Best Golf GPS Watch

When you’re ready to hit the links, it can be difficult to figure out which is the best golf GPS watch to buy. These products can cover a wide range of golf-friendly functions, and you can even convert a smartwatch so that they can have some of the dedicated watch’s functionality.

In our opinion, there are a wide variety of benefits that a good GPS golf watch can bring to your game. These products are designed to bring your swing to the next level. In this guide, we’re going to show you which products that are on the market this year can most improve your game.

The 10 Best GPS Watch For Golf

 

 

 

Before we get into the products, we should take you through some of the features that you should consider before you make a purchase. Each of the products that we are going to cover has a good combination of smart design, ease of use, functionality, battery life, ruggedness, and data support, which are some of the features you should consider. Let’s take a look at why these features are important:

Design

The last thing you want is to have a product that has a poor aesthetic and functional design. For this reason, a good product will have to be easy to read, have a well-organized user interface, and a degree of customization.

Additionally, accuracy is a major plus with one of these because having an accurate watch will help you make better decisions on the green. The most accurate golf GPS watch will inform your decisions on the type of club you use and the strength of your swing.

Another design feature that’s very useful is watch band changeability. This will allow you to change up your GPS watch so that it will look like a brand new product. This is particularly useful with smartwatches that have changeable faces.

Ease of Use

The best GPS golf watch for the money isn’t going to be worth a lot if you can’t quite figure out all of its functions. For this reason, a simple user interface with easy to find features is going to be valuable for your game. When you’re on the market for a new GPS watch, check out reviews from beginners – these reviews will tell you exactly how intuitive the interface is so that there is a lower learning curve for the product.

Functionality

For each golfer, the golf GPS experience can vary wildly based on skill level. It’s easy to see that many players might purchase the same product for completely different reasons, so here’s a look at why functionality is important:

• For Beginner Golfers – A beginner golfer that’s working on swing dynamics might want a simple GPS rangefinder watch so that they can understand exactly where the ball is in relation to their bodies.
• For Average Players – An intermediate player, on the other hand, might also want pin placement so that they can measure distances more precisely. This will help them avoid blind spots and also helps golfers visualize the direction of the green.
• For Golf Experts – Expert players who tour around frequently might want a product that has a plethora of pre-loaded courses so that they can have up-to-date info.

Battery Life

No one wants to head to the green and find out that their GPS watch or smartwatch has died on them around the eighth hole, which is why a good battery life is crucial. Your watch should have enough juice at full charge to last at least a full round, but to be honest, it’s a good idea to use a watch that can endure several games of play on a charge. A good product will have the ability to last more than 10 hours at a time, even when using the GPS function, so this is a great place to start. Some products even have battery-friendly modes that you can enable when you get to the links.

Ruggedness

When you’re out there on the course, there is a myriad of course conditions to consider. Is it going to rain? Are you going to end up needing to fish out your ball from a water feature? Is it going to be super sunny? With these questions in mind, it’s just a good idea to seek out a product that’s as rugged as the course, and for this reason, always try to find products with:

• Waterproof Functionality – It’s easy to find water features on a course, and into every life, a little rain must fall, and the last thing you want is for your watch to stop functioning due to it being waterlogged. For this reason, seek out a watch that is at least IPX6-rated so that it will survive a little water.
• Anti-glare Screens – Needless to say, if you’re going to be golfing, you’ll most often be playing in sunny environments, even if you’re a winter golfer. For this reason, you may want a screen with a matte texture or other anti-glare features so that you’ll be able to see the readouts on your range and other display features.
• Tough Glass Faces – While golf isn’t quite as rough and tumble as other sports, it helps to have some durability in your GPS watch. For this reason, a Gorilla Glass or other tough face will help ensure that your watch doesn’t get damaged during your game.

Data support

One of the coolest features of smartwatches is the ability to have extra data support. For example, with some Garmin products, you can download info about the course that you’re playing on. This opens up the possibilities because this can provide information for more than 40,000 potential courses worldwide. In fact, with the modern smartphone, you’ll even be able to beam information to and from your watch via Bluetooth, which is very convenient.

A good golf GPS for smart watch will have app support so that you can expand your watch’s functionality. For example, there are smartwatch golf GPS apps on the Android and Apple app stores that add features like social media updates for your golf game and group scoring. For these reasons, we are beginning to see a lot of potentials for models of smartwatch with golf GPS.

Price

Are you wondering how much you’ll have to spend for a watch of this type? Fortunately, there is a wide range of price points for a good golf GPS watch, which means that you can find several under $100 or even more in the $300-plus price point. Just understand that purchasing the best golf GPS under 100 dollars might mean a lack of app support or color displays. On the other hand, the best golf GPS under 200 dollars may have a plethora of features, but for a beginner golfer, some of these might be extraneous.

Garmin Approach S20 – best GPS Watch for Golf

 

Key Features and Benefits

When you’re wondering which product is the best golf GPS watch 2019, it’s hard to discount the Garmin Approach S20. This watch has auto shot features, is very attractive, and has good stat tracking so that you can fine-tune your play style. The screen is crisp, and it has a cool-looking aesthetic design that makes it a great watch as well. It even has a monochrome design that makes it easy to read on sunnier courses.

 

While it doesn’t have touch functionality, this product shines because it has a well-rounded set of features.

Garmin Approach X40 – Best Golf Watch with Heart Rate Monitor 

 

Key Features and Benefits

The X40 is a simplified version of the Approach line of products. Despite this, the addition of a heart rate monitor adds a very useful function for some golfers. Not only can the monitor help you achieve an optimal heart rate for staying in shape, but golfers with heart issues can also use it to stay safe. The watch is even designed with activity tracking, which can help you stay active off the course as well. The sensor is also very accurate on this product, which makes for a better game.

 

For those looking to track more than just their game stats, this is a good cardio-friendly golf GPS watch to consider.

Garmin Approach S60 – Best Golf Yardage Watch

 

Key Features and Benefits

If you’re looking for a digital GPS watch that has an almost analog design, then this product from Garmin’s Approach line may be great for your games. The round face has a full-color display and has touchscreen features that make golfing easy. The display is even sunlight-readable, so you won’t have to shade it on sunnier courses. As one might expect from Garmin, this product is also very accurate – the sensors are some of the best in the industry.

 

This is an excellent product that combines precise sensor measurements with a vivid color display.

Garmin Approach S2 – Best Golf Distance Watch

 

Key Features and Benefits

Measuring your shot distances can be very important, especially when you want to improve accuracy, and the golf distance tracker in the S2 is very useful. Additionally, this watch also comes preloaded with 30,000 courses, which makes getting details easy. When the courses in its database update, so will the information within the watch. This ensures that you can always have accurate info.

 

When it comes to building your golf skills, precision is key, and this is a high-quality product that can help you become more accurate.

Bushnell Neo Ion – Best Small Golf GPS

 

Key Features and Benefits

When you’re out there, you don’t always have to have a complex golf GPS watch. Sometimes, a small golf GPS with a small screen will do the job. For those that want a watch with a smaller form factor, this product, which comes from Bushnell, may do the trick. It’s not skipping any features; it comes preloaded with 35,000 courses, and it even has auto course recognition. From a design perspective, the product has a durable silicone band and comes in an attractive white and blue coloration.

 

With 35,000 courses built into the product, this is a great GPS to consider if you’re going to be doing a bit of touring.

Callaway GPSy – Best Rangefinder Watch

 

Key Features and Benefits

If you’re trying to play your optimal round, knowing precise measurements to hazards and the hole is essential. This product, which comes from the iconic brand Callaway Golf, is a great rangefinder watch for just about any player. In fact, during tests, this product has performed almost as well as a laser rangefinder, which means that the accuracy is great. The product also has features like an odometer, a scorekeeper, and it comes equipped with both analog and digital time.

 

Finding accurate ranges is essential, and this Callaway product provides good rangefinder functionality. In addition to that, it also feels great on the wrist and has a very easy to read display.

Garmin Approach S6 – Best Golf Distance Finder Watch

 

Key Features and Benefits

This is another GPS watch in the Garmin Approach line of products, and this one, like the S60, has a full-color display. This product also has a smaller screen that still manages to pack in a lot of course data. When it comes to aesthetics, this watch has a unique and stylish design, and the functionality includes touch operation and more than a few notifications. The screen stands out for this product because it has a very high resolution for the size and has some great color contrast.

 

If you don’t mind the somewhat disruptive notifications, this auto-tracking GPS watch can help bring your game up to speed.

TomTom Golfer – Best Cheap Golf GPS Watch

 

Key Features and Benefits

If you’re not looking to spend a lot of cash, this product from TomTom may be the best budget golf GPS in our guide. While it may not be the least expensive, you get a lot of functionality for the price, which helps provide value. The product has automatic detection of your shots and will record them as well. Additionally, if you’re a golf course touring enthusiasts, this TomTom product comes equipped with 40,000 preloaded courses. The product even has a scorecard setting, which means that you can leave a pencil and your paper scorecards in your bag.

 

Having an automatic scorecard feature really brings this GPS to the next level, and it’s also very budget-friendly.

GolfBuddy GB9 WTX – Best Ladies GPS Golf Watch

 

Key Features and Benefits

In many situations, most golf watches can be used by both sexes, but that doesn’t mean that they all look attractive on a lady’s wrist. This product, from Golf Buddy, is specifically designed as a ladies golf watch, and as a result, it looks great. Not only does it have a fresh aesthetic design that many women will enjoy, but it also has some great features. It can be used at an underwater depth of 10 meters, it has a lightweight construction, and it even displays the distance to hazards on the course.

 

While it’s somewhat light on features, this is a good GPS watch for ladies that are beginning to get into golf.

 

Hole 19(plus) – Best Golf GPS App for Apple Watch/Android Wear

Key Features and Benefits

Standard smartwatches with golf GPS apps are becoming very popular, and as a result, some of the apps that are coming out like 18Birdies and Golf GameBook are excelling. With that said, for our money, if you’re looking for a great, well-rounded golf app, Hole 19+ is your best bet. This app has social features, is compatible with both iOS and android wear golf GPS smartwatches, and is free.

This application also is very versatile and even incorporates flyover views and distance displays. You can even log the number of putts until the hole. This app is even the darling of several Apple Watch Golf GPS review articles.

 

If you own an Android or iOS smartwatch, this is a great app to take with you to the course.

You probably have a few questions about this type of product, which is why we are going to provide you with a relatively in-depth FAQ about GPS watches.

In our opinion, the best golf GPS watch to buy out of the products we covered is the Garmin Approach S20. This particular product incorporates a range of features that are very competitive and fairly easy to use. Not only does the watch have the features for golfers of any skill level, but the screen is very clear even on sunny days. As a result, this is a product that we recommend for just about any golfer.

While this product stands out, we also suggest just about any of the products that we reviewed in this guide; they all have great features and should be considered. Take a look at each of our reviews so that you can have a good idea what watch could work best for your game.

 

If this article was not enough, we recommend and invite you to read about the best golf GPS watch under $200.