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Slope or no slope: which rangefinder should you buy?
Updated
Buy slope if you play hilly courses for fun and want a "plays like" number. Buy a model with a visible switch if you also play competitions. Buy no slope at all if you mainly play events and never want to worry about it.
What slope does
A slope rangefinder measures the angle to the target and adjusts the distance. An uphill shot shows a longer "plays like" number, a downhill shot a shorter one. Bushnell's Tour V7 Shift page describes it as compensated, play-as distances shown in green in the display. That is useful on hilly courses. It is also exactly what Rule 4.3a does not allow in a round played under the Rules.
The three choices
| You play | Slope? | Picks here |
|---|---|---|
| Casual rounds, hilly course | Yes | Callaway 300 Pro, Blue Tees Series 3 Max+, REDTIGER Golf Rangefinder |
| Casual and club events | Yes, with a visible switch | Callaway 300 Pro, Bushnell Tour V6 Shift, Gogogo GS24 (MTL version) |
| Mostly tournaments | No | Bushnell Tour V5 (non-slope) |
What a good switch looks like
- Bushnell calls its feature Slope-Switch and says it gives a USGA-conforming device for tournament play when slope is off.
- Callaway's 300 Pro uses an external switch, which Callaway describes as one rangefinder for practice and one for competition.
- The real risk is forgetting. The Southern California Golf Association ruling on a player who left slope on for several holes ended in disqualification. Check the switch on the first tee and after anyone borrows the unit.
Every pick with slope here also works with slope off, so the non-slope model is only a win if you truly never want slope. Compare all six on the roundup page.
This is a plain summary of the Rules of Golf, not a ruling. The Committee running your event has the final word.