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Review: Bushnell Tour V4 Rangefinders

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Pros: Compact and lightweight. Lightning-fast readings. Easy to use. With the Tour V4 Slope, slope mode can be turned off to comply with tournament rules.

Cons: Not waterproof.

Who it’s for: All golfers can use the Tour V4 ($299.99). The pricier Tour V4 Slope ($399.99) offers slope functionality, which appeals to golfers who play different courses on a regular basis, or want the most accurate readings possible for casual and practice rounds.

The Review

Last year, I made the case that Bushnell’s Tour X Jolt rangefinder was the company’s best rangefinder, and one of the best rangefinders on the market. That has changed, thanks at least in part to the USGA, which amended its stance on slope-measuring rangefinders. Golfers can now use a slope-measuring rangefinder, so long as the slope functionality is turned off, in tournaments where distance-measuring devices are allowed.

Bushnell’s new Tour V4 rangefinders are available in two models: the Tour V4 ($299.99) and the Tour V4 Slope ($399.99), which takes advantage of the new rule.

The Tour V4 Slope (and all Bushnell’s slope-measuring rangefinders) uses a built-in inclinometer, as well as an algorithm that factors in distance, elevation and trajectory to calculate a distance a shot will play. So on top of producing an actual distance to the flag, say 150 yards, the Tour V4 Slope will also provide a “plays-like” distance. If that 150-yard shot is uphill, it might play more like 160 yards. If it’s downhill, it might play more like 140 yards. For golfers who know their distances well, the Tour V4 Slope will help them better understand their course in causal and practice rounds. And come tournament time, they can still use the Tour V4 Slope, if local rules allow, by toggling the slope functionality off before they get to the first tee.

The USGA rule change eliminates the need of tournament golfers to have two rangefinders, a problem Bushnell had already solved with the Tour X Jolt ($499.99). The Tour X Jolt used a system of interchangeable face plates, which make it a slope-and-distance measuring device when its red face plate was installed, and a distance-only measuring device when its black faceplate was installed. The execution was impressive, but more than once when I (too firmly) dropped the Tour X in the back bin of my golf cart was I jarred when the face plate came flying off. The rangefinder was always fine, but a part of me wondered how many drops it had left in it before something bad happened.

There are a few advantages to the Tour X, however, but for most golfers in the market for a new slope rangefinder, the Tour V4 makes much more sense. For example, with the Tour X, golfers can toggle between a brighter red display and a deeper black display. It also has a 6X magnification, making objects appear 6-times larger through its viewing window, whereas the Tour V4 Slope only has a 5X magnification. The Tour X also claims an accuracy of +/- 0.5 yard, while the Tour V4 has an accuracy of +/- 1 yard. Personally, I liked the ability to toggle the color of the Tour X’s display from black to red, but I didn’t notice the magnification or accuracy differences when compared to the Tour V4 Slope. What I did notice in a big way, however, was that the Tour V4 had no removable parts, and was significantly smaller and lighter. More importantly, the Tour V4 Slope sells for $100 less than the Tour X. Both also use Bushnell’s “Jolt” technology, which alerts a golfer when the rangefinder has locked onto a flagstick by vibrating.

The lone drawback? The Tour V4 slope is water-resistant, whereas Bushnell’s other premium rangefinders (Tour X, Pro X7, Pro X7 Jolt, Tour Z6 Jolt) are rainproof or waterproof.

If you’re a golfer who wants the most accurate distances possible, the Tour V4 Slope is currently Bushnell’s most attractive option, thanks to its ability to turn its slope functionality on and off through its menu. If you don’t care about slope, the Tour V4 and its $100 savings makes more sense. But once slope is off the table, you may want to consider Bushnell’s even more affordable models (Tour V3, Medalist).

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6 Comments

  1. Joe Carrow

    Jul 23, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Do you still think that Tour V4 is still worth a test? I am a Pro X7 user and happy to say it’s the best rangefinder i ever used.

  2. Kevin

    Dec 16, 2016 at 7:47 am

    Had these about a year now, for me they’ve worked perfectly, no issues with locking on, even in dull light, can be tricky into a setting sun but that goes for all rangefinders in my experience. Best I’ve used by far

    • Kevin

      Dec 16, 2016 at 7:49 am

      apologies, should have made it clear I was referring to the Tour X, not the V4

  3. ButchT

    Jul 13, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    Does this model lock onto the nearest object in the line of sight or does it go back and forth with the trees in the background? Thanks. ButchT.

  4. Avery

    May 18, 2016 at 2:41 pm

    Both I and a friend both got this range finder as soon as it came out. We both had the same experence and only discussed after we had both returned the unit. Battery Door is horrible. The Jolt feature works about 1 out of 4 times. It was hit or miss above 150 yards and could not lock onto any pin over 180 yards.

    I have had the same Bushnell 1500 slope since it came out and worked flawlessly. Unfortunately I sold it before testing this new model. Very sad Bushnell put these out without some further QC.

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Accessory Reviews

Insider photos from Tiger Woods’ launch event for his new “Sun Day Red” apparel line

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On Monday evening, inside the swanky, second-story “Coach House” event center in the Palisades Village, just minutes down the road from the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, Tiger Woods and TaylorMade officially announced their new apparel/footwear/accessory line, called “Sun Day Red.”

The Sun Day Red website officially launched on Monday night during the event, and the products are set to go on sale starting May 1.

The “Sun Day Red,” or “SDR” name will be self-explanatory for most golf fans, since he’s been wearing a victory-red shirt on Sunday’s for his entire professional career, but Woods explained the meaning of Sun Day Red at the launch event:

“It started with mom. Mom thought – being a Capricorn – that my power color was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments. Lo and behold, I go to a university that is red; Stanford is red. We wore red on the final day of every single tournament, and then every single tournament I’ve played as a professional I’ve worn red. It’s just become synonymous with me.”

The Sunday Red outfit has worked to perfection for his 82 PGA Tour victories, including 15 majors, so why not make an entire apparel line based on the career-long superstition?

As I learned at Monday’s launch event, the new Sun Day Red line includes much more than just clothing. To go along with a slew of different golf shirt designs and colorways, there were also windbreakers, hoodies, shoes, hats, headcovers, ball markers and gloves on display.

The upscale event was hosted by sports media personality Erin Andrews, with special guests David Abeles (CEO of TaylorMade) and Tiger Woods himself.

As explained by Abeles, the Sun Day Red brand is an independently-run business under the TaylorMade umbrella, and is based in San Clemente, California (rather than Carlsbad, where TaylorMade headquarters is located), and it’s run by a newly-formed, independent group. Brad Blackinship, formerly of Quiksilver and RVCA, is the appointed president of the new brand.

As for the logo itself, obviously, it’s made to look like a Tiger (the animal), and is comprised of 15 tiger stripes, which correspond with Woods’ 15 major championships. While the logo may need a 16th stripe if Woods adds a major trophy to his collection, it makes perfect sense for the time being.

The golf/lifestyle line is meant to combine premium precision and athletic comfort, while still having plenty of wearability and style off the course. Like Woods said on stage at the event, he wants to be able to go right from the course to dinner wearing Sun Day Red, and that was exactly the aesthetic on display at the event on Monday.

Following the official announcement from Woods and Abeles, they revealed multiple pieces of clothing, accessories and footwear for the event-goers to ogle (and photograph). Check out a selection of product/event photos below, or head over to our @GolfWRX Instagram page for video coverage…OR, head into our GolfWRX Forums for even more photos and member discussion.

Enjoy this exclusive look at Tiger Woods’ new Sun Day Red apparel lineup below.

See more photos from the Sun Day Red launch event here

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Accessory Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Motocaddy M7 Remote and M5 GPS DHC electric cart review

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I have been thinking about electric golf push carts, or trollies, ever since I started playing in my league seven years ago.

Motocaddy has been making high-quality electric, and non-electric, carts since 2004 and has a couple of great options for the golfer who loves to walk. Motocaddy was nice enough to get their M7 Remote and M5 GPS DHC in my hands to try out on the course for a few weeks.

I have had a lot of people stop me to ask about the carts, and the one thing I keep telling them is that these carts are just flat out fun to use on the course.

Motocaddy M7 Remote

The M7 Remote was very easy to get set up right out of the box. All you have to do is charge the battery, install the wheels, and you are pretty much ready to go. The M7 folds up pretty small, just a little larger than the 3-wheel pushcart that I had been using for years. Getting it to the course should be no problem with just about any trunk space. Now, the one downside to an electric cart is the weight when moving it around, and both carts come in at around 35 pounds each. Even with that extra weight, I didn’t have much trouble lifting them in and out of the back of a pickup.

The M7 unfolds quickly with the flick of two levers and extends the front wheels automatically. Once unfolded, you drop in the battery, plug it in, and secure your bag. If you own a Motocaddy bag, they have developed a really nice system called EasiLock that involves two metal studs that fit into the bottom of the cart. This system also includes a molded base that prevents the bag from rotating at all, even on the roughest terrain. You can still use the M7 with almost any other golf bag as it includes elastic straps that wrap around the top and bottom of the bag.

As soon as you plug in the battery the LCD screen comes to life and you are ready to go. You can use the M7 without the remote by using the dial on the handle to control the starting, stopping, and speed. But the M7 has a remote that is activated by a simple press of the power button to get going. The remote is very simple with just five buttons to control where the M7 goes.

Getting a feel for the M7 takes no time at all and by the time you drive it from your car to the 1st tee you will be in complete, and confident, control of the cart. You simply press the “+” button to start moving forward and the cart takes off gently without any rattling of your clubs, and you can press that same button again to increase the speed. The cart will go from a slow crawl, for bumpy or tight areas, too, as fast as I could run with just a few presses of the button. The big red “stop” button in the center stops the cart immediately, and when stopped it is locked in place, even on steep hills. You don’t have to worry about remembering to set the brakes or anything because it is done automatically.

Steering is just as easy: simply press the right or left button to turn the cart. Small, quick presses will just slightly adjust the cart as it moves down the fairway while a long hold of the button can make it turn on a dime to the right or left.

Almost everyone asked me how stable the cart was and if it would tip over. I can proudly say that it has stayed upright even on some unseen bumps at maximum speed. Side hills, ruts, and even curbs are handled with ease with the help of the small rear wheel.

I really enjoy strolling down the fairway with nothing but the M7’s remote in my hand — it just makes golfing more fun!

Motocaddy M5 GPS DHC

After using the M7 and its fancy remote, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t like not having it. But to be honest the M5 was just as fun to use, but for a different reason.

As the name suggests, the M5 has a built-in GPS with 40,000 courses preloaded into it. The screen is a good size, pretty responsive to the touch, and easy to read in direct sunlight. Having the GPS directly on the cart is great, you drive up to your ball and immediately have yardage to the front, back, and center of the green as well as bunkers and hazards. You can easily toggle between screens on the GPS and it offers a couple of different views to help navigate the hole. The M5 can also keep score and let you know shot distances right on the screen. Motocaddy even includes nice little touches like a screen protecter kit to ensure durability.

Driving the M5 is just as easy as the M7 with using the dial on the handle. And speaking of the handle, the grips have a great tacky rubber that grips well even in hot and humid conditions. To start the M5 you just press the dial down and the cart will gently start down the fairway. You can turn the dial to increase or decrease the speed — I found between 5-6 to be the most comfortable for me. But the speed can go up to a very fast pace if you are looking to set a record for fastest round of the day.

As you walk down the fairway, or rough, stopping the cart is as simple as pressing he dial again. When stopped the M5 engages a parking brake automatically so you don’t have to worry about it running down a hill without your approval. The M5 has tons of power to go up just about any hill and the Down Hill Control (DHC) keeps the speed consistent even when going down a steep decent.

Since the M5 has so much power, and it is a little heavy, I thought steering would be a little bit of a challenge. It wasn’t, at all. Guiding the M5 took very little effort and slight adjustments going down the fairway were very easy. Really tight turns took a slight bit more effort as the torque can want to go forward a little more than turn. Again, once you get the M5 from the car to the first tee, you will be a master at driving it.

Overall, Motocaddy has created two great carts that provide additional enjoyment to walking your favorite 9 or 18. Having the ability to walk without carrying or pushing your bag, clubs, and whatever else goes with you. I like them so much that it is going to be hard to get the M7’s remote out of my hands when I go play!

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Accessory Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Crossrope weighted jump rope & app

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An 18-hole round of golf averages out to just under five miles of walking, which on its own is a good workout. Once you throw in some potential uphill trekking you get some serious cardio too, but if you all looking for a quick workout between rounds of golf look no further than Crossrope.

Crossrope – The details

Crossrope is a system of the weighted jump rope that allows you to quickly switch the weight of the ropes you are using to boost your workout—they range from 1/4 lbs all the way up to 2 lbs depending on the kit you start out with. There is an accompanying app that helps you go through multiple workout routines and is available free, or you can upgrade to the entire library of workout routines along with more workout tracking options.

This is NOT your middle school jump rope

The handles are heavy duty and feature precision bearings to allow the rope to move smoothly around as you go through a routine. They are also ergonomic and fit into your hand naturally, which making gripping easy, something that is really nice when you’re swinging a 2 lbs coated steel cable around. The handles also come with a fast clip system to make changing cables depending on your selected workout easier too.

The ropes themselves are made from braided steel and are almost impossible to tangle, allowing them to be easily transported and stored when not in use. All in you are getting a premium piece of workout equipment that is effective and easy to store—hard to same the same thing about a treadmill.

When it comes to a workout, skipping rope is one of the most effective cardio workouts you can do, and with Crossrope, you can get both cardio and low impact weight training when using the heaviest ropes, and follow along with the guided workouts.

As someone that hadn’t used a jump rope in over a decade, starting out lighter was a nice way to ease in before moving up, and I was pleasantly surprised how easy and fun some of the workouts in the app were. If you are looking for a fun way to add something to your workouts, or you just want to try something new to get you into golf course walking shape, this could be right up your alley. To learn more check out crossrope.com

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