Editor Dan Owen spoke to Darren Bragg, Commercial Manager EMEA at Bushnell Golf, to find out why they are so dominant in the category.
What’s your background?
I’ve been a PGA Pro for 25 over years now with vast experience throughout the industry, qualifying at Camberley Heath, playing on various tours around the world, setting up and running the North London Golf Academy which involved extensive coaching, club fitting and retail. However, a lot of people will know me from time in the golf travel industry. Firstly, with Golf Breaks as their Business Development Manager, and more recently at Your Golf Travel as their Senior Commercial Manager.
Travel is mainly experiential, is there a big difference in selling physical products?
Not really, at the end of the day it’s all about forming and building relationships with people and being available and responsive to their needs. A huge part of that is tied up in marketing and product support and ensuring that our distributors and retailers have everything they need from our end at Bushnell Golf.
Why do Bushnell Golf dominate the laser rangefinder market?
The reason why Bushnell Golf is such a popular brand from tour players to the everyday golfer is because we make the most accurate and reliable rangefinders in the game of golf.
Being the #1 brand on tour with over 98% of tour players trusting Bushnell golf rangefinders it validates the product and the people involved.
Our PinSeeker and Visual Jolt (Visual element and vibration) features plus our enhanced ‘slope’ algorithm continues to deliver both speed and the accuracy that the best players in the world continue to trust and require.
For nearly 25 years we have dedicated ourselves to producing the best-in-class portfolio of products for all golfers at every level. Our products help golfers get the most out of their golfing experience whilst improving their accuracy and increasing their enjoyment of the game.
Golf has without doubt had a marked ‘boom period’ over the last 2 years and throughout the pandemic, with the number of new golfers and those returning to the game, it has really been incredible.
As golfers are becoming more tech savvy its important that we continue to offer and develop products for all golfers that both match and exceed expectations, whilst holding court as the aspirational brand in the distance measuring device category.
Are GPS devices a big area of potential growth for Bushnell Golf?
I think what’s fascinating is that around the world there are definitely different golfing cultures and the requirement for different products in different territories.
With this mind developing a full range of products for all golfers becomes imperative.
In Europe we still generally play golf on our feet, we know that golfers love the simplicity of accurate info quickly, and we offer ‘distance made simple’ from our wearable and handheld devices.
I’m excited about the upcoming launch of the Phantom 2 Slope which offers accurate compensated distances factoring in elevation changes for the first time and further enhancing our range.
We are consistently exploring how to develop this side of the business to improve a golfers experience.
What are Bushnell doing to help the retailer sell more product?
We work closely alongside our distributors to maintain great working relationships with all our retailers across the industry, from green grass to big box retail land the buying groups.
We work together to create strong marketing and sales strategies and will continue to provide everything that is required for them to succeed.
We have the top tours pros choosing and trusting Bushnell Golf products which filters down through the pyramid of influence validating our position as the aspirational market leading brand in the distance measuring device category.
If a retailer doesn’t stock Bushnell Golf Products now, why do you think they should?
We have the top players in the world choosing our products, we’ve been the business for 25 years, we’re market leaders, and we believe golfers at all levels should rely on the reliability and accuracy that Bushnell Golf products bring to the game.
From Bushnell Golf’s ‘distance made simple’ feature packed GPS devices through to our Tour Validated No 1 rangefinders in golf – the question should be why wouldn’t you?