When you are wanting to upgrade your golf game, you may want to consider upgrading the amount of information you have on each shot before buying a new driver or wedge. Comparing older Garmin watches? See Garmin Approach S10 vs S20 vs S40 vs S60. Having charging trouble with a Bushnell watch? See iON Elite and iON2 not charging.
Upgrading your golfing game isn’t just spending hours at the range or on the course. Consider this, if you were able increase the quality of information you have on each course, hole, and shot – you are going to see a gradual decrease in your scores.
Think about it, the best golfers are not looking at the sprinkler head and guessing they are about an 8 iron from the green. They walk everything off, consider the elevation changes and know the exact yardage and how to this the correct shot.
Golf watches and movement-tracking devices are now, more than ever, an affordable option for everyone to improve their information and their game.
Most watches come loaded with thousands of courses and are ready to go, right out of the box. Below is a list of golf GPS watches, summarised from the makers' published specifications. We have not tested these products ourselves.
Featured Pick
Garmin Approach S40, Stylish GPS Golf Smartwatch, Lightweight with Touchscreen Display, Black
The Garmin Approach S40 is a lightweight (43 grams) golf GPS watch.
The S40 features a 1.2 inch (240×240 pixels) color touchscreen display made of chemically strengthened glass.
Garmin lists up to 15 hours of battery life in GPS mode.
This watch is also compatible with Garmin’s Approach CT10 automatic club tracking system.
Features
- Works as an everyday watch
- AutoShot Swing Tracking Technology
- Pre-loaded with over 41,000 courses
Golf GPS Watch Comparison
GolfBuddy Aim W10
The Aim W10 is GolfBuddy’s most advanced smart golf GPS watch with a full-color touch screen display, green undulation and slope-adjusted distance readings.
Along with a 10-hour battery life in Golf Mode, convenient digital scorecard, and zoom in/out functions around the green.
GOLFBUDDY Aim W10 GPS Watch, Advanced Smart Golf Watch, Full-Color Touch Screen, 40
The Golfbuddy aim W10 is a budget golf GPS watch with a full-color touch screen display, green undulation and slope-adjusted distances.
GolfBuddy lists a 10-hour battery life in GOLF MODE.
This watch also features a digital scorecard, zoom in/out function around the green and a built-in pedometer.
Pros
- Budget friendly
- Full-color touch screen
- Digital scorecard
Cons
- Must be connected to your phone
- Only compatible with the basic GolfBuddy app
Garmin Approach S60
The Approach S60 golf watch shows round information on a 1.2-inch sunlight readable color touchscreen, with Quick Fit bands that change without tools.
Garmin Approach S60, Premium GPS Golf Watch with Touchscreen Display and Full Color CourseView
The Garmin Approach S60 has a 1.2-inch 240 x 240 color screen and comes with over 40,000 courses, with information like yardages to greens, hazards and doglegs.
The Approach S60 will also track the location and distance of each shot. Other features of the watch like it’s PlaysLike feature allows the S60 to track elevation changes between the player and target and factor it in when calculating the distance.
There’s also SwingTempo and TempoTraining features that can help you improve your swing. The Approach S60 works with the Garmin Connect and Garmin Golf apps, syncing your data and letting you compete with friends and family.
Along with these features, this watch also works as a general activity tracker – tracking steps, calories burned, distance and sleep. It can alert you when you haven’t moved enough.
Garmin rates the watch at 5 ATM water resistance and lists battery life of up to 10 hours in GPS mode.
Pros
- 1.2-inch color touchscreen
- PlaysLike elevation-adjusted distances
- SwingTempo and TempoTraining features
Cons
- Battery life of up to 10 hours in GPS mode
Garmin Approach S20
The Approach S20 is a lightweight, versatile GPS watch that features more than 40,000 courses plus automatic map updates, daily activity tracking and smart notifications to connect with your healthy lifestyle.
On the course, it shows distances to the front, back and middle of the green, as well as hazards.
Garmin AutoShot round analyzer measures your shot distances and auto-records them for review on your Garmin Connect account.
Garmin 010-03723-01 Approach S20, GPS Golf Watch with Step Tracking, Preloaded Courses, Black
The Garmin Approach S20 watch lists a 15-hour battery life in GPS mode, a course database, GPS shot tracking (hazard information), green details, AutoShot tracking for Tee and fairway shots, activity tracking, a digital scorecard and can sync with your smartphone for notifications.
It does not include a few of the extra features some golfers look for, such as a built-in heart-rate sensor.
Pros
- Stat tracking software
- 15-hour battery life in GPS mode
- AutoShot tracking
Cons
- Basic black and white display
Garmin Approach S40
The Garmin Approach S40 is a lightweight (43 grams) golf GPS watch.
The S40 features a 1.2 inch (240×240 pixels) color touchscreen display made of chemically strengthened glass.
Garmin lists up to 15 hours of battery life in GPS mode.
This watch is also compatible with Garmin’s Approach CT10 automatic club tracking system.
Garmin Approach S40, Stylish GPS Golf Smartwatch, Lightweight with Touchscreen Display, Black
This watch comes pre-loaded with 41,000 courses from around the world.
The Garmin Approach S40 has features such as:
- AutoShot Detection: The Approach S40 detects when you hit a ball and starts tracking from that spot. When you get to your ball the watch will diplay your distances to the green – along with how far you hit your tee shot.
- Green View: When you are hitting an approach shot or a shot on a par 3, the Garmin Approach S40 will show you the distances to the front, center, and back of the green. You can zoom into the green and move the pin around on the watch to adjust the yardage to the pin.
- Distances to Hazards: When you are on a hole that has hazards in play, simply press the down arrow on the watch to get distances to all hazards on the course.
- Live Scoring: The Garmin Approach S40 features a live scorecard that will keep track of how far over or under par you are.
- Pedometer: When you connect to Garmin’s Fitness app – you get more features such as a pedometer, heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and more!
- Text, Call & Email Updates: The Approach S40 can connect to your phone and display any texts, phone call notifications, or email updates that come to your phone.
Pros
- AutoShot Swing Tracking Technology
- Pre-loaded with over 41,000 courses
- Touch Sensitive User Interface
Cons
- Priced above entry-level golf watches
Bushnell Neo Ion 2
The Bushnell Neo Ion 2 is a Bluetooth-capable GPS golf watch. With Bluetooth connectivity it is beneficial for any golfer.
With the Bushnell App on your smartphone, you can track shots and distances. Through the app, you can choose from more than 36,000 pre-loaded golf courses located from 30 countries.
Bushnell 368850 iON2 Golf GPS Watch, Black/Blue
The Bushnell iON2 GPS Watch features golf tracking on your wrist. It shows distances to the front, center, and back of the greens as well as four hazard distances per hole so you can plan every shot.
This GPS watch is pre-loaded with 36,000 courses and comes equipped with Bluetooth technology for wireless course updates.
There are no fees and no subscriptions with the Bushnell Neo Ion 2.
Pros
- 2 year limited warranty
- Bluetooth course updates
Cons
- Smaller course selection (36,000 courses) than some other watches
Garmin Approach S10
The Garmin S10 is a basic golf GPS watch. The Garmin Golf app is designed to help increase your enjoyment of the game by giving you more information about your distances – to help you play smarter.
Garmin 010-02028-00 Approach S10, Lightweight GPS Golf Watch, Black
The Approach S10 golf watch comes preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide.
The watch provides yardage to the front, back and middle of the green. It can also tell you your distance to hazards and doglegs.
When you finish a hole it transitions to next hole as you walk from one green to the next tee box.
Pros
- 41,000 Preloaded courses
- Sleek and lightweight design
- 12 Hour battery life
Cons
- No Bluetooth capabilities
Frequently Asked Questions About Golf GPS Watches
Can you use GPS in golf competitions?
Yes you can use rangefinder devices for competition play. Devices like laser rangefinders, golf GPS watches, golf GPS devices, even smartphone apps. But there’s a catch. Not all features are 100% legal for tournament play.
Most of the illegal products are products that incorporate slope into their yardage projections. Be sure to look into each product to be sure it has an option to turn the slope off.
Which golf GPS watch should I choose?
The Garmin Approach S40 is a lightweight (43 grams) golf GPS watch.
That depends on the features you want. The S40 has a 1.2-inch color touchscreen and swappable straps, while the Approach S60 adds features such as PlaysLike distances. Compare the specifications above.
Which GPS golf watch has the longest battery life?
Looking for the best golf GPS watch to buy, but not sure which decide has the longest battery? Of the watches listed here, the Garmin Approach S20 and S40 list the longest GPS-mode battery life, at 15 hours while in Golf GPS mode.
Can You Use These Watches for Other Purposes?
Of course, you can, as most golf watches also serve as useful timepieces for exercising and keeping track of your schedule at the office. Golf watches are versatile devices that can be used off the course as well, such as for checking email, making phone calls, monitoring exercise metrics like steps and heart rate, and so on.
Choosing a Golf GPS Watch
If this is your first golf GPS purchase or you are looking to upgrade, be sure to consider a number of variables before purchasing. This page summarises the makers' published specifications to help you compare.
A golf GPS is one of the best golf accessories a golfer can own. Price does not need to be the sole variable you focus on when choosing a GPS watch.
All of these watches will tell you the distance to the green and to hazards, doglegs, etc – it’s the features that you should consider.
Hopefully this buying guide will help you figure out what features you want in your next purchase.
Read more golf blogs such as, how to make your own golf yardage book.
More gear: best golf accessories.