GOLF GADGET REVIEW! – Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder

“The Bushnell Hybrid is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of golf rangefinders.” -Golfspy Dave

You Put Your Chocolate in My Peanut Butter

(Written By: GolfSpy_Dave) Mmmmmm, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. This is probably the first “hybrid” that I experienced in my lifetime. It’s not chocolate flavored peanut butter, or peanut butter flavored chocolate. Instead, what you have is a combination of the two confections, each adding their individual elements to the hybrid treat.

Golfers Have Used Hybrids For Years

Think about the hybrid that you have in your bag. What was combined to make that club? Long iron performance with wood forgiveness. Ultimately the reason that we carry hybrids when we play is that the hybrid’s combined features produce a club that we hit better than the corresponding iron or wood. I am much happier with my 21° hybrid than I would be with a 3 iron or 7 wood…

The release of the Bushnell Hybrid Laser GPS generated a great deal of buzz when it was first announced this year. Following in the hybrid tradition, the Bushnell Hybrid takes the functionalities of a laser rangefinder and a GPS rangefinder and puts them together in a single unit. I assume that Bushnell’s goal was to produce a unit that takes the best features of the laser and GPS and in doing so provide golfers with a tool that was greater than the sum of its parts. They are shooting for the peanut butter cup of rangefinders.

Tell Us What You Think!

• Have you tried the Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder…if so let us know what you think.
• Do you prefer “Laser” or “GPS” rangefinders?
• Do you think GPS units should be allowed on the PGA Tour?

AESTHETICS & STYLE

When I first saw the photos of the Bushnell Hybrid, I thought it would be a huge, bulky unit. Now I am no electrical engineer (kudos to any reading this), but it seemed logical that a unit that combined the innards of a GPS and a laser would end up larger than either individual unit. The Hybrid is larger than either one of the two products that make up the unit (Tour V2 laser and Neo+ GPS) but it is far more compact than I expected.

One of the smartest things that they did with the physical design was to keep the laser side almost identical in dimensions to the non-hybrid laser. This is where you hold the unit and where you would experience most of the bulkiness in the unit. Instead, the unit feels very compact. It feels significantly more compact than the Bushnell 1600 laser that I reviewed previously (HERE). The rubber molding at the top and the bottom provide a pleasant texture and promote one-handed operation of the laser.

Other Product Notes:

• The silver and black color scheme is all business. It is almost in direct contrast to the innovation of the product. It doesn’t use bright, look-at-me colors to draw attention to itself. It’s a classy and professional looking unit.
• The GPS side of the unit does extend out from the left side, making it wider than a dedicated laser (or GPS for that matter). Even this though does not make the unit feel bulky and cumbersome.
• The GPS itself is basically a Neo+, and that is a good thing. Nice large display and easy to push buttons. It’s not going to give you hole fly-overs, but that is not really the Neo+’s bag. It is a good basic unit. For more info on the Neo+ go HERE.
• The Hybrid comes with a really nice case that you can easily attach to your golf bag. One of the great features of the case is that it has both zippered and magnetic closures. The magnets are strong enough to keep it closed while walking, while providing quicker access than you would have unzipping it each time.

Before I had the Hybrid unit in hand, I truly expected this to be a category where the Hybrid would struggle. In person, the aesthetics and ergonomics of the unit are excellent. The case is great. The USB charging port is easy to access and seals tight when not in use.

Well done Bushnell.

SCORE = 20/20

PERFORMANCE

The performance portion of the review of the Bushnell Hybrid was based upon two main questions:

1. Do the laser and the GPS units perform as well as their non-hybridized counterparts?
2. Does the combination of the GPS and laser into a single unit produce a unit that is more than the sum of its parts?

1. Do the laser and the GPS units perform as well as their non-hybridized counterparts?

The short answer is YES.

Expanding upon this, I do have some features that I would like to see in the GPS and the laser that are not present in the Hybrid unit. However these “shortcomings” are more my personal preferences than faults of the Hybrid unit.

If you read my review of the Neo+, you can see that it functions as a basic GPS unit. The GPS in the Hybrid is essentially the same. This is good. The Neo+ is a good no-frills GPS unit. I can say the same for the Hybrid GPS.

One plus was that I did not see any strange readings like I did when I reviewed the Neo+. Front, back, and middle distances were within a couple of yards of the laser reading. I do wish that there were more distances to hazards included stock, but these can be added by the user during play (up to four points per hole). No problem with satellite communication, providing you give it about 5-10 minutes at the beginning of the round to acquire them. I do like a few more frills in my GPS though. Scoring, intermediate distances, club suggestion, and such are not part of this unit. Again, these are my wants in a GPS. The GPS in the Hybrid is a solid performer, like the Neo+, but ultimately I would like something with more fancy features.

The laser side of the Bushnell Hybrid works exactly as expected. The PinSeeker Technology™ works as advertised, picking out the flag even when other objects are in the background. The laser is nice and fast, both to power on and to provide the distance measurement.

My only criticism, and again this is based upon my preference, is that the laser side does not calculate for slope. Not the fault of the unit, it’s not designed for slope. I just like having the slope reading. I don’t play in tournaments where the slope feature would get me disqualified. My other laser has the slope and it was something that I missed as I used the Hybrid. Maybe there will be a slope version of the Hybrid in Bushnell’s 2012 offerings.

2. Does the combination of the GPS and laser into a single unit produce a unit that is more than the sum of its parts?

Again, the short answer is YES.

Although my go to rangefinder is my laser, I also frequently have my Neo+ GPS fired up for the longer distance readings, such as shot #2 on par fives. I like just taking a quick glance to know approximate yardage for these shots. I will then laser the flag to get the actual distances on approach shots. Obviously, before the Hybrid, this required two separate pieces of equipment.

With the Hybrid, these two pieces of equipment are combined and that allows me to use the GPS half for some readings and the laser for others. I really do think that this is the best of both worlds. I like the GPS side for the less precise measurements, and the laser when I want to know exact distance. I know from using this unit that the front/middle/back measurements from the GPS are fairly accurate, but often times when I would laser say a white pin, the measured distance would differ from the GPS by up to 5 yards on occasion. I don’t blame this on the GPS side of the unit as much as the groundskeepers. Sometimes their concept of blue/white/red pin placement is suspect. GPS side gives a great idea of the depth of the green, and the laser tells you the pin distance. Perfect combination.

Remember though that we are talking about a basic laser paired with a basic GPS. There are no green topography maps or flyovers provided by the GPS and the laser gives you slope-free distance. Still though, by combining these two simple tools, Bushnell has produced a rangefinder that provides more than enough data to make the correct club selection and a confident shot in the majority of playing situations.

Another nice feature of the unit is that it is rechargeable. Plug it in and it will tell you when it is charged. The charge is good for a couple of rounds. A bit longer even if you don’t power up the GPS side of the unit. Yes the laser side will work with the GPS turned off. It definitely does use the charge faster than the Neo+ does though. Get into the habit of plugging it in before you go out, or after. I forgot this once and was left with a rangefinder free round. Sort of a bummer at that point that I couldn’t just pop in a fresh battery. I think that the rechargeable nature of the unit is better in the long run though, as long as you remember to charge it.

PERFORMANCE SCORE: 54/60

VALUE (20 Points)

OK MGS readers it’s math time. Using the pricing from the Bushnell site, the Neo+ sells for $149 and the Tour V2 w/o slope sells for $299 for a combined total of $448. The Hybrid lists in the Bushnell store for $499.  But we have found better prices on the units!

Is the $50 difference worth it for the convenience of having the two units combined? I would prefer a pricing that was closer to the sum of the unit costs, if not a little less. Still though, I think that a little premium for the Hybrid is still worth it. By having the GPS and the laser in the same unit, I found that I actually used both components more frequently than when I have both separate ones. Often times I forget to consult my GPS after I turn it on. The Hybrid allows a player to take quick glances at the GPS for distance or laser targets as required.

The real question of value comes from the consumer who is in the market for a GPS or laser. If you don’t currently own either type of rangefinder, then the Hybrid is definitely something you should consider in your purchase. If you already have a laser that is working for you, maybe you are better off picking up the Neo+ for $149. If you are a GPS user who wants to move to a laser though, take a long look at the Hybrid. It will cost a bit more than dedicated lasers, but I think that you will appreciate the inclusion of the GPS. And just like the Neo+, there is no subscription costs associated with the Hybrid GPS. If you are currently using a GPS with an annual subscription cost, be sure to take this into account when deciding to buy or not.

VALUE SCORE: 18/20

SUMMARY

While I am not sure that the Bushnell Hybrid will become as commonplace in the golfer’s bag as a hybrid club, I do believe that putting the laser and the GPS together has produced a unit that is superior to the sum of its parts. The Hybrid is comfortable and easy to use. It provides accurate readings and should help any golfer to play a more accurate game of golf.

“The Bushnell Hybrid is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of golf rangefinders.”
-Golfspy Dave

TOTAL SCORE: 92/100

Tell Us What You Think!

• Have you tried the Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder…if so let us know what you think.
• Do you prefer “Laser” or “GPS” rangefinders?
• Do you think GPS units should be allowed on the PGA Tour?