The best golf speakers are still something of a foreign golf accessory here in the UK. As much as I've tried to persuade people that music on the golf course is a good idea that doesn't interrupt other people's games, it often falls on deaf ears.
Having played golf in the US a number of times with a speaker in tow, it opened my eyes to the joys of playing music when on the golf course. Golf manufacturers have cottoned on to this trend too and have since introduced speakers to the market that do a lot more than just play music. This Bushnell Wingman View combines all the power of a Bluetooth speaker with Bushnell's market-leading GPS. Why shouldn't I just buy a normal Bluetooth speaker and take it out with me? This review hopes to answer exactly that question.
I'm not going to confess to being much of an audiophile, but I can tell a bad speaker from a good one on a basic level. I can confirm that the Wingman View's sound quality carries really well on the golf course, the bass has plenty of depth to it and ultimately every member of your fourball will be able to enjoy the music on tee boxes and around greens. Such is the quality, I've been using it in my house as much as I have out on the course. Obviously, I don't need the GPS at home (I know the exact yardage from my desk to the kitchen) but such is the quality of the speaker, it's replaced the other (admittedly cheap) Bluetooth speaker.
With the sound quality covered, let's talk about what helps differentiate the Wingman View from any standard Bluetooth speaker. The main difference is the built-in GPS, which is all visible from the LCD screen built into the side of the speaker. It gets all of its data from the free Bushnell app which, when linked to the speaker, effectively casts all the information from your phone to the speaker. Bushnell has one of the best golf apps out there so you can also use it for an aerial view of the hole as well as keeping your score.
The Wingman View comes with a small detachable remote in the top of the device that allows you to control the device from afar. The remote lets you turn the volume up or down, change the song, and announce the yardages to the front, middle and back of the green. This is a superb addition that doesn't mean you have to be trawling back and forth to the cart to get the info and is yet another addition that allows the Wingman View to stand out from any conventional speaker. Via the app, you can also add custom walk-on messages that can be activated via the remote. Either use the text-to-speech function in the app or record a message with your own voice to annoy, distract, or cheer on your fourball as you see fit.
One other really practical addition to the Wingman View is Bushnell's Bite technology. This is basically a very large magnet that covers most of the surface area on one side of the speaker allowing it to firmly attach to any magnetic surface, most importantly the frame of a golf cart. This is one of the big differences between why you'd go for the Wingman View over a conventional speaker.
The Wingman View is certainly on the heavier side when compared to a generic Bluetooth speaker, that's likely down to the additions of the screen and magnet, but that won't be a problem if you're using a ride-on cart or electric trolley. If you're looking for a quality golf speaker for a carry bag, the Bushnell Wingman Mini offers a pint-sized golf speaker with GPS.
All in all, I can barely fault the Wingman View and I have seriously enjoyed using it on to broadcast my fantastic taste in music at home and on the golf course. I'll admit that While it's on the heavy side and the LCD screen is somewhat rudimentary for a 2023 product, I can't fault it on sound, practicality and the straight-up joy it brings on the course. The only thing stopping it from getting a full 5-star is the fact this is the only golf speaker I've ever tested. I don't want to go in too hot too early, so I'm looking forward to testing the Blue Tees Players+ speaker in the near future to compare the two.
