Equipment
A GPS and a speaker all in one: Bushnell unveiled its innovative product this week
ORLANDO -- A cart speaker might not be your thing, but when you decide to make one and you’re Bushnell, the premier company for providing golfers with on-course yardage information, it becomes a whole lot more than a music machine.
The Bushnell Wingman is a speaker that doubles as a GPS yardage device, providing front, middle and back distances when paired with the Bushnell Golf app on your phone. You can also play music through the Bluetooth, and by using the remote, which also conveniently doubles as a ball marker, the music pauses for the audible readout of the distances to the green. Think Beyonce meets Bones. Or Dua Lipa channels LaCava. Or Michael Buble mixed with Michael Greller.
“We were interested in the speaker idea, but we certainly wanted to combine it with what we’re best known for,” said Derek Schuman of Bushnell, which unveiled the product this week at the PGA Merchandise Show. “It’s cool, new, unique, fun and really first to market. We’re excited about the potential and it’s been immediately well received.”
Bushnell, whose laser-distance devices are the most preferred on the PGA Tour by a near universal margin, is best known for handheld distance-measuring devices like the Pro XE and the latest introductions, the Tour V5 and Tour V5 Shift.
The Wingman ($150, retailing in April), which produces music or other audio when paired with related apps on your phone, features a battery life of at least 10 hours, automatic hole advance, and an input to charge other devices. It also comes with the company’s Bite magnetic clip that allows the speaker to be mounted on your cart.