The Quick Verdict
Honestly? These two together is the real setup — the V5 on your wrist for course strategy, the PRO LX+ in your pocket for the exact pin distance. They're from the same brand, share the same Shot Scope app and stats platform, and they're designed to complement each other.
But if you're buying just one, take the PRO LX+. It handles the one job both devices share (distance to the pin) more accurately, and it adds GPS course maps and shot tracking on its own — meaning it covers more ground as a standalone unit than the V5 does.
What They Actually Do
The V5 is a GPS watch: strap it on, and it shows you hole maps, hazard distances, and layup yardages throughout your round — all on your wrist. The PRO LX+ is a laser rangefinder with a built-in GPS module (the H4 attachment): point it at a target, press the button, get the exact distance. Both give you distance information, both are legal in tournament play (with slope disabled), and both are Shot Scope products that feed into the same app and stat ecosystem — no subscription required for either.
The Real Tradeoffs
Precision vs. convenience
The PRO LX+ gives you ±1 yard to whatever you point at — the pin, a bunker lip, a tree you're trying to carry. The V5 gives you front/center/back of the green, which is accurate enough for most shots but doesn't tell you where the pin is cut today. On a tight par 3 where the flag is tucked behind a right-side bunker, the rangefinder is the only one that can tell you you're actually hitting to 162, not 155.
Speed of use
The V5 wins here, and it's not close. Glance at your wrist, see the number, club up, go. The PRO LX+ means pulling it from your pocket or cart holster, steadying it on the target (no image stabilization, so you've got to be deliberate), reading the display, and putting it away. On a busy Saturday with a group behind you, the watch keeps pace-of-play honest in a way the rangefinder can't.
What you can see before you hit
This is where the V5 earns its place in the bag. Full-color hole maps showing every hazard, dogleg, and layup point — all before you've even pulled a club. Standing on a tee you've never played, 415-yard par 4 with a fairway bunker 245 out on the left and water guarding the green front-right, the V5 shows you all of it. The PRO LX+ can tell you exactly how far that bunker is if you point at it, but it can't show you the layout of the hole.
The PRO LX+ isn't just a rangefinder
This matters a lot in this comparison. The PRO LX+ has the H4 GPS module built in, which means it can show you course maps and distance data on its own — it's not purely a point-and-measure device. That's why it's a stronger standalone unit than the V5 is. The V5 can't laser the pin. The PRO LX+ can both laser and GPS.
Ecosystem and pairing
Both products feed into the Shot Scope app. Both include automatic shot tracking and access to the same 100+ stats including Strokes Gained — and both do it without a subscription. The V5 uses 16 included club tags that screw into your grip; the PRO LX+ handles shot detection differently via its built-in GPS. The stat platforms are the same, so if you own both, your data lives in one place.
Cost of ownership
V5 is $249.99. PRO LX+ is $449.99. Combined: ~$700 before any discount. Both devices have zero ongoing subscription costs, which is genuinely rare at this tier — factor that in if you're comparing against Garmin or SkyCaddie options that charge annually.
Tournament legality
Both are tournament-legal with slope disabled. The V5 has a tournament mode built in. The PRO LX+ has a slope switch — standard setup, no surprises.
Who Should Get Which
Get the PRO LX+ if you're buying one device. You get laser accuracy for the pin, GPS course maps for strategy, and shot tracking — everything in a single unit. If you play a variety of courses, want that exact pin number before approach shots, and don't want to charge your rangefinder every couple of rounds, this is the move. The battery runs to around 5,800 measures, which is months of real use.
Get the V5 if you want all of that course-strategy information on your wrist without ever touching a device mid-shot. It's faster during the round, lighter to wear, and the 16 included tags make automatic shot tracking seamless. At $249.99 with no subscription, it's genuinely good value — just know it can't laser the flag.
Get both if you're serious about your game and want the full setup. The V5 shows you the hole before you hit; the PRO LX+ confirms the exact number when it matters. Same stats platform, same app, no duplicate subscriptions. This is the rig that a lot of single-digit players end up with, and with the Shot Scope discount code it becomes easier to stomach.
The Bottom Line
These two products were built to work together, and it shows. If your budget allows for both, that's the honest answer. But if you're picking just one, the PRO LX+ is the call — it does more on its own than the V5 does, and the pin-precise distance is the number you actually need when a round is on the line.
Get both. The V5 on your wrist, the PRO LX+ in your pocket.