⭐ Staff Recommendation
I Tested Every Bushnell Rangefinder We Stock.
Here's the One I Chose.
By Rick Burke | Power Golf Australia | 14 Handicap | Home Course: Bonnie Doon Golf Club
G'day everyone — Rick here from the Power Golf team. Every now and then we like to pull back the curtain and share what we're actually buying for ourselves, not just what we're selling across the counter. This is one of those posts.
I recently went through every Bushnell rangefinder we stock and made a decision on which one I was taking home. It wasn't a quick decision — I genuinely wrestled with it — so I figured the best thing I could do was walk you through my thinking. If you're a mid-handicapper like me and you've been wondering which rangefinder is actually right for your game, hopefully this helps.
A quick bit of context: I'm a 14 handicapper and I play most of my golf at Bonnie Doon Golf Club. Beautiful course, but it has some genuinely tricky blind shots built into the layout — more on that in a minute, because it ended up being a big factor in my final call.
The Full Bushnell Lineup We Carry
Here's a quick rundown of all six models, from most affordable to flagship.
So Why the Tour Hybrid? Here's My Honest Thinking.
I'll be straight with you — I was genuinely torn between the A1 Slope and the Tour Hybrid for most of this process.
The A1 Slope had me at its weight. I carry my bag and I'm always looking for ways to trim grams wherever I can. It's a brilliant piece of kit — compact, rechargeable, accurate, and with proper slope. For a lot of golfers, that's all you'd ever need. The reason I ultimately moved on from it was the magnetic mount situation. The A1 requires you to add a BITE magnetic skin as a separate accessory to get it sticking to the cart bar. On days when I'm playing with friends and hopping in a cart, having to think about that extra piece just isn't ideal. Small thing, but it mattered.
The Tour Hybrid ticks my two non-negotiables:
1. Slope — for learning, not cheating. I'm a 14 handicapper. I know I can't use slope in a comp round, and I wouldn't. But I genuinely believe that using it in practice rounds is going to make me a smarter golfer. There have been so many times I've looked at a hole and thought "that's playing about 10 metres shorter downhill" — and been completely wrong. Slope gives me honest feedback on my own judgement. Over time, that calibrates my eye. That's worth every cent to me.
2. GPS for blind shots — and Bonnie Doon has a few. I play most of my golf at Bonnie Doon Golf Club and I love the place, but there are holes where the green is completely hidden from your approach. You're standing in the middle of the fairway with no visual reference to aim at, no idea where the front of the green starts, and you're just guessing. The Tour Hybrid solves that. I can get the GPS distances to front, middle, and back of the green even when I can't see a blade of it. That alone has already saved me shots.
And look — I'm realistic about my ball-striking. I know that at a 14 handicap my misses aren't being caused by not knowing the exact temperature-compensated distance. That's why I didn't push up to the Pro XM or Pro X3+. Their Elements technology is genuinely impressive, but the honest truth is that the variable in my game isn't the data — it's the swing. The Tour Hybrid gives me the two things that actually help my game, at a price I can justify.
One device. Laser for the pin. GPS for everything else. Slope when I want it. Tournament-legal when I need it. Done.
Not Sure Which One's Right for You?
Here's a quick cheat sheet based on the type of golfer you are:
| If you are… | Consider… |
|---|---|
| A walker who wants slope in the smallest package possible | A1 Slope ($479) |
| A competition golfer who wants pure laser accuracy only | Tour V6 ($549) |
| A golfer who wants slope + laser in the Tour sweet spot | Tour V6 Shift ($699) |
| A mid-to-low handicapper who wants slope + GPS in one device | Tour Hybrid ($899) ⭐ Rick's Pick |
| A detail-focused golfer who wants pro-level Elements compensation in a compact body | Pro XM ($799) |
| A serious player who wants the most powerful laser Bushnell makes | Pro X3 Plus ($949) |
Have Questions Before You Buy?
Swing by the store or shoot us a message — we're happy to walk you through which model suits your game. All six Bushnell models are available now at Power Golf Australia.
Shop All Bushnell Rangefinders →— Rick Burke, Power Golf Australia Staff | 14 Handicap | Bonnie Doon Golf Club member
