Laser rangefinders aren’t “laser rangefinders” anymore.
Have you noticed they’re transmogrifying right before our very eyes? What started as precise “how-far” devices (as in, how far to that pin over yonder?), they’re now integral linchpins in what manufacturers are calling ecosystems.
And everyone these days has an ecosystem.
Last fall, Arccos dropped its Smart Laser rangefinder. At the time, it was touted as the smartest smart laser ever as it would make real-time adjustments for wind speed and direction (including gusts), temperature, humidity and altitude. Arccos said all those factors, plus laser distance and slope adjustment, would give you the truest “plays-like” distance possible.
That’s all fine and dandy if that’s what you’re looking for. But Arccos, being Arccos, doesn’t sit still for very long. Here we are, six months later, with Arccos adding two new features to the Smart Laser package: AI Strategy and Green Maps.
Can the Arccos Smart Laser get smarter?
Well, that’s the plan.
Both AI Strategy and Greens Maps are being added to the Smart Laser subscription package (more on that in a minute) to, as Arccos puts it, help golfers make better decisions on the course. When connected to the Arccos GPS app, AI Strategy analyzes the distance info it gets from the Smart Laser and combines it with your tendencies, the course layout, wind, elevation and its database of more than 1.5 billion shots. It then plots out the smartest way for you to play every hole.
AI Strategy calculates the optimal target and landing zones based on your actual performance data. It then lays it out on the GPS app. All you have to do is hit it where the app tells you.
If you can.
The Green Map feature is exactly what it sounds like. It’ll give you the exact pin location along with detailed, tour-level contour maps. Arccos currently offers maps for around 9,000 courses worldwide, with plans to add more.
The system itself is software-based. So, like your phone or laptop, functionality and features improve with every new software update.
As of right now, both new features are available for IOS only.
What’s the catch?
Well, there’s that subscription thing we were talking about.
The Arccos Smart Laser itself is very reasonably priced at $299.99. For that, you get slope, 6.1x optical zoom, a 999-yard range, a strong cart magnet and vibrating pin lock.
That price also includes a one-year Smart Laser subscription which unlocks all the smart environmental “plays-like” goodies. Once the year is up, however, the annual subscription rate is $199.99. That comes out to $16.67 per month.
If you already use the Arccos game-tracking system, the Smart Laser will integrate into your account automatically. The subscriptions, however, are separate.
What that means is that if you want long-term access to the entire Arccos ecosystem, it’s going to cost you $199.99 per year for the Smart Laser package plus $155.88 per year for game tracking.
That, friends, amounts to a tidy sum of $355.87 per year, just under $30 per month.
Is the Arccos Smart Laser package right for you?
That depends on what you’re after. On the one hand, we’ve survived playing golf for generations without this level of electronic support. On the other hand, is $30 a month out of line for what you’re getting?
If you think about all the streaming services you subscribe to but rarely watch, it’s a question worth asking. If you play golf for fun or for just a little bit of competition, the answer’s likely no. However, if you’re a stat-and-data geek, an aspiring competitive amateur or if you just like beating your sunuvabitch cousin in match play, there are worse ways to spend what amounts to a buck a day.
The good news, even for the subscription weary, is that the new AI Strategy and Green Maps features are included in the complimentary one-year subscription you get if you buy the Smart Laser. For the subscription-curious, you have a year to play with it to see if it’s something you want to continue with. If you don’t, you still have a nice rangefinder.
If the $199.99 annual fee is simply a bridge too far, may we suggest the Blue Tees Captain Pro? It’s also $299 with a complimentary one-year subscription to the Blue Tees GAME app. After that, the annual subscription is only $49.
The GAME app isn’t as robust as anything Arccos offers but it gets you most of the way there.
If you’re subscription-phobic, the growing Shot Scope ecosystem features zero subscription fees.
For more information on the upgrades to the Arccos Smart Laser rangefinder system, visit the Arccos website.
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