The Mother of Invention

 

GPSQuickClip is a small family-owned company with humble beginnings. Company founder and avid golfer Michael Owens says the development of the GPSQuickClip was a matter of "accidental necessity."

In 2008 Mike hit the links for a couple of casual games of golf with friends at the Caledonia Golf and Fish Club and the True Blue Plantation (both in his hometown of Pawleys Island, SC). Mike's golf partners - all serious golfers - were using GPS units and laser rangefinders.  Mike had never seen one before. But like any true golf addict, he loves to have the newest driver, iron, balls and golf gadgets. Mike was fascinated by his friends' GPS devices and became determined to get one for himself.

Rather than spring for a brand new unit, Mike was able to get a used original Skycaddie SG2 on eBay for $70. It didn't matter to him that it had a black and white display; it gave him what he wanted -- the yardage to the front, back and middle of the green. An assistant pro friend who had the same unit had just gotten a Skycaddie temporary cart mount for his GPS as a Christmas gift. Mike noticed that the mount's fragile ball and socket joints and screw-type clamps were time consuming to attach and detach from the cart. To him the unit looked flimsy and easy to break. It took up a lot of space in his friend's golf bag. And at a steep $80, Mike was happy just to toss his GPS into the cart somewhere among the beer and soda cans, towels, hotdogs and napkins. But it sure got him thinking.

Mike found himself imagining a better GPS mount, and the wheels started to turn. He'd always been a tinkerer, a trait he says he inherited from his father. So, with thoughts of creating a better mousetrap, he headed to his garage workshop and began designing and building his own GPS mount. Each time he created a new prototype he had his golf buddies test it out on the course. Six different versions and a lot of tests later, he arrived at his current GPSQuickClip design. Everyone who used it said Mike had a sure winner, so he filed for a U.S. patent, built a website, applied for a trademark, incorporated, found a manufacturer near Detroit, and hired a marketing firm. With the encouragement and support of his wife of nearly 40 years, the rest is history!

"I really never set out to be a inventor and entrepreneur," Mike says. "I just saw a need for a better GPS golf cat mount and had to find it. I think of it as way of making a small contribution to the sport that has given me so much pleasure."

Mike is pleased to offer his invention to serious golfers at a fraction of the cost of that old Skycaddie mount that originally inspired his inventive mind. Now this simple and inexpensive golf GPS accessory is available to golfers everywhere.