Best Golf GPS Watches in 2024

If you are not a rangefinder person but still like to have an idea of how far you are from the green, a golf GPS watch is a great idea.

The best golf GPS watches tend to be an excellent fit for golfers that already wear a watch or need it somewhere else in their lives.

For instance, if you are active in fitness and do a lot of outdoor activities, these GPS watches can offer quite a bit of value.

As a PGA Professional, one of the things I like best about the GPS watch is that it never needs to come off. You won’t need to worry about remembering to bring your GPS; it can stay with you on and off the golf course.

Best Golf GPS Watch: Garmin Approach S40

The best golf GPS watch on the market is the Garmin Approach S40. As you will soon see, there are lots of great Garmin watches on the market. We find that the S40 is the perfect combination of value and functionality. 

The Garmin Approach S40 is a nice-looking watch with a 2” color touchscreen display. If the band on your watch starts to get a bit worn out, you can easily replace it with one of the quick release bands in a variety of styles and colors. 

One of the best benefits of these best golf GPS watches is that they will last for up to fifteen hours in the GPS mode. If you are simply wearing your watch as a smartwatch, you won’t have to charge for about ten days. 

Many people like the S40 because the watch is very nice looking and it works both on and off the golf course. The Green View on the Garmin S40 allows you to get a good view of the hole and plan your attack. 

Runner Up 1: Golf Buddy Aim W10 GPS Watch

The Golf Buddy is a good alternative to the Garmin name. Although you may not get the same premium performance, the Golf Buddy gives you quite a bit to work with for a very fair price.

The Golf Buddy Aim W10 is a golf GPS watch with a full color LCD display and a touch screen. 

One of the more unique features of this watch is the green undulation data. You can get a very good idea of the slot of the green from the golf watch. When playing a new golf course, this is something that will undoubtedly come in handy. 

The Golf Buddy W10 comes preloaded with 40,000 courses spread out over 170 countries. The watch updates itself automatically, and it will move from one hole to the next without you having to do anything. 

Having the color view of the course makes this one of the best golf GPS watches on the market. The Golf Buddy comes with an app for your smartphone that lets you keep all of your stats in place. 

Runner Up 2: SkyCaddie LX5 GPS Golf Watch

SkyCaddie was one of the first names in the handheld golf GPS world. Their products have continued to evolve through the years, and they now offer one of the best golf GPS watches on the market. 

When you purchase a SkyCaddie watch, you will get a three year subscription to over 35,000 golf courses located around the world. The information that the Sky Caddie Golf GPS Watch can give you includes graphics and a color touchscreen display. 

These golf watches really allow you to get a good view of the hole you are about to play. The IntelliGreen feature lets you see the entire shape of the green and rotate it so that you can see any major slopes or hills that could affect your shot. 

Although this is primarily a golf watch, you can still track your heart rate and your steps while the SkyCaddie is on your wrist.

If you want a golf GPS watch that was created by one of the leaders in the industry, the Sky Caddies is a great choice. 

TecTecTec ULT-G Golf GPS Watch

Best Value Golf GPS Watch

As you have probably already noticed, the best golf GPS watches on the market can get quite expensive. If you want to add this helpful technology to your game but afraid of the costs that it will add, then the TecTecTec ULT is a great choice. 

We love this option for those that don’t necessarily want to wear a watch all the time. If you think you will pull your watch out once in a while for a round of golf, then this is a great choice.

Those who want a fitness tracker, sleep aide, and personal caddie will need to look elsewhere for a watch. 

The TecTecTec is durable and long lasting. It comes with 38,000 courses that are preloaded.

The information you get will be very cut and dry, but it is truly all you need to be able to hit the shots that you need to. You will get 2.5 rounds of golf out of this golf watch before having to stop to recharge it. 

Garmin Approach S62

Best Premium Golf GPS Watch

The Garmin Approach S62 is truly one of the best golf GPS watches that the game has ever seen. Of course, the added technology and features from this Garmin Approach S62 are going to add to the cost that you pay for the watch. 

The screen on the Approach S62 is large, colorful, and it is a touchscreen. The screen is almost 20 % larger than the previous S60 models.

With over 41,000 full color golf courses preloaded into the watch, you won’t have to worry about updating and loading courses into the Garmin Approach S62. 

One of the features that really make this S62 stand out is the virtual caddie functionality. With the virtual caddie, the GPS watch is going to start to learn your yardages. As you continue to play, the watch will start suggesting which club you should be hitting. 

The watch takes into consideration the wind, the distance to the center, and your typical ball flights to give you this club recommendation. For those that struggle with golf course management, the S62 could make a big impact in your game. 

Garmin Approach S10

Best Lightweight Golf GPS Watch

Some golfers, myself included, have a hard time wearing anything on their wrist while they play. It may be a physical thing, and it very well could be a mental thing, but the watch tends to throw off the game just a bit when it is on my wrist.

However, finding a lightweight option like this Garmin Approach S10 has made things much easier to deal with. 

As you will notice, the S10 is a very sleek-looking and clean golf GPS watch. You will have no trouble seeing your yardages even when playing golf in the direct sunlight.

The Garmin Approach S10 comes with 41,000 preloaded golf courses, so it is ready to go the day you get it. 

While you are playing, you will also be able to keep your score on your S10 watch. The watch won’t do it automatically, but it is easy to input your rounds and keep everything loaded in the Garmin express app. 

In the golf GPS mode, you can get about 12 hours of play in, and at the end, you will have a way to look at all of your stats and how they faired throughout your round.

This is a watch that is quite affordable and offers plenty of performance for the price. 

Shot Scope G3

Best Golf GPS Watch for Beginner

As a new golfer, some of these GPS devices may seem to offer a bit too much information. This can absolutely be the case.

Sometimes a new player does not need to have so much information about the hole, the hazard view, and shot tracking. Certainly, just a yardage to the center can be a good thing. 

The Shot Scope is an excellent choice because it allows you the option to simply get a number on the GPS watch or get some detailed information about the hazard distances if you need them.

The Shot Scope also allows you to measure the last shot that you hit. This helps to make sure that you are truly working to improve your game. 

The Shot Scope is very easy to navigate and comes preloaded with close to 40,000 courses. Certainly, you can get the information you need from this watch. It comes as a very fair price for being such a high performing golf watch. 

Golf GPS Watch Buying Guide

Garmin certainly leads the way when it comes to the golf GPS watches; however, they are certainly not the only name on the market.

When looking at golf watches, there are certain factors that you need to take into consideration. 

Is A Golf GPS Watch Better Than A Rangefinder? 

The two main choices that golfers will have are the golf watch and the golf rangefinder. The rangefinder gives you a simple distance to the pin. You won’t have to guess where the pin is located and if it is in the front, middle or back. 

The downside to the rangefinder is that it will not give you a view of the hole you are playing. When playing a new golf course, it is hard to know what is around the corner. You may have a sand trap or a water hazard waiting for you. 

For golfers that enjoy technology and play lots of courses, the GPS tends to make more sense. When golfers play the same course over and over again, the rangefinder is certainly a better choice. 

Try to determine how you like to play, and one of the two options will shine as a better choice for your golf game. 

Is A Golf GPS Watch Better Than A Handheld GPS? 

A golf watch is, in our opinion, better than a handheld GPS. There are a few important reasons behind this. 

First, when you spend money on a golf GPS watch, you can also use it for a fitness tracker and to tell the time. The watch will serve multiple purposes, making it easier for you to make the financial investment into purchasing the golf GPS watch. 

Golf GPS watches are also much easier to keep track of. Since the watch is on your wrist, you won’t have to worry about leaving it in the cart or forgetting it with your wedge on the previous hole. 

Last, we tend to find that the golf GPS watch is something players will be more likely to use. Since it is on your wrist and the information is right there, most players look at it as they are grabbing a club from their bag. The handheld GPS does not always seem as convenient. 

Are Golf GPS Watches Accurate? 

Most of the golf GPS watches on the market are going to have about the same level of accuracy.

Some take a few more minutes to calibrate than others, but they will help you get very accurate distances to the front, middle, and back of the green that you are shooting for. 

Remember that the GPS watch is not going to give you a number directly to the pin. This, of course, will impact the overall accuracy of the watch. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel a bit better about the best golf GPS watch choices on the market. You can get easily overwhelmed by the number of choices on the market, but the Garmin Approach S40 is the best overall choice.

The Garmin Approach S40 will give the distance to the front middle, and back of the green, but it gives so much more than this.

With a clear view of the hole and an interactive touch screen, this is one of the best golf GPS watches that Garmin has ever put out.