Three recent college grads at Presidents Golf Course in Quincy, MA, faced a choice in 2018. Pay rent or buy a $400 Bushnell rangefinder. They chose rent and built their own company instead.
Now Pinned Golf serves 200,000+ golfers and just won Best New Product at the PGA Show for the second year running. What started as orders shipped from co-founder Matt Buckley’s house has become a brand trusted across platforms, all because three guys couldn’t justify the golf industry’s traditional pricing.
Growing Pains: When Great Audio Wasn’t Enough
Pinned Golf built momentum fast. The Caddie won Best New Product at the 2025 PGA Show and the Prism+ Rangefinder received rave reviews.
Then came the original Sound Stick. Reviewers praised the audio quality (dual driver bass system, 15+ hour battery, rich sound that competitors struggled to match). But they also noted what was missing. At the same $149.99 price point, the Bushnell Wingman 2 included GPS yardages, app integration, remote control, and voice prompts. Breaking Eighty’s review landed the punch by saying it was better than most golf speakers, but it wasn’t a better golf gadget.
Hit hard, Pinned Golf didn’t get defensive. They went back to the drawing board, pumping out the Sound Stick PRO that hits everywhere the original missed.
What’s Different This Time
Pinned Golf
Sound Stick PRO
The PRO addresses every criticism while maintaining the audio foundation that worked:
- Full-color touchscreen GPS with FCB yardages across 45,000+ courses
- Green heat maps showing slope visualization before you reach the green
- Live leaderboards tracking scores, wagers, and multiplayer games in real time
- Pinned Pulse analytics measuring performance across scoring and consistency metrics
- Party Mode pairing up to 100 speakers for synchronized audio
- Upgraded speaker system with additional tweeters and radiators for fuller range
The PGA Show validated the approach, with the Sound Stick PRO earning a Best New Product Award from a field of more than 250 entries, making Pinned Golf one of just three brands recognized and the only one to win the award in back-to-back years. Wisconsin.Golf also named it among nine standout products from the 2026 PGA Show floor.
GPS That Actually Shows You the Course
The Sound Stick PRO displays front, center, and back distances on a full-color touchscreen. Tap the screen to view course maps, check yardages, or navigate between holes. You never need to rely on audio callouts. The database covers 45,000+ courses worldwide with no subscription fees.
Green Heat Maps: Reading Putts Like a Local
Heat maps visualize slope across the entire putting surface. Red zones indicate severe breaks. Blue zones show flatter areas. The visual guide helps read putts on unfamiliar greens without walking the line or relying on guesswork.
Live Leaderboards and Wager Tracking
The leaderboard updates in real time as your group enters scores. Track stroke play, match play, skins, or custom wagers. Everyone sees who’s up, who’s down, and what’s on the line without waiting until the 19th hole. Multiplayer games sync across devices, so the entire group stays connected throughout the round.
Pinned Pulse: Your Performance Score
Pinned Pulse converts your round into a single performance number. The algorithm analyzes scoring, consistency, and key metrics to generate an overall rating. Track trends over time to identify when you’re playing your best golf.
Party Mode: 100 Speakers, One Vibe
Connect up to 100 Sound Stick PRO units simultaneously. Every speaker in the group plays the same track in sync. The feature eliminates the problem of competing playlists from different carts during group rounds. Standard Bluetooth pairing also works for connecting a phone or other devices.
Audio Quality and Design
The PRO builds on the original Sound Stick’s audio foundation with upgraded tweeters and radiators that push fuller range across the course. The dual driver bass system delivers depth without distortion, whether you’re parked on the tee box or rolling down the cart path. A 10+ hour battery covers back-to-back rounds on a single charge, and USB-C fast charging means a quick top-off between outings. The N52 magnet (the strongest available) locks the speaker to your cart bar without clips or mounts, so it stays put over every bump and bridge.
The App: Free vs. Premium
The Sound Stick PRO operates through the Pinned Golf App, launching March 2026. Setup takes seconds. Select your course, and the speaker syncs distances automatically.
The free tier includes FCB yardages, scorekeeping, touchscreen GPS access, and basic Pinned Pulse overview scores. Premium Membership unlocks advanced Pulse metrics (stroke-by-stroke breakdowns), green views (contours and shapes before you hit your approach), and hazard views (precise distances to bunkers and water).
All presale orders include one year of free Premium Membership!
The Complete Package
Pinned Golf
Sound Stick PRO
The Sound Stick PRO shows Pinned Golf’s formula in action: take criticism seriously, build a better version, price it accessibly. Co-founder Alec Lorenzo summed up the philosophy behind the PRO on The Golf Wire: “It’s everything you want, built into one smart speaker.”
The commitment to excellence at an accessible price is key. The GPS speaker category is evolving fast. MILESEEY’s GeneSonic Pro launched at the same show with a detachable GPS handheld at $299.99. Blue Tees and Shot Scope are pushing into the space. The field’s getting crowded, but Pinned Golf’s continual innovation has them leading the pack.
The presale includes
- Sound Stick PRO speaker
- USB-C charging cord
- One-year Premium Membership (free)
- One-year warranty
- Free shipping
- Six color options (Red, Green, Black, Navy, Gray, Pink)
For golfers who want music and GPS in one device under $200, the PRO delivers what previously required separate purchases. Years of product development, independent testing, and 200,000+ golfers give Pinned Golf credibility when they say the Sound Stick PRO fixes what the original missed.
The Sound Stick PRO ships April 15th. Launch inventory tends to move quickly when you’re coming off back-to-back PGA Show wins. Pinned Gold insiders know not to sleep on presales!
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