Fox Hollow Was Great — But My Garage Sim Wins

Three days of golf sounds like a dream — until the weather has other plans. After two great rounds, the final day of a long weekend at Fox Hollow didn't end the way I hoped, and I walked off with a raincheck instead of a finished scorecard.

It's exactly the kind of day that reminds me why my garage simulator earns its keep. No cart-path-only rules, no rain delays, no wasted green fees — just reliable golf whenever I want it. But before I retreated indoors, two pieces of Bushnell tech proved their worth out on the course.

Bushnell Tour V7 Shift

Bushnell Wingman HD

The Bushnell Tour V7 Shift in the Wet

The Tour V7 Shift was the star of the weekend. Through gusts, drizzle, and a steadily worsening forecast, it locked onto targets quickly and never left me second-guessing a number. For a rangefinder, weather resistance and fast acquisition are everything, and the V7 Shift delivered on both.

The Shift name refers to the magnetic mount and the ability to switch between slope and non-slope modes — handy whether you're playing a casual round or keeping it tournament-legal. Even with conditions deteriorating, it stayed dependable right up until the round was cut short.

The Wingman HD — Held Back by Cart-Path Only

The Bushnell Wingman HD was along for the ride too, pulling double duty as a Bluetooth speaker and GPS. It performed admirably given the circumstances, but cart-path-only rules really limited how much I could lean on it. When you can't bring the cart near your ball, a cart-mounted speaker-GPS naturally sees less action.

That's a topic worth its own deeper dive another time — there's more to say about how the Wingman fits into a round when conditions cooperate.

Why the Garage Always Wins

Here's the thing: a rained-out round on the course is a write-off. A rained-out day at home is just another excuse to fire up the simulator. No weather, no pace-of-play, no cart-path restrictions — just unlimited reps in a controlled space.

Fox Hollow was great, but the garage never tells me the round is over because of the rain.

The course gives you the experience; the garage gives you the consistency. The best setup is having both — and letting the weather decide which one you use that day.