The Bushnell Wingman is a new release to the market and a GPS golf device that we haven’t seen before. You may have heard of the Wingman, the previous version was a mix of a golf course speaker and a GPS device. The Wingman View incorporates a new viewing window where you can see your distances if you don’t want to hear them.
For this Bushnell Wingman review, we took the View model out on the course and played several rounds to see whether or not it’s worth your money, the type of technology it has, and which golfers it’s best suited for. We cover the features and functionality, performance on the course, and frequently asked questions.
Jump to:
- Quick Summary
- Key Features
- On Course Review
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
- 1 Quick Summary – Bushnell Wingman View Review
- 2 Bushnell Wingman View Features and Functionality
- 2.1 LCD Screen
- 2.2 Audible Distances
- 2.3 Up to six Hazard Distances per Hole
- 2.4 10 Hours Battery Life
- 2.5 Removable BITE Remote
- 2.6 BITE Magnetic Cart Mount
- 2.7 Custom Sound Bites
- 2.8 Bluetooth Speaker
- 3 Performance on the Course
- 3.1 Accuracy
- 3.2 Speed
- 3.3 Usability
- 3.4 Pairing and Setup
- 3.5 Durability
- 3.6 Golf Insider Verdict
- 4 Frequently Asked Questions
- 4.1 How long does Bushnell Wingman last?
- 4.2 Does Bushnell Wingman use phone GPS?
- 4.3 Does Bushnell Wingman have slope?
- 4.4 Can two people use a Bushnell Wingman?
- 5 Final Thoughts
Quick Summary – Bushnell Wingman View Review
The Bushnell Wingman View is an impressive golf speaker and GPS combo, the Bushnell technology once again stands out as being better than others on the market.
The unit is accurate, allows multiple users to get yardages at a time, is well-built and has great battery life.
One downside is that it is not the fastest at giving you yardage if you are playing solo and dashing around the golf course.
However, for those in the market for a speak and GPS combo Bushnell, once again, has created a category-leading product.
Bushnell Wingman View Features and Functionality
The Wingman View is the most expensive of the Wingman devices in the Bushnell lineup. The Bushnell Wingman GPS Speaker works with the Bushnell Golf App to give you distances to the front, center, and back of the green while you are on the golf course. The Wingman includes the following features:
- LCD screen
- Audible distances
- Up to six hazard distances per hole
- 10-hour battery life
- Removable BITE remote
- BITE magnetic cart mount
- Custom sound bites
- Bluetooth speaker
LCD Screen
My favorite part of the Bushnell Wingman View is the LCD screen. I never preferred having to rely on the golf Bluetooth speaker to yell out the distance to the center of the green. However, with the Wingman View displaying it right in front of me, I really like this feature.
The large number in the center shows the distance to the center, but you can also see distances to the front and the back of the green just below. The LCD screen is easy to see, although if you are wearing polarized sunglasses, you sometimes have to take them off.
The screen will also show information about songs you are listening to and what hole you are on.
Audible Distances
The audible distance technology is still here. If you have the original Bushnell Wingman GPS Speaker, you know the announcements about the front, middle, and back yardages. The Wingman View still offers this feature.
Up to six Hazard Distances per Hole
Distances to hazards are attainable through the Wingman View. The View does not give you a visual layout of the hole or anything like that, but it can call them out by pressing a button on the left-hand side.
That doesn’t bother me, but it’s certainly not like a handheld GPS device with green information and visual images of the golf hole.
10 Hours Battery Life
The 10 hours of battery life may honestly be an understatement. I found while doing this speaker review that I hardly had to charge the Bushnell Wingman View GPS Speaker. It uses a little more battery when you play 18 holes, and you have music going the entire time, but that is to be expected.
Removable BITE Remote
The top of the Wingman View has a removable BITE remote. The remote works to control the Bluetooth speaker, and you can keep it in your pocket as you walk over to your ball. In addition, you have to remember that the sound quality of the Bushnell Wingman is quite good. This little detachable remote lets you turn the sound effects down a little, something you may want to do before taking your shot.
BITE Magnetic Cart Mount
The magnetic cart mound is strong for the Bluetooth Winman View Bluetooth Speakers. As long as your golf cart has a metal bar for the magnet to stick to, you should have no problems keeping this Wingman speaker in place.
Custom Sound Bites
If you play with the same group of friends often, there are likely some sayings or sounds that have become part of your routine. The custom sound bites feature allows you to play a custom message using the GPS app or the remote control for the Wingman View. This is a fun feature of this small speaker, but certainly not something that would make or break my decision to buy it.
Bluetooth Speaker
The Bushnell Wingman View works great as a portable Bluetooth speaker. If you are looking for a way of playing music on and off the golf course, the high-quality audio and impressive sound help this be a better all-around purchase.
Performance on the Course
We took the Bushnell Wingman View out on the course for a few weeks of play. I had some experience with the original Bushnell Wingman and was curious how the GPS products have changed, whether this had a better speaker, and how much difference the viewing window really makes.
- Accuracy
- Speed
- Usability
- Pairing and setup
- Durability
Accuracy
The accuracy of the Bushnell Wingman View is comparable to other devices. It has more than 40,000 courses mapped, so chances are, as far as the golf GPS is concerned, it is going to meet your needs.
I’m more of a laser rangefinder person; I find that the GPS capabilities can be a little limited. However, I have found that since incorporating the Wingman View and starting to use this technology more often, I’m coming up short on golf holes less often, this is due to the measurement to the front, center, and back helping me decide which club is the best to hit. Having played with rangefinder technology for so long, I almost forgot about this concept and the benefits of GPS technology.
For instance, when a pin is 145 yards away, I may hit my 140 club; however, when the Wingman View shows that the front of the green is 142, I may think about my 150 club to make sure I’m safely onto the putting surface.
Speed
The speed is my least favorite thing about the Bushnell Wingman Speaker. The information displayed on the View is coming from the Bushnell Golf app on your phone. We keep the phone in the golf bag or on the cart, and it gets plenty of signal, but it takes a long time for the numbers to load up on the screen of the Wingman.
I play fast, so after I hit a shot, I move right up to the next one, and the Bushnell still has not updated. I’ll grab a club I think I may need out of my golf bag and then look at the Wingman View to confirm. I wish it would load the numbers faster.
I did do a reset to help with this when I first got the device, and it made it a little better. If you are playing golf in a foursome, the data load time is probably fine; as a single or twosome, you will probably be waiting on it a little bit.
Usability
I don’t love a ton of tech out on the golf course. Portable speakers are something I like to have on the cart but not always something I like to use on the golf course. However, I found the usability here to be quite good. In the golf industry, I think we have to be really careful about the role of technology in the pace of play.
I’m not a big fan of technology that takes a lot of time to use on the golf course. I want to walk up to a tee box or an approach shot and know exactly what I need to do, not fumble with technology.
You can use the Bushnell GPS app to keep score, and it’s a very well-done combination between the speaker and the app that does not slow down the pace of play at all. The audible GPS distances help when you aren’t standing directly next to the device, but I think you will use the screen more often than not.
After a round of golf, if you forget to turn off your Bushnell Wingman View, it does have a power-saving feature, so you should still have some battery left for your next round.
Finally, you will also notice a micro USB port that is really helpful for charging your phone and other devices while on the golf course.
Pairing and Setup
The initial setup of the Bushnell Wingman View takes about five minutes. You go through a pairing mode like you do any other Bluetooth speaker. Each time you go out to play a round with the Wingman View, it picks up where you are and gets the round started.
If, for some reason, you start on the second or third hole, just go into the app and change the starting hole, and the device will update for you.
Durability
Taking a golf Bluetooth speaker with built-in GPS, slapping it to the bar on the cart, and taking off down the fairway kind of makes me nervous. Honestly, I feel this same way with all magnetic golf cart technology from other manufacturers as well.
However, I will tell you that this BITE magnetic technology is really strong. It does not even wiggle when it’s on the cart bar. In addition, you will sometimes need to use two hands to pull it away from the magnetic cart bar because it sticks so well to the metal surface.
This feels like it is built to survive some fumbles and drops along with many miles along bumpy cart paths.
Golf Insider Verdict
If you are after the combination of the GPS, a viewing window and high-quality audio then this is going to suit you perfectly. If you’ve not had GPS data before when you play golf you’ll likely be impressed with how much your clubbing starts to improve after a few rounds using the Bushnell Wingman View.
Be aware that if you play golf alone and you play really fast, the ability for the Wingman View to load your yardages is just a little slow. This is certainly a device more for golf cart users and suits the US style of golfers who like to play some music out on the golf course.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Bushnell Wingman last?
The Bushnell Wingman View is a new device that has a 10-hour battery life. If you are curious about the warranty from Bushnell, the product does come with the Bushnell a one-year limited warranty. The speaker is built well and should hold up as long as you are taking good care of it, and you ensure that the BITE magnet is secure before pulling away on the golf cart!
Does Bushnell Wingman use phone GPS?
When using the Bushnell Wingman on the golf course, you will need to pair it with your phone. The Bushnell Golf App will be up and running, but you won’t have to use your phone during the round unless you want to. The Wingman View will automatically advance to the next hole without you having to change it.
Does Bushnell Wingman have slope?
The Bushnell Wingman View does not use slope; it is just a straightforward GPS device.
Can two people use a Bushnell Wingman?
TWS pairing technology offered on the Bushnell Wingman View will help pair it with another device so that you do not hear the sound echoing all around you. This is a great feature if you play golf with other people who have the same technology as you.
Final Thoughts
After having used the Bushnell Wingman View for quite some time, we can recommend it confidently as a way to provide yardage and also have a little additional functionality on the course with the speaker technology. The price for the Wingman View is fair, and you can use this both on and off the course. Bushnell did a good job of building this speaker. It’s durable and a good choice even if you play a lot of golf.
Happy golfing.
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