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2022 GOLF GPS BUYER’S GUIDE
A lot of golfers either use a golf GPS or a rangefinder. Hell, some golfers still pace off their yardage or “eyeball it.” Which golfer are you?
With technology advancing every year, we have seen the best golf GPS models provide accurate front, middle and back yardages, hole layout, green depth, slope, personal club data tracking … the list goes on. The technology doesn’t stop there. Some units include health-tracking measurements within the same device.
The best golf GPS has so many capabilities it might just make rangefinders obsolete for some golfers.
WINNER – Garmin Approach S62
Ever wanted a fitness watch everyday watch and golf watch rolled into one? Then the Garmin Approach S62 is the answer to your prayer. Its large touch screen is easy to navigate, ensuring getting to the golf GPS side and personal phone applications are a breeze. Within the golf GPS, it provides multiple data points including wind direction and “play like” distance to ensure you get the right yardage. The 41,000-plus pre-loaded golf courses will keep you entertained for a lifetime. With all these features, you have the undisputed winner of the 2022 Most Wanted Golf GPS Test.
- 1st in display
- 2nd in features
- 6th in functionality
- 1st in accuracy
BEST HANDHELD GOLF GPS - SkyCaddie SX550
Those who want a handheld golf GPS should consider the SkyCaddie SX550. It has a large color touch screen which helps those with limited vision. Throw in yardages to all hole hazards and you have a great GPS device.
FEATURES THAT MATTER
Display
Size and clarity are essential for providing the best possible overview of any hole. The best golf GPS devices of 2022 tend to have digital or LCD displays with touch-screen technology with the ability to provide clear readouts even in direct sunlight.
Golfers looking for the best display should consider the SkyCaddie SX550 or the Garmin S62 . Both provide clear and concise visuals that are easy to navigate. The SkyCaddie SX400 also performed well in this category.
Features
Today’s GPS devices not only have color screens and visuals of the hole but some have lifestyle/everyday plug-ins as part of the standard feature set. That means you can ditch your smartwatch because your golf watch offers things like step and fitness trackers, stopwatches and more. Having the functionality of multiple devices rolled into one unit makes life much simpler.
If you have to have everything, there’s no better golf GPS device than the Garmin S62. For a device that just focuses on golf, look no further than the Shot Scope V3 which provides Strokes Gained as well as GPS capabilities. The Voice Caddie T9 provides personal fitness tracking, touch screen, hole layout and green-reading capabilities.
Functionality
The majority of golf GPS units today have 10,000-plus course layouts pre-loaded. There are golf GPS devices that require you to download the courses which can take extra time and become frustrating.
Simplicity is key. The best devices that allow you to navigate with ease are the SkyCaddie SX550 and Shot Scope V3. The Shot Scope H4 also performed well in this category.
EXPERT TIP - Don't Sweat Accuracy
All GPS devices use the same satellites to calculate the distance to targets, so there's almost no difference in accuracy from brand to brand. Readings are typically within one or two yards of each other. For that reason, accuracy is significantly less of a consideration than most any other category we test. Instead, focus on features and functionality. That's where the real differences lie.
BEST GOLF GPS 2022 - FEATURES
Product | Courses | Lifestyle Tracking | Hole Map | Battery | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bushnell ION Edge Check Price | 38,000+ | N | APP | 15 HOURS | |
Bushnell Phantom 2 Check Price | 38,000+ | N | APP | 18 HOURS | |
Garmin Approach G80 Check Price | 41,000+ | Y | APP | 10 HOURS | |
Garmin Approach S12 Check Price | 42,000+ | N | APP | 30 HOURS | |
Garmin Approach S42 Check Price | 42,000+ | Y | APP | 15 HOURS | |
Garmin Approach S62/CT10 Check Price | 41,000+ | Y | Y | 20 HOURS | |
Garmin Marq Golfer Check Price | 41,000+ | Y | Y | 60 HOURS | |
Golf Buddy aim W10 Check Price | 40,000+ | Y | Y | 13 HOURS | |
Izzo Swami 6000 Check Price | 30,000+ | N | Y | 12 HOURS | |
Shot Scope G3 Check Price | 35,000+ | N | APP | 10 HOURS | |
Shot Scope H4 Check Price | 36,000+ | N | APP | 15 HOURS | |
Shot Scope V3 Check Price | 35,000+ | N | APP | 10 HOURS | |
Sky Caddie LX5 Check Price | 35,000+ | Y | Y | 10 HOURS | |
SkyCaddie SX400 Check Price | 35,000+ | Y | Y | 14 HOURS | |
SkyCaddie SX550 Check Price | 35,000+ | N | Y | 14 HOURS | |
Voice Caddie A2 Check Price | 40,000+ | N | Y | 10 HOURS | |
Voice Caddie T9 Check Price | 40,000+ | Y | Y | 30 HOURS |
MOST TECHNOLOGY ADVANCED - Garmin Marq
The Garmin Marq has everything you could ask for. It comes with a detailed golf GPS app on the watch along with multiple other sports. It also acts as an everyday watch so you can make this your lifetime watch.
The Best Golf GPS 2022 – More Tips
- With technology increasing every day, some golf GPS devices include club tracking which allows you to track your club yardages and utilize Strokes Gained.
- Some golf GPS devices give an inside scoop when you’re playing a new course. Look for hole-by-hole mapping and visual layouts of potential hazards.
- Most golf GPS watches are water-resistant.
- Some golf GPS watches can double as a smart watch. They’re more expensive but they offer bonus features like step and fitness trackers as well as calendar apps, etc.
- Depending on the manufacturer, some devices can have a monthly or yearly subscription to update courses. Ensure you take that into account before purchasing.
BEST GOLF GPS 2022 - RESULTS
Product | Display | Features | Functionality | Accuracy | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Garmin Approach S62/CT10 Check Price | 1st | 2nd | 6th | 1st | 94.5 | |
Garmin Marq Golfer Check Price | 3rd | 1st | 14th | 1st | 94 | |
SkyCaddie SX550 Check Price | 1st | 10th | 1st | 1st | 93.5 | |
Voice Caddie T9 Check Price | 3rd | 2nd | 8th | 1st | 93.5 | |
Shot Scope V3 Check Price | 11th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 93 | |
Shot Scope H4 Check Price | 11th | 6th | 2nd | 1st | 92.5 | |
Garmin Approach S42 Check Price | 3rd | 10th | 6th | 1st | 92 | |
SkyCaddie SX400 Check Price | 3rd | 13th | 2nd | 1st | 92 | |
Voice Caddie A2 Check Price | 7th | 6th | 8th | 1st | 92 | |
Bushnell ION Edge Check Price | 16th | 4th | 8th | 1st | 91.5 | |
Garmin Approach G80 Check Price | 7th | 9th | 13th | 1st | 91.5 | |
Golf Buddy aim W10 Check Price | 7th | 10th | 8th | 1st | 91 | |
Sky Caddie LX5 Check Price | 7th | 6th | 14th | 1st | 90.5 | |
Shot Scope G3 Check Price | 11th | 14th | 2nd | 1st | 89 | |
Garmin Approach S12 Check Price | 11th | 14th | 8th | 1st | 88 | |
Bushnell Phantom 2 Check Price | 11th | 16th | 14th | 1st | 85 | |
Izzo Swami 6000 Check Price | 16th | 17th | 14th | 17th | 82 |
Why should I use a golf GPS device?
Q: Can golf watches fit both men and women?
A: Most watches have adjustable straps. If you have very small wrists, you can purchase separate straps.
Q: Why should I purchase a GPS unit rather than a rangefinder?
A: The deciding factor is often visuals. If you are a golfer who plays several different courses a year, you will encounter unfamiliar layouts. That’s where having a golf GPS with course layout displays is a huge benefit and arguably an advantage over rangefinders. GPS models also give yardages to the front, middle and back of greens as well as bunkers.
Q: Do golf watches have health features built in for everyday use??
A: Certain GPS watches do have built-in features that keep track of your health on a day-to-day basis. Such features include pedometer, heart rate monitor, calorie counter, distance walked and much more. Some watches can even fetch your text messages, phone calls and check the weather.
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I miss, I miss, I make
2 weeks agoHaving had both a GPS and now a laser I think I am pretty aware of the plus and minuses of both. I would certainly say that I could see why someone would prefer one over the other. I have opted for the laser. I have had it for years. It is an old Leupold GX-1. Certainly the newer ones have more bells and whistles. Mine measures yardage. Period. If a pin is open I can figure carry X yards short of the pin depending on club and other factors. If it is hidden behind a bunker measuring the bunker face is usually quite easy.. I think if you play a lot of cart path only golf the GPS is best. otherwise I like the laser. I live in an area with a lot of tall trees on courses. The wind where I am I know. The wind at the green???. No help there.. Since the GPS or laser doesn’t know what type of shot I am going to play. High, low, draw, fade. How can it calculate what the compensation is for wind. temperature or elevation change? How does it calculate if I am going to have a “flyer lie of the ball will come out dead? How does it know if I am on a slight uphill or downhill or ball above or below my feet. You wind up paying for features that are giving generic corrections and could be misleading at best or just plain wrong at worst. If you are serious and have the ability get your actual yardage and then work the rest out. If you can’t figure it that stupid box in your hand or on your wrist isn’t going to help.
Mike
1 week agoMy home track is a links course, so since I can see everything, a GPS provides no added value. Plus, I’ always struggled trying to read GPS wrist watches in bright sunlight.
I walk almost all around so carrying around my phone in terms of a GPS is just one more thing I have to play with. Been using an older Bushnell for years, the only upgrade I would make is to buy a new one with increased magnification & a slope feature.
Jonny
2 weeks agoAnyone know of any news regarding a new version of the Garmin G80? I’m assuming it’ll be called G82 or G90 perhaps. It’s been about 3 years since the G80 was released, surely a new upgraded one is due soon?
Alan
2 weeks agoTo answer Andrew’s question, yes SkyCaddie requires a subscription. Can be annual or multi-year discounts are available.
Also, yes the web interface is hideous at best. Thankfully we never have to use it anymore.
I use the SkyCaddie 400 and saw absolutely no value in getting the larger 500.. No additional features other than a larger footprint/screen. Can’t see why a larger screen at a 33% upcharge is the winner.
Buddie I play has a Garmin Approach (not sure which model). We have been off by 10 yards quite often. His Garmin is always wrong. Not kidding. He knows it and always verifies with my SkyCaddie when he can..
Mike
2 weeks agoWould love to see this applied to apps, Like GolfShot IMO the best app available.
Charles
2 weeks agoI agree. I’ve been using GolfShot since it was first released. I love the overview of the hole and the distances to traps, hazards and lay-up areas. I do use a range finder to exact yardage to pins but this app is the best. It will also pair with my apple watch if I want the numbers on my wrist. I would love for mygolfspy to review smartphone golf apps.
jeff
1 week agoAgree! I’ve been using GolfPad GPS on my phone going into my third season now. Pairs up wonderfully with my Samsung smart watch. I don’t have to purchase separate hardware when there is a software only solution. If the title of the article is “Best GPS”….why exclude a complete category of GPS…..the phone apps? Cell phones on the course are pretty ubiquitous now except at the most ostentatious of country clubs.
Robin
2 weeks agoI owned the VOICE CADDIE T9 not one golf course I have played has the green read ever worked.
I guess it only works at country clubs.
Not the kind of place’s I played , like muni.
Harry Nodwell
2 weeks agoI’ve tested it on both Country Clubs and Muni courses and it worked well
Sim
1 week agoYou need to use the paired smartphone app to make sure you download the most up to date course data before playing, otherwise functionality is limited.
Jasen campbell
2 weeks agoBeen using gps units for a few seasons and have sat around a 8 hcp. Added a range finder this year and have broken my hcp every time and even shot under par for the first time. It really makes a huge difference getting exact yardages. I use the gps still mostly off the tee and for layups. But for approach play the laser
Andrew the Great!
2 weeks agoOne more thought – I think it might’ve been more helpful if you did a review dedicated to wearables and a separate review dedicated to handhelds. It’s like the difference between a tablet and a laptop; some prefer the former, some the latter.
I personally prefer a handheld for on-course GPS (in part because I don’t wear my reading glasses, for obvious reasons, when I play, and so a wearable would be difficult to see, unlike a handheld). Granted, this is just anecdotal, but I think the sentiment holds up.
Thanks.
Harry Nodwell
2 weeks agoWe have made a call out for the best handheld device and the SkyCaddie SX500 won this category
Andrew the Great!
1 week agoYes, but we don’t know *how* it won that category, and against what. That is, we don’t know what characteristics you evaluated and which *other* devices were tested.
Maybe your most-important criteria are different from mine, in which case knowing *how* the SkyCaddie won, and who it beat, and *why* it beat them, is of far more value to us than simply a “Trust us, SkyCaddie is the way to go.”
We all have our unique needs and desires. Comprehensive testing *and* results is what would allow us to make informed decisions about which handheld suits *our* individual preferences best.
That’s why IMO there should be a separate comprehensive test of handhelds, and a separate comprehensive test of wearables, and even a separate comprehensive test of apps.
(For example, I’m currently evaluating alternatives to Dropbox. In my evaluations, I’m not looking for someone to tell me who I should switch to. I’m looking for information about the alternatives – characteristics, pros, cons, features, etc. – so that *I* can decide for myself, based on what’s more important to me, who to switch to. Similarly, it doesn’t help me to know simply *that* SkyCaddie won the handheld test. I need to know *why*, and against whom.)
Max R
6 days agoWhy isn’t software like Arccos considered as part of the GPS list? Doesn’t it have satellite GPS course-mapping?
JohnQ
2 weeks agoEvery casual golfer should carry a GPS device. Simple front/middle/back yardages would be enough for most. I’ve spent way too much of my golfing life watching people either pace off or try to guestimate their distances by glancing back and forth at a 150 stake. Often these are the same players who will say they’re not good enough to need the precision GPS. Get on with it then!
Ken Jones
2 weeks agoWhen they come out with a GPS enabled flagstick is when rangefinders will become obsolete. If watches and golf apps were able to pinpoint the flag, I’d get rid of my rangefinder.
joselo
2 weeks agoIm into my second year using the Garmin S62, it’s a very good watch. I have upgraded the strap to another Garmin option and though is expensive (100 USD I think) I’m very happy with the quality and it definitely makes the watch looks a lot better and is more comfy
I even changed the watch face to an omega look-a-like display and couldnt be happier, pre-loaded displays are boring and dated. I have played 3 rounds in one week without the need to re-charge that’s also good
Andrew the Great!
2 weeks agoCouple of observations.
Unless they’ve changed course (no pun intended), SkyCaddie devices require an annual pay subscription. I don’t see this mentioned above. IMO, it should be mentioned. I say this because unlike SkyCaddie, ShotScope doesn’t require a pay subscription. I used to use SkyCaddies. I think I went through 3 models over about 10-15 years. I now use ShotScope’s V3 (for shot tracking, not for GPS), and I haven’t looked back.
Also regarding SkyCaddie, their computer interface software is, or used to be when I used a SkyCaddie, maddeningly buggy and erratic. Very user-unfriendly, IMO. It’s part of the reason I went elsewhere for my GPS provider; I just got fed up with their buggy tech.
Second, IMO you should’ve also included the GolfLogix app in your review. It serves me well, when I need to understand what I can’t see in front of me. Otherwise, my Bushnell rangefinder does the job just fine.
With the GolfLogix app on my phone, I can also keep score and keep track of other stats and data without requiring yet another device to deal with on the course. And the app keeps my data seemingly in perpetuity (I just checked; my earliest score with GolfLogix is from October 2013, which is probably when I first downloaded the app). This is why I think it should’ve been part of this review.
Anyway, you do a great service with these reviews and I for one am grateful to you. Thank you.
Peter
2 weeks agoYou plan on doing a best of for smartphone gps/tracking apps? If so, please make sure to throw in the GolfPad GPS app. A lot of people already use an Apple or Android watch and don’t want to swap it out with a different gps wrist watch.
Isaac M
2 weeks agoI second second testing apps.. A lot of my friends use the grint, 18 birdies, etc. and would.love.to know if they are leaving any performance on the table by using them instead of dedicated golf GPS devices.
Jim L
2 weeks agoInteresting that all but one are equal in accuracy. I understand that they all use the same satellites, but do they all use the same course mappings? I don’t think so as I’ve contacted Shotscope to have holes re-mapped and they have. so mapping must be different by brand.
Also surprised that they were all equally sensitive/accurate in mapping your location. I have a couple of different devices that do provide slightly different numbers.
Andrew the Great!
2 weeks agoShotscope’s customer service is terrific, in that regard and in other ways as well. I’m very happy with them and with my V3. They do re-mapping within 24-48 hours of receiving the info.