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It’s been well over a decade since we first started seeing Global Positioning Systems on golf carts. Now, GPS on carts is probably more valuable for fleet and course management, which is why the introduction of GPS watches.
Golf GPS watches originated in the market a few years ago. They are useful and innovative technology which helps locate distance in combination with convenience, functionality and style. Along with time, these watches identify the course automatically, providing you details of the distance measurement of the back, front and center of the greens. So, read on to find out about the best golf GPS watch available?
Best Golf GPS Watch – Incase you’re in a rush!
| Reason To Buy | Name | Where To Buy? |
|---|---|---|
| Top of the line | Garmin Approach S6 GPS Golf Watch (Orange/Black) | Buy on Amazon |
| Best Buy | Bushnell NEO XS Golf GPS Rangefinder Watch, Charcoal/Orange | Buy on Amazon |
| Awesome features | GolfBuddy GB9-WT4 Golf GPS Watch, 2.07 x 1.71 x 0.59-Inch, Silver/Black/Red | Buy on Amazon |
| Value for Money | Garmin 010-03723-01 Approach S20, GPS Golf Watch with Step Tracking, Preloaded Courses, Black | Buy on Amazon |
| Super Accuracy | Garmin Approach S4 GPS Golf Watch – Black | Buy on Amazon |
Best Golf GPS Watch – Reviews
1. Garmin Approach S6
- HI-RES COLOR TOUCHSCREEN – High-resolution, sunlight readable, glove-friendly, color resistive touchscreen display
- SWINGSTRENGTH – Calculates how hard you swing your golf clubs so you can train yourself to swing more consistently
- SWINGTEMPO – Calculates the relationship between upswing and downswing and expresses it as a ratio. Battery life up to 20 weeks (watch mode); up to 10 hours (GPS mode)
- PINPOINTER – Provides blind shot assistance by pointing you in the right direction when you are unable to see the pin
Garmins new S6 brings forth the advancement in technology with an aim to provide something new and different. The sleek design maintain performance, quality and color of the display. It is one of the most compact devices available in the market. There are two new buttons which allow easy navigation.
This is the lightest and smallest GPS device available in the market. The battery life is really very huge by any standards with a 15 hours plus. It has an awesome screen which is very clear in sunlight and shadow. The touchscreen is good and you will definitely not have a problem pinpointing what you need.
The build of this device is almost awesome and the will not interfere with your swing if that is what you think so. Overall this is the top of the line device which combines all the features of Garmin S Series and is best in its class. The price is very steep when compared to others in the market. If you can afford it and want the extra features then this one that you may want to opt for
2. NEO XS Bushnell
- Ready to play right out of the box; no membership or download fees
- Pre-loaded with 33,000+ courses in over 30 countries; Auto Course Recognition and Auto Hole Advance
- Easy-to-read front/center/back distances; hazard/layup distances (up to 4 per hole)
- Long battery life provides over 3 rounds of golf between charges or 2-year battery life when used in watch mode
NEO XS Bushnell is the new iteration beginner level golf GPS watch. Bushnell comes with a significant improvement compared to the previous generation watch. The addition of two hazards is the most important advancement in the GPS market. In terms of design too, NEO XSs sleek appearance easily beats any competition in the market.
The Bushnell NEO XS has the auto advance feature that automatically moves to the new hole while playing. Using the up and down buttons one can easily manually change the holes. One of the drawbacks is that the auto advance feature cannot be disabled. The NEO XS allows you to measure distance of each shot without an option of saving the details.
It has an awesome tee time feature that automatically starts searching for satellites 7 minutes earlier than the tee time. Your GPS watch is always ready and you dont need to manually operate the button. It also has an odometer that measures the speed, the elapsed time and the distance moved.
Along with being waterproof the NEO XS comes with traditional features of a watch, including a stopwatch, an alarm and a countdown timer. The NEO XS gives you many options to adjust the settings. Using the Golf menu, you may can measure the distance in meters or yards, and time length from the middle or start of the round, the shut time of the watch (1.5hrs to 9hrs).
The watch is priced reasonably and has a strong course coverage. Although the watch does not store statistics and scoring of your game, it is definitely offers great value for money making it one of the best golf gps watch in the market
3. Golf Buddy WT4 GPS Watch
- Slim design with digital and analog watch feature
- Full targets and hazards information
- Dynamic Green View
- No Membership or Download Fees
Golf Buddy is a trusted innovator and leader in the manufacturing of golf GPS devices. WT4 GPS Watch is one of the best gps watch designed for on and off course games. This sleek and compact GPS watch is only kind of its nature available in the market. It is easy to use and requires no downloads. All the target information is already available as it comes preloaded with 37000+ courses.
The watch has a slim and elegant design with analog/digital watch features. It contains information of all Hazards, full target and comes with a dynamic green view that has the pin placement option. The settings can help keep your digital scorecards along with an option of automatic hole and course recognition.
The device is really a smart one as it can easily measure the shot distance to center / back / front of the green. The device is very accurate and has an awesome battery life of around 8.5 hours.
There have been few instances where the watch is unable to pick up a course and the watch ultimately freezes and gets resolved with a manual restart.
Considering the price it makes a very good purchase for anyone looking for a good golf gps watch
4. Garmin Approach S20
- Autoshot round analyzer measures shot distances with auto recording for post round analysis on your Garmin Connect account
- Stylish comfort: Fully hinged, sleek watchband design with comfortable fit. Display resolution: 128 x 128 pixels. Smartphone compatibility – iPhone, Android
- Truswing compatible: When paired, Garmin TruSwing golf swing sensor provides metrics to improve your swing consistency. Display size: 0.9 x 0.9 (inches)
- Activity tracking: Reminds you to stay active on or off the course with move bar alerts. Displays steps, calories burned, distance and time of day, plus it monitors hours of sleep
Garmin is another popular brand when it comes to golf technologies. With Approach S20, it combines the GPS technology with its watching making experience to bring forth a device that has significantly improved the playing experience of a golfer. This is the first device of the S series. The most important advantage of S20 is the convenience it brings.
It covers the basic distance of 3 views- far, middle, and near, it is easy to use and navigate. The depress buttons and sleek design is a great feature. This watch allows you to easily track and measure the shot distances. Comes with a sunlight built in screen that ensures that you will see all the numbers easily in the day. It comes pre loaded with 14000 courses. Being an older model there are no hazard images and the battery is not as powerful as compared to other devices in the market.
The device is made from solid plastic and has a great overall fee to it. There is no yearly subscription charges, thereby what you see is what you pay for. If you’re going for a basic model, this gps watch for golf is good bet
5. Garmin Approach S4
- Hi-res touchscreen High-resolution, sunlight readable, glove-friendly touchscreen display
- Green view button Dedicated button shows true shape and layout of the green by one simple push, and then you can manually move pin to day’s location
- Smart notification Receive email, texts and alerts
- Extended battery life Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 10 hours in GPS mode and 6 weeks in watch mode
Garmin continues to surprise the world with its golf series. The range has been extended with better performance and watch features. Approach S4 comes with an improved battery life, dedicated views, and additional statistics. The hazard feature again is not included, however distance measurements are provided along doglegs and layups.
This unit comes with a 10 hours+ battery life unlike the S1 and offers above 38,000 courses of the world. The updates that will receive on the courses are free for life. Hands down, this is the most accurate device that you will find in the golf gps watch market. The watch will automatically advance to the next hole and show you the score counter. Comes with an additional stat tracking which may be enabled and manually entered after every hole.
Sunlight enabled means that you can easily view your data while you are playing in the sun. If you like gadgets an can afford it – it is fun, functional and offers all that you need from a golf GPS device.