Vortex Golf – A Brand Story

Over the years we have seen many fly-by-night buy-and-brand companies enter into the world of golf rangefinders. Some have found success, while others have discovered that there are names in the segment simply too big to overcome. With all that in mind, when we tell you there is a new entrant into this world, your first reaction might be to say “good luck”. 

This though, this is different, drastically different. 

If you know anything about hunting and shooting optics, then you know the name Vortex. Not only are they a known commodity in that realm, they are a leader and innovator known the world over. In 2024, they officially turned their sights, quite literally, onto the world of golf by bringing not only their premium optics to the game, but the goal of providing an experience for golf consumers.

The Vortex Golf Anarch

The Roots of Vortex

It may sound cliché, but to know where Vortex is headed as they enter golf, you really do have to better understand where they have been. 

The brand itself actually got its start not in hunting, but birdwatching. While finding their footing in developing their optics, they also got a taste of the retail world, and those worlds colliding are what laid the groundwork for what Vortex would become.

Vortex Golf rangefinder

If you have any background around hunting or shooting, then you know where that journey took the brand. If you don’t, well, they have gone from birdwatching to one of the dominant brands in outdoor optics. In just over 20 years they have become an employee owned company which puts the customer at the center of everything they do. 

All the years, all the knowledge, and all the passion have brought Vortex to this moment, this new journey into golf. They mean it when they say it all boils down to People, Passion, and Promises. 

Why Golf?

With such a dominant presence alongside a world-class business model both internally and for customers outside of golf, it might make you ask why Vortex would ever want to venture into this crazy world of ours. According to the company, it is because of that craziness, or passion and lifestyle as they put it, as both are things golfers have in common with the hunting/shooting audience. In fact, one of the things that stands out to Vortex about THP is the passion that is evident and always at the surface. People not only embracing different brands, but those brands becoming part of their own identity. 

Using a Vortex Golf laser

The journey, interestingly enough, started with Vortex talking with their own passionate audience of retailers, customers, and employees about what they enjoy. Golf continued to come into these conversations, and from there the seed was planted. Add in the commonalities of golfers and hunters/outdoors people, it was obvious that there was an opportunity present, and Vortex went for it. 

Make no mistake though, it was only after much research ensuring not only that it could be done, but done well, that Vortex jumped. Knowing what the current rangefinder market looked like, Vortex began gathering feedback from retailers. It was from that feedback that they knew they could bring not just another level of quality to the table, but also service to the people. By immersing themselves in the sport to learn more about what golfers current frustrations are with rangefinders and how they use them on the course, the pathway to bringing their established knowledge and technology over to the sport became clear. 

However, don’t for one second think that this is some sort of copy and paste from their hunting and outdoor products. The advancements made there are a foundation for entering golf, a rock solid one to be sure, but they are just the foundation. 

The Vortex Difference

As mentioned a bit earlier, the “bro” rangefinder companies have been popping up constantly for years now, with being cheaper as their key selling point. Those brands are putting instant gratification over long-term quality and performance. That is not what Vortex does. 

This is a company which believes with every fiber of their being that it isn’t about selling, it is about providing an experience for their consumers. Vortex stands firm that it is not enough to simply make great products, there also has to be a commitment to do whatever it takes for both the people purchasing as well as the retailers that carry them. That is the core to the Vortex difference. 

Customer Service at Vortex Golf

By bringing the focus to the customer, Vortex knows that they can create an experience, one which places the people that matter the most to the livelihood of a company in the middle of everything that they do. While it seems so simple, we all know it to be true that when you feel like you matter to a company, then you become passionate for that brand. Vortex knows that it is that passion where their growth originates. 

When they talk about being customer centric, Vortex also puts its money where their mouth is. If you or anyone you know is familiar with their hunting/shooting optics, then you know that they stand behind their products no matter what. That is part of their “VIP Warranty”, in which VIP means Very Important Promise. For the entire lifetime of your product, no matter what happens, Vortex will repair or replace it. Not only will you talk to a real person who’s only job is to help, they make sure things happen fast, friendly, and frictionless.

It isn’t crazy to believe that golf has never seen customer service like what Vortex is built upon. 

Superior Options Meet Superior Performance

You should not for one second think that Vortex doesn’t also know that as good as a warranty or customer service are to have, it means little if the products don’t deliver. This is a company that knows the last thing the golf world needs is just another rangefinder. The quest was to create something unmatched, to provide the bells and whistles which golfers want, along with levels of technology they didn’t know they need. 

It would have been easy for Vortex to introduce a single rangefinder, pack everything they could into it, slap a price on it, back it with their warranty and call it a day. Honestly, it probably would have been a brilliant device and no one would have faulted them for starting there. Instead, they have created three different units for their debut. Why? Well, because they learned long ago on their hunting/shooting side that options are important, especially where price points are concerned as not every golfer needs the same features or is willing to spend the same amount.

When we talked with Vortex though, there was another reason they presented for three different devices right out of the gates. This is the most efficient way for them to gain feedback from consumers. Sure, most big brands start with market research, and Vortex did too, but that doesn’t truly tell a company how they did or where they can immediately improve. 

We’re always listening to our customers and using their feedback to guide our next steps. While we’re incredibly proud of our current rangefinder lineup, we’re already working on evolving these products and expanding into adjacent categories that enhance the golf experience.

Vortex Golf

It is like we have always told our community and readership, companies want all the feedback no matter if it is good, bad, or indifferent because that is how they learn and better themselves. Worth mentioning as well is it is that very open and honest feedback which has drawn Vortex so excitedly to THP, and where there is much to come with both parties in 2025. 

Each of the three devices have their own unique design features, and THP will have reviews on them all very soon. However, we would be remiss to not bring up the reality that not only has Vortex created or implemented golf specific aspects like the their own image stabilization technology, attention to menu and in-hand ergonomics, magnesium casings, as well as IPX7 waterproofing in the Anarch, but they even have their own proprietary range finding algorithm. 

The three models that Vortex Golf offers

Amazingly, we have discussed all of these things without getting back to the reality that Vortex is one of the premier optics brands in the world. To be honest, golf has never seen clarity and color consistency like what the Anarch, Blade, and Blade Slope bring to the table. That alone might be worth the price of admission. 

Crystal Ball to the Future of Vortex Golf

While it might sound funny to be looking at what is yet to come so soon for a company just breaking into a new segment for them, Vortex is no normal entrant. They may be the new kid on the block in golf, but as you have read, they are wily veterans in the world of at all times putting their consumers first, and to do that you must always be looking forward. 

In talking with Vortex, their goals for the future center around making as many interactions as they can, be it from the once a year scramble player to the best in the world on various tours. Despite believing vehemently in their three options, they want to improve. As such, in our conversations they did let slip that there are potentials for more offerings and even perhaps venturing into Bluetooth integration and app compatibility. 

For now though, Vortex is making it clear that that this isn’t a side hustle or fit of boredom, this is a new frontier to them in which they plan on making their presence felt for years to come. 

For more information on any of the Vortex Golf devices discussed here, head over to their website at www.vortexgolf.com.

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James is a staff writer for The Hackers Paradise along with being a professional educator. With his background in education James seeks to broaden his own knowledge while also sharing it with all those who share his passion for the game.