Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder GPS Review

50 Words or Less

The Bushnell Hybrid rangefinder and GPS is two distance measurement devices in one.   Seamless integration of the GPS into the rangefinder allows for faster, more informed play.

Introduction

Most golfers have a strong preference for their distance measuring device (DMD), be it laser rangefinder or GPS.  But even the most opinionated will acknowledge that their device of choice has its shortcomings.  Lasers can’t measure what they can’t see and can’t tell you the dimensions of the green.  GPS units are loaded with info but don’t know the location of the flag.

With their new Hybrid Rangefinder + GPS, Bushnell has attempted to make one device that does it all.

Set Up & Ease of Use

Before your first use of the Bushnell Hybrid, you need to plug in a USB charger to power up the GPS.  Once that battery is full, you can head to the course because the device has over 36,000 courses pre-loaded.

When you are ready to play, push the Power/Golf button on the side.  The unit powers up immediately, and once you select “Play Golf,” it will start searching for a satellite connection.  This process can take a couple minutes.  Once the Hybrid is connected to the satellite, you select the course you are going to play, and the distances will be displayed.

During the round, the GPS function is very easy to use.  The yardages to the front, middle, and back of the green are constantly displayed on the side.  If you want distances to hazards, just push the Select button.  The Hybrid changes holes automatically, but if you need to adjust manually, the Up and Down buttons serve that function.

The laser rangefinder aspect of the Bushnell Hybrid works exactly as you’d expect.  Push the orange Power button on the top of the unit to turn it on.  Push it again to get the distance.  If you hold the button down, the Hybrid will lock in on the closest object (the pin, not the trees behind it) and vibrate.

Accuracy & Performance

What I first noticed when I picked up the Bushnell Hybrid is how light it is.  It’s only 6 ounces compared to the 8 ounce Pro X2.  This isn’t much in absolute terms, but relatively speaking it’s a lot.  The Hybrid is also “shorter” than the Pro X2 and slightly wider.  Finally, the in-hand feel of the Hybrid is more plastic-y than the Pro X2.  I don’t doubt the durability of the Hybrid, but I’m used to the Pro X2 which feels like a brick.

The laser rangefinder on the Bushnell Hybrid is fast and accurate, just a you’d expect.  In fact, I couldn’t discern any difference between the Hybrid and the Pro X2 with regard to speed or accuracy.  PinSeeker works great, and I’ve really come to enjoy the confirmation that I get from JOLT.  The only drawback to the Hybrid is that there is no slope mode.

That brings us to the GPS, which is really the make-or-break feature of the Hybrid.  On the basics, the Hybrid’s GPS is solid: it’s accurate (always within a yard of course-marked yardages) and fast enough unless you’re playing speed golf.  The side display is easy to read, and the hazard yardages are easy to understand.

Where the Hybrid really puts it over the top is by displaying the front and back yardages inside the rangefinder eyepiece.  This is not only convenient, it’s an excellent reminder to think about hitting the green instead of firing at the flag yardage.

The battery for the GPS lasts about 9 hours.  This should be good for two rounds, or one and a half if the first round is a 6-hour marathon.  When the GPS died mid-round, I realized how much I was enjoying having the GPS information.

If I had to note one negative about the Hybrid, it’s that the yardages to the front and back of the green are not dynamic.  That means that if you get sideways (which I’ve been known to do), you can end up with front and back yardages that don’t make sense relative to your flag number.  This is a minor complaint as very few GPS units provide dynamic yardages.

Value

The Bushnell Hybrid retails for $400.  Please consider supporting Plugged In Golf by buying it from our sponsor Play Better HERE.  At $400, the Hybrid is $100 more than the basic Tour V4 but $150 less than the slope-enabled Pro X2.

Conclusion

I was not in the market for a new laser rangefinder when I received the Hybrid, as I’ve been very happy with my Pro X2.  However, after seeing how useful the Bushnell Hybrid is, particularly when playing new courses, it’s very possible that it will end up in my bag.  If you like to travel and play a variety of courses, the combination of rangefinder and GPS in one unit is hard to beat.

Buy the Bushnell Hybrid HERE

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Matt Saternus

Founder, Editor In Chief at PluggedInGolf.com
Matt is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Plugged In Golf. He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

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6 Comments

  1. If you had to pick between this and the Garmin Z80, which would it be?

    Wondering which device shows strength over the other.

    • Matt Saternus

      G,

      I haven’t test the Garmin, Matt Meeker wrote that review. I did have one in hand for about 10 seconds, and I was very impressed with the graphics. I am interested to learn more from Meeker about battery life and speed.

      Best,

      Matt

  2. Matt. is it easy to pick up hazards on the way to the hole with the GPS. My primary reason for buying a hybrid would be “How far to the creek or bunker?”

    • Matt Saternus

      Jerry,

      The device has a set number of hazards “built in” on every hole (the biggest, most important hazards/markers). On some courses, the points they choose are more than enough. I could imagine that on other courses, you would want an image or the ability to select your own point and know the distance to it.

      Best,

      Matt

  3. Hey Matt….I really enjoy your honest & real golf information so thanks! I used the Bushnell Hybrid for 80 plus rounds here on Prince Edward Island this past season and its great, really easy to use. With the laser only, your always stopping to put the rangefinder to your eye seeking an object to hit when , lets be realistic, most 2nd/3rd shots of the amateur golfer only require the approximate front/ back yardage to the green at a glance with no pin seeking involved. The easy to read GPS screen works well at allowing you to think about the club you want ,as you walk up to your ball , making the pace of play faster. This hybrid gave me the best of both devices but on most holes I used the GPS component 75% of the time. The battery on the GPS lasts for two 4 hr rounds before charging only if you have the back lighting turned off, which I never required, otherwise just one. If you forget to charge and it runs out in the middle of a round no worries as you have the laser which uses a non rechargeable battery that lasted all season. The hybrids plastic casing is very light & durable as it was dropped a couple of times with no damage and I found it to be compact . I truly like this Buschnell Hybrid better then any GPS or Laser only device I have owned and no slope capability makes it legal for tournament play .
    All the Best….Tom

  4. Clifford Ryan

    I love my Bushnell range finder, however the satellite battery does not stay charged at all. I can fully charge it, and by hole 6 it’s done! Anyone else having this issue?

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