CaddyTalk Minion Rangefinder Review

When it comes to golf rangefinders, innovation doesn’t just mean clever new features designed to give you more accurate distances – there’s also been a focus on making devices even more convenient to use.

One of the unique aspects of the CaddyTalk Minion laser rangefinder, the brand’s smallest product, is that it’s designed to be carried on your person – either in your pocket or clipped on to your belt (mainly the latter).

I can see the appeal. A small thing, perhaps, but it can be a bit tedious putting your laser away in your back/pouch after every shot, which is far less of an inconvenience with the Minion.

The device comes in a hard case. It’s a somewhat unusual design and the clip can be a little stiff. That said, if you’re clipping it on to your belt, it does need to be to keep it in place. Having worn it several times, I’m confident I’m not going to lose it. Many users of golf rangefinders will have had that sinking feeling when realising their device is probably sat on the fairway a few holes back. Losing a laser can be very costly.  

The weight takes a little getting used to. At just 99g – which it needs to be when clipped on your belt – this is the lightest laser rangefinder I have ever used. On occasions, however, I did find that it lacked a bit of stability, especially in the wind. That’s the main trade off, but you do get used to it and those with a relatively steady hand will find it works just fine.

As for what it offers when you’re standing over a shot, this is a feature-packed little device. According to CaddyTalk, Magic Slope (M-Slope), which can be turned off for tournament play, by applying the concept of ballistics, the Minion provides higher accuracy of recommended distances compared to existing rangefinders. Clever stuff. 

The Minion, which is charged via a USB-C cable, is easy to use. Locking on to targets is very straightforward, and it vibrates when you have your target. The display is crystal clear and you can scan the horizon to assess what lies ahead of you, with the Minion displaying the shortest distance. I found this really useful off the tee when assessing which hazards were in play and whether trees needed to be avoided. There’s also the slope-adjusted feature, which places it among the best rangefinders with slope. It’s a serious piece of kit that will appeal to those who like to have as much information as possible before hitting a shot.

If I had to choose between the CaddyTalk Minion and the larger CaddyTalk Cube, I’d opt for the latter, but this is only because I’m not one for wearing a device on my person, even if it doesn’t distract you when you play. My feelings were very much the same when I tested the GolfBuddy Aim Quantum rangefinder – another impressive wearable device, just not one I liked using in this way.

I'm going to be picky and say I'm not a huge fan of the gray/yellow color scheme but there are four combinations to choose from, which is something not many rangefinder makers offer. Overall, the Minion is an impressive device, one that I understand is proving to be quite popular in Asia and given the impressive feature suite, it's not hard to see why.