Way back in the early ‘70s, George Carlin famously told the world that “if you nail two things together that have never been nailed together before, some schmuck will buy it from you.”
It’s a funny and sarcastic line (George was the king of sarcasm, after all), but it does confuse innovation with creativity.
That said, I’m not sure this new Stitch x Bushnell Collab qualifies as truly innovative, but it sure as hell is creative.
Meet the new Stitch Link, but be warned. Stitch and Bushnell did not simply nail together two things that have never been nailed together before.
It’s actually three things, and it uses silicone and magnets. No nails.
Seriously, check this thing out.
What is the Stitch Link?
Golf collaborations can sometimes feel forced, but the goal is a noble one, says Stitch CEO Brad King.
“How do you take what they do really well and what we do really well and come up with something that’s never been seen before?”
In this case, what Stitch Golf and Bushnell hath wrought is a new-age golf bag strap. The Stitch Link is a three-in-one golf bag strap with a Bushnell Wingman Mini Bluetooth speaker and a Bushnell Phantom 3 Slope GPS device built into the strap itself.
“The Bushnell team reached out to us to explore ways to collaborate,” King tells MyGolfSpy. “We took our knowledge of single- and double-strap golf bags and built GPS and a Bluetooth speaker right into the strap.”
Stitch first considered building the speaker and GPS unit into a golf bag, but the strap idea opened up considerably more aftermarket possibilities.
“The Stitch Link is designed to connect to any Stitch golf bag,” King explains. “But we have designed an adapter clip package, so it will be able to connect to virtually any bag.”
Wait, these things are actually in the strap?
Yep.
In the double strap model, the Wingman Mini is secured to the cross-strap padding in the back, while the Phantom 3 Slope GPS is secured to the front. Both are held in place in a silicone-framed pocket backed with a magnet.
In the single strap version, the Wingman Mini is on the back half of the strap. The Phantom 3 Slope is mounted in the front so you can see it while walking.
The Bushnell Wingman Mini doubles as a sort of GPS device, as well. Pressing the “B” on the speaker gives you audible distance readings, and it comes loaded with 38,000 courses worldwide. That functionality does present a problem when you’re actually carrying the bag, however, as it’s mounted in the back. The only way to use that function practically will be when you put the bag down.
The Bushnell Phantom 3 Slope GPS features a large, easy-to-read touchscreen. It provides slope-adjusted front-middle-back distances, as well as hazard distances.
Go ask any Pro Shop and they’ll tell you: The most common lost items in their Lost and Found are rangefinders, GPS devices and Bluetooth speakers.
“With this, if you lose your GPS or speaker, you’ve lost your golf clubs,” says King.
But, but…music on the course is an abomination!
I’m not a big music-on-the-course guy, but I honestly don’t care if my playing partners want to spark up some toonage. I raised four children. A little bit of noise doesn’t really bother me.
I know the arguments: No one wants to hear your crappy music blasting from three fairways over, or wear earbuds and we won’t have a problem, or I just wanna be one with nature. Tell you what, a small speaker on a strap on your bag is not the same thing as a speaker in a cart.
“You’re sitting inside a golf cart, the sound increases because you’re basically in a box,” says King. “When it’s on a strap, it’s for the person closest to the bag.”
As far as I’m concerned, use one if you want and don’t if you don’t. If flashing outrage over it all gives you an endorphin rush, have at it. It’s a free country. The reality, however, is that Bluetooth speakers on golf courses aren’t going away.
On the flip side, if you are a music-playing golfer, at least be a good citizen. After all, no one wants to hear your crappy music blasting from three fairways over.
Play some Yacht Rock, man, or some early ‘70s soul. It’s better to groove that swing tempo, baby.
Stitch Link: Final thoughts, price and availability
This Stitch Golf x Bushnell collab definitely ranks as one of the more unusual collaborations we’ve seen this year. We do have to give both companies a tip of the cap for creativity for even thinking of putting a GPS device and a Bluetooth speaker in a golf bag strap.
Seriously, it never would have occurred to me. But then again, that’s why I’m a writer and not a product developer. A man’s got to know his limitations.
That said, while the Stitch Link is creative, it falls into one of two buckets. For some, it’s a convenience that can enhance the walking golfer’s experience. For others, it might be a solution in search of a problem. Either way, one thing is for certain. If you’re trying to find a gift for the golfer who has everything, I guaran-damn-tee you he won’t have one of these.
As for what George Carlin might think? As far as I know, old George wasn’t a golfer. Personally, I don’t think you’d be a schmuck for buying one. It could be a useful accessory for the bag-toting, music-loving, GPS-using golfer, even though it costs more than most bags.
According to Stitch, the new Stitch Link integrated strap can be used with any Stitch generation 2 golf bags. The adapter kit includes three different sets of connectors, including a dog-leash style. Additionally, both Bushnell devices can be removed from the strap and used individually.
Both the single-strap and double-strap models are available now on the Stitch website. They retail for $350 each. The adapter kit should be available shortly.
Eric
8 months ago
I think its a cool idea for golfers that consistently walk. The two devices are $280 combined, is an extra $70 worth having them conveniently built-in for carrying? Maybe if you don’t already have a range finder.