GolfBuddy
GolfBuddy is a South Korea-based, privately held company founded in 2003 that designs and sells GPS-based golf range finders to consumer golfers worldwide, competing in the $357M global golf GPS market against Garmin, Bushnell Golf, Arccos, and Callaway.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBucheon, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What GolfBuddy does
GolfBuddy is a private, for-profit company that designs and sells GPS-based golf range finders for the consumer golf market. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Bucheon, South Korea, the company operates through its consumer-facing website golfbuddy.kr and competes in the global golf GPS segment, which is valued at approximately $357.14M in 2024 and projected to reach $502.45M by 2035. Its stated competitive set includes Garmin, Bushnell Golf, Arccos Golf, and Callaway Golf Company, positioning it among an established group of incumbents in a niche consumer electronics category.
The company's core offering centers on portable GPS rangefinder devices used by golfers to measure distances on-course. Specific technical architecture, sensor stack, software platform, subscription components, and pricing tiers are not disclosed in the available data. The company employs between 11 and 50 people, indicating a small, product-focused operating footprint rather than a large diversified hardware platform.
The business model is consumer hardware sales, monetized through unit shipments of GPS rangefinder devices to individual golfers and likely through retail and pro-shop distribution channels (though no channel mix, pricing, or unit volume data is disclosed in the input). No enterprise contracts, SaaS components, recurring revenue streams, or partnership economics are described. As a small private company competing against significantly larger consumer electronics and golf equipment incumbents, GolfBuddy's commercial position is sub-scale relative to its named competitors.
GolfBuddy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GolfBuddy
- Website
- https://golfbuddy.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GolfBuddy is a South Korea-based, privately held company founded in 2003 that designs and sells GPS-based golf range finders to consumer golfers worldwide, competing in the $357M global golf GPS market against Garmin, Bushnell Golf, Arccos, and Callaway.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GolfBuddy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Golf GPS Devices
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Golf Rangefinders, GPS & Wearable Tech Retail (CRAMAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Golf Training Aids & Swing Analytics Retail (CRAMAGAG)
Keywords
Where GolfBuddy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bucheon
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
GolfBuddy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
GolfBuddy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GolfBuddy is a product brand for GPS-based golf range finders and related wearable devices. The company produces GPS technology products that help golfers navigate courses, measure shot distances, and track performance. It is identified as one of the leading players in the global golf GPS market alongside Garmin, Bushnell Golf, Arccos Golf, and Callaway Golf Company.
Product overview
GolfBuddy is identified as a leading player in the global golf GPS market, competing alongside Garmin, Bushnell Golf, Arccos Golf, and Callaway Golf Company. The company operates within a market projected to grow from USD 357.14 million in 2024 to USD 502.45 million by 2035. No specific product portfolio details, individual product names, or product relationships are available from the provided sources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GolfBuddy GPS Range Finders
Companies that use GolfBuddy
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
GolfBuddy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
GolfBuddy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
GolfBuddy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Shot Scope: Shot Scope offers wearable GPS rangefinders and performance-tracking tags, sharing GolfBuddy's positioning at the intersection of course GPS and shot analytics, though more software-led.
- TomTom: TomTom is a broader GPS technology vendor with adjacent mapping/IP capability; relevant as a potential technology comparator whose core positioning assets (maps, location APIs) could enter golf via partnerships or white-label deals.
Direct peers
- Bushnell Golf: Bushnell is a legacy rangefinder and GPS brand for golfers; it is named alongside GolfBuddy as one of the leading players in the global golf GPS market and competes head-to-head in GPS handhelds and laser rangefinders.
- Voice Caddie: Voice Caddie is a Korean-headquartered competitor that produces laser rangefinders and GPS devices for golfers, overlapping directly with GolfBuddy in product, customer, and home geography.
- Precision Pro Golf: Precision Pro is a direct-to-consumer golf rangefinder and GPS brand targeting the same amateur golfer segment, competing on price and accuracy in the standalone GPS device category.
- Arccos Golf: Arccos makes a sensor-based shot-tracking system coupled with GPS and a mobile app — a direct competitor in golf GPS/analytics and named in the same leading-players list as GolfBuddy.
- Garmin (Approach line): Garmin's Approach series offers GPS handhelds and golf smartwatches with course maps, shot tracking, and wearables — the closest direct competitor to GolfBuddy's GPS range finder business and explicitly cited as a peer in the underlying market report.
- SkyGolf (SkyCaddie): SkyCaddie is a longstanding direct rival making handheld GPS devices with proprietary course maps, serving the same golfer customer with course navigation and distance measurement use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Callaway Golf Company: Callaway is a broad golf equipment OEM that has expanded into GPS rangefinders and wearables. It shares GolfBuddy's GPS product category but operates from a much larger golf-club and ball franchise.
- Leupold: Leupold is a broader optics and firearms/rangefinder manufacturer with a golf line, providing an incumbent comparison for the rangefinder portion of GolfBuddy's portfolio but on a much larger industrial base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
GolfBuddy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GolfBuddy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
GolfBuddy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GolfBuddy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GolfBuddy
What does GolfBuddy do?
GolfBuddy is a product brand for GPS-based golf range finders and related wearable devices. The company produces GPS technology products that help golfers navigate courses, measure shot distances, and track performance. It is identified as one of the leading players in the global golf GPS market alongside Garmin, Bushnell Golf, Arccos Golf, and Callaway Golf Company.
When was GolfBuddy founded?
GolfBuddy was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GolfBuddy based?
GolfBuddy is headquartered in Bucheon, South Korea, in the Asia region.
Who are GolfBuddy's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Shot Scope and TomTom. Direct peers are Bushnell Golf, Voice Caddie, Precision Pro Golf, Arccos Golf, Garmin (Approach line) and SkyGolf (SkyCaddie). Broad incumbents are Callaway Golf Company and Leupold.
Does GolfBuddy have an API?
No public API is recorded for GolfBuddy.
What industry is GolfBuddy in?
GolfBuddy's product category is Golf GPS Devices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAGAH, Golf Rangefinders, GPS & Wearable Tech Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAGAG, Golf Training Aids & Swing Analytics Retail. Its NAICS code is 45911 and its SIC code is 7990.