Golf is supposed to be a simple game, yet the onslaught of technological advances has made the game almost unrecognizable to many veteran golfers. With GPS and LDP and various high-tech software programs, what is the older player supposed to do to catch up? Fortunately there are a few basic products on the market that will help nearly anyone improve their score. They require a little adjustment to get used to, but can be quite beneficial to veterans and new players alike.

Golf rangefinders are simple devices that use lasers to calculate the distance to various points on the course. They are similar to golf GPS units, however with a rangefinder there is no monitor to look at and no tiny buttons to fiddle with. Simply use the rangefinder like a pair of binoculars. Locate your target through the scope and the device will display the distance to the target in yards or meters. Targets can include the flag, the green, trees, sand traps, or nearly any other point. For the player who wants to give themselves an edge without looking like too much of a tech-geek, the rangefinder is a perfect compromise.

Another technology that is helping many older players is the hybrid club. Hybrid golf clubs are a new type of club that are, in essence, a cross between an iron and a wood. These clubs feature a titanium or steel head with a convex face, giving them a significantly larger sweet spot. They are used in situations where golfers would traditionally use a long iron or fairway wood, however the hybrid is generally considered a lot easier to hit. The improved loft you get on balls results in increased distance and accuracy, helping you get to the green in fewer strokes. The club’s forgiving nature allows you get away with a lot more poorly hit balls that otherwise would have ended up way off the mark. For these reasons many players have been replacing the irons and woods in their bag with new hybrid clubs.

There’s no reason why a golf aficionado can’t still hit the course with a bag of wooden clubs and a paper & pencil scorecard. But if you’re serious about competing in changing times you’ll want to do what you can to keep pace. A laser rangefinder and a hybrid golf club set can mean the difference between falling behind or having a score you can still boast about.