The Sunday Memo · No. 2
Do you need a golf launch monitor at all?
Who benefits from launch data, what sub-$500 units miss, and when to keep your money.
Launch MonitorsWhat the current field can do
The under-$500 launch monitor guide and the training aids guide cover current models, exclude discontinued ones, and explain what a consumer unit can't measure compared with the $20,000 machines your local fitter uses.
Worth Your TimeThree from the week
- Do you need a launch monitor at all?: The new one. Who actually improves with the numbers, who's buying an expensive scoreboard for their slice, and what "Trackman technology" means when it's printed on a $300 box. If you've been eyeing one, read this before the buying guide.
- The best launch monitors under $500 (2026): The sub-$500 tier got genuinely good, but the spread between "useful practice numbers" and "random number generator" is still wide.
- Chippers for high handicappers: Now with a budget wildcard, the clone-shop route, trade-offs named out loud, including which cheap chipper is illegal for handicap rounds. If your short game lives in bump-and-run country, this club is the honest shortcut.