Don't Underestimate Golf Rangefinders!

Given the considerable amount of advertising dollars that are spent to encourage golfers to put new clubs into their bags every year, I always wonder why more corporate dollars are not spent to encourage golfers to actually buy the one device that will actually help them post lower scores: golf range finders. Golf rangefinders are typically priced between $200 and $400, about the same price range as new drivers made by Titleist, Cleveland, and TaylorMade. Is there less revenue to be made by merchandisers for selling one Bushnell Rangefinder versus one TaylorMade Driver? Probably. But good marketing campaigns can effectively change what we as consumers feel is and isn’t important. Avid golfers are always competing with their friends to stay ahead of the curve by purchasing the latest golf equipment. How many times have members of regular foursomes used another member’s new driver and then after just three or four swings went out and bought the same exact club? It happens all the time. The entire Golf industry counts on this kind of viral marketing to sell more and more clubs. However, why don’t rangefinder manufacturers like Bushnell and Leupold employ a similar philosophy or strategy? This week, we will spend time comparing a golf rangefinders’ impact on a golfer’s scoring average (USGA handi-cap) to the scoring impact that more popular golfing equipment has. Stay tuned.

A Binocular View of the New Yankee Stadium

I’m one to always carry binoculars around for the fear of missing something spectacular. By missing something, I mean not seeing something up close and personal; or in photo speak, not seeing the larger and enhanced version of a particular shot or frame. Being the back yard bird watcher that I am, I know binoculars work for birding. One can only get so close to a nest of baby robins or a sparrow’s bird house without being disruptive or intrusive. Binoculars enable you to remain at a nice distance and still check in on the birds and see a great deal. A mother robin feeding and protecting the family can be clearly viewed from 100 feet or more without feeling like you’re hovering near the ‘invasion of privacy’ boundary.

Bringing binoculars to a ball game, however, is not the same as using binoculars for birding. The requirement to get that real nice close-up is not paramount for understanding and appreciating the game. The same cannot be said for birding. As a true baseball AND NY Yankees fan, I am often a little torn as to whether or not I should I bring my binoculars to the Stadium. If I don’t bring them I know I will still enjoy the game just fine. And being obsessive about not wanting to miss a single pitch, I often wrestle with the idea that viewing the action through binoculars may take away from the pure enjoyment of watching baseball.

On May 22, the day before my friend and I were to attend the Saturday afternoon Yankees-Phillies game, I realized that I had lent my Leupold 8X30 Yosemite Binoculars to friend. The Leupold 8X30’s are my personal favorite for viewing baseball, so I was a little disappointed. I re-grouped when I convinced myself that my Carson YK 10X42’s (I use these mainly for birding) would suffice. They are not as light, and at first I wasn't sure how the extra weight would work out for a three hour game. However, I was surprised to find the weight turned out to not be a factor at all. And with the extra magnification, the close-ups were more intimate. Sitting in section 215, in between third base and the left field foul pole, the additional power came in handy.

As for taking away from the pure enjoyment, we picked our spots for using the binoculars and it really worked out. I mean, what baseball fan is going to watch an entire game through binoculars anyway? That’s pretty ridiculous. We got to our seats about 45 minutes before first pitch and got some great views of the players during warm-ups, stretching, etc. It was really cool to see players conversing with one another (they were obviously pretty relaxed). We saw Yankees Outfielder Johnny Damon laughing pretty hard after a short conversation at 2nd base with Phillies short-stop, Jimmy Rollins. We immediately wanted to know what these two stars (from opposing teams) were talking about. That’s what is so fun about seeing a live game. Experiencing the personal connection between two regular guys that just happen to make a lot of money playing baseball… this is what makes fans become even bigger fans. With my Carson YK 10X42’s, the experience was definitely better than it would have been if we had not brought them. And had I not lent out my Leupolds, I never would have learned that a full-size 10x42 binocular actually works very well for viewing a baseball game.

As for the game itself, we were able to get some close-ups at key points in the game when we felt so inclined. And at the end of the eighth inning, the Yanks were down 4-2, and looked terrible at the plate up to then. With the wind kicking up a little bit, we contemplated leaving early to get some dinner. Obviously at this point, we did not know that we were about to witness the best walk-off win of the season; in a season that already had several. Thankfully we stayed. With one out in the bottom of the ninth and Damon on first, I decided to view Alex Rodriguez through my 10X42’s during each pitch thrown by the Phillies pitcher, and last year’s best closer in both leagues, Brad Lidge. In hind sight, I never would have known how great the at-bat was without the binoculars. After working a 3-2 count, A-Rod connected, and then posed-just like he always does when he knows he just hit one out of the park. We watched the ball fall into the right field seats. Wow! Tie game! I then got caught up in the frenzy of the Bronx crowd and put down the binoculars. Two batters later, Melky Cabrera got his third game winning hit of the year and the Yankees somehow won another game they had no business winning. And we were there to see it….and with my binoculars we really had the best vantage point in the stadium!