GolfBuddy has become an established player in the rangefinder market, previous products have ranked well in our best rangefinder reviews. They are now back with the GB Aim Quantum, a mid-price point rangefinder that comes with the tagline “sleeker, faster & rechargeable”.
Here we review the GolfBuddy Aim Quantum and assess where it sits relative to its competition.
TLDR
The GolfBuddy Quantum is incredibly quick, and super accurate when pointing with care. For regular golfers who want a little more quality than an entry-level rangefinder and are in need of speed, the GB Quantum is the perfect option.
Accuracy
The GolfBuddy Aim Quantum comes with a claim of ±1 yard of accuracy, but we like to test these out in real-life golfing situations. We tested the GolfBuddy Quantum and a premium rangefinder with some real-life targets.
If you want to geek out the full testing data is here, but to summarise, the new GolfBuddy Quantum is super accurate and well within its claimed accuracy range, from 50 yards up to 200 yards.
The table below summarises this data, the left half shows the average yardages for the GB Quantum and a premium rangefinder. The right side shows the mean error at each distance (note this is different to calculating just the average distance).
| Target | GB Quantum (Avg.) | Premium (Avg.) | GB Quantum (Abs) | Premium (abs) |
| 50-yards | 49.00 | 50.30 | 1.00 | 0.30 |
| 117-yards | 117.00 | 117.53 | 0.00 | 0.53 |
| 151-yards | 150.33 | 151.73 | 0.67 | 0.73 |
| 200-yards | 199.33 | 200.13 | 0.67 | 0.13 |
You can see that the compared top-of-the-line rangefinder only marginally outperformed the GB Quantum.
All measures were performed multiple times, by hand, but we should note, that we take a lot of care during testing. If you are a little relaxed with your pointing and zapping the GB Quantum does add in a few more rogue numbers, compared to our premium model, but this shouldn’t detract from the great performance you see from the GB Quantum.
In summary, you need a little care when aiming the new GolfBuddy, but once you pass that mark, you can have complete trust in the numbers it gives you.
Speed
One of the common ‘faults’ we pick with modern rangefinders is the time taken to lock on to a target and present a number. The GolfBuddy Quantum is rapid! It is tricky to test the exact timing from finger press to buzz and yardage, but I’ll take a guess this is the fastest we’ve ever tested and close to their 0.15-second claim.
I feel like this is one of the reasons we see the odd rogue number from the GB Quantum when you’re not on your target – it is so quick at giving the yardage back to you. This shouldn’t be considered a negative, but rather a trade-off between functionality.
Modes
As we’ve come to expect from most rangefinders, the GB Quantum comes with a target lock and a scan mode. One press of a button switches between these two, allowing you to scan trees and bunkers off the tee, and then switch back to target lock mode as you approach the green.
The front of the device has a toggle for you to move from slope to non-slope mode, making this device legal for all competitions. This is all you need in any rangefinder and it is great to see GolfBuddy not overcomplicate this rangefinder with unnecessary functions.
Visuals & optics
GolfBuddy have nailed the visual layout on this rangefinder. You have a simple crosshair, accompanying a ‘slope’ icon and a battery gauge that is out of the way of your main view. Once you’re locked on to your target, a big number appears with your yardage and non-slope adjusted yardage in smaller numbers below.
The optics are great for the price and come with 7x magnification. The only device we’ve tested that stands out above this for clarity, and most other premium rangefinders is the Cobalt Q6, but that really is a really special lens and falls down compared to the clear visuals of the GB Quantum.
Usability
The rangefinder is a pleasure to use – speedy, so simple and clear. We should also note that this has a rechargeable battery, after a few rounds of play and lots of testing, the battery is still full, making this feel like a great option for those fed up with ordering niche rangefinder batteries.
The one con is the carry case – it feels like half belt clip, half bag carry case. It feels like it’s trying to be a solution for everyone without nailing any particular approach. The GB Quantum is small enough to carry in your pocket, but again I want my pockets clear when trying to play golf.
It’s a small point, but I miss GolfBuddy’s old elasticated, zip case that you could clip to a bag.
Build quality
The last GB rangefinder we covered was the Golf Buddy Laser Lite, the Quantum is in a different price bracket, and the build quality is a big step up. The all-plastic, lightweight Laser Lite design has been revamped with a sleek, metal case.
The Quantum only weighs 143g (5 oz) but there’s a premium weightiness to it. The buttons and access to the rechargeable socket are all well-finished too.
The rangefinders that are a few hundred pounds/dollars more do offer a more ergonomic design, where the shell shapes to your hand. Top-of-the-line rangefinders also feature softer, tactile rubber on the eyepiece and around the shell, but the GB Quantum still feels like a premium piece of kit.
Value
The GB Quantum sits at an interesting price point, double the price of their entry-level GB laser Lite, but half the price of the most expensive Bushnell rangefinder.
Why would you pay double the price over the Laser Lite? I feel like build quality and speed are the two factors, with a more compact size appealing to some golfers who want to keep a rangefinder in their pocket.
What are you missing out on by paying double the price? Some fancier aesthetics and fewer errant numbers when you aren’t quite on target with your zapping. I like this pricing, as rangefinders have a great lifespan, but it will be interesting to see how this stacks up for you the golfer.
Golf Insider verdict
The GolfBuddy Quantum is incredibly quick, and super accurate when pointing with care. For regular golfers who want a little more quality than an entry-level rangefinder and are fed up with sluggish yardages, the GB Quantum is the perfect option.
Also for those wanting a rangefinder that will fit in their pocket, this is also a great option. If you just want accuracy, play infrequently and are shopping on a budget you’ll be fine with the GB Laser Lite.
Frequently asked questions
What battery does the GolfBuddy Quantum take?
The GolfBuddy Quantum has an in-built rechargeable Lithium battery. It comes with a recharging cable that has a usb adapter.
Is the GolfBuddy Quantum waterproof?
The GolfBuddy Quantum is water resistant but not fully waterproof. One testing round was in rain with no issues, however, the case doesn’t offer full protection from the elements.
Below is the full testing set for from the accuracy testing.
Golf Buddy Aim Quantum – Full accuracy testing data
| GolfBuddy (Raw) | Premium (Raw) | GolfBuddy (Raw error) | Premium (Raw error) | GolfBuddy (Abs error) | Premium (Abs error) | |
| Pitch (50 yds) | 49 | 50.3 | -1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Pitch (50 yds) | 49 | 50.3 | -1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Pitch (50 yds) | 49 | 50.3 | -1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Avg. | 49.00 | 50.30 | -1.00 | 0.30 | 1.00 | 0.30 |
| S.D. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| – | ||||||
| Wedge (117 yds) | 117 | 117.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Wedge (117 yds) | 117 | 117.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Wedge (117 yds) | 117 | 117.6 | 0 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.6 |
| Avg. | 117.00 | 117.53 | 0.00 | 0.53 | 0.00 | 0.53 |
| S.D. | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| – | ||||||
| Mid-iron (151 yds) | 149 | 151.7 | -2 | 0.7 | 2 | 0.7 |
| Mid-iron (151 yds) | 151 | 151.8 | 0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0.8 |
| Mid-iron (151 yds) | 151 | 151.7 | 0 | 0.7 | 0 | 0.7 |
| Avg. | 150.33 | 151.73 | -0.67 | 0.73 | 0.67 | 0.73 |
| S.D. | 1.15 | 0.06 | 1.15 | 0.06 | 1.15 | 0.06 |
| – | ||||||
| Hybrid (200 yds) | 198 | 200.1 | -2 | 0.1 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Hybrid (200 yds) | 200 | 200.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Hybrid (200 yds) | 200 | 200.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Avg. | 199.33 | 200.13 | -0.67 | 0.13 | 0.67 | 0.13 |
| S.D. | 1.15 | 0.06 | 1.15 | 0.06 | 1.15 | 0.06 |
