Author: Sean Ogle

When the original Skytrak launch monitor came out in 2014 it was a little bit ahead of its time. It was one of the first true consumer-level simulator options to hit the market at a price point that was actually accessible for a lot of people. By the time I got more serious about reviewing golf launch monitors in 2021, the SkyTrak had already been out for 7 years, and was still retailing for around $2k. With new options from Garmin, FlightScope, Bushnell, and others – my thought (unfounded or not) was essentially: “Technology that is so much more modern,…

I’ve reviewed hundreds of golf products and played hundreds of golf courses in the 10+ years that I’ve been writing here at Breaking Eighty. It’s truly become one of the best places on the internet to get honest opinions about which products to buy and which courses to play. There’s so much conflicting information out there. One of the appeals of this site is that you’re getting first-hand reviews from one person who has used nearly every single product and played every course reviewed on the site. Because of that, we’re able to compare and contrast in a way that…

I’ve been using Precision Pro golf rangefinders for years now, and with every single product they release – they are getting better and better. One of their latest, and best to date is the Precision Pro NX10, which I truly believe is one of the best rangefinders on the market for most people. The team at Precision Pro has been kind enough to hook up Breaking Eighty readers with a discount code that’s good for any product on the site. Use code “BREAKINGEIGHTY” to save $20 off any product* at Precision Pro Golf. *The caveat to this, is the code…

I’ve been reviewing golf shoes for a long time here at Breaking Eighty. But as much as I hate to say it, it’s been years since I’ve tried a pair of Adidas Golf shoes. We’re talking like, nearly a decade. Yet, I’ve received comments like this numerous times in regards to my list of “best golf shoes”: “No list of best golf shoes is complete without Adidas. They’re fantastic.” Hearing that for long enough, I had no other choice but to pay attention. Recently I was able to get a few pairs of Adidas shoes to check out, and unsurprisingly, I haven’t…

I’ve been to dozens of golf clubs over the years. Every single one of them has something that makes them unique. Whether it’s the culture, the golf, the amenities, or the people. But after spending 3 days at Kohanaiki Club in Kona on the big island of Hawai’i, I’ve never been to a club that does all of these things so well. Kohanaiki is all the best parts of a 5-star luxury resort, while being completely private for its members. The amenities it provides are unparalleled. And somehow, I impressed someone enough to get an invite to come out and…

This Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized review was updated in August 2023 to provide long term feedback, update pricing, and compare to the most recent golf rangefinders on the market. Honestly, I’ve reviewed a ton of rangefinders on this site, and when it comes to top-of-the-line rangefinders, it’s been all Bushnell. Precision Pro has been making headway, but when it comes to the best of the best in terms of optics and ease of use, Bushnell is king. That said, it seems Nikon may have something to say about that. Yeah, that Nikon. The one that makes cameras. I recently…

Golf balls today are expensive. Like, really expensive. A premium ball — something in the class of a Titelist Pro V1 or TaylorMade TP5 — is gonna set you back as much as $55 per dozen. That’s more than $4.50 per ball! And you know what? I, for one, am tired of losing these precious little nuggets. Which is why, despite whatever stigma you want to assign, I’m not sleeping on golf ball retrievers. When you consider that for something in the neighborhood of $35, you can get a quality, functional, portable, discreet golf ball retriever, why wouldn’t you consider…

Updated in August 2023 to give feedback on performance in the rain and add the Sun Mountain Colter Vest. For years I’ve used a Gore-Tex Galvin Green rain jacket for my wet rounds on the course, and overall it’s been great. The problem with Galvin Green however is that not only is it very expensive, but the European fit, may not be the best fit for your body. This is especially true if you don’t consider yourself a very athletic person. My rain jacket has been going on 6 years now, so the time has come to try something else. The…

I’ve always really liked Stitch golf products. Their SL2 golf bag is one of the best-looking bags on the market. You could say the same about their accessories and apparel as well. But it’s been a while since I’ve tested out anything new from Stitch. The SL2 is largely the same as it was a couple years ago, and with so many other products coming to market, I haven’t seen much from the brand lately. But then I found out about the Birdie Bag – and got really intrigued. 7 or 8 years ago, golf was my life. All my…

When it comes to golf rangefinders, it’s rare that I see something that’s entirely different than anything on the market. But that’s exactly what you get with the Voice Caddie SL3 rangefinder. We’ve seen GPS “Smart Rangefinders” before. On the lower end, there was the ill-fated Precision Pro R1. Then there’s the most high-tech rangefinder out there, the Garmin Approach Z82. The SL3 is aiming squarely at the latter. It has many of the same high-tech features as the Garmin, but it takes a bit of a different approach. Rather than building all of it’s GPS data into the viewfinder…