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From Garmin to Golfbuddy, these top GPS golf watches map out courses, measure yardage and record scores
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more >
Golfers are well-renowned for loving a gadget, especially one that promises to shave strokes off their scorecard, which the best golf watch could very well do. The best golf watches with GPS work similarly to rangefinders, providing useful real-time data and distance information which can shape your decision-making on the course and track scores, plus stats to help you analyse and identify areas to improve on once you’re back at the clubhouse.
Golf pro and founder of Urban Golf James Day explains that the core function of a golf watch is the “convenience of having the yardage effortlessly. You really don’t have to do anything but walk up to your ball, look at your watch and the yardage is there.” Even the most basic golf watches give you distance to the front, back and middle of the green.
The best golf watches range from less than £150 up to £1,700. Some can be used straight out of the box, while others require more complicated integration with a smartphone and apps. All come pre-programmed with tens of thousands of global course maps and most offer hazards and layup information with numbers. Others have detailed, colourful graphics and heat maps.
The GPS accuracy of most golf watches tends to be within five yards, but finding a model that’s quick to load the hole, boasts excellent battery life and has additional fitness metrics, such as to track heart rate and sleep, might also factor into your choice.
Whether you’re after the best golf watches for beginners or the best golf watches for tracking performance, according to James, the best golf smart watch to choose is the one that gives you the information you need quickly, accessibly and in a way that won’t cause you to get distracted and overwhelmed. Especially if you’re a relative newbie: “The danger with golf is always overthinking, so if you’ve got a beginner who needs to be focusing on striking the ball nicely, getting the ball out the middle of the club and getting it to go straight, sometimes having too much information can be a big distraction,” he says.
I tested these golf watches over a period of a few weeks, taking them golfing around south London (Richmond, Duke’s Meadows, Walton Heath) and indoor golf centres to see how they felt comfort-wise. I wore them day-to-day to assess battery life, functionality beyond the golf course and additional health features.
My family of four children (aged seven to 14) and my husband are all very keen golfers, so I also shared the watches around when we were on the golf course: my husband, brother-in-law, friend and even my 11-year-old daughter – who managed to set up a couple of these watches on her own – all tried them as well. This meant that the watches were tested by golfers at varying ability levels and locations to help determine their GPS accuracy, convenience, ease of use and more.
Sometimes, I doubled up and wore two at the same time to see if the distance estimations were the same (they were usually identical or varied by one yard). I also spent a lot of time tinkering with the golf watches and their accompanying apps at home, downloading and registering myself on a multitude of golf GPS apps, watching ‘How To’ videos and studying my data off the course.
Best Buy golf watch, 9/10
We like: Course info displayed quickly at each hole, stunning graphics, intuitive and easy set-up, useful extra features like Virtual Caddie
We don’t like: An expensive model at £500, only pairs with the newest Garmin Approach Z70 rangefinder
We’ve all had frustrating experiences on the fairway, but gently negotiating my golf ball back from a couple of geese after an appalling shot turned out to be a lot less stressful than some of the faff involved in setting up and connecting some of these golf watches.
Which is why I can’t overstate how much of a joy Garmin’s S70 is when it comes to user-experience. This starts from the set-up, where you’re given the option to connect the watch to your phone (which I did to access the S70’s connected features), before being directed to a QR code that takes you directly to the Garmin app download or the app itself, if you already have Garmin installed. The watch was ready to go and connected with my smartphone in about 15 seconds.
The visuals on this watch are extraordinary, with an AMOLED display and high 454 x 454 resolution with sharp, vivid colours, hazard depictions (including detailed trees) and course maps that can be viewed and navigated from every angle. The watch has three buttons at the sides and a touchscreen functionality. It comes in two different sizes; 42mm or 47mm. I tested the 42mm version with a white silicone strap, which is fairly unstylish and near-identical to the sub-£200 Garmin S12 golf watch.
On the course it does feel like you’ve got a helpful coach whispering in your ear (and that’s without using the Virtual Caddie function, which takes your past scores after five rounds and starts recommending which club to use to play certain holes, factoring in things like direction of wind), because it gives you the ability to zoom in and out around the course, while a helpful vibration prompt reminds you to input your score once you’ve completed each hole.
This is also my top pick because everyone who tried it – my husband, my friend and I – were unanimous in agreeing that this golf watch was the quickest to load, had the best screen, pinpoint-accurate GPS and was suitable for all different levels of golfer. My husband’s one complaint was that it didn’t sync with his Garmin rangefinder – it does however pair with a newer Approach Z82.
This watch has plenty of off-the-course benefits, as well. It can be used as an everyday smartwatch with music, weather, heart rate, step count and calendar info all accessible via an easy scroll. It’s also got comprehensive health features, from sleep monitoring to activity tracking across dozens of sports, from snowshoeing to pickle ball. I barely scratched the surface by checking my blood oxygen levels and doing some yoga with an avatar on my watch screen.
Best golf watch for tracking performance, 8/10
We like: Clear map, lightweight, accurate distances and easy to use
We don’t like: Colours not as vivid as the S70
Confession: I prefer the look of Garmin’s Approach S62, the just-as-feature-packed-model preceding the S70, to the newer model. The S62 is chunky yet lightweight, with a smart black strap and bezel with red detailing on the buttons and face. It’s as straightforward to use and set up as the S70, with a touchscreen and three side buttons and boasts most of the same golf extras, like tempo training – which helpfully informed me that my downswing was too rushed.
My friend, who always forgets to enter scores, liked the pleasing buzzy wrist reminders once he finished each hole. This is also useful when you need to adjust your scores, such as when I had a slightly disastrous couple of holes that involved a few more swings than anticipated to get near the flag.
The course map downloaded instantly and even though the colours weren’t as vivid as the S70’s, everything was clearly laid out and you could navigate the map from various angles and even swipe around the screen to check the layout of different holes on the course. The compass-style pin pointer feature was another handy extra, which helped me line up shots when I couldn’t see the green.
Since this model is being phased out by the newer S70, the good news is that it’s massively discounted and available at a price point where you wouldn’t expect such top features. It works as a smartwatch with message alerts and wallet, as well as a comprehensive suite of health and fitness features including a heart monitor and oximeter.
Best golf watch for beginners, 7/10
We like: Simple set up, easy to use, long battery life and ultra-light and comfy
We don’t like: No additional features, not a fashion watch
At sub-£200, this is a value-for-money golf watch from Garmin, with a simple digital display that also gives you sunrise and sunset timings. It was the most lightweight golf watch of the bunch, and convenient because it didn’t require syncing with a phone or offer too many potential distractions. It’s strictly a golf watch, with no health tracking, though I did appreciate the colourful strap alternatives (mint green, tidal blue) available for those who want to make a statement.
It does everything you need it to, without any additional fuss. As my friend Sean, who tested it, explained: “I only need distance from the hole and a watch which records the strokes. Anything else is extra add ons that I don’t want to pay for.”
For those golfers looking for more, you can sync it with the Garmin app and get more comprehensive and detailed information. Unlike the jazzier watches, this one doesn’t do everything automatically, so it wasn’t readily apparent how to input scores at first - but I quickly realised you had to toggle to golf settings, where I also located stat tracking and penalties. The battery longevity was also impressive, it was still on 90 per cent after 18 holes when being used as a GPS.
Best budget golf watch, 7/10
We like: Easy-to-read digital display with massive numbers, works out of box
We don’t like: You have to attach straps yourself, fewer preloaded courses than alternatives, had to reconnect after playing once
While this strap’s watch was a slightly awkward to set up, once I got it on, I was quickly impressed with the giant display digits which were very friendly to my poor eyesight. In fact, this display was so convenient that I found myself wearing it off the course too, even though it didn’t provide any additional health tracking benefits. Battery life was average, but in GPS mode I could get two rounds of golf in, meaning I didn’t have to worry about charging it after the first game.
The watch has four buttons (up, down, select and back) making it easy to navigate, and when you’re playing, it displays front, middle and back distances in large numbers with smaller ones indicating the hole you’re on. Press the down button and it’ll display the distance of any hazards.
The minimal-but-clearly-presented info works for players at my level, giving me just enough guidance without any additional distractions – I managed a birdie on one hole wearing this watch, so I’ll definitely call that a win. I compared the yardages to a friend’s watch during play and they were identical, so despite the lower price point, the accuracy was good, and the numbers quick to load.
Best golf watch for GPS, 7/10
We like: Long battery life and detailed stats, comes with additional tracking accessories to help you understand and improve your swing
We don’t like: Doesn’t register every shot, the tracking is a bonus, but time-consuming to set up
With its chunky face and rubber strap, the Shot Scope V5’s rugged look and four-button controls, instead of a touchscreen, made me assume the watch would have basic functionality. That’s not the case – with colourful graphics and sophisticated stats, it delivers a lot for golfers, especially those who want to work on their swing. In addition to full-colour maps of 36,000+ courses, which showcase hazards you may encounter on the green, the watch comes with tags you plug into your golf club grips so you can analyse your shots afterwards.
You need to download and connect the watch to the Shot Scope app, which took me a few tries, then you input information about the type, club, make and model for each of your clubs. I wouldn’t recommend this for beginners as it’s time-consuming, but will be useful for those who want to take their game to the next level.
Shot Scope is known for its comprehensive stats and via the watch and app, you can track everything from tee shots to putts and strokes gained – giving you a comprehensive data picture that can be used to improve your game in the long run.
I liked that you could move the buttons to navigate a driving point anywhere on the course; this helped me get closer than I normally would on a couple of tricky shots, although the watch did miss a couple of shots, too. The battery is very good; 83 per cent after nine holes, while the screen has a customisable display and step counter.
Best golf watch with fitness tracking, 7/10
We like: Easy to use and set up, attractive design, golf health tracking easy to access
We don’t like: Can only launch golf apps from phone, some golf apps didn’t sync properly
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is a great-looking smartwatch that’s easy to set up (my 11-year-old did it in minutes, using a Google Pixel 8a) even for Apple users like my household. The Pixel Watch can be used on the golf course with a number of golf apps, like 18 Birdies and Golf Pad GPS, which is a popular app for under £30 a year (for the Pro version) that tracks scores and gives you accurate distances to front, middle and back greens.
The golf apps are slightly time consuming, as you need to launch them from your phone in order for them to work on the watch. 18 Birdies failed to work on the watch, but Golf Pad was fine for showing distances and hazards – although it didn’t bring up a map as I’d expected. The 45mm watch face was the same size as the leading golf-specific watches and showcased information and messages clearly. Even though I couldn’t get any other golf apps to work on the watch, I did appreciate all the health and fitness tracking available (the Pixel Watch 3 even calls 999 if it can’t detect a pulse).
The watch vibrated to notify me to walk more and sensed when I was about to start working out, asking if I’d like to record my stats. Thanks to Fitbit integration, the watch quick-launched golf tracking for me which recorded steps, distance walked, BPM and time spent playing.
Best watch for supplementing your golf game, 7/10
We like: Health stats and sleep insights are incredibly detailed – we can see how using this information can improve your fitness and golf game
We don’t like: It’s not strictly a GPS watch, and it has a strange charger that you attach while the Whoop is on your wrist
Golf GPS watches can help with accuracy and understanding distance, but there are other metrics pro golfers use to improve their swing speed and performance from tracking recovery to respiration, so they can reach that optimal ‘flow state’. According to golf pro James Day, “it really does affect your ability to hit shots and also your ability to make good decisions. You can control that state through breathing, training yourself to breathe in a way which is not only very consistent, but at a certain tempo”.
That’s where the Whoop comes in. This subtle strap doesn’t even have a screen or GPS but I thought it merited inclusion as it’s become a bit of a cult watch for golfers at all stages. It connects with a smartphone app to track metrics from sleep and recovery to strain, so you know when you’re pushing hard and recovering.
Many of the golf smartwatches on this list integrate with the Whoop, and it’s slim enough to wear alongside your GPS watch. It takes a few days of continuous wear and sleep for the device to start plotting sophisticated data, from time spent in REM sleep to HRV and respiratory rate changes. You can also choose golf as one of your ‘strain’ activities – it measures average and max heart rate per hour and calories burned, and starts to automatically recognise when you’re golfing, the longer you wear it.
GPS golf watches won’t give you a distance to the pin, but the best golf watches can all claim to have a yardage discrepancy that’s no more than plus or minus 5 yards. Anyone who wants to get the distance to the back, front, middle and pin can combine a golf watch with GPS with a rangefinder. Since smartwatches often require accompanying golf apps for GPS yardage to work, that may reflect on GPS accuracy, depending on the app.
There are also certain watches, including models from Garmin and Shotscope, that offer pinpoint functionality, which gives you the distance you need to hit from wherever you’ve put your finger on the screen.
As with any piece of tech, golf watches with GPS can be hugely beneficial to some players and a massive hindrance to others. “Not everyone likes to wear a watch when they’re hitting shots. It’s a convenience thing. As golfers, we all have these funny little quirks – some players play with a watch, some players don’t, and once they’re one or the other, they don’t normally change,” says golfer James Day.
For beginners, a golf watch can be a helpful tool. “The handy thing is to build a sense of how far you hit each club. It will certainly help with that – knowing how far you’ve got to go and how far you’ve hit your last shot, will help beginners build that association,” he says.
While James considers some features on golf watches with GPS like swing speed measurements “gimmicky,” he does note that “one of the advantages of the golf-specific watches is they’ve got a bigger face. It’s easier to see more details”.
Garmin’s S70 and S62 offer longer battery life in GPS mode than some other golf watch models, which makes them suitable for extended play. Smartwatches with golf apps, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Pro 5, are also known for impressive battery life. To save battery, most watches have lower-power mode features. Of the watches in this list, the majority have a long-lasting battery that won’t require any recharging for days when not in GPS mode.
Fitness tracker watches with golf apps, like the Google Pixel Watch 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, are useful for tracking a range of health and fitness needs in addition to measuring golf stats and providing tracking and GPS on the course. You can now find various golf-specific models offering robust fitness and health tracking, like Tag Heuer and Garmin.
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