2017 GOLF GPS BUYER’S GUIDE

The days of your GPS providing just the distance to the center of the green are over. Modern GPS’s give distances to all kinds of targets. Many are stylish enough to be worn as an everyday wristwatch. Some even include activity monitors for those interested in tracking their fitness.

The process of buying anything in today’s time has become stressful and time-consuming. We feel the best reviews are those that help you make the right choices and help you get the most out of your time and money. This way you can buy with confidence and eliminate a lot of the guesswork. We are here to help show you how a product will perform before you buy.

One key to our testing protocols is that we test products head-to-head. We select the top products from each category and put them through extensive and detailed head-to-head testing. We test both in the lab and in the field. We score each product across a range of weighted categories. We then rank the products, explain why products finished where they did, and give awards to the best-performing products in the category.

The majority of scoring centered around the features of the GPS’s as most submissions did the same basic things.  We also considered the ease of use and accuracy of the GPS’s. The display screen was included in the scoring because some displays were significantly clearer than others.

THE METRICS

We’re always fine-tuning the process to make sure we’re collecting the best data possible. Continuing that trend we’ve updated and refined this year’s analysis to bring you the best buying advice possible.

FEATURES CHART

Name	COST	COURSES	GAME TRACKING	ACTIVITY TRACKING	HOLE MAPPING	FEE	BATTERY
GARMIN APPROACH S60	$399.99	40,000+	Y	Y	Y	None	10 hours
BUSHNELL EXCEL	$259.99	35,000+	Y	Y	N	None	14 hours
GARMIN APPROACH G30	$249.99	40,000+	Y	Y	Y	None	15 hours
SKY CADDIE LINX GT	$299.99	35,000+	Y	N	Y	$49.95	14 hours
SKY CADDIE TOUCH	$229.99	35,000+	Y	N	Y	$49.95	12 hours
GOLF BUDDY WTX	$189.99	38,000+	Y	Y	Y	None	8 hours
TOMTOM GOLFER 2	$139.00	40,000+	Y	Y	Y	None	11 hours
BUSHNELL NEO ION	$144.27	35,000+	Y	Y*	N	None	12 hours
GOLF BUDDY WT6	$129.99	38,000+	Y	N	N	None	9 hours
IZZO SWAMI 5000 GOLF GPS	$149.95	30,000+	N	N	Y	None	12 hours
IZZO SWAMI GT	$148.97	30,000+	Y	N	N	None	9 hours
CALLAWAY GPSY	$209.99	30,000+	Y	Y	N	None	10 hours
TLINK	$99	40,000+	Y	Y	Y*	None	20+ hours
PRECISION PRO GPS BAND	$129.99	35,000+	Y	Y	N	None	8 hours
IZZO SWAMI SPORT	$59.98	30,000+	N	N	N	None	9 hours

 

We put in hours of testing leveraging data-driven protocols and new metrics. The metrics and attention to detail are better than ever.

For GPS testing we went to a golf course and used a Bushnell Tour V4 laser rangefinder to find the distance to the center of the green. We then compared the readings provided by the GPS to those provided by the laser. Testers were then asked questions regarding the reliability of the course mapping features. We found that effective course mapping was more important than precise distances, though both were considered in scoring.

In addition to the common features, we considered, testers were also asked to look through the feature list offered by each of the GPS tested. They were free to test out any features they found interesting. We then asked specifically worded questions regarding the functionality, features, and display of the GPS’s.

Display (20 points) – How clear is the picture on the screen? Is the display intuitive or is it cluttered and confusing? The best performers in terms of display screen rival the clarity of an Apple Watch. The worst GPS’s had displays that were little more than numbers on a screen.

Features (45 points) – All GPS’s give distances to targets, but not all of them include pedometers, heart rate monitors, TruSwing, or the ability to make calls. These additional features can take the golf GPS experience to the next level. Poor performers in this category were effective at little more than providing distances. The best GPS’s in terms of features did literally more than you can imagine.

Functionality (20 points) – The majority of GPS’s on the market today have auto course recognition. This means that as soon as you hit play on the GPS the machine attempts to find the satellite necessary to provide distances. Because this feature exists for the majority of products on the market, those GPS’s that require you to download courses are simply not as user-friendly. Some submissions were also designed in a way that made operation a breeze. Top performers tended to stand out due to the organization of the screen and the functionality of the GPS as a whole.

Accuracy (15 points) – How accurate are the numbers the GPS provides compared to those provided by the Bushnell V4 laser rangefinder? We saw little difference in the distances the GPS’s provided. On the other hand, the more distances per hole the GPS provides the better frame of reference the golfer has. The more the player knows about the hole he’s playing, the better he will perform.

Final grades were awarded based on total scores. Best Overall is our highest overall scoring GPS, and awards are given to the top three submissions. Also, more specific Best in Class recognitions are awarded to GPS’s in certain categories (like accuracy, display, and features ) that push the industry’s design envelope.

We also give an “Editor’s Choice” and a “Best Buy” award to those products that provide value products that compete with the bigger names on performance.

THE BEST GOLF GPS’S OF 2017

2017 GPS BUYERS GUIDE

Name	COST	DISPLAY	FEATURES	FUNCTIONALITY	ACCURACY	SCORE
GARMIN APPROACH S60	$399.99	1ST	1ST	1ST	1st	95.5
BUSHNELL EXCEL	$259.99	2ND	2ND	3rd	3rd	92.25
GARMIN APPROACH G30	$249.99	3RD	3RD	1ST	2nd	91.75
SKY CADDIE LINX GT	$299.99	4TH	4TH	11th	4th	90.5
SKY CADDIE TOUCH	$229.99	4th	5TH	11th	6th	89.5
GOLF BUDDY WTX	$189.99	6th	5TH	5th	5th	88.75
TOMTOM GOLFER 2	$139.00	7TH	7TH	7th	8th	87.5
BUSHNELL NEO ION	$144.27	10TH	13TH	3rd	7th	86
GOLF BUDDY WT6	$129.99	8TH	10TH	5th	9th	85.5
IZZO SWAMI 5000 GOLF GPS	$149.95	12TH	9TH	13TH	13th	78.5
IZZO SWAMI GT	$148.97	8TH	8TH	13TH	13th	78.25
CALLAWAY GPSY	$209.99	11TH	12TH	8th	10th	77
TLINK	$99.00	15TH	11TH	9th	12th	74.5
PRECISION PRO	$129.99	14TH	14TH	10th	11th	73.75
IZZO SWAMI SPORT	$59.98	12TH	15TH	13TH	13th	72.5