Testers Wanted – BagBoy Tracker

The purpose of the BagBoy Tracker is drawing stick figures on a whiteboard simple. Its function is to give golfers answers to questions we’ve all asked but probably haven’t taken the time to answer.

How far do you actually walk during a round of golf?

Three miles? Five miles? More?

What about the number of calories you burn? (Probably more than you think.)

It might not be a revolutionary device and it probably won’t save you any strokes but it will help you quantify the health benefits of walking and remove some guilt about that second bowl of ice cream.

As an added bonus, you can earn discounts toward future BagBoy purchases by logging your rounds and hitting certain milestones.

WHAT IS THE BAGBOY TRACKER?

The BagBoy tracker is a small plastic device roughly the size of an after-dinner mint. Using a thick rubber band, it attaches to the rear wheel of just about any pushcart. The device communicates with the application on your mobile device that tracks distance, calories burned and elapsed time.

Additionally, the app stores all of your rounds and provides cumulative lifetime stats as well as per-round averages.

HOW DOES THE BAGBOY TRACKER WORK?

The BagBoy Tracker transmits information via a Bluetooth chip to your Apple (or Android) phone. From there, the free BagBoy Tracker App collects the data and displays the information on your phone.

The information about the user’s height and weight and the wheel diameter of the pushcart determines how the app calculates results. As such, the reliability of the output is a function of the accuracy of the information you enter when setting up the app. For example, if you enter a wheel diameter of nine inches when the measurement is actually 11, the app will show a shorter distance traveled.

Fortunately, during set-up, the app does a good job of helping you select the correct information. It is also pre-loaded with dimensions for a number of the most popular pushcarts on the market.

BAGBOY TRACKER DRAWBACKS

No technology is perfect. But if you remember running wire through the spokes on your 10-speed bike to hook up a little computer rigged to your handlebar, we’ve come a long way.

The primary upside to the BagBoy tracker is that it doesn’t require you to wear anything on your wrist or keep your phone in your pocket. As long as your mobile device is attached to your pushcart or in your golf bag, you’re good to go. You can send texts, check emails and make phone calls as well but you have to allow your mobile device to track your location at all times, not only when the app is in use.

For some, this might feel a little Orwellian and I get that. However, in order for the application to accurately track your movement, the location services setting (or similar) has to be enabled at all times. The downside is that if you set location services to work only when the application is running, you’ll lose a connection to the app whenever you check an email, send a text or snap a photo.

As an aside, if you’re concerned about security breaches and the protection of your personal information, it might be time to go back to a Motorola Razr flip phone.

IS THE BAGBOY TRACKER FOR ME?

The target buyer for this item is the walking golfer who generally uses a pushcart but prefers something other than wearable technology. Playing golf with a phone in your pocket or device on your wrist is a deal-breaker for some and the BagBoy tracker mitigates that inconvenience.

Also, if you’re into external motivation, BagBoy will reward you with a $15 gift card for every 100 miles you log on the app. Not a bad deal for getting out and getting a little exercise.

As an aside, I’d like to see BagBoy create a series of monthly contests with different incentives based on total mileage. Walk 100 miles in any month? Get $15 and some limited-edition swag. 250 miles? You get $50 in BagBoy “Pro Shop” credit and a bag tag. Anyone who walks more than 400 miles in a month is also entered in a giveaway for a new pushcart and bag because, at that point, you probably deserve it.

WANT TO TRY A BAGBOY TRACKER?

We’re looking for four MyGolfSpy readers to test, review and keep a BagBoy Tracker.

Head to the BagBoy Tracker testing thread in the forum to apply.

This testing opportunity is open to golfers who live in the USA.

If you’re more likely to shovel your driveway than work on your short game over the next several months, you can order one for $39.95 starting Jan. 1, 2021.