Walking up to the tee, you probably know how important it is to know the distance to the green you are. As someone who typically always “comes up short” when approaching almost every hole on the golf course, I quickly realised I was well off with my yardage measurements. That is so important because that will tell you which club you are going to use. Now, obviously there are various ways of doing this including looking at the scorecard and looking at the sprinkler heads. However, this relies on guessing which on taking various things into account. But what about if we take this guess work out of the equation?
In this article, we are going to take out all the guess work and be breaking down the best golf gps watches on the market this year. We’ve analysed over 25 of the GPS watches to see which ones will be the best value for money as well as giving you the most accurate bits of information.
Also if you are heading out to play golf in the Winter, then don't forget to check out our heated body warmer that will keep you warm as you work your way round the course as well as our golf training aids. So, without further ado, let's dive in.
The Complete Guide To Our Top 10 Golf GPS Watches in 2023
1. Garmin Approach S10
I’m sure you have most likely heard of Garmin even if it’s outside of the golf space. They are probably the most well-known company when it comes to GPS devices. So, its not surprise to see them at the top of the pile.
Garmin as a brand is well known for being the quickest to power up, get connected and for being the most accurate. I can confirm this is the case with the approach S10 golf watch.
I would say in terms of the pricing, this is in the medium range and having tested against the more expensive options, the yardages were almost exact (within about a yard of each other).
2. Shotscope V3 G3
With a bold statement like an average improvement of 4 shots with the use of Shotscope products, you can see why there’s quite a bit of hype for these golf watches. There’s quite a few savy bits of technology within the watch.
First thing you notice out of the box is how small and light it really is. I would say that it’s about the same size as an apple watch. If you tried out the V2 version of this golf watch, they were a little chunkier so definitely a welcomed improvement on the design.
One of the cool bits of technology with this watch is that you are given 16 tags which attach to the end of your club. This helps the golf watch detect which club you are using. I thought this was quite cool and didn’t feel the tag on the end of my club getting in the way at all.
Once you are on the green, the pin collect detects that you are on a green and lets you collect the number putts. Probably not the functionality I was most proud of when I entered the number of putts at the end of each hole and analysed when I got back home.
In terms of initial set-up, it was very simple. Just install the app on your phone and register. With a 10+ hour battery life, it is more than enough for one full round of golf if not two. We highly recommend you give this golf watch a go.
3. Canmore TW-353
Probably one of the lesser-known brands within golf and one that didn’t have too much about the company itself. However, with the price of this on the market, we had to give this a shot.
Straight out of the box, I loved the retro look of this golf watch. It reminded me of an old G-Shock watch face which was cool.
The charging pin was cool as well as it’s magnetic and attaches nicely into the side of the watch. If you know the difficulty with charging wires breaking and the number of replacements you go through then this will definitely save you heaps of trouble.
Quick tip: One thing I did notice is that it took a little time for the golf watch to connect to the GPS to load up the course, so I’d recommend starting the process as soon as you get to the course instead of on the first tee. You generally want to do that anyway with golf GPS watches but with this one for sure.
4. Garmin Approach S60
Another golf watch mention for Garmin on the list and this one is the premium option from the range. Straight off the bat, the first thing we noticed is that it’s one of the best-looking GPS watches on the market.
As per other watches, you start off by connecting it to the satellites which will locate the course you are on. We were shocked at how quickly this watch did that and was able to gather our local course in Chelmsford.
The first feature of the golf watch that stood out for us is the pin-pointer. So, if you are on a course which you haven’t played before, the watch will act like a compass to the centre of the green. As you move around, you will see the cursor move to indicate where the green relative to where you are facing.
This golf gps watch will let you pinpoint where the flag is on the green to give you the exact yardage. This is a great feature as they usually have a standard yardage at the course, so this gives you that little bit of extra accuracy and reassurance.
Overall, is it worth the extra price tag that comes along with this model? If you are a regular golfer who has good control of their distances, then this is a no brainer. The accurate distance information and club selection data will be of great use. It also doubles up as a smart dress watch as it looks so clean. A highly recommended purchase!
5. SkyCaddie LX5
Another premium GPS smart watch but from a less well-known brand. SkyCaddie prides itself on developing products that help improve accuracy and ultimately improve your game. From having spoken with various players, SkyCaddie products are known for being quite easy to use.
Straight away, you will notice how clean the screen is. It’s high resolution and crystal clear with it being touch screen as well. Allows you to bounce between screens making it very easy to navigate.
One of the cool features of this golf watch is the screen where you get an overview of the hole. You can touch and move different areas on the course to find out exact distances as well as seeing what obstacles lie ahead of you on the hole. The green view also lets you see how the green slopes when you are hitting your approach shot which is another valuable feature.
Even if you are not a gadget person, you will find it easy to use and set up with. It’s perfect if you are looking for an alternative high-end option to the S60 without having to pay as much.
6. TecTecTec ULT-G
You might recognise TecTecTec from our best golf rangefinder for the money article and how the company provided incredible value for money. It’s considerably cheaper than the previous premium watches but does it also do a good job?
One of the stranger features of this watch is the plastic clip on to charge the watch. It’s not something we have seen on any of the other golf watches and admittedly can be a little fiddly.
The rubber watch strap seem very durable and strong so would hold up for a good amount of time. It’s also quite lightweight, probably not as light as the Garmin’s but still doesn’t feel chunky on your wrist.
When we tested it out on the golf course, we were surprised at the battery life as the suggested capacity was two and a half rounds but even after playing three, there was still some power left over.
The GPS itself is great as well, one of the quickest at connecting to the satellites and even outperformed some of the more expensive options.
Sometimes, the more expensive models can have too many features and options on the menu which distract you from your game. This is a very simple golf gps watch that is easy to use and set up.
7. GolfBuddy W10
Another company you may recognise from our top-rated rangefinder article where they produced some very innovative products with the aim of being the most accurate on the market. What’s also quite interesting is that they pride themselves on the most accurate course database with over 38,000 courses worldwide.
This leads us nicely to our first point and how we were surprised that it picked up the first hole of the course we were on without us having to select anything. There’s no fidgeting around trying to connect to the satellites or waiting around.
The golf gps watch has got a good quality screen as it displays three numbers showing the distance to the front, middle and back of the green as well as your current score.
Swiping across from the main screen gives you a view of the hole you are playing which gives you a good amount of information on there like your fairways and hazards.
Overall, a fantastic little gadget that’s slightly on the upper end of the price spectrum which can double up as a normal watch too. Highly recommended!
8. Canmore TW-410
Another Canmore golf watch on the list and this is the slightly more premium option relative to the one before.
Just like the TW-353, the biggest positive with this one is the large, easy to read display. The information is very clear and doesn’t need you to squint and look for your pair of reading glasses if you have dodgy eyesight.
The only thing to note is that the charger connection can be quite fiddly and take time to get used to. You need to balance the watch for the connector to stay connected and charge it up.
The battery life is also fantastic with more than half of the charge still left over after playing a round of 18 holes.
It can also double up as a normal watch including the Pedometer to record your daily steps. The lightweight and comfortable feel also makes it a great option.
9. Garmin S40
A third mention for Garmin in the list and one that is in the middle when it comes to price-range. We should mention at this point that in terms of style and feel, there really isn’t much difference between the three that we have mentioned here. The S60 is quite a big golf watch compared to the S40 but all of them are light and don’t get in the way of your swing.
This watch also has a single button interface compared to the four buttons on the S10. The rest is all touch screen on the S40. Similarly, the S40 has a nice analogue display with the clock hands whereas the S10 is a digital read out. The S40 doesn’t have the heart rate sensor as per the S60 option but this should not be too big of a deal if you are just using this for golf.
Another feature you get with the S40 golf gps watch is the slope adjusted distances which you also get with the S60 but not with the S10.
Overall, these are all similar with very small differences. The S40 is a nice all-round gadget which is very easy to wear and gives you accurate distances as well. You can also wear it on and off the course!
10. GolfBuddy Aim W11
Another mention for GolfBuddy on the list and this is the premium option compared to the W10. This is another very pleasant looking golf watch that is very easy to use.
Again, has a large database of golf courses already loaded up and the distance to greens or traps is helpful as well.
As per the W10, the overview of the entire hole is really useful as well as specific distances for any hazards that are coming up on the hole.
Overall, another great gadget which is on the more premium side in terms of prices but does exactly what it says on the tin.
We hope that you enjoyed our article and don't forget to check out some of our other ones like our most accurate golf putters on the market and the best golf drivers for beginners.