Recently, I’ve been catching up with a lot of my high school classmates on Facebook. I didn’t really intend to, but I found my childhood best friend, and he was friends with a lot of our classmates. One thing led to another, and the next thing I know we’re having ourselves a class reunion, right there in cyberspace.

A few months ago I had a revelation. After carrying the Tour Exotics 4 hybrid in my bag for a little over year and easily declaring it the best club in my bag, I decided that maybe I could change my life for the better by getting as many Tour Exotics clubs in my arsenal as possible. But this wasn’t just all about me, I promise. I was also dying to get to the bottom of the Tour Exotics, well, mystery. Let me explain:

In a bygone era, there were many things that simply weren’t discussed in polite society. Children were to be seen and not heard, women weren’t allowed to be pregnant in public, and nobody was a raging alcoholic, they just “liked to tie one on.” In those days when your love of tying one on started to interfere with the rest of your life, perhaps after you’d wrecked a couple of cars or peed yourself after a 5 Martini lunch and cost Sterling Cooper that big account, you went (or more likely were sent) to “a quiet place in the country” where you “took the cure.”

I think one measure of genius (or at least smarter than average) is the ability to go from step 1 to step 10 without hitting every number in between. Unfortunately, that puts me more in the Average Joe range rather than the Elon Musk circle of trust. Perfect example of my plodding learning process is how I finally arrived at realizing Laser Range Finders are by far the best method for getting distance on the golf course. Rather than simply purchasing one 5 years ago, I went through every product, including early Sky Caddie models to iPhone Apps to GPS watches. I guess I figured Laser Range finders were too slow, too bulky, and just too much accuracy for a 10 handicapper. I mean, who am I to think I can dial in a 143 yard shot?

Going back several years, to when I started playing golf again, I can easily laugh at how dysfunctional my wardrobe was. Being stricken with Acute Style Deficiency, my appearance on the golf course was far less than desirable and my lack of ability to put together a decent outfit was showcased with each outing.

20 years ago I bought my first house. It was a nice house, great location, big yard. But the best part is that it came with the previous owners’ satellite dish and receiver. I promptly signed up for the biggest package available, and drooled over all of the sports and movies I was going to watch. 5 ESPNs, Sports South, MSG, HBO, Skinimax, the works. That may not seem like a big deal in a world where you can watch Game of Thrones any time you want on your phone, but back in the day none of this stuff was even available on cable. It was going to be sports and movies, 24×7 baby!

To everything there is a season – Ecclesiastes 3:1

The last time I got the chance to review some golf apparel I had to fight snow, sleet, and assorted unpleasantness to trudge through enough rounds to give you, our loyal reader, the low-down. But the third stone from the sun has continued its trip, the seasons have turned, and summer has returned to Three Guys World Headquarters and Golf Club. And as if to compensate us for suffering through 8 inches of snow, the North Carolina Piedmont has been “rewarded” with temperatures approaching triple-digits earlier in the season than any time in recent memory.

Ricky Johnson Custom Putters may not be a name you routinely come across when perusing the WITB articles on a Monday morning after a PGA event, but that hasn’t stopped them from creating a remarkable putter.

Somehow, after reviewing golf shoes for 5 years, I have never stepped into a pair of Pumas. Thankfully this atrocity has now come to an end. It begins each winter when the new shoe models are rolled out and I make a list of the ones that I think are both cool looking and comfortable. There are always the usual suspects – brands that I know and trust – but it is much more fun to find shoes that I have yet to wear. Like anyone, it is easy to get locked into one company and never venture far from the expected.

Have you ever been watching TV, maybe late at night, or maybe in the middle of the day, and seen a commercial for something that was so mind-bendingly stupid that you asked yourself: “Who the hell would buy that?”  I hate to break it to you, but a lot of time and money was spent analyzing that very question, and the answer that the TV executives, MBAs, marketing wonks, and social psychologists came up with was: you.

Every year it seems TRUE Linkswear evolves in a way that exceeds even the highest expectations. Ok, maybe not everyone’s but certainly mine! I’ve been wearing True Linkswear on the golf course for almost three years now, and with each new pair I’ve added to my collection my love for the TRUE brand grows stronger.

Finally, spring is upon us and that means there’s much golf to be played. Aside from the obvious reasons to get out and play, the other awesome perk of the new season is all the fresh spring apparel hitting the shelves.

Devereux may not be a name you are familiar with, and you certainly won’t find them flipping through the clothes rack at Golf Galaxy, but don’t worry we have your questions covered. The latest Devereux spring line, called The Christina O Collection, offers a wide variety of stylish colors and unique looks that distinctively separates them from the typical “golfing polo”.

Let’s face it, in some golfing circles push carts have a bit of an image problem. When I first mentioned to my golfing buddies that I was thinking about getting one they, being kind and supportive friends, suggested that I could use it to carry my Metamucil and Depends. They might have been onto something, because:

1. My first thought was “On the course is the last place I would want Metamucil.”
2. The whole point of getting a push cart is that I have a bad habit of carrying too much stuff.

For years I have never felt the need to own a laser rangefinder for three primary reasons: 1) they are really expensive 2) they seem too clunky and time consuming and 3) they provide more accuracy than my game can handle.

Well, I have finally broken down for my review of the Eagle Eye Laser Rangefinder and I am happy to report that all three of my objections have been negated. The fact is, I will never play a round of golf without a rangefinder again.

I will start with cost since that is an objection I think many people have, and rightly so. Do a search on rangefinders and you quickly realize they can set you back $300-$500 in a hurry. Man, that’s a lot of cash compared to a GPS app or other yardage device. So, one huge advantage of the Eagle Eye Rangefinder is that it clocks in at a cool $199. Not a bad value even when compared to GPS watches or other handheld GPS devices. Why so low a price? Well, part of the reason is that they are sold direct to consumer without a huge marketing budget so they are able to keep the price modest while including quality optics and lasers. Which leads me to my next concern- lasers are clunky and time consuming.

For the most part I play the same course and tend to play rather quickly. I am forever annoyed when guys are fussing with GPS or rangefinders, which is why I usually just wear a GPS watch. To my delight, the Eagle Eye is really easy to use and quick to get yardages.

There are two modes on the Eagle Eye. One for pin seeking and one for general yardage to a spot (like a bunker). You can easily toggle between the two using the mode button which is at the top of the unit. With that said, I find I can pick up bunker yardages in the pin seeking mode which negates the need to switch back and forth between modes. Ok, the burning question is: is it easy to get yardage and is that yardage correct?

For the most part, the Eagle Eye rangefinder gets yardage to the pin very quickly. This is especially true when playing a course that has reflective flagsticks. In those cases I have little to no problem getting a yardage in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, my home course does not have reflective flagsticks. Even so, I am able to pick up yardage from inside 200 yards with relative ease and the unit is capable of picking up a flag up to 300 yards. Helping with this task is the 6x zoom which is in fact higher than many big brand rangefinders. For those who wear glasses I can say that I had no problem using the rangefinder without removing my sunglasses. NOTE: you can also use the manual focus, if you think the view is blurry, with the focus adjustment on the eye piece.

Trouble Spots:

There are a couple of instances when I do have trouble getting yardage. The most common problem I have is when the flag is in front of a lot of trees. Even using two hands to steady the device, there are times I just cannot get it to read the correct number. I know this can be a problem with all rangefinders but in some cases I have found the top-end, $400 laser finders do a better job than the Eagle Eye. Honestly, this should not come as a complete surprise or letdown. I, for one, would hope that a $400 laser finder works better than a $200 model. Is this a dealbreaker? Depends on your budget and your level of tolerance. In my 12+ rounds using the Eagle Eye Rangefinder, I have probably had difficulty with 6 yardages (there are a ton of trees around my home course greens). With that said, I have found the Eagle Eye to be more difficult to pick up a flag than premium range finders. If you play a course without reflective pins, you may get frustrated.

Despite having some trouble with pins in front of trees or pins that are only partially exposed (due to a hill for example), I think the Eagle Eye Rangefinder is a good for the money. Yes, front, middle and back yardages are usually good enough but I find that with large odd-shaped greens, getting the exact yardage is hugely valuable since I get a huge confidence boost just by knowing exactly how far you need to carry a ball.

I have also started to use the laser finder inside of 100 yards now that I carry a few more wedges. For me, I feel like I can more accurately select my club and try to dial in a shot where in the past it was more of a feel shot.

Style and ergonomics:

Not that style should be a huge consideration, but it is kind of nice that the Eagle Eye Rangefinder comes in 4 colors- white, silver, orange and pink. More importantly, the Eagle Eye is fairly small and easily fits in your hand. Rarely do I need to use two hands to steady the device. From a durability standpoint, it feels solid and is weatherproof.

Bottom Line:

The Eagle Eye Rangefinder is a great option for those who want the power and advantage a laser rangefinder has, but want to save $100-$200. During my testing of this device I spent a decent amount of time borrowing other models to compare yardages and ease of use. For the most part, I found the Eagle Eye to get the same yardage as other bigger name brands (plus or minus a yard or two). With that said, I do think some of the more expensive models did a better job picking up the flagstick when there were trees in the background.

Fortunately, Eagle Eye offers a 30 day money back guarantee for you to make sure it meets your needs. With 12 rounds to review the Eagle Eye, I for one have been very satisfied, especially considering the price. Is it the best rangefinder I have ever used? No, but again it is not really fair to compare a $200 rangefinder to a $400 rangefinder. Bottom line, Eagle Eye Rangefinder is easy to use, accurate, and very affordable.

You can purchase the Eagle Eye Rangefinder for $199 on their website.