Guides / Don't lose your rangefinder

How to not lose your golf rangefinder: 7 habits that work

Almost every golfer who uses a rangefinder has left it somewhere: on the cart, beside a green, on a bench at the turn. It is small, you use it on every hole, and you put it down dozens of times a round. These habits make that much less likely.

1. Give it one home

Pick a single place it always goes back to: a clip on the bag, a case on the strap, or one pocket. The point is that "where is it?" has only one answer. Cart mounts are handy during play, but don't let the cart be its home, because the cart goes back to the barn without you.

2. Use a case that clips on

A case that hangs from the bag is harder to leave behind than a loose rangefinder. A rangefinder sitting in a cup holder or on the seat is easy to forget.

3. Never set it down on the grass

On the green or fringe, put it back in its case or pocket before you pick up a club. Most rangefinders found by marshals are lying next to a green.

4. Do a gear count at the turn and at 18

Before you leave the 9th and 18th greens, check your rangefinder, head covers, wedges and putter. It takes ten seconds. If something is missing you find out while it is still nearby, not in the car park.

5. Label it

Put your name and phone number on the rangefinder and its case. Most golfers are honest, and a phone number turns "lost and found, maybe" into a call the same day.

6. Register the serial number

Register it with the manufacturer and keep a photo of the serial number. It helps you prove ownership if it turns up, and some brands offer help or discounts when a registered product is lost.

7. Add a walk-away alert

Habits fail on the day you are distracted: a slow group, a good score, rain. A Bluetooth tag on the rangefinder case and an app that warns you as soon as the tag is out of range catches the mistake within a minute or two, while you are still on the next tee.

On Android that is harder than it sounds, because the built-in finder apps show where a tag was last seen but don't warn you when you walk away from it. See rangefinder trackers for Android for what works.

Already lost it?

Read what to do if you left your rangefinder on the golf cart. The first hour matters most.