The rangefinder now talks to your watch

Distance tech does not change much year to year: a laser ranges the flag, you trust the number, you swing. Garmin has just done the rare thing and added a genuinely new trick. Its Approach Z30 laser pairs with the Approach S70 watch so that when you zap the pin, the yardage transmits instantly to your wrist — no squinting through the lens twice, no forgetting the number on your backswing.

It sounds gimmicky until you have stood over a shot trying to remember whether it was 147 or 157. Having the number on your watch — alongside the GPS yardages you already trust — is the kind of small, practical upgrade that actually changes a round. Bushnell, the other big name in lasers, has answered with a refreshed 2026 line of its own, including its smallest model yet.

One thing to know if you compete: slope — the feature that adjusts for uphill and downhill — is not legal in tournament play. Every decent modern rangefinder has a toggle to switch it off, so use it, but check it is off before a medal.

If you already own a recent laser, this will not make it obsolete. But if you are buying your first — or your watch and rangefinder currently live separate lives — the connected setup is the most useful thing to happen to distance gear in years.