This is an amazing guide. I found it very useful.

MGS, why not do ear bud reviews?

There is no place for music on a golf course. Wear a pair of Ear buds. It’s disrespectful to others that want the peace of nature. Also not everyone shares the same taste in music.

I’ve got the JBL Clip and generally enjoy it. As a walker, it clips onto the bag easily.

One data field I’d like to see in all of these rankings though is range from phone to speaker.

I used my phone for GPS tracking and take it on the green with me to track putts and the flag. My cart/bag is usually just off the green. However, the JBL Clip starts to fade out on the Bluetooth connection at around 75 feet from the speaker it seems.

Having range between speaker and phone would be a very useful stat to size them all up.

Music on the golf course is purely an extension of a larger issue that rears its ugly head in almost every other aspect of day to day life… an overwhelming amount of entitlement. The lack of consideration and respect for another is at an all time high with no signs of improving in the near future. When did subjecting your fellow man (or woman) to your bullshit become a great idea? Perhaps the better question is why should anyone have to be accepting of it?

Think the above logic is a little warped. The individual who just paid their hard earned money with the intention of enjoying a once peaceful hobby and perhaps taking in the natural surroundings and everything it has to offer is not the “entitled” portion of the golfing community. In summary, feel free to step on my lawn, just don’t shit on it out of a lack of respect and then try to justify it.
By all means, listen to your precious music. Listen to your music through headphones or earbuds and don’t ruin the experience for those who didn’t sign up for your super, awesome playlist of the day.

Most people agree, if you are going to listen to music, use headphones or keep the sound to your cart. We all love music. We don’t all love YOUR music. If you are blasting music on a golf course everyone knows it’s one of two things: 1. You are a hipster or frat-boy and completely self absorbed. 2. You are an aging hipster or former frat-boy who is still self absorbed and thinks he is still cool but….You are that guy. The old dude who thinks he still has it, who thinks he is still cool…..no those people are not laughing with you….

Just curious, what is “outdoor mode”?

I’m an old fart who always thought I would hate music during my round. Now I realize … I’m just an average golfer and I need to maximize fun on the course. I bought the JBL Clip 3 a month ago and love it – and my 80s rock – on the course.

I’m with the 85%…
and yes, I have played behind young white hackers listening to loud, profane, sexist, violent rap… Phony “wanna-be” think-they’re-cool knuckleheads would have ruined my mood if the course had been crowded. I was thankfully able to skip holes and get out of earshot.

WOW!! there are tons of “get off my lawn” old farts out there. Here in Florida, I play mostly public courses, and more than occasionally play the local private courses, same amount of music going at all of them. Nobody complains because we all know – 1. It isn’t going away and 2. THIS ISN’T THE MASTERS!! My speaker is going all the time, but I know it’s not a rave out there. If it bothers you, take the batteries out of you hearing aids, pick up that putt for triple, and move on! No Green Jackets handed out here.

If you insist on playing music while on the course, have the COURTSEY to keep the volue confined to YOUR cart.

Let me find a universally loved playlist for the golf cart. I will start off with Bollywood, followed by Australian aboriginal didgeridoo, Scottish bagpipes, Swiss Alpine horns. Turned up just as the group in front is putting or at the T box. I am sure they would love the rhythm to help with their strokes..

I absolutely love music. I listen all the time. One time when I was following a group, I heard Black Sabbath on someone’s Bluetooth speaker. It was pretty clear, good sound. He was 200+/- yds away!!!!
I still listen to music on the course, but it’s my music.
I use AFTERSHOKZ wireless bone conduction headphones.
They are great!!!! I listen to music & have conversations with my buddies. More people should try them….. PLEASE!!!!!!

One more point. – I don’t consider it a “feature” that a speaker fits in a cup holder. Those cup holders are few, two per person at best, and it seems a waste and inconvenient to use one up with a speaker that, if it were better designed, would have a strong magnet, or a loop allowing it to be hung from some part of the cart.

My cupholders hold some combination of a water bottle (coincidentally, the Hydro Flask that you top-rated last year), my phone (GolfLogix GPS app), my rangefinder, yesterday one held my turkey sub, there’s no good reason for a speaker to be designed to fit in a cupholder, IMO.

“More” is not always better. A 36-hour charge? Who’s not going to have access to an electric plug during a 36-hour stretch? If you sleep just 2 hours a night, these puppies can be charged. A 36-hour charge is severe overkill. So is, IMO, anything exceeding around 12 hours (and that assumes you’ll need the speaker for 2 rounds of golf then a few hours poolside with the fam, and THAT assumes you don’t have some OTHER source of music at the pool)..

I would also suggest that the longer the charge, the more likely you’re gonna think you still have sufficient charge when in fact you don’t, because you won’t remember all the times you played the speaker and consumed part of that 36-hour charge without recharging it. The longer you go without charging it (because hey!, it’s got a 36-hour battery!), the greater the chance you’ll have 2 hours left when you’re on the first tee. And if you’re diligent and avoid that by plugging it in every time you get home after a round of golf…then you don’t need the overkill 36-hour battery.

I have the Bushnell Wingman, have had it for 2 years. I don’t use the GPS feature – I consider it a gimmick (I use other, more functional devices for GPS) – I only use the speaker. And its 10-hour charge is more than sufficient for a round of golf and then lawn work in the backyard for the rest of the afternoon.

Very happy with the Wingman’s performance all around.

Here’s my story on the music: almost everyone i know that plays music on the course has it loud enough to easily be heard by others in other fairways. I know one guy that plays it low and it can only be heard in his cart. Perhaps there are others like that. But the few that do go loud, are just awful.

I was playing in a club tournament one day, and the course was packed. I was on the first green, attempting my first putt. The group BEHIND us had hit their tee shots, and were within 100 yards of us, and you could hear their music. The group ahead of us, on the next tee, was waiting for a group ahead of them to clear before hitting, and they had their music loud enough to hear too. And neither had tunes that were quite alike.

I’d be more than happy to let them skirt the rules and wear headphones, or earplugs, or whatever, just to eliminate the sound. For a game built around etiquette, it’s incredible what this music on the course has become today.

Personally, I much prefer not to have any music playing when I am on the course.. And I do not appreciate it when others nearby have it playing.. First of all, when they do, many have it way too loud. Secondly, they may be playing some genre of music that I don’t like in the first place.

When on the course one might consider the noise from lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and weed whackers (an an epithet or two from your golfing buddies) a necessary evil.. But IMHO, playng music on the course is not only unnecessary and it is inconsiderate to others. If you really want to listen to it when you play, think of the rest of us and get yourself some bluetooth earbuds.

This is the worst trend in golf.

I agree with both sides of the pro/con speaker comments. No speaker during competition or if ANYONE in the group has a reservation about it and YES to a speaker during friendly afternoon drinking, golfing, and friendship.

Best speaker by far and not included in this article is the new BOSE SoundLink Flex for $149. Please add it to your review matrix and I’m sure you’ll be crowning a new winner.

Where is it that all of you olds are playing where you’re *gasp* FORCED to listen to someone else’s music? I play public golf in Florida every week, and this has literally never been an issue.

Next time, when this totally common and definitely not at all totally made up problem arises, try calling the pro shop instead of complaining to MGS when they review speakers.

Not like any of you can hear anymore, anyway. Grow up!

Maybe someday you’ll be doing a test of the best proximity Bluetooth signal jammers to use on the golf course.

This post makes me laugh every year. My buddy’s CC just got new carts with speakers in them, Played Bayonne Golf Club a few weeks back and the group behind us, which were all members, had a speaker going from their caddies bib.. The muny I play has speakers built in, and another course we play does not, so we use a Beats Pill. The only problem I have is that my regular group DJ plays some truly awful songs.

No matter what you listen to, someone within earshot thinks your taste in music sucks, period. Wear a single earbud if you must, that way you can hear someone yell “fore” or idk, have a conversation about golf that doesn’t include you shouting over your loud music that no one else wants to hear.

Love music on the course. Just keep the volume down. If you can hear the tunes on the tee box from your cart it’s too loud. As much as we all want correct behavior on the course, I’d rather deal with music than some jackass that thinks he’s a pro cursing and killing the mood for everyone.

Earbuds 👍🏼 – Speakers 👎🏼
Not on the course please

Smoking indoors is banned as non-smokers are exposed to second hand smoke. Bluetooth speakers on the golf course is to golfers is what second hand smoke is to non-smokers indoors.

My understanding it is against USGA/RGA rules to listen to music as you hit a golf shot. Playing music aloud is not only against the rules, but discourteous.,

If I were playing with someone playing music, I would ask for them to turn it off, or play with someone else.

Notice it’s only high-handicappers and boozers that have music on the course.

There are plenty of places to enjoy music…the course isn’t one of them.

If I see you playing music, I know you’re a terrible golfer.

Wear headphones? Then you can’t hear someone yelling FORE, which to me is more important than hearing music.

Outside of holes where greens and tee boxes are next to each other, I’ve never experienced another group’s music getting in the way. I also didn’t realize Judge Smails was commenting on MGS.

Just as easy to play a course surrounded by housing where people are having a party and bumping music in the yard.

No. If you’re caught using speakers to play music on the golf course in the UK, you will be covered in bbq sauce and fed to lions.

If people want to listen to music using bluetooth while they’re golfing, I suggest they DON’T, BUT if they must ~~ HEADSETS. Not everyone likes other people’s music in the first place and a Golf Course isn’t their private listening room.

We get enough of tech in everyday life I go to play golf to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet , if you start to allow any sort of music on the course that is the end of golf as we know it , nip it in the bud now and ban them all .
Willie

My company recently installed some speaker all the way around a massive putting green at a local country club. I remember when we were doing the quote thinking man I’m surprised they’re even thinking about doing this, mygolfspy comments are always so negative about music on the golf course. Our bid ended up getting accepted. On the day of the install, One of the members walked up all happy, and curious, and asked, “What are you guys up to?”I thought damn, this guy is sure happy about this project. I said, “we’re installing some speakers”. He instantly got an angry look on his face and stormed off and said, “no comment!” LOL Ive never seen a 180 in someones demeanor like that day! I personally love having music on the course. I have the Marshall Kilburn II and it is great.

I have been using the ROKFORM G-ROK for ~6 months and love it. The magnet is very strong and the battery life is great.

“85% of you didn’t want me to hit publish this morning on this test.” Absolutely correct

Heck yea, UE getting some due appreciation! Been using the Wonderboom 2 for a year or two, and love it for the course. For walking, carabiner hooked onto the bag works great. Only barrier is carts – some carts (older/cheaper) don’t have a good spot to hook it, so I leave it on the bag or hook it onto the basket (actually prefer the UE Boom line for cart versatility).

Added bonus: you can get multiple Wonderbooms and connect them for bigger/better sound.

I dont care if you play your tunes, but keep it to YOUR hole, it is ridiculous when I can hear your crap 3 fairways over.

Please, let’s not play music on a golf course via a speaker. Earbuds are fine if you’re playing solo.

You are right !!! Music and speakers should be banned from golf courses….
Respect for golfers !! Metallic or heavy rock not a great choice on the course !
I love music that I listen in my house and car !!