Each Golf GPS watch has its own set of unique features and performance specialties. There are however, six key features that you should look for regardless of the style, brand or cost of the watch. Depending on what you are looking for, the ranking for these features may change, but they all things to want in a Golf GPS watch.
How a Golf GPS Watch Will Help You Improve Your Game
Each watch you look at will have a different way to help you improve your game. Usually, they do this by offering analysis on your swings and by storing and tracking your performance on the course(s). This data analysis turns into helpful information for you to use to continually improve your game. Other benefits to this include faster games and some knowledge of the course that you are playing so you can plan accordingly.
Depending on the watch, there may be a digital scorekeeper or a history of your best shots so you can pinpoint which holes you can focus on to improve your game. If you are unsure of which features will help your game the most, it is helpful to read the Golf GPS watch reviews and see what other golfers have to say about the features that helped them the most.
Battery Life
Battery life is a critical part – especially if you are an avid golfer or gearing up for a vacation or weekend trip. In order for this type of tool to be effective, it needs to record your activity and in order to do that it needs to be on.
Choosing the one with longest battery life is important if you are just starting out and take your time on the green or if you like to play more than one round.
Most will have their battery time noted in the product description so you can easily pick out which one works best for you.
The batteries range from hours to days so there are many options to choose from that will benefit you.
Distance Measuring
The ability to measure distances on the green is one of the most common features that people want. The best golf distance watch will not only have accurate measurements, it will also have a clean map of the front, center and back distance to the hole. Additionally, it should also track the hazards on the golf course and provide distance measurements to the front and back of those as well.
Not only will a Golf GPS watch show you distances to help you select the best club and swing, it will also track your activity and store it for records, charts, and comparisons.
Many will track how far your ball went by measuring the distance between where you hit the ball and where it landed. The best golf yardage watch will have a built-in pedometer and will store that information and provide previous-swing comparison to help you improve your game and your own accuracy.
Courses Availability
The best Golf GPS watches will come pre-loaded with golf courses, both national to the US and international. This allows for faster distance loading and ensured accuracy of the course layout and hazards.
On average, there are over 35,000 courses that are available and most are accessible for free with purchase.For local greens, they are often not pre-loaded.
However, good watches will have a satellite feature that enables them to identify where you are and start to ‘build’ your course as you play and then save the information to access if you return to the course.This ‘course memory’ feature is excellent for those who are just getting started and those who don’t golf on the more famous courses.
All-Weather Resistance
Another feature to look for is water resistance. In addition to water resistance, you may also want to look at how impact-resistant the watch is; this will help bolster the overall durability and ensure your tool has a long life.
Aside from working in the rain, you will also want to look for a watch that works in the sun. That may sound foolish, but there is much to be said for watches that are crafted to be read in sunlight.
Certain LED features are not always readable in direct sun so it’s important to look for a watch that highlights the ‘sunlight readability’ and may even have anti-glare functionality as well.
This will enable you to have the best game and the easiest access to the data displayed on your watch regardless of the weather.
User-Friendly Interface
Oftentimes the thing that makes or breaks a product for someone comes down to how easy it is to use. The most accurate Golf GPS watch will fall short if it cannot display the information easily and clearly. For new and seasoned golfers alike, the interface of the watch is often just as important as the data that the watch tracks and analyzes.
A ‘good’ interface will often depend on the user. For those who are more tech-savvy, an advanced display with multiple faces that can be sorted through will be fine. For others, it may be best to look for a watch that displays the most important stats all on the main screen.
It is important to allow for some learning time regardless of how user-friendly the interface is. However, the best watch will have you up and running in little to no time and start providing you the information you need within a few swings.