Bushnell PinSeeker 1500 Tournament & Slope Edition Review

Specifications

• Model: 20-1930
• Accuracy: +/- one yard
• Modes: PinSeeker and Scan
• Distance in yards and meters
• Carrying case with clip included
• Magnification: 5x
• 3 volt lithium battery (included)
• Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.8 x 1.6 inches / 109 x 71 x 40 mm
• Weight: 6.6oz / 187g

Ranges

• Reflective surfaces: 1,000 yards
• Trees: 600 yards
• Flag: 300 yards

Pros

• PinSeeker Technology makes it effortless to measure distances
• Compact (fits in your pocket)
• Lightweight

Cons

• High price
• Lower quality than the PinSeeker 1500
• Less effective for longer distances to flag (180+ yards) than the PinSeeker 1500

Review

The Bushnell Tour V2 is great for golfers that walk and want a lighter, more compact rangefinder that can be put in his/her pocket. It is lightweight at only 6.6 oz/187g and compact with dimensions of 4.3 x 2.8 x 1.6 inches/109 x 71 x 40 mm. Because it is so light it, the quality is lower than the PinSeeker 1500 (weighs 10 oz/337g). The display is not as sharp and the buttons are a little flimsy compared to the PinSeeker 1500.

It is has the PinSeeker technology making it quick and easy to get the yardage to the pin. All you have to do is move the rangefinder around the target until it locks on. It can be difficult to measure distances further than 180 unless the target is reflective or large but effectively measuring long distances is something that you sacrifice for a compact rangefinder. It also comes with Scan mode which allows you to move the rangefinder around while it continuously updates the distance as you move from object to object.

It is very accurate with +/- one yard accuracy. The included carrying case has a clip allowing one to easily strap it to his/her golf bag. It comes with a 3-volt lithium battery so you can use it right out of the box. It measures distances as far as 1,000 yards away for reflective objects, 600 yards for trees and 300 yards for flags (must be very reflective to measure flags this far away). It has rubber casing making it easy to grip in the palm of your hand. It has 5x magnification making it very easy to target the flag.

It is legal for tournament and handicap play while the Slope Edition is not. The Slope Edition is great for casual golfers that want the added bonus of having ranges adjusted for the slope of the hole.

Overall, the Tour V2 is a one of the best rangefinders on the market. If you don’t mind the extra size and weight of the PinSeeker 1500, I recommend going with the 1500 since it is the same price as the Tour V2 but is more effective.

Amazon.com Customer Reviews

Best golf purchase in years, July 7, 2008

I have used a skycaddie for two years. In fact, both only lasted about 6 months before they broke. In a panic, I bought a Bushnell V2 w/ Pinseeker the day before going to Pinehurst and played 4 rounds of golf with it, three of the courses I’ve never played before. It does everything Bushnell claims. Its very easy to use and the Pinseeker mode works perfectly. It never gave me an incorrect reading. One day I was with a Pinehurst member who had a laser designed to work specifically with a reflective element on top of all the Pinehurst flags. Every reading on every par 3 was exactly the same as his to the yard. If you have never used a Rangefinder or skycaddie, I’d recommend the Bushnell range finder. It does everything a skycaddie does AND you can laser anything on the course, not just the geographic references the skycaddie has in its course memory. I’m bitter about my skycaddies expenses, but this thing works better. When I get my skycaddie back, I’ll use it but won’t spend the money to renew the annual membership this fall.

Excellent product, July 17, 2008 By T. Hiley (, NC USA) Have had the TourV2 Pinseeker a few weeks now and am absolutely happy with it. Easy to use, lightweight and just tucks into one of my golf bag pockets…in less than 30 seconds I can get a distance “read” and make a club decision. Much faster than trying to figure out the distance or stepping off distances from markers on the course. When I select a club, it’s nice to actually know the distance to the flag….and I find it useful to check distance to hazards, creeks, etc. Already seeing improvements in my scoring.

Very happy with this purchase, May 14, 2008 By M. Mathews Requires a steady hand to use at long range (holding with two hands and tucking your elbows does the trick), but otherwise very easy to use. Nice compact size. Comes in very handy on unfamiliar courses.

Awesome Product, July 29, 2008 By John C. Donaldson I just received Tour V2 as a warrenty replacement for the Pro Tour that I returned as defective. The Tour V2 is so far superior to the Pro Tour especially the pin seeker feature. It recognizes the flag, even when it is limp, and bingo you have the yardage. Battery life of the Pro Tour was a problem and supposedly the V2 is far superior. We’ll see.

Bushnell Tour V2 Pinseeker Rangefinder, July 18, 2008 By Terence Ng “Golf Nut” (Singapore) Still early days yet – been carrying this one around for about a week. Used it on three occasions. It does take some getting used to in terms of what you want it to measure. For example, shooting the flagstick may not work as well bouncing the laser off someone’s white shirt if they’re on the green and about equidistant to the flag. Still, the distances worked out reasonably well so far and helped me with my club selection. I will give another update in about a month’s time.

First one arrived defective, June 27, 2008 By Edward Schulz (Center Valley, PA) Received my Bushnell Tour V2 w/ Pinseeker yesterday, but 3 of the 7 LCD segments in the “ones” digit did not display. I could not distinguish between 3 and 8, for example. We’ll write back when the replacement arrives.

Bushnell Tour V2 Pin Seeker, November 2, 2008 By S. Peck (Oakton, VA) This Bushnell is easier to use than the next size up. While the optics aren’t quite as crisp, they are very good. It is easy to focus and doesn’t require real steady hands to find the pin and get a distance measurement. Also, the small size and clip on case are easy to attach to my golf bag so it is always with me when I go to the course. We have both this one and the other one but this one is my preference.

Perfect for the job, August 30, 2008 By Robert Liss “RL” (White Plains, NY USA) I’ve tried almost all of the rangefinder and GPS products out there and this one was the most user friendly of the bunch on a round-by-round basis. Lightweight, accurate and easy to use (without slowing up play) – what more can a golfer ask for? The Skycaddie is pretty cool, and can give you a lot more data, but at the cost of being at times confusing and a drag on play time. The V2 is just a more practical tool for the job….

Works great, easy to use, August 27, 2008 By Beau-Tech “Beau-Tech” (Detroit, MI) I had a non-pinseeker model before and liked it. This one is much better at finding the pin/ flag. Previous model would have some problems distinguishing the flag from trees in the background. This one zeros in very nicely. Highly recommended!

Excellent, October 24, 2008 By David A. Hassan “Has Signs” (Cohasset, MA USA) I couldn’t be happier with the Tour V2 Pinseeker, It is compact, lightweight,accurate and very easy to get distance to the pin or any other object on the course. What more could you want in a yardage measuring device? Highly recommended.

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