Please indulge me for a moment before we talk product. Just a few years ago, the founders of a small start-up named Blue Tees Golf – Drew Kohler, Chris Markham and Brandon Francisco met with me in the media center at the PGA Show (introduced by the fabulous Vanessa Price). The three founders had a passion and enthusiasm that reminded me of my early days in BMX in the 80’s, and when taking up golf in the early 90’s . . . full of energy, with the desire to bring the consumer something new, different and innovative.
Walking onto the PGA Show floor in late January of this year, the cutting edge Blue Tees booth was front and center – a far cry from the setting of our first meeting. Buzzing with tons of new tech and people clamoring to get their hands on product, I paused to observe it all before announcing my arrival for the scheduled appointment. Their meteoric rise in such a short time is a testimony to the team and all of the hard work put in. I honestly couldn’t be happier for a great group of people . . . but I digress from why we’re here – Oh yeah, to discuss the item that grabbed the attention of many at the show in Orlando – the new Blue Tees portable GPS Speaker called the PLAYER GO.
Although it hasn’t been available to the public until now (late April), we got our hands on one that week in Orlando and it’s been on our bag ever since.
Tech Features:
“Our engineers designed the Player Go to provide high quality sound, typically not found in compact speakers. They employed a premium speaker driver along with a passive radiator for a rich, clean bass sound,” said Drew Kohler Co-Founder of Blue Tees Golf. “The Player Go pairs also perfectly with the Player+ to deliver the ultimate listening experience on or off the course.”
The programmable Action Button allows multiple functions in a simple press, such as audible distances, play/pause, skip track, and more. The Player Go GPS is 100% IPX7 waterproof, will hold a battery charge for over 16+ hours, and the built-in magnet boasts two powerful plates, making an ultra-strong hold to the golf cart or accessory.
Testing
Regardless of whatever GPS or distance measuring device we’ve tested, I’ve had a JBL Clip 3 portable speaker on the bag whenever I chose to walk a golf course, but the JBL portable has a limited sound and no capabilities of providing golf GPS information. The PLAYER GO GPS Speaker features top-shelf audio with a bass punch and audible distances to the front, center, and back of greens and the nearest hazards via the Blue Tees Game mobile app. Auto-course recognition instantly recognizes your worldwide location within its over 40,000 courses mapped. The app also provides access to course data, such as distances and hazards. As an added bonus, the PLAYER GO can pair with the Blue Tees PLAYER+ to provide kickass stereo sound.
If you just want great sounding tunes in a compact portable device, check. If you just want an audible GPS to provide your target distances, check. If you want a combo of the two with hole visuals thru the app, check. In my case, it was a no-brainer . . . I upgraded my sound, acquired an audible GPS distance measuring component, and all while eliminating a device (the JBL has been relegated to gardening and beach speaker). Also, the PLAYER GO has a serious magnet that allows it to attach to many surfaces like a golf cart post or cooler.
Another winner from the guys from SoCal.
The PLAYER GO comes in Blue and Black and retails for $129 – https://blueteesgolf.com/
