Table of Contents
Golf GPS Watch vs Golf GPS Handheld
Golf GPS Watches and Golf GPS Handheld devices have many golf features in common. This article will detail some of the differences and similarities between these two devices (Golf GPS Watch vs Golf GPS Handheld) to make it easier to choose one to purchase. Both types devices have high-end models with the very best features that can cost over $300 but there are many cheaper golf watches and handheld devices with only the most basic features that will cost only about $100.
Golf GPS Watches Pros and Cons
Pros
1. Golf GPS watches will display the yardages from your location to the front, center and back distances to the green without any intervention from you so you don’t have to take out your handheld to get distance readings because the distances are right on your wrist. Some of these GPS watches will also display yardages to the doglegs and layup and carry locations for the water hazards and sand bunkers on the course.
2. The Garmin S62, S10, S40, S20 and X40 have a screen that displays the layup and carry distances for each hazard. If you want to access the layup and carry distances for another hazard, then you will have to advance to the next screen. The high-end handheld devices do not have a list of the layup and carry distances for each hazard but the cheaper handheld devices from Golf Buddy and Bushnell do. For the higher-end handhelds, you will have to tap on the touchscreen to get the relevant distances for each hazard which will take a little more time.
3. The higher-end golf watches (cost > $200) come with touchscreens that allow you to swipe the screen to get to another menu item. This also applies to the higher-end handheld devices (price > $200) from Garmin and SkyCaddie.
4. Higher-end golf watches come with a shot tracker, club tracker, step counter (pedometer), sleep monitor, inactivity alert and apps for tracking running, cycling and swimming activities.
5. Most golf watches come with a digital scorecard that will keep track of the strokes taken, fairways hit and number of putts.
6. There are golf watches that can track your heart rate without the use of a chest strap. Both the Garmin Approach S62 and X40 come with a wrist-based heart rate monitor.
7. Many golf watches come with Bluetooth technology for receiving smartphone notifications including text, email and calls. Bluetooth is also used for WiFi course updates.
8. Golf watches are only about 2 inches wide while handheld devices are only about 4 inches long. Golf GPS watches only weigh about 2 ounces while most handhelds weigh about 1 pound. This makes a watch much easier to store away than a handheld.
9. These golf watches can be used as an everyday watch because they tell you the date and time and some even include a stopwatch and timer.
Cons
1. The cheaper golf watches do not come with a touchscreen. If you want to advance to another menu item, you will have to push the buttons on the side of the watch to access this information. This same situations applies to the cheaper handheld devices as well.
2. Golf watches have much smaller screens than handheld devices do so the information is a lot harder to read. The biggest golf watch displays are only about 1.3 inches in diameter while a display for a the Garmin G80 golf handheld device is 1.8″ (width) x 3.0″ (length) with a 3.5″ diagonal.
3. The resolution for the Garmin S62 is only about 260 x 260 pixels while the resolution for the Garmin G80 is 282 x 470 pixels. This makes the details on the graphics much easier to recognize and the distance readings much easier to read.
4. Only the more expensive golf watches (price > $300) have 2D overhead views of each hole on the golf course that display a graphical representation of the putting green, fairway, water hazards and sand bunkers while most handheld golf GPS devices come with detailed course maps that show you every little detail on the golf course for each hole.
5. The majority of golf watches have a battery life that will last between 2 to 3 rounds or 12 hours while the battery life for a handheld device is about 15 hours which will enable your device to remain functioning for about 4 rounds.
6. Only the most expensive golf watches come with slope compensation. This means that most golf watches will only give you straight-line distances.
7. Wearing a golf watch while they swing a golf club can be a problem for some golfers so for these people they should definitely go with a handheld device instead.
8. Even the most accurate Garmin golf GPS watches can be off by 10 yards.
Golf GPS Handheld Pros and Cons
Pros
1. The higher-end golf GPS handheld devices (cost > $300) come with touchscreens that allow you to swipe the screen to get to another menu item.
2. All golf GPS handheld devices are really easy to use. They will give you distance readings from your location to all of the water hazards, sand bunkers and flagsticks without any intervention from you.
3. Both the cheaper Golf Buddy and Bushnell handhelds and more expensive high-end golf handheld devices from Garmin have a much longer battery life than most golf GPS watches do. However, the super expensive Garmin S62 has a 20 hour battery life but it costs about $500 and the more affordable golf watches certainly do not have a battery life like that. A golf handheld device can last for 15 hours or 4 rounds on a single charge while a golf watch can only last about 12 hours on one charge which will only give you 2 to 3 rounds.
4. Handheld devices have more memory storage than golf watches so you will be able to store distances for each shot along with the club you used and you will be able to store more of your old scorecards.
5. The more expensive handheld golf GPS devices come with a club recommendation feature that will average out the distances that you hit with each club and tell you the club that you should use for the location that you are currently at.
Cons
1. The cheaper handheld golf GPS devices do not come with a touchscreen. If you want to advance to another menu item, you will have to push the buttons on the side of the handheld to access this information.
2. Only the more expensive handheld golf GPS devices (price > $300) have 2D overhead views of each hole on the golf course that display a graphical representation of the putting green, fairway, water hazards and sand bunkers. The cheaper handheld golf GPS devices (price is under $150) do not come with detailed course maps that show you every little detail on the golf course for each hole.
3. No golf handheld device has the automatic shot tracking and club tracking features of the Garmin golf watches when you attach tags to your golf clubs. These features can really help you improve your club selection and lower your golf score so if you really want automatic tracking of your shots and club use and you want to see your shot locations for each hole, then you should definitely buy a golf watch instead.
4. No golf handheld device has the fitness tracking features of the Garmin golf watches including a pedometer, sleep monitor, inactivity alert so if you are interested want to have a device that can help you with your golf game and track your steps, calories burned and sleep patterns, then you should choose a golf watch instead.
5. No golf handheld device has the sports apps that the Garmin golf watches have which track the statistics related to running, swimming and cycling.
6. There are no handheld devices that can track your heart rate the same way that the Garmin S62 and X40 can with their built-in wrist-based heart rate monitor.
7. Even the most accurate golf handheld devices are not as accurate as the cheaper golf rangefinders that are available right now. The handheld’s distance readings can be off by as much as 10 yards.
8. Both a golf watch and handheld device use a rechargeable lithium ion battery. You cannot buy a rechargeable battery and replace it yourself yourself. So if the battery does not work anymore, then you will have to ask the manufacturer for a replacement and send the entire watch back.
Final Verdict
If you don’t like wearing a watch while you play your round, then you should definitely buy a handheld device because it has many of the same golf features as a golf watch, including giving you distances to hazards and flagsticks. However, if you want a device that keeps track of your shot locations, club used for each shot, steps taken, and calories-burned, then you should definitely buy a golf GPS watch instead.
