Author: Sean Ogle

As the Founder of Breaking Eighty Sean has spent the last 10+ years reviewing the best golf products and golf courses in the world. He prides himself on only writing about products and courses he's experienced first hand, and helping others find exactly what they need to enhance their enjoyment of the game we all love so much.

This Bridgestone e6 review was updated in September 2023 to reflect the performance of the current generation of e6 ball. When I first wrote this review of the Bridgestone e6 nine years ago, I was really impressed with the performance, especially relative to its price. It helped minimize my slices, and while it’s certainly no magic bullet (no ball is), it performs really well relative to its peers. Now in 2023, having played with every iteration of the ball since it first came out, they continue to consistently make a good ball. It’s evolved a lot since the early days (remember…

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Despite the fact this is a golf blog, I’ve accidentally become somewhat of an expert in sleep heating and cooling systems. About 3 years ago I picked up a Sleep.Me Ooler. It was far from perfect, but definitely helped lead to more comfortable and more restful sleeps. Fast forward to about 4 months ago when I had the chance to upgrade to an Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover. It blows the Ooler out of the water. It isn’t even close in terms of features, functionality, and most importantly its ability to warm and cool. But there’s a third major competitor…

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Golf Bags

Originally published in September 2022, this has been updated in September 2023 to add a long-term update of my personal use with the El Camino bag. Even just three years ago, the idea of a Sunday golf bag was a pretty niche product. It was mostly reserved for urban locals of needed a way to get a handful of clubs to the range, or the minimalist golfer set who spent hundreds on boutique MacKenzie bags. And then came Sunday Golf. This startup out of San Diego saw a need that wasn’t being filled very well: Smaller bags that can carry…

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Living in the Pacific Northwest, we truly experience 4 distinct seasons. We get hot, we get cold, and we get everything in between. Because of this, it’s important to have a versatile golf wardrobe. And one of the most versatile pieces you can have in your arsenal? A golf vest. Whether you’re laying it with a jacket to stay extra warm, or just need something to take the bite off of those early morning shoulder season rounds – every golfer should have a high-quality golf vest in their locker. Full disclosure? Up until the last couple of years, I’ve never…

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Over the years I’ve had a number of great golf vests. Pieces I’ve loved from Holderness and Bourne, Nike, and Patagonia. There was just one problem with all of them: they weren’t very packable. While all of my previous vests have been comfortable and stylish, every one of them has taken up quite a bit of space in my bag while traveling. Recently, I picked up a Colter Vest from Sun Mountain, and I’ve been very impressed by it. Not just for how well it packs down, but more so for how warm it is, despite being extremely portable. So as we…

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What hasn’t been said about the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai over the past 3 decades? “Best resort in Hawaii” “Best Four Seasons Golf Resort in the World” “The Ultimate Luxury Family Getaway.” I’ve been hearing it for years, and have received dozens of people asking me about it since I began Breaking Eighty. Everything from: How is the golf at Hualalai? To how does Hualalai compare to Punta Mita? I visited the Four Seasons Punta Mita a little over a year ago and was blown away. From the hospitality to the resort amenities to the fantastic golf on the Pacifico…

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When it comes to buying a new set of golf clubs or golf balls, there’s a good chance Wilson isn’t the first name on your list of brands to check out. They’ve been around forever, but generally, the latest Callaway, Taylormade or Titleist goods are the most top of mind when it comes to new golf gear. But should you be giving Wilson a second look? Based on my time playing with the D9 and CB irons, as well as their latest Staff golf balls – I think the answer may be yes. I’ve reviewed a handful of different Wilson…

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These days there are no shortage of people sharing their opinions on golf courses. And personally, I love it. Golf is such a subjective thing, that it’s always interesting to me to see what types of course people like, don’t like – and why. I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of fantastic golf courses. And every once in awhile I come across a course that surprises the hell out of me. One of those courses that makes me say “how is this place not talked about more.” Or maybe it’s a course that is well known, but makes…

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I’m not gonna lie, it’s getting more and more difficult to review golf rangefinders these days. Not because of new or more complicated features, but rather because there are simply so many good products out there now. So differentiating between them, and deciding which ones are better than others is getting to be an increasingly challenging proposition. But, someone has to do it! Today we have the Voice Caddie TL1, which is their flagship standard rangefinder. I recently reviewed their top-of-the-line SL3 rangefinder, which is unique in that it has GPS data built into it. It’s crazy cool for the tech nerds…

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Obviously, we’re all acutely aware of the devastating wildfires that have hit Maui recently. While Hualalai is located on a different island, it’s impossible not to feel the impact of the fires wherever you are in Hawai’i right now. If you’re looking to help, you can donate to the Maui Strong Fund where 100% of the proceeds go directly towards addressing Maui community requirements. There’s a delicate balance right now of being respectful of the tragedy that’s happened, while also recognizing tourism dollars are one of the primary ways the region is going to recover. So when you visit any…

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