The best golf GPS watch under $200 is the Garmin Approach S20. If you want to read about better golf watches that cost a little bit more, then please read this article: Garmin Approach S60 vs S40. It is the best golf watch under 200 because it is the only one that has a step tracker, sleep monitor and shot and club trackers. It also has a long battery life of 12 hours (or 3 rounds) per charge. Other great golf watches under $200 include the Garmin S10, Garmin X10, Bushnell Neo Ion (best battery life of any watch) and TomTom Golfer 2. Unfortunately, none of these golf gps watches come with a heart rate monitor.
These highly rated golf GPS watches don’t have some of the advanced features that the Garmin Approach S60 and S6 watches or the Garmin Approach G80, G8 and G30 handheld units have but they do come with some great features including accurate distances to the front/center/back of the green, hazard/layup distances, auto course recognition and auto hole advance and some even come with a step tracker, sleep monitor, shot tracker, club tracker and smartphone notifications.
The Bushnell Neo Ion 2 golf GPS watch has the longest battery life of any golf GP watch on the market since it will last up to 16 hours (3+ rounds) on a single charge. It is the best cheap golf GPS watch.
The distances that this watch will give you will be almost as accurate as the distances you can get from the very best affordable golf rangefinders from Nikon and Callaway. However, if you want the most accurate distance readings to the flagstick, then you should read these articles about the best golf rangefinders: Bushnell Pro XE vs Tour V5 Shift, Bushnell Pro X2 vs Tour V4 and Garmin Approach Z80 vs Bushnell Hybrid.
The best rated affordable Garmin golf GPS watch is the Garmin S20. It does not have the long battery life of the Bushnell Neo Ion but it comes with many great features that are not found in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 and Garmin S4 (which has been discontinued) including lists of hazard, layup and dogleg distances, shot detection and tracking, club tracking, pedometer (step tracker), sleep monitor and inactivity alerts.
Also after the round is over, you can upload your statistics to an online statistics tracker called Garmin Connect that will show you the scoring for each hole, shot distances and the clubs used for each shot, where on the hole the ball landed, number of fairways hit, average putts per hole, and average score for all of your rounds. Unfortunately, the Garmin S20 does not have a running app for tracking running data.
–List of Hazard Distances – Displays the distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard, including bunkers (or sand traps) and water hazards, along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes. Hazards are displayed individually or in groups to help you determine the distance to layup or carry. You can use the up or down button to view the other hazards for the current hole.
–List of Layup and Dogleg distances – displays the list of layup and dogleg distances for par 4 and 5 holes. Layup and dogleg distances appear on the left on the screen and the distances required to reach each layup or dogleg appears on the right. Layup distances are given for the 250, 200, 150 and 100 yard markers.
–Automatic Shot Detection and Recording – Each time you take a shot, your location is recorded so it can be viewed later on Garmin Connect (online statistics tracker where you can analyze and share all your rounds with friends). Lie and ball contact may affect shot tracking. Putts cannot be detected and some other shots, especially chip shots around the green, may not be tracked as well.
–Club Tracking – Enables you to track the club used and shot distance
–Garmin Connect displays shot locations for each hole – Online statistics tracker where you can analyze and share all of your rounds with your friends. After you complete a round and save it to your device, you can upload the round to Garmin Connect. You can view more detailed information about your round, including scorecards, statistics, course information, and customizable reports. It will give you hole by hole scoring, shot distances and the clubs used for each shot, where on the hole the ball landed, number of fairways hit, average putts per hole, and average score for all your rounds.
–Activity Tracking – This feature records your daily step count, step goal, distance traveled, and calories burned for each recorded day. The calories burned includes your base metabolism plus activity calories.
–Move bar inactivity alerts – Reminds you to keep moving which is important because sitting for prolonged periods of time can trigger undesirable metabolic state changes. Move bar alert displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it
–Sleep monitoring – monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep
–CourseView feature – automatically updates frequently played courses for free with Garmin Connect Mobile. When you connect your device to your smartphone, the golf courses you use most frequently are updated automatically.
Which golf watch has the best battery life?
The Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS Watch has the best battery life of any golf watch. You will be able to play more than 3 full rounds (and maybe 4) on a single charge. You will get more than 16 hours of battery life.
Table of Contents
- 1 Best Garmin Golf GPS Watch Comparison Chart 2020 (Under $200)
- 2 Best Budget Golf GPS Watches under $150 and $200
- 3 Best Rated Garmin Golf GPS Watch under $200 – Garmin Approach S20 Golf GPS Watch with Step Counter, Scorecard, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking, Hazards, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor, Touchscreen
- 4 Garmin Approach S10 Golf GPS Watch with Hazards, Doglegs, Scorecard; No Step Counter, Heart Rate Monitor, Touchscreen
- 5 Garmin Approach X10 GPS Golf Band with Touchscreen, Hazards, Doglegs, Scorecard; No Step Counter, Heart Rate Monitor
- 6 Golf GPS Watch with Longest Battery Life – Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS Watch (16+ hour Battery Life; more than 3 full rounds on a single charge) – Includes Hazards, Doglegs, Step Counter
- 7 TomTom Golfer 2 Golf GPS Watch with Touchscreen, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Scorecard, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking, Hazards, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor
- 8 Garmin Approach S4 GPS Golf Watch with Touchscreen, Scorecard, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
- 9 Garmin Approach S3 GPS Golf Watch with Touchscreen, Scorecard, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
- 10 SkyCaddie Golf GPS Watch with Scorecard; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
- 11 Bushnell Neo XS Golf Gps Watches with Scorecard, Hazards, Doglegs; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
- 12 GolfBuddy WT5 Golf GPS Watch with Scorecard, Hazards, Doglegs; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
- 13 IZZO Swami Watch Golf GPS with Scorecard, Hazards, Doglegs, Odometer; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
- 14 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Golf GPS Watches
Best Garmin Golf GPS Watch Comparison Chart 2020 (Under $200)
| Features |  Learn more |  Learn more |  Learn more |  Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Points | -List of layup and carry distances to the front and back of all hazards | -List of layup and carry distances to the front and back of all hazards | -List of layup and carry distances to the front and back of all hazards | *Best battery life (16+ hours; play more than 3 rounds of golf on one charge) |
| Weak Points | -Black and White Display | -Black and White Display | -Black and White Display | *Black and White Display |
| Hole View - Displays Current hole number; By default, the device calculates the distance to the back, middle and front of the green (if you know the location of the pin, you can set it more precisely); Par for the hole. The number with the biggest font is the middle distance to the green. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | No | No | No | No |
| Green View - Displays the shape and layout of putting greens. The number in the middle of the green is the distance to the pin location. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Move the pin or flag manually to position it to the days’ location where you see it for even more accurate yardage. Touchscreens enable you to touch the display and drag the pin or flag to the proper location. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Aerial View of Each Hole - Get full-color hole-by-hole details for more than 40,000 courses around the world. Preview doglegs, hazards and green shapes from wherever you are on the course, or even from the clubhouse. | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | Yes | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Viewing Layup and Dogleg Distances - View a list of layup and dogleg distances for par 4 and 5 holes. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hazard Information - Displays the distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes. Hazards that affect shot selection are displayed individually or in groups to help you determine the distance to layup or carry. You can use the up or down button to view the other hazards for the current hole. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PinPointer blindshot assistance - Gives you a directional arrow to the green. Now you can know where to line up your shot, even if you are in the woods or deep in a trap. | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | No | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Save Target Distances - Save customizable yardage points — such as water hazards or bunkers — from anywhere on the course | No | No | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Smartphone Notifications - Displays texts, emails or alerts from your smartphone using Bluetooth technology | Yes | No | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Automatic Shot Tracking - Records shot distances and locations except for putts and chip shots. You can use Garmin Connect to view the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. | Yes | No | No | No |
| Manual Club Tracking - Enter the club used after each shot is taken | Yes | No | No | No |
| Digital Scorecard - Approach S20 golf watch easily keeps track of your score throughout your round. When you’re done, you can save, review and even use the Garmin Connect Mobile fitness app with your smartphone to upload and share that great round with your golfing buddies online. Auto-Scorecard - The TomTom Golfer 2 has an Auto-Scorecard feature that will adjust your score automatically as you play your shots and it will include manually tagged shots. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Handicap Scoring Options | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | Yes | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Step Counter (Pedometer) | Yes | No | No | Yes (only contains a step counter (pedometer)) |
| Sleep Monitor | Yes | No | No | Yes (only contains a step counter (pedometer)) |
| Inactivity Move Bar Alerts | Yes | No | No | Yes (only contains a step counter (pedometer)) |
| Calories Burned Counter | Yes | No | No | Yes (only contains a step counter (pedometer)) |
| Displays distance traveled and time of day, plus it monitors hours of sleep. | Yes | No | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Heart Rate Monitor | No | No | No | No |
| Truswing Compatible - When paired, Garmin TruSwing golf swing sensor provides metrics to improve your swing consistency | Yes | Yes | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Swing Strength - Allows you to compare how hard you swing with your normal full swing. This can be used on the driving range to practice consistency or on the course if you’re preparing to take a little off your shot. | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | No | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Swing Tempo Training - Conveys the ideal 3:1 upswing to downswing times with audible tones to which you can synchronize your swing. Re-synch your tempo on the driving range and even on the tee box. | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | No | No | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shot Distance Calculator - Displays the distance of the last shot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Display Size | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | 1.0" (25.4 mm) diameter | 1" x 0.42" inches | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) |
| Display resolution | 128 x 128 pixels | 128 x 128 pixels | 160 x 68 pixels | |
| Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Product Dimensions (in inches) | 1.47" x 1.87" x 0.44" (37.4 x 47.6 x 11.3 mm) | 1.47" x 1.87" x 0.44" (37.4 x 47.6 x 11.3 mm) | 1.47" x 1.87" x 0.44" (37.4 x 47.6 x 11.3 mm) | 45mm x 45mm x 15mm |
| Weight (in ounces) | 1.5 oz (42.2 g) | 1.5 oz (42.2 g) | 1.12 ounces | 1.8 oz (51 g) |
| Color display | No (Monochrome) | No (Monochrome) | No (Monochrome) | No (Monochrome) |
| Yardage to front, middle and back of green | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto course recognition | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto hole advance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shot distance calculator (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) | No | No | No | No |
| Dedicated Green View button with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit and average shot distance) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Preloaded Golf Course Maps | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses |
| Memory/history | 64 MB | 32 MB | 32 MB | |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water rating | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
| Free Lifetime Course Updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annual Fees Or Subscriptions | None | None | None | None |
| Battery Life | Smart mode: Up to 8 weeks GPS mode: Up to 15 hours | Watch mode: up to 6 weeks GPS mode: up to 10 hours | Up to 11 hours (GPS Mode) | more than 16 hours; play more than 3 full rounds on a single charge |
| Legal For Tournament Play | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Listed below are some of the best rated golf GPS watches under $200. These are the best golf GPS watches for the money for 2019. A few of the best rated golf watches are the Garmin Approach S20, Garmin S4 and Bushnell Neo Ion (best battery life of any watch).
Best Budget Golf GPS Watches under $150 and $200
- Garmin Approach S20
- Garmin Approach S10
- Garmin Approach X10
- Bushnell Neo Ion 2
- GolfBuddy WTX
- Garmin Approach S60
- Apple Watch
- TomTom Golfer 2
- Garmin Approach S4
- Garmin Approach S3
- SkyCaddie
- Bushnell Neo XS
- GolfBuddy WT5
- Izzo Swami
Best Rated Garmin Golf GPS Watch under $200 – Garmin Approach S20 Golf GPS Watch with Step Counter, Scorecard, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking, Hazards, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor, Touchscreen
This is our top choice for best rated Golf GPS Watch. It is affordable and it comes with a lot of great features including activity tracking. The Approach S20 is the golfing partner that doubles as your everyday watch. It features more than 40,000 courses plus Garmin AutoShot round analyzer, activity tracking and smart notifications. It will also show you the distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard, including bunkers (or sand traps) and water hazards, along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes. You can use this information to figure out if you should lay up the ball short of a water hazard or carry the ball a certain number of yards to reach safely past the water hazard.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Stylish Comfort – Fully-hinged, sleek watch band design with comfortable fit. Combines elegant watchband design with high-resolution display and activity tracking • AutoShot – Round analyzer measures and auto-records shot distances for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account • TruSwing Compatible – Provides metrics for improving your swing consistency if the Garmin S20 is used in conjunction with the Garmin TruSwing golf swing sensor (purchased separately) • CourseView feature automatically updates frequently played courses for free • Receive smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • 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 |
• Scorecard and Enhanced Stat Tracking – Scorecard will help you keep track of fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts per round. When scoring is enabled, you are prompted to enter your score when you are on the green. You can adjust the score manually at any time during your round. You will be able to enter the number of strokes and the number of putts taken. You can record if your shot from the tee hit the fairway or missed the fairway to the left or right. Your statistics will be recorded on the scorecard and you will be able to view the scorecard using Garmin Connect. • Ready to play right out of the box; no membership or download fees • Pre-loaded with more than 41,000 courses in over 30 countries • Auto Course Recognition • Auto Hole Advance • Easy-to-read front/center/back distances to the green • hazard/layup distances (up to 4 per hole) • Shot Distance Calculator – Select the Measure Shot menu option, walk to your ball and the distance will be displayed on the watch. The distance will automatically reset when you take another shot. You can select the DOWN option to view your previous shots. • Long battery life provides over 3 rounds of golf between charges or 2-year battery life when used in watch mode • Comes with USB charging/sync cable for easy charge or course updates and quick-start guide; one-year limited warranty |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • Club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • Smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • move bar inactivity alerts help you stay active on or off the course • step counter – includes daily step count and step goal • calories burned • records distance and time of day • monitors hours of sleep • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No running app |
Garmin Approach S10 Golf GPS Watch with Hazards, Doglegs, Scorecard; No Step Counter, Heart Rate Monitor, Touchscreen
The Garmin S10 costs less than the S20 because it does not come with the shot and club tracking and activity tracking features like the S20 and X40 do but it does come with distances for hazards, layups and doglegs. This easy-to-use Garmin S10 golf Watch automatically chooses the course you’re playing from more than 41, 000 preloaded courses worldwide and you get free lifetime updates. It also provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the green as well as hazards and doglegs. Complete a hole, and it automatically transitions to the next hole as you walk from the green to the next tee box. And if you really crush one, you can measure the shot distance by pressing a button and walking to your ball location. For added convenience, keep score right on your Approach S10. At the end of your round, it provides a summary of your round showing total distance played, total time and score. You can also use the S10 as an everyday watch because it also displays the current time and date plus sunrise and sunset times. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 12 hours in GPS mode so you will be able to play a couple of rounds on a single charge. The Approach S10 is water-rated to 5 ATM (50 meters) so you can use it under rainy conditions. You can upload your scorecards for every round to Garmin Express to keep track of your game and scores throughout a season. You can also use the free Garmin Golf app to participate in weekly leaderboards and tournaments.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Simple, easy-to-use golf watch • Sleek, lightweight and comfortable with a high-resolution, Sunlight-readable display • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green -as well as Hazards and doglegs -on more than 41, 000 preloaded courses worldwide • Keep Score on the watch for a summary of your round, total distance played and total time • Upload your scorecards to Garmin Express to keep track of rounds • Rechargeable battery plays up to 12 hours in GPS golf mode |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Garmin Approach X10 GPS Golf Band with Touchscreen, Hazards, Doglegs, Scorecard; No Step Counter, Heart Rate Monitor
The X10 will precise distances to greens and hazards on more than 41,000 preloaded courses worldwide. It has a convenient touchscreen display and is so lightweight and comfortable, you’ll barely know it’s there. The Approach X10 GPS golf band comes ready to go, right out of the box, with more than 41,000 preloaded courses. Plus, new courses and updates are added each year, using Garmin Express. Best of all, these course updates are free — with no setup charges, fees or subscriptions.
Approach X10 is a true go-anywhere golfing partner. Even if you’ve never played the course before, no matter where your last shot takes you, it knows where you are — and how far you are from the pin. Its high-sensitivity GPS receiver gives you the distance data you need to fire away with confidence. Plus, the crisp touchscreen display accurately shows distances to the front, back and middle of the green — even when you’re under tree cover.
The Green View display with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. When you’re ready to take dead aim on the stick, Green View display shows you the true shape and layout of the green, even if you’re behind it. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Simple, intuitive Device that’s all about golf • Lightweight and comfortable with easy-to-read touchscreen display • Preloaded with more than 41,000 courses worldwide • Battery life: up to 12 hours in GPS mode • Know the course with distances to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as Hazards and doglegs • Green view with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and Layout of the Green • Small/Medium: 5.2”-7.7” (132-195 mm) circumference. Large: 6.4″-8.9″ (162-225 mm) circumference |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Touchscreen • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No heart rate monitor • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Golf GPS Watch with Longest Battery Life – Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS Watch (16+ hour Battery Life; more than 3 full rounds on a single charge) – Includes Hazards, Doglegs, Step Counter
Bushnell Neo Ion 2Learn MoreThe Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS Watch has the best battery life of any golf watch. You will be able to play more than 3 full rounds (and maybe 4) on a single charge. You will get more than 16 hours of battery life. This watch will also give you accurate distances to the front, back and center of the green and comes with pre-loaded hazard distances as well. The wristband is really soft and flexible which will make this watch really comfortable to wear. It also has an attractive sleek design. Unfortunately, it has no stat tracking feature and it only has one activity tracking feature (step counter). It will not tell you anything about the amount of calories you burned or monitor your sleep patterns like the Garmin Approach S20 does.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Pre-loaded with 35,000+ courses in more than 30 countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Mauritius, Spain, Morocco, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Canada, Puerto-Rico, Mexico, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Thailand & New Zealand) • No downloads and no membership fees ever • Thin, lightweight with simple to use operation • 5-language settings (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian) • Available in three different colors • Scratch-resistant mineral crystal lens • Standard watch features : Odometer, integrated step counter (Pedometer), Stopwatch, Alarm, Timer • Long battery life – Over 16 hours of battery life (play more than three full rounds on a single charge or 2-year battery life when used in watch mode) • Comfortable dual injected silicone sports band • Easy-to-read front, back and center distances to the green • Pre-loaded Hazard (bunkers and water hazards) or layup distances (up to 4 per hole) • Shot distance calculator • Auto Course Recognition • Auto Hole Advance |
• Tee Time Start – feature that allows you to set a tee time up to 1 week (6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes) in advance. When a Tee Time is set, the Neo iON watch will automatically enter Play Golf mode, and search for local courses 7 minutes prior to the set time. • GPS Auto Off – feature is designed to automatically exit Play Golf mode when the preset time has expired. Time can be set between 1.5 and 9 hours. When in Play Golf mode, after the preset time has expired, an Auto-Off message will appear on the watch. Select RESUME to return to the round; the Auto-Off message will appear again after 1.5 hour. Select EXIT ROUND to immediately exit the round and return to the Home (Time) screen. If no selection is made for 10 minutes, the Neo iON will automatically exit the round and return to the Home (Time) screen, and power down the watch to save some battery life. • Rechargeable Lithium_ion Battery with Posi-Lock Clip for easy charge or course updates • Comes with USB charging/sync cable for easy charging of the lithium ion battery (through your computer or wall outlet) or golf course updates • Quick start guide included • Adheres to USGA and R&A Rules – Legal for tournament play • one-year limited warranty • Product Dimensions: Product Dimensions: 6 x 8 x 4 inches ; 1.8 ounces |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection • Long Battery life: 16+ hours (more than 3 full rounds on a single charge) • Step counter (pedometer) • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No scorecard • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
You can click here to see a full review of the Bushnell Neo Ion Gps Watch
TomTom Golfer 2 Golf GPS Watch with Touchscreen, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Scorecard, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking, Hazards, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor
The TomTom Golfer 2 will give you accurate distances to bunkers, water hazards, greens, doglegs and lay-ups, to help you shave some strokes off of your score. It comes with a hazard-view feature that will keep your golf ball out of the water and bunkers. Choosing the right club for each shot will be much easier after the TomTom Golfer 2 gives you the exact distances to the front, middle and back of the green. Benefit from the graphical visualization of the approach to the green and any potential hazards in front of it. You will receive daily course updates wirelessly from your smartphone at no extra cost to ensure no mid-game surprises. The TomTom Golfer 2 comes preloaded with full course data of over 40,000 international golf courses.
Know how far you can go with the TomTom Golfer 2’s Automatic Shot Detection feature. When you play a shot, the automatic shot detection built-in to the watch recognizes this and lets you know with a subtle vibration on your wrist after your swing. As you walk to your ball, you’ll see the distance counter on your watch counting up. When you reach it, you can see how far your last shot traveled.
Keep perfect score without taking your eye off the game thanks to the auto-scorecard feature. It will also record and categorize the kind of shots you’ve taken for analysis afterwards on the MySports app so you can identify improvements for your next round. Only putts need to be added in manually as you play.
Monitor your game on your TomTom Golfer 2 as you play. The Round Tracking feature gives you all the numbers you need in one place – the time, overall distance and score of your round as you play, as well as the amount of calories you’ve burned.
You will play without any distractions thanks to the sleek, water-resistant design of the TomTom Golfer 2 – so lightweight and comfortable, you’ll hardly realize you’re wearing it. It comes with a brand new tri-fold closure system secures quickly while maintaining comfort. You will play with the perfect fit because whether you’re male or female, large or small, comfort will be instant thanks to the snug, no-slide fit.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Smart shot detection. Automatically detects and records your shots to Show your distance potential and gives insights about your game. • Ultimate round. Creates a virtual summary of your Best holes on a course You’ve played regularly. See your potential as you look at the Best combination of holes you could have played. • Automatic scorecard. Track your Score without worrying about the Pencil. Plus, your shots are recorded and categorized for post-game analysis. • Pre-loaded with full course data of over 40,000 international golf courses. • View unique green and hazard graphics before you take your shot. See precise distances to the Front and back of individual Hazards along with distances to the Front, center and back of the green |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection • Shot tracking – detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • Step counter • Sleep monitoring • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No calories burned counter • short battery life – less than 2 rounds on a single charge |
Garmin Approach S4 GPS Golf Watch with Touchscreen, Scorecard, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
Another great choice is the Garmin Approach S4 GPS Golf Watch. It has a touchscreen, green view that will tell display the shape of the green and it will display smartphone notifications. It does not have any pre-mapped hazard information but it does come with a custom target feature that will allow you to mark any point on the course, including bunkers and water hazards, for future reference. These are several of the other features that you get with this golf watch:
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • 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 (Unfortunately, the S4 does not tell you about the hazards on the course. However, the Garmin Approach S6 will show you the hazards on the course and this watch only costs about 25% more.) • Smart notification – Receive email, texts and alerts from your bluetooth-enabled smartphone on your device • Extended battery life – Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 10 hours in GPS mode (which amounts to more than 2 full rounds) and 6 weeks in watch mode • Worldwide courses Over 41,000 preloaded worldwide courses and free lifetime course updates |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements – displays the true shape and layout of the putting green. Manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No touch targeting • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Click here to see the full review of the Garmin Approach S4 GPS Golf Watch
Garmin Approach S3 GPS Golf Watch with Touchscreen, Scorecard, Doglegs; No Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
Another great choice is the Garmin approach S3 golf watch. It has most of the features of the S4. However, it is missing the smartphone notification and dedicated green view button features. It also does not have a stat tracking feature so you will need another way to record the number of strokes, fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts per round and it has a shorter battery life.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Water resistant, GPS golf watch with 1-inch monochrome LCD touchscreen • Preloaded with over 40,000 worldwide courses • Course preview (see detailed, hole-by-hole preview) • Detailed Stat tracking feature keeps track of fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts per round • Touch-targeting to see distance to any point |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Click here to read a full review of the Garmin Approach S3 GPS Golf Watch
SkyCaddie Golf GPS Watch with Scorecard; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
Our next choice is another take on a good golf GPS watch and gives you a lot of very decent features.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • No Annual Fees Required, enjoy golf’s most reliable and accurate course maps from around the world, with no charges or fees for the life of the device • This watch features big, easy to read distances to the front, center and back of the green that get updated as you walk or ride around the golf course • Up to 30000 worldwide, updatable, preloaded, high precision, ground corrected courses maps makes the Watch ready to play out of the box • Digital scoring, backlight, stopwatch, measure any shot distance and water resistant to 30 meters • The SkyCaddie Watch odometer tracks your location, distance, time, laps, speed, pace and calories burned during a run walk or bike ride |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Click here to read a full review of the SkyCaddie Golf GPS Watch
Bushnell Neo XS Golf Gps Watches with Scorecard, Hazards, Doglegs; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
Another great choice is the Bushnell Neo XS Gps Watch. It gives you a lot of great features and a really good price.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • 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 • Comes with USB charging/sync cable for easy charge or course updates and quick-start guide; one-year limited warranty |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
You can click here to see a full review of the Bushnell Neo XS Golf Gps Watch
GolfBuddy WT5 Golf GPS Watch with Scorecard, Hazards, Doglegs; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
The next review is for the GolfBuddy WT5 Golf GPS Watch. The GolfBuddy WT5 has a slimmer design and a more comfortable fit to your wrist than the The GolfBuddy WT4. You will be able to fully utilize Dynamic Green View and moveable pin placement features with simple press-and-hold buttons. The GolfBuddy WT5 is also a fully functional digital wristwatch that will give you the time, date, year and it comes with has GPS walking functions and a stopwatch, but it does not come with an alarm. This watch has an odometer with GPS tracking capabilities for walking. You can track the yards walked, miles/hour, and time. It comes with an internal rechargeable battery that you can charge from the USB port on your computer. This watch is water resistant, but not waterproof, and the battery will give you eight hours in golf mode and 35 days in watch mode. When the watch is in golf mode, the main screen will display the distances to the center (largest number on the screen), back and front of the green. In addition, it will display the hole number, left or right green (if applicable), par information, type of measurement, full shape of the green and battery level indicator. This watch will also display the distances to the targets and hazards. You can get up to 11 targets and hazards per hole. It does not come with a touchscreen but you will get 9 moveable pin placements on the green. Dynamic Green View will display the shape of the green and offer distances from your true approach. The digital scorecard will track and record your scores and you will be able to transfer and access scores from your account on the free GB Course Manager program. The courses are pre-loaded so you won’t have to download them. When you arrive at the gold course, the watch and GPS function will automatically find the course that you are standing on. There are more than 30,000 golf courses available worldwide including the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. You can go to the GolfBuddy website and download their software to get updates to the golf courses and firmware. This watch comes with an attachable USB adapter that can be docked and charged using your laptop or any charger that uses USB connectivity. This device comes with multiple modes including play mode, GPS tracking mode for walking, digital scoreboard and watch mode.
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • GPS watch with golf features and GPS tracking • Distances to front/center/back of the green provided to improve your golf game • Distances to targets and hazards (up to 11 per hole) • no annual membership fee • Course updates come via an app installed on your computer and will download when you synch your golf watch • Shot distance measurement • Digital scorecard • Pin Placement • GPS tracking odometer for everyday walking – can be used for figuring out how many yards you walked and other sports • Auto course/hole recognition so you’re ready to go as soon as you get the tee • Dynamic Green View feature to provide accurate yardages from every angle of approach |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection • Odometer – GPS tracking capabilities for walking allows you to track your yards walked, miles/hour, and time • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Click here to check this out and read a full review of the GolfBuddy WT5 Golf GPS Watch
IZZO Swami Watch Golf GPS with Scorecard, Hazards, Doglegs, Odometer; No Touchscreen, Heart Rate Monitor, Step Counter, Sleep Monitor, Shot Tracking, Club Tracking
For the wildcard of the bunch, check out the features of the IZZO Swami Watch Golf GPS and a full review below:
| Product Features and Specifications | |
|---|---|
| • Pre-loaded with 30,000+ courses from around the world with no annual subscription fee required. All you have to do is just charge the unit, go to your golf course, wait for the watch to find your course (which will take less than a minute) and you will be ready to play! • Auto recognizes course at start-up – course maps can be easily added or updated (search the full list of golf courses at www.izzo.com) • Provides accurate Front/Center/Back distances to green (in yards or meters) and the ability to edit these distances on-demand – as needed • Additional features include auto-hole advance, shot distance tracker and a digital scorecard • Watch functions include time, date, alarm and odometer |
|
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Provides yardages to the front, back and middle of the Green as well as hazards and doglegs • List of hazard layup and carry distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes • List of distances to layup markers and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes • Green View with manual pin placements helps you see your target by showing the true shape and layout of the green. It’s simple to manually position the pin on the screen to today’s location for accurate shot selection. • time/date and alarm clock |
• No touchscreen • No heart rate monitor • No vibration notifications or alerts • No shot tracking – AutoShot round analyzer detects and tracks shots, measures and auto-records shot distances and records shot locations for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account. View the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. • No club tracking – Manually enter the club used for each shot • No smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts • No move bar inactivity alerts to help you stay active on or off the course • No step counter • No calories burned counter • No sleep monitoring |
Click here for a full review of the IZZO Swami Watch Golf GPS watch
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Golf GPS Watches
Do all golf watches show you the distances to the hazards?
Unfortunately, they all do not. Only a few show the hazard distances including the Garmin S20, Bushnell Neo Ion, TomTom Golfer 2 and GolfBuddy WT5. The Garmin S4 does not show the distances to the hazard but it comes with a custom target feature that will allow you to mark any point on the course, including bunkers and water hazards, that will give you distance information which will be saved and available for future reference.
