You hit a terrific drive. It is nestled perfectly on the fairway just waiting for your approach. Out comes your rangefinder to help you select the right club. The first reading shows 125 yards. Your next shows something similar. You grab your 125 club, make a great swing and send the ball right at the flag. Hope rises in your heart as you watch the ball travel exactly where you want it to go. Then, inexplicably, the ball lands 10 yards past the green and 20 yards past the pin. What gives? You take another reading with your rangefinder, and now it shows 110 yards. This is a true story, and not a one-time experience.

I spent a decent chunk of change on a Precision Pro rangefinder that I liked because of the color and their free batteries for life policy. I had never owned a rangefinder, and simply relied on estimating distances based on markers on the course. There is an argument to be made for the simplicity and experience of returning to that style of play. But I am still dialing in my distances and want to be precise.

After the third experience of getting the wrong readings and picking the wrong club, I decided I was going to get the best rangefinder I could find. I found it.

The Bushnell Pro XE is priced like it's the best on the market, and it has been living up to the billing the past few months while I used it.

It reads distances instantly and accurately. It is well made, and built to last. The magnet on the side is great for easy access, attaching to different parts of your golf cart or bag.

And in the hundreds of times I have used it, the readings have never been wrong.

This poor guy I golfed with this week was so proud of his rangefinder that gave distances to the tenth of a yard. But it was giving him the wrong distance every time. It was literally 15-20 yards off. And sure enough, he would come up short on every par 3 by roughly that amount.

The XE not only shoot accurate distances quickly, it also takes slope measures to the next level by factoring in temperature and barometric pressure to give you a more realistic ball flight distance.

It is fully waterproof and has a 7x zoom that can take readings up to 1,300 yards away.

Frankly, it's probably more than I need, but I trust it and I value every single thing that gives me more confidence on the course.

Downsides

The price ($499.00) is nothing to scoff at. I did a lot of research before spending that kind of cash. There are a lot of rangefinders in the $200-300 range that will probably be fine most of the time. I just wanted the best on the market, and this is it.

Like all laser rangefinders, fog makes them unusable. They pick up water particles in the air and tell you distances like 6 yards. Bushnell has not solved that problem any more than any other has. In those situations, you can revert to less accurate GPS distances or course markings.

Conclusion

I will only buy Bushnell rangefinders from now on. I'm a convert. This is one my favorite products outside of my clubs in my bag. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a rangefinder you'll never regret owning.