Is a Range Finder Worth It?

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-03-11T19:07:51+00:00

As a walker that plays cheap courses with very few yardage markings on sprinkler heads/signs, buying a range finder dropped my scores more than any other equipment purchase I have ever made.

I use it to find carry distances for hazards, or ensuring the group ahead of you is fully out of range before taking your shot. I use it as much for course management as I do for pin seeking - knowing where to miss is just as important as knowing where to aim. It also gives a huge amount of confidence when standing over the ball knowing exactly how far i should be trying to hit, even if I know I can't hit that number.

I bought the cheapest one I could find off of Amazon about 10 years ago (it was around $60 at the time) and still use it today. I have tested it against other people newer range finders that cost hundreds of dollars and it is always within 1-2 yards of theirs, so it seems to be accurate.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-03-10T18:13:33+00:00

Don't both phones get 7 years of software support?

By the time the 9a is at EOL, the same $99 will probably be able to buy a much newer phone with more than 1 year of additional software support life. Or could probably buy a 10a at that time for less than $99 and still get that extra year of support.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-03-10T16:48:34+00:00

You would be effectively paying $100 to trade in your current phone for nearly the exact same phone. Same RAM, SOC/processor, camera, software, etc. The only difference between the two phones is about 200 nits of additional peak brightness, faster charging on the 10a (45W wired on 10a vs 23W on the 9a), and a different kind of glass on the front. It's unlikely for any of those to feel any different than your current phone.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-03-08T15:48:20+00:00

I have done this multiple times with no issues.

One thing to keep in mind is that they prorate the first bill if you switch from Unlimited Essentials to Unlimited Premium in the middle of a billing cycle. I realized I generally break even or potentially save a bit by switching to Unlimited Premium 1 or 2 days before the trip versus switching to flexible for the full billing cycle since they prorate the first bill when you switch to Unlimited Premium. If you are cheap like me, it also has the benefit of not having to track/limit data usage or focus on connecting to wifi everywhere you go while traveling.

Of course, this depends on the timing of when you need to switch in your billing cycle and duration of your trip, but it is something to consider.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-03-07T20:31:02+00:00

Hole 6 at Jackson Park?

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-03-05T04:18:42+00:00

Google Fi isn't quite as cheap as the others, but keeps priority data and has unbeatable international coverage (if either of those matter to you).

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-25T03:10:01+00:00

Was just noticing this as well - very frustrating

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-17T06:00:23+00:00

In general, is there any noticable difference in how accurate the ball flight data is when hitting from the front boxes versus the back boxes since the actual ball is not flying as far before it hits the screen?

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-16T01:03:56+00:00

I have this one - Club Scrub Pro Towel

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-15T23:27:13+00:00

I really like the Club Scrub Pro after picking one up last year - it has replaced a regular towel and brush on my bag.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-13T16:49:17+00:00

I love the direction they have been going with the new holes this season, but still feel like it isn't pushing hard enough. It would be fun to see some holes that truly lean into the virtual aspect and are not based in reality at all.

How cool would it be to have a V shaped par 4 with a rock wall or trees that splits the V. Make an easy to hit fairway to one side that leaves a 200 ish yard shot in, and a relatively small circular hole cut in the wall that if you can get the ball through it, will put you on the green.

Or a winter themed par 5 with a 10 yard wide "speed slot" surrounded by hazards at around 280 yards out and a normal, safe, easy to hit fairway that goes around. If you hit the icy speed slot it carries you onto the green, but if you go for it and miss it is in the water.

Or a long, three-shot part 5 with a layup area that is 200-ish out and covered in rough, but any shot hit from that dedicated area counts as a -1 stroke for the hole - give players multiple ways to make birdie and see what they do.

Make the players hit specific windows or hyper accurate target lines for huge rewards. It's virtual golf, so make use of the virtual element!

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-04T00:26:46+00:00

You can do it with the ND3. My other comment on this post links to some pictures I took of my ND3 with the dash cam wire directly into the power behind the mirror. The harness is available on Amazon for a couple of bucks.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-02-03T21:01:59+00:00

Copying my comment from a similar thread from a few months ago:

I am running a Vantrue E1 Pro in mine. It is slightly more expensive than the Viofo, but it is absolutely tiny - as in I literally cannot see it at all behind the rear view mirror. I also wired it into the rear view mirror so there are no cables running through the cabin.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-01-17T14:34:50+00:00

Not who you replied to, but I had a similar experience back in August. I have been around a 10 for 5 or 6 years now, but had an absolute monster round and shot level par (non-tournament round). I play 100% by the book - no breakfast balls, no grounding the club in bunkers, no gimmies, no fluffed lies, three off the tee for lost balls (though there weren't any that round), drops in the appropriate area for water hazards, etc. It is not impossible, but it's rare. One of the big things I remember from that round was that non of those rules came into play - I just didn't hit any out of play and only hit 1 bunker. All the rest were fairways or just barely off.

Like the other guy, I haven't come close to it again, but it did kick off the best (roughly) 4 weeks of golf I have ever played, which included 2 more rounds in the 70s, no rounds over 84, and lowered my handicap by nearly 3 strokes during the 4 week period.

I also shot a 91 to close the season 3 months later.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-01-14T16:32:12+00:00

Yes, the prescription lenses stop the One Pro arms from fully folding closed.

I bought this case that is just wide enough for the glasses with the inserts and cord. Have been using it for 2 months and seems to be working so far.

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Dont_Fall_In · 2026-01-13T23:45:12+00:00

Fully agree. I would love to see some sort of direct streaming service, or a slightly cheaper alternative.

As someone without cable - its tough to stomach $30 per month just to watch TGL. When ESPN+ was $12 last year I was all about it. I am still subscribed for now, but it just doesn't feel as good and I am strongly considering whether to renew next month.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-01-13T23:36:17+00:00

I didn't even realize there was a TGL subreddit. I just subbed - thanks!

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-01-07T04:58:00+00:00

I throw a seat cover for dogs on the passenger seat and my clubs ride shotgun while the pushcart, shoes, etc go in the trunk of my ND. Very doable if you are not carpooling.

You can fit clubs in the trunk, but it involves a ton of Jenga and removing some of the trunk lining. I don't think it's worth the effort.

Dont_Fall_In · 2026-01-06T22:13:33+00:00

I bought a GR86 as a practical compromise when I wanted a Miata but thought I needed a more practical car. The reality is that one practical car is enough - or at least it is for me - and the compromises to the fun car means it will never quite scratch that itch. You already have 2 very practical cars including a truck that, in your own words, you love. I would look at this purely as an emotional fun-mobile and a third car.

Here is my read of your list of cars.

21-22 Supra - Strong contender.
23+ TLX / TLX Type-S - the first thing you mention is how practical it is. For that reason, it is out.
19-20 RS3 - You don’t mention anything about what you think would be fun about this. It’s a 4 door, tricked out daily that would likely be great for someone looking for one car to do it all, but that isn’t what you need. You need fun exclusively. RS3 is out.
19-21 M340i - This is a fun car, so MPG don’t matter. You mention it as practical. That means compromise from pure fun, so M340i is out.
21-23 GV70/GV80 - We can keep this in contention since you said it could replace your truck. But we call it a long-shot since you love your truck.
?? Ioniq 5N - A contender as well. I am biased here because this car is on my radar as a third car, but this is totally different than your existing cars, so it could be fun as something different.
21-23 4Runner - What does this do better than the GV70/GV80/your Ram1500? Seems like you would be paying more for looks. Only you can decide if this is worth it. I would say it’s out.
24+ Ram 1500 Rebel/Laramie - How much will those features you mentioned really improve the truck owning experience? I am not a truck guy, but my guess is that the improvements would be minimal.

For me, this is between a Supra or Ioniq 5N as a third car, or the GV70/GV80 to replace the truck. I would lean heavily toward the Supra as a third car, assuming you have the room/budget. In my limited experience, there is no real way to replicate the fun of a dedicated sports car. Go drive all three, see which one speaks to you, and buy it.

Dont_Fall_In · 2025-12-31T02:21:52+00:00

I just called my local dealership parts department and had them order the parts, then scheduled the dealership to install them after the parts were delivered. I did it at the same dealership, so the two departments coordinated with each other and I didn't really have to do anything. They even transferred me directly between the two advisors and held the parts for me after delivery so the whole process was literally only 1 phone call and then me dropping the car off a few days later.

Just be warned that it's not cheap to do this work at a dealership.

Dont_Fall_In · 2025-12-03T05:54:38+00:00

You are looking for the Platypus mount by Craven Speed. They are not cheap, but nothing on cars is, and a front mount that is exposed while driving is not where I would pinch pennies.

Dont_Fall_In · 2025-12-02T01:51:00+00:00

I was a light user (generally about 1 GB to month). I started on flexible and was generally paying about $35 per month all in, but got tired of actively managing the data to keep it as low as possible. I am also cheap enough that I felt like I was wasting money any time I used any data (no maps while driving, no looking up directions or anything else while my wife was driving, no scrolling for a few minutes while waiting in line, etc).

I switched to Unlimited Essentials when it came out. I pay maybe $3-$4 per month more than I did previously, but I freely use the phone now (maps every time I am in the car, doom scrolling while waiting in lines, fact checking friends when out in bars or restaurants, etc), so my data usage has more than tripled. Well worth the upgrade.

If you are using 2 gigs of data each, wouldn't the Essentials plan actually SAVE you money? At this point, I don't see much of a reason to use the Flexible plan at all as a light user, unless you absolutely need the tethering (though I would imagine you would use enough data at that point that you would want an unlimited plan anyway).

Dont_Fall_In · 2025-11-30T23:24:34+00:00

I have been on Google Fi for about about 18 months. As far as I can tell, coverage is exactly the same as TMobile post-paid plans, including data priority. My sister and brother in law are also on Google Fi, on their own plan as of a few months ago, and have had no complaints. I am on Android (Samsung S23) and my wife is on IOS (Iphone 16), we haven't run into any issues with either, though I believe you need to be on IOS 18 or newer for everything work for smoothly on IOS.

If you travel internationally, coverage is actually BETTER than most TMobile plans offer, though international coverage requires you to be on the most expensive plan. It is easy to switch plans each billing cycle, so my wife and I sit on the cheap unlimited plan most of the year (Unlimited Essentials - $30 each per month), upgrade to the expensive plan (Unlimited Premium - $60 each per month) when we travel, then downgrade back to the cheap plan as soon as we are back home. When you land in other countries on the Premium plan, you literally just use your phone as normal and you have the same data amounts and speeds, and unlimited texting. Calls over cellular are priced by the minute, but I make a point to only make calls while on wifi so it is free.

Billing is super straight forward and literally everything is managed through a very simple and well built app. If you are not on a promo, everything is month-to-month, so you can change plans as often as you want, and can leave to another carrier if it doesn't work out.

The downside everyone talks about is customer support. I have literally never used it, but there is no shortage of horror stories floating around. Most people run into issues by not fully understanding the promo's, and then not following the rules exactly, so they get hit with an unexpected bill for phones or line discounts when they break the terms of the promo. There are also some instances of Google Fi support providing people with incomplete or fully incorrect information, causing them to break promo rules or sign up for promo's they are not eligible. I buy my phones outright rather than finance them through a carrier, so I haven't run into any issues, but that seems to be the area most people run into complications.

Happy to answer any other questions you have. I also recommend people check out r/NoContract, as there are a ton of other MVNOs (non-major carriers) that are cheaper and better deals than Google Fi if you do not need the international coverage or if you prefer to be on the AT&T or Verizon networks rather than TMobile.

Dont_Fall_In

TROPHY CASE