for a laser but can't justify the expense at this point. I do see a big advantage for practice/range use.  I suppose I am sacrificing a little accuracy for speed and ease of use. But for me, the gps is more than adequate for my skill level (9 hdcp).

For now, I'm good.  But I know I'll revisit the issue when my subscription expires.  It happens every year.

Honestly, unless you are pin hunting, you do not need a those expensive range finder. I bought one for $100. All I need is to know the distance to the flag and occasionally the distance to hit the ball over the bunkers. If you can read the yards from the markers and are familiar with the flag placement you don't really need a range finder. Seriously borrow one and play a round with it, then play a round with out it and you'll see that it does not give you a better score. If you have the ability to pin hunt and hit the distance you are shooting for then go for it and buy the expensive one. With my cheap one I can get the same distance results as a $300 one, not as fast but same results after a split second longer. Save your money and buy something that really helps your game, like good shoes. You don't feel it now, but when you get older all the damage you do to your feet is going to catch up to you, so its never too late to start taking care of yourself.

Well I hope this helps. I'm not rich and tend to go for the better deal. I can honestly tell you an expensive range finder is not worth it.

Well said, Juan!

My opinion is to get a nice one the first time around and as they say "cry once".  I've used the Bushnell V3, but I prefer the Leupold GX3.  It's build better, smaller, and less "plasticy".

-James

Once you start playing with it you can not fathom how you played wit out it

I actually disagree with some of Juan's points.  The main reason I bought a laser was due to the inaccuracies of the markings at most courses.  At best you're getting a measurement to the middle of the green.  Depending on the size of the greens, that could still be a couple of clubs off.  If you're not lucky enough to play a course with markings on sprinkler heads (or you're not near a sprinkler), you're stuck looking at a stake on the side of the hole and guessing your distance from there.  And that's assuming the stakes are at the correct distances.  My laser has really saved me a couple of times when course markings either weren't clear or were completely wrong.  I'm not saying you should go out and buy the most expensive laser available, but after using one for a couple of seasons, I couldn't imagine going back to playing without one.

Totally. I have one, and it really provides a layer of confidence when dealing with club choice. Trying to just eyeball my shots was not working out, and the buy has really improved my game.