You might think all of the best golf rangefinders basically do the same thing. To be quite frank, you're not far off. I recently tested a rangefinder that retails at $800 and - bar a new putt reading functionality - does what even a $150 rangefinder can do. It is a tough market to shop around in. My tip is to pick your maximum budget and shop around from there. With that in mind, let me introduce you to the GolfBuddy 2S Pro. With a retail price of $150/£150, it's considered on the cheaper side of the average and will likely be a top contender for golfers whose budget can't stretch as far.
My first impressions were strong. The carry case is compact and rugged with no major accents of colour which I think lend it nicely to blending in on any type of golf bag you have. The device itself mimics this, with the only hint of colour coming from the slope toggle button on the side and the main power button on top of the device. The device also has a nice weight to it, not as heavy as something like the ShotScope Pro ZR but not as lightweight as something like the Voice Caddie Laser Fit.
There are three modes altogether. Standard mode displays your straight-line distance and Pin Finder mode will lock onto the pin, even if you've got trees or other obstacles behind the pin to deal with. That mode also gives you a quick vibration through the device to confirm it's the pin. Finally, Scan mode allows you to continuously scan for five seconds to assess the lay of the land in front of you. This mode is brilliantly for quickly scoping out where bunkers are or where the run out of a fairway might be without having to constantly press the button like you would in standard mode. You can toggle the slope functionality on and off in all three modes, meaning the device can become competition-ready at the flick of a button (or slide of a switch in this case).
A final bonus mode has been charmingly called Buddy mode. This is effectively the device's triangulation mode whereby you can get an accurate yardage without having to be stood near your ball. I've used this now on an increasing amount of the best golf rangefinders - the Voice Caddie Laser Fit and Mileseey S1 GenePro to name two - and think it's a brilliant mode. It's ideal if you're playing cart path-only golf as you don't have to trudge back and forth from ball to cart to get your number but it's equally useful to help your playing partners out if they quickly ask you for yardage. You don't need to
I can't particularly fault this device, especially with its modest price tag. It comes loaded with pretty much every feature you'd ever need in a neat, sturdy and timeless design. The carry case is nicely proportioned too - everything just feels sensible and well laid out here. The only thing I can knock it for is that the display isn't as clear as some of its competition, but you'd have to invest another $100 for something like the uber-clear Zoom OLED Pro. If you don't feel the need to invest in a rangefinder with every single bell and whistle, GolfBuddy's 2S Pro is a superb option for its relatively measly price tag.
