Golf watches share a specific purpose – to improve your golf game! Picking the right golf watch can be overwhelming though and that’s why we put together this extensive golf watch buying guide.
Eliminate the confusion and select the best golf watch that suits your golf game! Below you’ll find our three top Golf Watch selections based on reviews, use cases, and affordability.
Golf Watch Buying Guide
Eliminate the confusion and select the best golf watch that suits your golf game! Below you’ll find our three top Golf Watch selections based on reviews, use cases, and affordability. Keep reading for our golf watch buying guide.
When reviewing the golf watches below, we place an emphasis on functionality within a reasonable price range, superior customer feedback, and ease of use. Want to know what you should be looking for in a golf watch? Keep let’s get started!
What is a golf GPS watch?
A golf GPS watch has tons of features like: precise yardage markers, player position on the course (for example if another golfer takes a shot), scores, club selection, digital scorecard, smart notifications for calls/messages, odometer to track how far shots are over time (great for practicing various shots around the green), etc.
It’s basically your all-in-one tool to help improve your game! How much does it cost? Prices usually fall between $150-500 depending on what features you’re looking for.
Is this easy to use? Some it really depends on the golfer and which golf watch they prefer, but we would recommend reading more reviews on Amazon or elsewhere before making a final purchase decision.
If you’re unsure about what features to prioritize, you can always check out our Top 3 list below. If you’d like to know the difference between standard golf watches and GPS golf watches, please read this article .
Top Golf Watch #1 – Garmin Approach S60 Golf GPS Watch
Garmin has been making high-end golf watches for quite some time now and the Garmin Approach S60 is no exception. If you have a little more money to spend or are looking for something with great durability , this is the golf watch for you.
Offering accurate information, ease of use, and solid durability, users can’t go wrong by choosing this as their next golf watch.
Top Golf Watch #2 – Garmin Approach S20 GPS Sport Watch
Garmin’s Approach S20 is our choice for the best golf watch under $100. It offers great durability, accuracy, and it’s simple to use!
The user-friendly design allows you to quickly change modes (SCAN, GOLF, or ENDURO) in order to view critical information at a glance. If you’re looking for something that won’t break the bank but also will provide all of the necessary info when out on the course… this is your go-to golf watch!
Now that you know our top picks for this buying guide , let’s get into the nitty gritty details about each item. We’ll start with what we believe to be the best overall golf watch in Garmin’s Approach S60.
We’ll look at why we like it followed by some additional information about how it works, accessories, and more. We’ll finish with our budget pick (the Approach S20) and highlight a few reasons why we chose this as an addition to this buying guide!
Top Golf Watch #3 – Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS Watch
The Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS Watch is our top pick because it offers affordability, great customer feedback, ease of use, and versatility.
If you’re not sure which one would best fit your needs, the versatile design allows the user to change between displaying in FORE or Shot Distance mode with just three quick button presses. A battery life of approximately 10 hours adds to the convenience factor in choosing this as our top golf watch for this buying guide.
This golf watch is a great option if you’re short on time and want to quickly grab the most important stats before your round.
So… what do you need a golf watch for?
Golf Watches are designed to provide users with accurate information during their golf game. For example, using bluetooth capabilities, the watch will sync up to your phone which allows you to accurately track things such as distance from your current location all the way back to the tee box.
This is something that can’t be done without a GPS enabled golf watch.
The best golf watch will provide the user with accurate distances to the green and layups/doglegs, offer quick access to scorecard information, and sync up quickly with your phone for easy navigation through features while you’re out on the course.
Let’s get into how each of our top picks work! We’ll start with the Approach S60.
How does Garmin Approach S60 Golf GPS Watch Work?
Designed specifically for use by golfers, this device is built both tough and durable (which is great if you tend to play in more extreme conditions). It includes a high-resolution color display which can be read even in bright sunlight. This allows for number recognition at a glance regardless of location during your round.
The Approach S60 requires no membership fees or downloads to use and is easily paired with your Bluetooth enabled phone to provide you with accurate information on over 40,000 golf courses .
It’s also equipped with a smart-watch capability allowing you access to emails, calendar items, incoming calls, texts, etc. just by syncing it up with your smartphone!
Additional features include things like auto course updates (which are free for the life of the device), layup/dogleg distances, front/center/back of green yardages, shot distance measurement (provides measurements based on how far back you hit your approach shots!), and more! This golf watch is definitely our top pick for this buying guide.
What do customers have to say about the Approach S60?
The beauty of this golf watch is that it isn’t too difficult to use. It’s intuitive enough for someone new to GPS watches and doesn’t come loaded up with a ton of bs features that make it complicated.
Most customers agree that you won’t need to read through the manual (in order to figure out how things work) before you take it out on the course .
Most also agree that battery life was good (some mentioned even better than average results)… but if you’re playing an 18-hole round, we recommend either taking along your charger or bringing some extra batteries along just in case!
Our Approach S60 Conclusion:
If you’re looking for a top golf watch at a good price, the Garmin Approach S60 is definitely a great option. It’s fairly easy to use once you get familiar with it and the customer feedback regarding the battery life has been good overall.
We particularly like that it can be worn as a regular watch when not golfing!
Next up in our golf watch buying guide is the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 GPS+Rangefinder Watch . Quickly access front, center and back of green yardage by using the “layup” feature – this allows you to scroll through layup/dogleg distances while taking your shot until you’re at your closest distance (quickly) to the hole.
This takes all of the guesswork out of figuring out how far away you are from landing on the green during your approach.
The Bushnell Neo Ion is a golf watch that’s very easy to use – just turn it on, put it in the “find” mode and you’ll have quickly found your location within a few seconds.
We especially like this golf watch for its durability and ruggedness , taking it with you out onto the course won’t be a problem at all.
The display is also designed with an anti-glare feature so regardless of the time of day or whether or not you’re playing under natural sunlight or artificial light, you should always be able to read things regardless of lighting conditions outdoors!
What do customers have to say about the Bushnell Neo Ion 2?
Customers really appreciate how responsive this golf watch is to satellite signal acquisition . In fact, many mentioned that this golf watch acquires a GPS signal faster than their smartphone! Even those who don’t use this golf watch as a rangefinder (rather simply as a GPS device) thought the accuracy was very good.
Of course, it’s also important to note here that you’ll need to actually have a clear view of the sky in order for your Bushnell Neo Ion 2 to work properly – which may be slightly more difficult out on the course itself depending where you’re playing from/to. If you can achieve a solid sight line though, this golf watch will work well .
The next up in our Golf Watch Buying Guide is from Garmin and it’s called the Approach S20 Golf Watch.
Garmin Approach S20 Golf Watch
A golf watch that’s great for beginners, this is actually one of Garmin’s most affordable GPS watches. It’ll provide you with front/center/back of the green yardage as well as layup/dogleg distances just like the more expensive options on our list. This is a great golf watch to start out with – you can’t beat it!
Another great thing about this Garmin Approach is that it’s super easy to use.
It has a very clean display so what you see is what you get . We also like this golf watch because it even includes a digital scorecard function where all you have to do off the course is enter in your score and not only will a complete scorecard be created, but it’ll save it for you to download and keep forever!
The Garmin Approach S20 is also designed with an external push button that’ll allow you to mark your current position on the course (while taking a shot) – which can be especially helpful if you’re introducing new players onto the course (or want to make sure they don’t get lost).
Lastly, like most of the other golf watches in this buying guide, the battery life here was also good overall . Some mentioned results of 10 hours or more while playing 18 holes.
What should I look for in a golf watch?
A really good golf watch with GPS will tell you how far away you have until the front of the green, the back, where the flag is, and the shape of the hole.
Other factors to consider when shopping for a golf watch are:
- Water resistance – whether or not it can withstand water and stay intact is a good thing to check before buying if you’re going to be playing in the rain/dew/snow, etc.
- Set up – is this easy to do? Some of the watches have too many steps and once you get through them all there’s no guarantee that it will work properly or be accurate. In some cases, if setting up the gps options seems too difficult, wait until another golfer comes along who can help you set it up (or look online for instructions). Battery
- Battery Life – how long will it last? How many rounds before needing to charge again? Expect an average of 12 hours (less if you’re using features like live scoring). Size – depending on your wrist size, some watches are bigger than others. If the watch is too bulky then try another one.
- Compatibility with smart phone apps – check whether or not you can download any golfing apps that work in conjunction with the watch. This is a great feature since you can upload your scores from the golf course and keep track of them over time on your smartphone app! What’s also nice about this is that some apps offer free score tracking while others may require a subscription fee.
- Price point – does the product fulfill what it promises to do ? Not necessary the cheapest but it shouldn’t be too expensive either. The golf watch you choose should do what it says, preferably with good customer support to back up the product if you run into any issues.
- Style – does this go with your style? Are you looking for something that’s sporty? Fashionable? High-tech? There are many different styles out there so find one that meets your needs and preferences!
- Budget – how much money are you willing to spend on your new golf watch ? Some range between $100-200 while others may go as high as $500 or more (e.g., Garmin Approach S6). Again, this really depends on your preference so think about what features you want vs. don’t want and what you think your spending limit should be.
What should I NOT expect from golf watches?
A very expensive golf watch with all features will not improve your golf game. A expensive golf watch with a lot of sounds and lights will just look good on your wrist.
The best golf watch is the one that gives you what you need to play the game better or more importantly, make it easier for you to enjoy playing the game whether you’re a beginner golfer…or a newbie who’s looking forward to improving their handicap .
And if it also happens to be an attractive timepiece that looks good with whatever outfit you choose then you shouldn’t be surprised if some people ask about it either! It’ll definitely spark conversation which can always lead to a fun social event as well as help others get interested in a new hobby – like golfing!
So, what’s the best golf watch for YOU?
The Bushnell Neo Ion 2, Garmin Approach S20 , and Garmin Approach S60 are very accurate. We liked that they show front, center and back of green yardage as well as layup/dogleg distances.
The side buttons allowed you to mark my current location on the course (while taking a shot) which can be helpful if you’re introducing new players onto the course or want to make sure they don’t get lost.
They are also easy enough to use, lightweight and comfortable – a tough combo not many golf watches offer.
