MEMBER REVIEWS: Vortex Optics Golf Rangefinders | See What Members Are Saying

[CanFred]

5 minutes ago, tj7644 said:

For me it's the optics.   So clear, so easy to see whether I have sunglasses or not.   But the clear optics with the image stabilization... Game changer for me.   Absolutely love it! 

Thanks @tj7644 - definitely considering one of these when my rangefinder eventually goes out. 

[tj7644]

1 hour ago, ChrisATL said:

Thanks @tj7644 - definitely considering one of these when my rangefinder eventually goes out. 

I'm very serious.   If you need or want image stabilization, the Anarch is the one.  Wish you the best for the next rangefinder.  Vortex should definitely be considered

Edited May 18 by tj7644

[SwingBlues]

4 hours ago, ChrisATL said:

Great reviews so far!  Curious, what's one thing that surprised you most about the rangefinder so far?  Could be positive or negative?

 

Warranty. Lifetime

 

Coming from a golfer who bought the Bushnell Pro X2 refurbished at $450 back in 2019 & praying like hell nothing will go wrong through the years  - Anarch is a NO BRAINER to buy if I was looking for a new laser

 

Look - every year companies like Voicecaddie,  Percision Pro, Nikon, Leopold, Garmin are all coming up with all new tech, more electronics packed in but drop that on a cart path at speed, you better pray nothing is cracked, loosened, misaligned etc

 

They all ONLY COME with a 1 year to 4 years with Percision Pro the best, Garmin the worst, imo

 

Anarch does what all the top Lasers do now and does it so well, speedy & accurate... back it with the best Golf Laser Warranty from a company that's in the laser/optical Business for decades - you have the Winner 🏆

 

 

 

 

 

[SwingBlues]

Duplicate

Edited May 18 by SwingBlues

[CanFred]

Just now, SwingBlues said:

 

Warranty. Lifetime

 

Coming from a golfer who bought the Bushnell Pro X2 refurbished at $450 back in 2019 & praying like hell nothing will go wrong through the years  - Anarch is a NO BRAINER to buy if I was looking for a new laser

 

Look - every year companies like Voicecaddie,  Percision Pro, Nikon, Leopold, Garmin are all coming up with all new tech, more electronics packed in but drop that on a cart path at speed, you better pray nothing is cracked, loosened, misaligned etc

 

They all ONLY COME with a 1 year to 4 years with Percision Pro the best, Garmin the worst, imo

 

Anarch does what all the top Lasers do now and does it so well, speedy & accurate... back it with the best Golf Laser Warranty from a company that's in the laser/optical Business for decades - you have the Winner 🏆

 

 

 

 

 

Love it - completely forgot about the warranty.  As someone thats had to replace tech (both golf related and not) in the past due to expired warranties, this is HUGE.

[MickeyTankBank]

6 hours ago, ChrisATL said:

Great reviews so far!  Curious, what's one thing that surprised you most about the rangefinder so far?  Could be positive or negative?

 

Honestly, nothing really jumped out at me. It's a quality rangefinder and it performs as expected. Mine also doesn't have slope or the image stabilizer. If anything I'd say that's it's smaller than I expected. Can't really say that's a positive or a negative. 

[RSinSG]

20 hours ago, ChrisATL said:

Great reviews so far!  Curious, what's one thing that surprised you most about the rangefinder so far?  Could be positive or negative?

I agree with the others- the clarity of the optics is a noticeable step up. If you have ever been fitted for glasses and the tech puts you on the machine and asks “Is this one better? How about this?” and they all look similar- that’s what budget rangefinders are to me. All pretty good, but similar. The Vortex is the first one I’ve used where it’s different, and like I said it’s definitely a step up. If you have ever used a high end rifle scope and compared it to a Temu one you’ll know what I’m saying. 
 

So far the only negative to me is the font is sometimes hard for my old eyes to pick up immediately. I’m guessing that’s not an issue to the other guys as I’m the only one who mentioned it, so it’s not something that Vortex will consider a fault. 

[CanFred]

1 hour ago, RSinSG said:

I agree with the others- the clarity of the optics is a noticeable step up. If you have ever been fitted for glasses and the tech puts you on the machine and asks “Is this one better? How about this?” and they all look similar- that’s what budget rangefinders are to me. All pretty good, but similar. The Vortex is the first one I’ve used where it’s different, and like I said it’s definitely a step up. If you have ever used a high end rifle scope and compared it to a Temu one you’ll know what I’m saying. 
 

So far the only negative to me is the font is sometimes hard for my old eyes to pick up immediately. I’m guessing that’s not an issue to the other guys as I’m the only one who mentioned it, so it’s not something that Vortex will consider a fault. 

Thanks @RSinSG!

[tnrts345]

Got my new Anarch today and all I can say is wow. Clarity is better than any other high end range finder I have had. The auto backlight feature is top tier and was awesome in some testing around the yard. Quality of build I knew would be tremendous but felt lighter than my old ProXE and some others I have tried on the market. Hoping to get out Thursday or this weekend to really get the feel on course but expecting great things! Thank you all again for the insights and Vortex for giving the WRX the opportunity to text new products. I don’t think I would’ve given it a fair shake if it wasn’t for the reviewers here!

[SwingBlues]

5 hours ago, tnrts345 said:

Got my new Anarch today and all I can say is wow. Clarity is better than any other high end range finder I have had. The auto backlight feature is top tier and was awesome in some testing around the yard. Quality of build I knew would be tremendous but felt lighter than my old ProXE and some others I have tried on the market. Hoping to get out Thursday or this weekend to really get the feel on course but expecting great things! Thank you all again for the insights and Vortex for giving the WRX the opportunity to text new products. I don’t think I would’ve given it a fair shake if it wasn’t for the reviewers here!

 

Congratulations—that’s AWESOME to hear! So glad we could help. 👍

 

The big difference between GolfWRX reviews and a one-off blog post? We’re never just “one and done.” We keep things continuous, updating with the latest news and sharing real-life feedback—because that’s what makes a review truly valuable @GolfWRX_Official 

 

I’m sure @vortex_golf will appreciate the insights as they fine-tune their lineup!

 

Oh, and look what showed up today... a sleek, corded cap in WHITE.

 

 

Good thing my 🍻spills are DOWNWARD 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

[tj7644]

I was playing in a tournament yesterday and I'm starting to love one of the features of this Vortex rangefinder not often mentioned.   Yes, I still love the optics and image stabilization, but I'm really liking the "scan" feature that comes with it.   When I push the button down to start the image stabilization and the shooting the yardages, I just keep it down and with that stabilized screen I just scan trees, bunkers, hazards by the greens and get the whole picture.   Thanks @Vortex_golf for the great features all in one device.

[DE-ILLINI]

5 minutes ago, tj7644 said:

I was playing in a tournament yesterday and I'm starting to love one of the features of this Vortex rangefinder not often mentioned.   Yes, I still love the optics and image stabilization, but I'm really liking the "scan" feature that comes with it.   When I push the button down to start the image stabilization and the shooting the yardages, I just keep it down and with that stabilized screen I just scan trees, bunkers, hazards by the greens and get the whole picture.   Thanks @Vortex_golf for the great features all in one device.

I have been intrigued by this feature but never used it.  I will need to give it a shot during my next round.

[CircleC29]

On 5/18/2025 at 12:07 PM, ChrisATL said:

Great reviews so far!  Curious, what's one thing that surprised you most about the rangefinder so far?  Could be positive or negative?

I agree with everyone else, it's definitely the clarity! It was noticeable before I even compared it to my Bushnell. How fast the Pinspotter locks on was a surprise as well.

[CanFred]

On 5/19/2025 at 6:56 PM, SwingBlues said:

 

 

Congratulations—that’s AWESOME to hear! So glad we could help. 👍

 

The big difference between GolfWRX reviews and a one-off blog post? We’re never just “one and done.” We keep things continuous, updating with the latest news and sharing real-life feedback—because that’s what makes a review truly valuable @GolfWRX_Official 

 

I’m sure @vortex_golf will appreciate the insights as they fine-tune their lineup!

 

Oh, and look what showed up today... a sleek, corded cap in WHITE.

 

 

 

Good thing my 🍻spills are DOWNWARD 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome hat!!!

[RSinSG]

Just wanted to (again) mention what a great company Vortex is. I realize I'm part of a small group of WRX's evaluating their rangefinders, but I don't think they are treating me any different than they would the general public. They are quick to respond to my emails, and quick to provide service. 

 

When I submitted my name for this evaluation I was interested in the basic Blade. I was happy with my Bushnell and thought having a non-slope scope would be perfect for competition use. At first I used both rangefinders to compare, and it didn't take too long before I was only using the Vortex. I'd use the Bushnell if there was a big elevation difference, but TBH it didn't get much use.

 

I realized my two scope idea wasn't the best one I came up with, and I contacted Vortex about the possibility of returning the non-slope scope and paying for the upgrade to the slope model as I was going to give my Bushnell to a son. Kella and Larry at Vortex got back to me right away, sent me a return label and sent me the slope model. I've used the Blade Slope for one round now and it is just as clear as the non-slope version, and it is just as quick to lock on and give distances.

 

I'm not sure what I can add that I and others haven't already said, but if you're thinking about getting a new rangefinder for sure check out the Vortex models. These optics are the best I've ever used and with the warranty it makes the decision pretty much a no-brainer. 

 

PS - When I was playing yesterday a hot air balloon was floating above us. It was exactly at 3,226 ft. No problem getting a distance with the Vortex but I doubt I'll ever have a shot with a 43º slope.

 

[SwingBlues]

On 5/21/2025 at 1:33 PM, RSinSG said:

Just wanted to (again) mention what a great company Vortex is. I realize I'm part of a small group of WRX's evaluating their rangefinders, but I don't think they are treating me any different than they would the general public. They are quick to respond to my emails, and quick to provide service. 

 

When I submitted my name for this evaluation I was interested in the basic Blade. I was happy with my Bushnell and thought having a non-slope scope would be perfect for competition use. At first I used both rangefinders to compare, and it didn't take too long before I was only using the Vortex. I'd use the Bushnell if there was a big elevation difference, but TBH it didn't get much use.

 

I realized my two scope idea wasn't the best one I came up with, and I contacted Vortex about the possibility of returning the non-slope scope and paying for the upgrade to the slope model as I was going to give my Bushnell to a son. Kella and Larry at Vortex got back to me right away, sent me a return label and sent me the slope model. I've used the Blade Slope for one round now and it is just as clear as the non-slope version, and it is just as quick to lock on and give distances.

 

I'm not sure what I can add that I and others haven't already said, but if you're thinking about getting a new rangefinder for sure check out the Vortex models. These optics are the best I've ever used and with the warranty it makes the decision pretty much a no-brainer. 

 

PS - When I was playing yesterday a hot air balloon was floating above us. It was exactly at 3,226 ft. No problem getting a distance with the Vortex but I doubt I'll ever have a shot with a 43º slope.

 

 

That’s seriously impressive of @vortex_golf to do this—major kudos to them! 👍 Especially considering it’s on their dime, since your OG unit is now pre-owned.

 

Man, you should’ve snapped some pics of those hot air balloons—that would’ve been epic!

 

[RSinSG]

1 hour ago, SwingBlues said:

Man, you should’ve snapped some pics of those hot air balloons—that would’ve been epic!

It’s fairly common here so I didn’t think about it. Twice in the last 5 years balloons have landed on the course. Guys had to play around them until they took off. 

[tj7644]

The optics and image stabilization for me have been a game changer.   I'm exclusively using the Anarch now instead of both rangefinders.   I took my other one out of the bag and the Vortex is the only one in the bag now.   It's just so clear, and easy for me to see everything I can't imagine not using it now.   Love the Anarch!

[CircleC29]

On 5/21/2025 at 3:33 PM, RSinSG said:

 

I realized my two scope idea wasn't the best one I came up with, and I contacted Vortex about the possibility of returning the non-slope scope and paying for the upgrade to the slope model as I was going to give my Bushnell to a son. Kella and Larry at Vortex got back to me right away, sent me a return label and sent me the slope model. I've used the Blade Slope for one round now and it is just as clear as the non-slope version, and it is just as quick to lock on and give distances.

Interesting, I placed the same question about getting an Anarch, only because the Slope is small to me and the Anarch is a little bigger, but got no response, which I thought was odd because they were always very quick to respond to all of the other questions I had.

[NCLancer]

Since I've been testing my Blade Slope I have walked 3 rounds and rode 3. 

 

With my push cart I just place the Vortex in the mesh carryall at the top of my cart and it rides there nice and safe.  Easy to grab and shoot!

 

While riding, the magnetic feature has been solid, no disconnects.  Cart paths do get bumpy on the courses we play and thus far I've been very satisfied with the strength of the magnet on my Blade Vortex.

 

As stated in my earlier reviews, this is my very first rangefinder and I find it simple to use, accurate, and the clarity is superb.  Thanks again to the fine folks at Vortex for the opportunity to test their great product!   

Edited May 24 by NCLancer

[SwingBlues]

SwingBlues review of:

VORTEX GOLF - ANARCH Laser Range Finder 

Part 6

For PART 1 of my review check it out here

For PART 2 of my review check it out here

For PART 3 of my review check it out here

For PART 4 of my review check it out here

For PART 5 of my review check it out here

 

Played my third round with the Vortex Golf Anarch laser rangefinder. With a 9-to-5, Saturdays are my only golf days, but each time I play, I genuinely look forward to using the Anarch.

 

This time, we hit Balboa GC in Los Angeles, and wow—it was a SUPER SLOW day. A few groups ahead of us, the California Junior Golfers Tournament was in full swing, which meant plenty of waiting. No complaints, though—the banter was great, nothing frustrating, and we kept the mood light with beers while we waited. 🍻

 

 

 

 

As always, I had my usual suspects with me, but this time I handed the Anarch for most the round to get his take. He ended up using it for most of the round, swapping it out with the Bushnell Pro X2 later on. His verdict?

• He felt the Anarch was heavier than the X2—but surprisingly, it’s actually lighter.
• He didn’t love that the X2 lacked a cart magnet, but he also thought the Anarch's magnet was a bit weak, preferring the firmer hold of his Amazon laser. I explained back in 2017, I don't recall Bushnell or most companies did not integrate the magnet into their laser range finders

 

 

As for me? I never use the magnet anyway—I tuck mine into my OGIO Cart Bag, which has a plush pocket perfect for keeping gadgets secure.

 

 

 

I took a much closer look at the MEASURE and MENU buttons.

 

Earlier in my review, I mentioned that the MENU button should be recessed—it looked that way in the pictures. But during my first round with the Anarch, I kept pressing MENU by mistake. Turns out, I was gripping it the same way I do with the X2—left hand wrapped around the top of the unit, all four fingers curling, while my right-hand index finger pressed MEASURE.

 

I also noticed the MEASURE button has four little notches (see the four red arrows). Since I don’t golf with gloves, I tried feeling them with my bare fingers—but honestly, they were barely noticeable.

 

My feedback to @Vortex_Golf is definitely to move the MENU button away from the top of the Anarch. One button only to press on the top is super clean and worry free when trying to play fast.

 

Another major difference I noticed: With the X2, I had to hold down the button for Pin Seek to work. But with the Anarch, a single press triggers auto Pin Seek—and I much prefer the one-press system over a continuous hold.

 

I am still amaze how fast it reads even on those Par 4 or 5 Tee box to Pin 🤯

 

All up, another great Golfing round with the Anarch - THANK YOU to the Team at Vortex Golf and @GolfWRX_Official for this opportunity🍻

 

 

 

Edited May 25 by SwingBlues

[DE-ILLINI]

I had a chance to play another round with the Blade Slope yesterday.  The more I use this rangefinder the more comfortable using it.  A single press of the measure button and the range finder mode.  It quickly locks on the flag and provides accurate distances with slope.  I tried the scan mode for the first time yesterday.  It was very convenient to scan the horizon and pick up distance to hazards and trees.  I will need to continue to use this feature and figure out how it will work best for my game.

 

Vortex provided us with an Apple AirTag holder.  I have now played two rounds with it.  The first round I rode a cart.  I let the magnet hold the AirTag which keeps out of the way, but I did need to remove the AirTag from the magnet so I could attach the range finder to the cart.  Walking the fact the AirTag attached to the magnet was convenient as it kept it out of the way.  After the first few times using it, I never had an issue with the AirTag being in the way.  Given I have a history of leaving my rangefinder attached to the cart, I will put up with some inconvenience.  I noticed a couple of times when my partner took the cart, I would get a notification that range finder was not near my phone on my Apple watch.  This could save me a few bucks replacing a range finder or at least a trip back to the course to get it after leaving it on the cart.

 

if anyone has questions, do not hesitate to ask them in this thread.

[MickeyTankBank]

8 hours ago, SwingBlues said:

Earlier in my review, I mentioned that the MENU button should be recessed—it looked that way in the pictures. But during my first round with the Anarch, I kept pressing MENU by mistake. Turns out, I was gripping it the same way I do with the X2—left hand wrapped around the top of the unit, all four fingers curling, while my right-hand index finger pressed MEASURE.

 

I also noticed the MEASURE button has four little notches (see the four red arrows). Since I don’t golf with gloves, I tried feeling them with my bare fingers—but honestly, they were barely noticeable.

 

My feedback to @Vortex_Golf is definitely to move the MENU button away from the top of the Anarch. One button only to press on the top is super clean and worry free when trying to play fast.

 

Another major difference I noticed: With the X2, I had to hold down the button for Pin Seek to work. But with the Anarch, a single press triggers auto Pin Seek—and I much prefer the one-press system over a continuous hold.

 

I agree with everything @SwingBlues said here. Having that MENU button be in a different position or feel completely different than the MEASURE button would be a nice change. 

 

I've been out another 5 or 6 times since my last comments with the Vortex. Then yesterday I took my Bushnell Tour V5 out just to see the differences how it felt going back. 

 

You do have to hold the button down on the Bushnell to get it to lock compared to the tap on the Vortex. I don't know if I prefer one over the other, they are just different. Took me a couple holes to get used to holding the button again. That's just muscle memory. 

 

Next stop for the Vortex is Bandon next week.

[tj7644]

Another weekend out with the Anarch.  Everything is still great.   I can't say how much I love the image stabilization and the clarity of the optics.   It's just a pleasure to use and look through that viewfinder.   However, I hate to keep mentioning this but it again fell off the cart when going over rough, bouncy, terrain.   It's the 3rd time it has fallen.   I've never had the issue with my Bushnell or Garmin device.   I don't know if it's the strength of the magnet or the size and how it's situated on the side of the device.   I can't put my finger on the issue, but I do know it has fallen off the cart multiple times now, when I've never had the issue before.   

Edited May 27 by tj7644

[SwingBlues]

13 minutes ago, tj7644 said:

Another weekend out with the Anarch.  Everything is still great.   I can't say how much I love the image stabilization and the clarity of the optics.   It's just a please to use and look through that viewfinder.   However, I hate to keep mentioning this but it again fell off the cart when going over rough, bouncy, terrain.   It's the 3rd time it has fallen.   I've never had the issue with my Bushnell or Garmin device.   I don't know if it's the strength of the magnet or the size and how it's situated on the side of the device.   I can't put my finger on the issue, but I do know it has fallen off the cart multiple times now, when I've never had the issue before.   

 

Where do you put it?

 

Yeah total agreement, Dan (my huddy) says the magnet can be stronger & he walks with a push cart.

 

Falling off is never good but at least it's do well protected with an all around  silicone encasement & warranty to back it up👍

[SwingBlues]

By the way, for those who ride on carts -- put your car keys in your laser clam shell case, this way you will never forget you left the laser inside the cart

 

👍

[AU_Matt]

If anyone is looking to pick one of these up for cheap, AA Optics is an authorized reseller of vortex refurbished equipment. Original no questions asked warranty is retained, condition is generally like new, and prices are very competitive. I’ve ordered a few non golf vortex products through them and have had great experiences.

[tj7644]

1 hour ago, SwingBlues said:

 

Where do you put it?

 

Yeah total agreement, Dan (my huddy) says the magnet can be stronger & he walks with a push cart.

 

Falling off is never good but at least it's do well protected with an all around  silicone encasement & warranty to back it up👍

I just put where most do, I assume.   On the post holding the cart roof up.   I'm glad it's well protected and has worked just fine every time after falling off.

[RSinSG]

Another round in today and as I’m getting more familiar with the Vortex the more I like it. I guess I’m a slow learner, but it took me forever to figure out the pin lock. Turns out it’s very easy actually. When I take the scope out of the pouch I give the button a short push to activate it and then put it up to my eye. Locate the pin and give another short push and it locks. 
 

I realize that may sound very basic, but my other scopes required a longer push to get pin lock. 
 

And in the spirit of thread jacking like I did earlier, when I was driving to my starting hole a hot air balloon was deflated on the fairway after making an emergency landing. Always something going on here. 

[SwingBlues]

34 minutes ago, RSinSG said:

Another round in today and as I’m getting more familiar with the Vortex the more I like it. I guess I’m a slow learner, but it took me forever to figure out the pin lock. Turns out it’s very easy actually. When I take the scope out of the pouch I give the button a short push to activate it and then put it up to my eye. Locate the pin and give another short push and it locks. 
 

I realize that may sound very basic, but my other scopes required a longer push to get pin lock. 
 

And in the spirit of thread jacking like I did earlier, when I was driving to my starting hole a hot air balloon was deflated on the fairway after making an emergency landing. Always something going on here. 

 

Show us the evidence, or the Internet does not believe you 🤣