If your dad had a pair of Bushnell binoculars when growing up, raise your hand. That’s what we thought: everyone’s hand is up in the air. Over the past couple of decades, the Overland Park, Kansas-based company founded by David P. Bushnell has also become synonymous with golf.
Few brands outside of Titleist have been as dominant on the PGA TOUR as Bushnell. Its laser rangefinders have long been accepted as the benchmark for accuracy, ease of use and longevity, all backed by a category-leading warranty.
But a quick Google search and five minutes perusing the Amazon Prime app and it’s easy to see the competition has increased exponentially. Not just from other handheld laser rangefinder manufacturers but also via GPS-based apps, watches, and other wearables.
But Bushell, like golf travel bag maker Club Glove, is just so darn good at what it does, the “competition’s paying the price,” as LL Cool J once exclaimed. And no Bushnell laser rangefinder drives this fact home quite like the Tour v5 Patriot.
The Tour V5 Patriot is Bushnell at its category-leading best. Easy to unbox, simple to start up and sporting a sleek-yet-powerful design that is sure to get more than a few looks from your playing partners. Aesthetics notwithstanding, avid golfers want two things out of their rangefinder: speed and accuracy.
Without exception, the Tour V5 delivers both. The distance is displayed on the screen as soon as the button is released (in either yards or meters). It also features Bushnell’s PinSeeker technology that helps it lock onto the pin. Ever see those crystal-like things at the top of the flagstick? Those are the targets, in effect.
Two other things we loved about the Tour V5. First, the built-in Bushnell BITE, an uber-powerful magnet that allows the rangefinder to attach to a golf cart. And trust us, no matter how NASCAR you get during your round, it’s not going anywhere. Second is the Jolt and Visual Jolt features that deliver a vibration and red ring around the distance with the rangefinder is dialed in (which takes a nanosecond).
The Tour V5 retails for $299.99 and is available at www.bushnellgolf.com.
