How Much Device Do You Really Need?
Choosing a watch-based, or simple small voice GPS can be a daunting task? Do you need 25,000 Pre-loaded courses or should you go for a unit that offers 30,000? Are you willing to pay a bit more to get distances to hazards or are you content to know yardages to the front, back, and middle of the green? Do you want to use your GPS to keep score?
For such a small device, there sure is a lot to consider.
While the technology is similar, the differences are significant enough that you could find a compelling reason to choose one device over another (or several others).
We’re diving into the nuts and bolts of what matters in a GPS to help you determine which is the right unit for you. By the way…25,000 or 30,000 pre-loaded courses…it really doesn’t matter.
Constant Evolution
GPS technology has advanced rapidly over the last few years. We expect that trend is going to continue in a HUGE way over the next several years as an assortment of technologies are combined to enhance your on-course experience.
We’re not there yet. So for now, let’s focus on a few of the key features found in most watch and clip-on golf GPS units.
The most important things to consider in a GPS watch or voice unit are:
1. Distance to the green (Front, Center, Back)
2. Distances to Hazards
3. Ease of use
4. Battery life
Every golf GPS is going to tell you green distances and everything we reviewed for this guide offers plenty of battery life. Some do run a bit longer than others, but each device in this test will get you easily through one round, even if you play at Kevin Na’s pace.
All of these devices give you basic distances (front, middle, and back) too. More feature-rich models will give you distances to one or more hazards. Everything else (like a built in scorecard, for example) is a bonus. Whether those bonuses are worth the extra bucks is basically an individual decision.
Me, I’m a features guy. The more the better, but be aware, extra features don’t always improve the user experience.
Our Top Devices
For those looking to be on the cutting edge of tech with all the goodies, you’ll want to pick up the Garmin Approach S4. It offers a touch screen, iPhone bluetooth connectivity, and score tracking. Add to that its exceptional ease of use that lets you take it out of the box and straight onto the first tee, and quite frankly, it doesn’t get much better than this.
For those who will be satisfied with a basic feature set coupled with with great battery life and extreme precision, ESN’s newest release – the Titanium – WR72 Alpha fits the bill. An added bonus that may or may not matter to you, the WR72 Alpha even offers a standard interchangeable 20mm watch band.
Do you always play the same course every day of the year? Do you already know what club to hit off the tee, and just want to know your distances to the green? If you’re looking for that and a few fun tech features then you’ll love the simplicity of the Golf Buddy Voice. Yes, they have released an updated version, but for many, the upgrade to the “+” may not be worth the extra money. The two devices are near equals, but we won’t hold it against you go for the Golf Buddy Voice+.
We could stop writing right now and walk away confident that you would be happy with any of the above suggestions, but you’re an MGS reader, we know you want to know more. Read on to find out where the rest of the devices placed and see if a specific feature set might lead you in another direction.
Watch and Voice GPS Feature Comparison (click to enlarge)
The Breakdown
For grading, features need to be functional. The feature set should include the basics, and those should be intuitive and easy to use. Features that doesn’t work, or that don’t serve any practical purpose bring the grade down.
Battery life is on a scale of 12 hours as that is the max available in our lineup.
Ease of use is exactly as it sounds. Open the box, walk to the first tee; can you immediately start using the device? If not, does a simple read get you 100% of the way there?
A Closer Look at Our Top 3
- Good – This watch led the pack by levering technology to it’s fullest. The S4 offers bluetooth connectivity for texts, call alerts and emails. The unit is incredibly simple to use. The touch screen makes sense (touch firmly) and all of the features are useful, simple to navigate. The Garmin Approach S4 offers everything you could reasonably expect or want in a watch GPS.
- Bad – While we love the touch screen, it takes a bit of a firm touch. The white wrist band does soil easily, but so do white shirts right? We wish there were pre-loaded hazards.
- Notes – If you want the best tech available today, this is hands down the unit for you. We were able to open the box, charge the unit, and use 90% of the features on the course without ever reading the manual.
- Good – All of the basics are perfectly executed.
- Bad – Lacks the ability to keep track of score/strokes
- Notes – This unit received the most attention for it’s looks – i.e.: “I’d wear that as a normal watch. This no fuss GPS gets the job done and does so elegantly.
- Good – Offers the basics done right. Voice or no voice, the choice is yours.
- Bad – Accidental touching can have the unit speaking when you’d prefer it keep it’s electronic yap shut.
- Notes – Some will question why not the Voice+ here, but for a basics unit, this does enough and the Voice+ doesn’t do enough more.
The Rest of the Field
Which Device is Right for You?
Boiling down to the basics is the first step when shopping for a Golf GPS device. When shopping for smaller GPS devices you need to decide if you care about distances to hazards. You do? Congratulation, you’ve just cut the field in half.
From there, decide if you want a watch, a clip-on, or one that can be worn either way (We found wearing the watch to be ideal as distances are almost literally always at hand).
Our top three this year from Garmin, ESN and Golf Buddy break separate themselves from the pack because of their easy to use features that deliver on what they promise. While this year’s crop is unquestionably the best to date, there’s tremendous room for advancement in the category, and we’re expecting bigger and better things in the future.
Tom
4 years agoI am a due diligence type and am in that process b/4 shelling out dollars for golf gps. I was high on the Golf Buddy WT4 watch but not finding any positive reviews and you also did not recommend it? Also, you either did not test it or are not recommeding the Tom Tom watch? One more question: any thoughts on the Golf Buddy VS4 vs the Skycaddie Aire II?
I want to sincerely thank you for all of your objective efforts to compare these products. You are doing an excellent job and I really appreciate getting this info. Hard to get decent information anywhere that is objective. Looks like the ESN WR72 may be for me (after I hear back from you)??
GolfSpy Tim
3 years agoBe on the lookout for the 2015 guide coming out shortly, I think it will answer a lot of your questions for watches
TConom
4 years agoWas this review for wrist mounted GPS only? I use SkyCaddie and it is stellar. One of favorite features is ability to move the pin to location of actual pin on green…major feature at times. Of course other features but surprised it didn’t even place on the list.
Hugh G Finlayson
4 years agoI own a ‘shotmiser’ unit which I bought 12 months ago and now find the manufacture’s and their saes outlet’s no longer exist, this does no give me (or anyone who has also experienced this) much confidence in GPS, I see it as a very easy way to make quick money and very little thought given to the people who play golf
ParHunter
4 years agoWhy would it reduce your confidence in GPS? Just because a no-name manufacturer goes down? Your big ones in the Golf GPS market (Garmin, SkyCaddy and now TomTom) won’t be disappearing anytime soon.
Buckical
4 years agoTo NJB…I had similar problems with the NEO and contacted Bushnell. (I also had the 1500 rangefinder and had some problem with it.) HOWEVER…on both occasions after contacting Bushnell. they had me send units in (separate occasions). After trying to rectify the matter, they ended up giving me new units…. Both of which have worked very well, with no further problem. My question to you….Have you called them, and given them a chance to make things right? I have found Bushnell to be fantastic with their customer service, one of the most decent to deal with . You really should call them before anything else.
Doc
NJB
4 years agoI have a Bushnell Neo watch range finder. It has recharging problems, the time goes bad if I use it for a range finder, and worst of all the distances are anywhere from 5 to 15 yards off. I would throw it away except it cost so much. Do not buy this product. Bushnell makes a great laser range finder. Their watches are horrible. I would love to get my money back. But I know that won’t happen.
W. Scott
4 years agoI should add that I agree with ParHunter that having N/C/F is a basic requirement for a good golf GPS and I have always assumed my Garmin had it (based solely on my experience with it) but I am not positive I am correct since I play a course with relatively small greens and the S1 does not have lay-up numbers!
W. Scott
4 years agoI’ve had the S1 for over a year and it is a great basic golf GPS. You can get them refurbished on E-Bay for a bid of perhaps as little as $65. No lay-up distances. But it is loaded with courses, update free on line, easy to use and inexpensive. I have found the front, back, and middle distances a great help for a middle handicap golfer like myself. The other stuff seems like nice to have but not indispensable. Lay-up distances would be the only extra it would be very helpful to have for me.
Dana
4 years agoI need a watch with VERY large numerals due to my far-sightedness. Anyone have any recommendations for a watch that has BIG numbers, and easy to read. I hate to bring along cheater eyeglasses to read the watch.
Quaich
4 years agoI’ve been an avid supporter of skycaddie technology (My wife and I both had SGXs). Unfortunately your reviews miss out another VERY important piece of the puzzle – Customer Service. Skycaddie doesn’t have any. After 4 years, and six separate units, my wife has bought a Bushnell Neo XS, and I will do likewise when my service plan runs out (unless it breaks down again and they ask for yet another £90 to replace it).
ParHunter
4 years agoI am currently shopping for a GPS watch and remembered this article. I am a bit surprised to see that no where is it mentioned whether a watch is giving Front/Centre/Back (FCB) distances for fixed positions or whether they give Near/Centre/Far (NCF) position depending on where the golfer is. Can make a big difference for dog legs or when you approach the green from a different fairway. Let’s say you managed to be pin high but some 50 yards left of the centre of the green. A gps would give you something like 51/50/51 (as the fixed front and back positions are now roughly the same distance away then the centre). Basically the front/back becomes meaningless. A NCF GPS would give something like 40/50/60 yards.
From what I read elsewhere the Garmin watches have NCF while watches that use data from iGolf like the Bushnell Neo XS only have FCB.
Leonard
4 years agoI was glad to see GPS comparison but I do not know how you can do a comparison without testing/comparing Skycaddies’ Linx and Watch! I own a Garmin S3 and it is a very good product, but by not comparing the Skycaddie GPS watches in this article, you have done a very incomplete and unfair job, in my opinion. I have zero experience with the Linx or the Watch and would like to see a review on it though.
Paul P
4 years agoCan the ESN represntative confirm the situation with the WR72 Alpha? It seems that distibuters are suggesting that the launch has been delayed, again! Some of the distributers have said that they now wont be supplying the WR72 following these constant delays.
Montie G
4 years agoAny idea how the Garmin S6 compares to the S4?
Mbwa Kali Sana
4 years agoThe S 6 gives much more data ,outlay OF the hole ,hazards ,data on your swing etc..
I don’t think itvhas definite advantages :when you play and are at YOUR game ,all you want to know is the distance to the pin .
Kevin
4 years agoI am holding off until the Garmin Approach S6 watch. It not only will give you all the distance info you ever would need but it also has built in features that will help your swing tempo and speed. I can’t wait to see it live.
Paul P
5 years agoGreat comparision. I’m certainly a fan of the ESN WR72 based on your review and the spec features. I’m attracted by the style of the watch, golf GPS element and the Odometer (for running), it would probably replace my “everyday” watch.
Although I haven’t heard from any user who has had the pleasure of owning one yet!
When are they due to be sold in the UK? I have asked ESN directly, but not had a response as yet.
BobG
5 years agoThis is Garmin’s reply to course updates: “Garmin releases free, quarterly golf course mapping updates. When a mapping error report is made, Garmin cannot provide a definitive time frame as to if or when a particular golf course will be updated in our mapping.”
BobG
5 years agoThis is iGolf’s reply to how they update courses: “Our mapping team uses several different resources to update the information in our database. If you would like a course updated please send us the Name and Location of the course so that our mapping team can attempt to update it.”
Josh
5 years agoI am a representative of ESN. iGolf is our course mapping provider, and in most cases, course remap requests are completed in 7-14 days.
BobG
5 years agoJosh, this is good information. Just to clarify, are you saying that iGolf will actually walk a golf course in order to update their database? OR are you saying that if the iGolf map is in error because it does not agree with the current satellite image they will correct their map within 14 days? There is a big difference. Thanks for taking the time to post.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoBobG
Most of the companies source their mapping through other companies, ie: ESN doesn’t create that data, they basically subscribe to a database provider who is larger and does it for multiple companies.
But agreed, it’s great to have courses updated as quickly as possible and some are quicker than others. Unfortunately, that’s a tough thing to track for every course from our end
BobG
5 years agoI do know that Golf Buddy and Sky Caddie are two companies that do not solely rely on satellites for mapping. Sky Caddie claims to walk/map 100% and Golf Buddy will walk/verify and walk/update if satellite images are not current. SInce you ranked Garmin as #1 I would be most interested to see how they handle course changes. If they wait for satellite images to update that can take up to 2 years or more. If you look at Google Maps for Poppy Hills the satellite images are all over the place depending on your zoom level. Thanks for all the great articles!
Qwagmire
4 years agothis is way late, came here after the handheld ratings in Jan 2015, but my SkyCaddie watch (the regular one, not the new one), is no more accurate than the Garmin S3.
Several Days battery life as a watch, MAYBE 5 hours as a GPS. If I have a slow round, it will not make 18 holes, and it’s been like that since day 1. I bought it when they originally released it.
BobG
5 years agoOK, one thing you may have overlooked is how quickly can a brand react to a course change or update. For example, I play at least two courses that have undergone major renovations in the last two years. The latest being Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach CA. Golf Buddy has those course remapped within a month. How quickly can a company like Garmin or ESN react, especially if they are not a pure golf gps company? Nothing would be worse than shelling out a bit of coin and then having incorrect info.
Dan
5 years agoThanks for the review! I’m very interested in one of those watches, but the cost may be a problem for now, and I need to play with a regular watch for a bit to see how it feels before committing. Some folks I know don’t wear it as a watch, but hook it to their bag or something. I suppose that could work, though it takes a little of the convenience factor out of the equation and that’s a big reason to use these.
One other thing. I know a lot of people hate the idea of people checking their email or texts, etc. on the golf course. I don’t want people doing that either. But the truth is, for me at least, if I am away from the family for four or five hours or more, I want them to be able to contact me quickly and easily in case of an emergency. Moreover, I don’t want to have to keep checking the phone in my bag. I don’t care about emails or random texts and calls, but knowing right away if my wife or kids are calling or texting is something I would be interested in. I need to go find out more about the type of notification used (vibration, sound, etc.) and whether I can turn off the email notification via the watch or by just turning off email notifications on my phone (which are off already).
Anyways, thanks again! Great site.
BobG
5 years agoTake a look at a Pebble Watch and purchase the golf app. Not as sophisticated as the ones reviewed here when it comes to golf but provides distances and allows you to view txts and incoming call data on your wrist,
Dan
5 years agoThanks BobG! I’ll check that out.
jeff
5 years agoguess i will stay with my golf buddy platinum for another year. reading comments on other sites and this site, watch gps is at least another year before being the way to go
Michael L.
5 years agoI’m surprised the VC300 has a battery life rating as some what good. I have one and I think it’s battery life is pathetic. It only lasts maybe 30 holes which is very disappointing to me. It would really be great if it lasted at least 54 holes.
Gallus Golf
5 years agoIf you are enjoying with other golfers you must always keep in mind that you are actively playing towards the golf program and not in opposition to your enjoying companions, unless of course it is match engage in. To be in game you just not only need a good game skill but the technology, which keep you ahead with your competitors. GPS apps or score checker app are only of those, by which you can be ahead.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoGreat use of the English language in garnering “nofollow” links
Aussie Golfer
5 years agoReally surprised that MGS hasn’t included the SureShot range of GPS devices in this comparison. Far & away the market leader in Australia & a global pioneer with this technology.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agowish we’d of been aware of them – will definitely try and include them in the next lineup!
thanks for paying attention and the heads up
CP3
5 years agoThank you for your prompt answer.
MoneyBall44
5 years agoUnless I’m not using it correctly, how does the Garmin S4 show 4 hazards? I can only get it to tell me layups & dogleg distances whereas the Bushnell will tell me bunkers, water, etc…???
Peter
5 years agoWhat about any of the SkyCaddie watches?
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoWe’re with you, wish we’d of been able to see those in the lineup
Ping45 (buckical)
5 years agoI’m sure you guys have touched all the bases with your normal good and complete review, but I find it hard to believe the Busnell wasn’t in the top 3. Guess Busnell’s spoiled me, as their service department alone puts them waaaay up to the top for me. I’ve had their 1500 rangefinder, which one time when I returned it due to what I felt was a somewhat minor problem, they sent me a brand new 1600 unit in return !! …Later I received the ns watch as a Christmas present, and upon having some problems with it, they replaced it with a new edition. The watch has many features, some I utilize every round, some I do not, but it works very well. Could not be happier with it and customer service is unbeatable.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoBy all means they make a great product, we didn’t bash them, but in our lineup, they weren’t the top product. They cover the basics really well, but don’t go beyond that.
In our brief experience with their customer service and several others, everyone had great support.
Nothing wrong with being brand loyal, especially if you’ve had a good experience – and if you’re satisfied with the important basics, you’re set. If you want more, there are options.
I’d definitely say there is nothing at all wrong with going the Bushnell route – for the price it’s tough to argue with.
Mbwa Kali Sana
5 years agoWhy make golf such a complicated game ?If you are a reasonably good player ,you don’t need to load your mind with so Much information .You can estimate distances reasonably Well ,or pace Off to make sure .Play by feel ,not mechanically .
That being said ,the GARMIN rangefinder is a veryuseful device .
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoFollowing your same line of reason, the GPS simplifies things…?
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoGood to hear! Are you able to get in 36 holes with it?
W. Scott
5 years agoI love my Garmin. I have an S2. No touch screen, so no touch screen problems. I have yet to find a course it does not have loaded, including nine hole courses.
I am sad that I have to send it back to Garmin to get a new battery when the one in it runs out, but it has been over a year and almost about 200 rounds and it has shown no sign of running out yet!
CP3
5 years agoHow does the Skycaddie watches compare. Any real advantage of accuracy, as they claim all the courses are mapped by walking the golf courses. Instead of just going by maps generated off of google maps?????
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoWe didn’t see any accuracy gains worth mentioning by any single product, and we didn’t see anything that was an outlier to the other end either.
Great that they map by walking – but doesn’t seem to offer an advantage we were able to note.
Ash
5 years agoSmall question : why have not you added the SkyPro watches and more especially the new Linx in your analysis?
It looks really good compared to the S4.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agounfortunately these were not submitted by the manufacturers 🙁 Definitely working hard to get everyone to submit as much as possible for comparison
info*
5 years agoSkyCaddie does not have the LINX or TOUCH ready for shipment yet… so I am guessing they would have liked the LINX to be in the review but did not have any physical inventory to supply.
Ted Feight
5 years agoI have a Golf Buddy, but after about half the season it started giving me wrong distance. I checked them with several other peoples GPS units. So I have given up on it.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoreally strange, probably worth seeing if they’d warranty it, even if it’s beyond the warranty period
Kerry
5 years agoI have used the std. golf buddy voice for over a year and love it. I can’t wear my bifocals while golfing as it bothers me so the voice is superb as all I have to do is touch the bill of my visor and it tells me how much to the center of the green.. If you need reading glasses but don’t wear them while golfing this is the ticket..
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agobrilliant insight, hadn’t even thought about not being able to wear glasses (though… does it affect seeing the ball? – if I play without my glasses, I have a tough time of things, but I’m near sighted)
Jon Silverberg
5 years agoOf course, everyone’s eyes and eye/brain connections are different, but, for me, I can’t wear multifocal glasses when I play, for the same reasons people have trouble descending stairs when they first wear multifocals. So I always wear my single focus (distance) glasses to see the ball clearly throughout stance and swing and to be able to follow it in the air as well. For this reason, reading something during the round is a bit of a chore, but I don’t have a problem seeing the yardage numbers on my Bushnell (original) Neo.
Warwick Weedon
5 years agoMy only problem with vision is that I lose sight of the ball after 300 yards.
BobG
5 years agoWas that 30 or 300? 🙂
DJB
5 years agoI agree, I wear bifocals normally but contact lenses for golf. With my contacts I can hardly read a scorecard, but I can easily read the numbers on my Garmin S3. The only thing I struggle with is choosing the course before the round. When there are multiple courses in range, the font for the course names is understandably very small. I just get one of my younger partners to help:)
Jeri Phillips
5 years agoBifocal contacts was the solution for me. I delayed for years thinking they would not be good for my golf game. No problem at all – AND I can see the scorecard and GPS.
Chris C
5 years agoA $100.00 difference in price is another reason perhaps consider the NeoXS as the #1 option.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoAbsolutely – unfortunately we can’t review based on price as “cheap” for one person is “out of budget” for another
Chris C
5 years agoThe charts would suggest that the #1 choice is the Neo XS based upon ease of use and battery life. Other reviews I have read rave about the battery life of the unit. I currently use a Garmin S1 and it has never lasted past 27 holes. I am awaiting delivery of a Neo XS. Long battery life, ease of use and 4 hazard info. Lack of a touch screen and slightly less functions are all pluses IMO. As an aside, does anyone have an opinion regarding the propensities of the units to accurately lock onto the correct 9 when golfing at courses having more than 18 holes. My Garmin is worthless when I have golfed at such facilities both in Wisconsin and Texas?
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoI hear you, the Neo XS is GREAT for someone who doesn’t want the extras. I personally would take the ESN in a heart beat over the Neo based on looks – but I can’t grade on looks cause ya’ll have different style than me.
You won’t be unhappy with the Xs if you think the looks fit your eye and you don’t want extra features.
As for units locking into the right holes – in all the testing we did, we didn’t have any units try and lock the wrong hole – even missing a drive into the wrong fairway didn’t make the units flinch, they kept tracking the hole until you had finished the hole.
Not sure, but it’s possible your Garmin is using less satellites than current units – the more sattelites, the more accurate
J C
5 years agoI have the Motorola Motactv which I was surprised to see was not in your test. It works very well, downloads the round over wifi, plots where you walked on a satellite image and bar graphs your score. My only issue is that the battery life is good for 1.5 rounds.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agowish they’d of sent us one but they said they were out of stock
tiger168
5 years agoPersonally, I love the Motorola MOTOACTV, it has everything the S4 had, and lots more, since more than 2 years ago. It had club distance tracking, Google map integration, a web based app, still running, BTW. track running, calorie burning, steps you took (if you are a walker or runner). Everything I see here are not very good “copies”… Did I mention iPod like music, phone integration via Bluetooth, it even comes with a beautiful headset, and other accessories, watch mount, clip mount, etc…
Then, Google bought it and killed it… now they tried to bring it back… sigh…
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoI’m with you on this, REALLY promising unit, and the direction most everything in the future will be headed – looking to write a piece about all of this soon – I was sad we couldn’t get a unit in for testing, hopefully later in the year or in the next lineup!
SMRT
5 years agoI have a friend that has the Garmin watch and loves it. I use a Golf Buddy Platinum and will not be changing. I have tried, but I cannot wear a watch whole playing. I also really like the full view of the hole from tee to green instead of just numbers.
The worst part about any of these is once you are used to them it is hard to play without them. I play mostly public courses and they rarely have the distances marked very well. Without the GPS I am not as confident which leads to indecision and poor mental execution.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoTotally with you, before using a gps or laser, I was darn well decent and estimating distances off of markers and other stuff – I’m soooo lazy now using gps that without it I’m WAY off
Leftienige
5 years agoI could name 1 or 2 people who wouldn’t TOUCH the ones with a built-in score counter .
Every weekend , every green , they walk off saying “well a 6 isn’t too bad” .
Then comes a discussion like “well I made you 4 going into the bunker , 2 to get out , then 2 putts”
After 9 holes they’ll be retiring with repetitive strain injury from pushing the shot-count button so often !
DJB
5 years agoI must admit as a boggie golfer, it would be good to be able to configure it to default to one over par rather than par. It would save me a lot of button pressing:) I guess I will just need to improve my game.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agobrilliant.
I know one of the manufacturers is working on a new way to keep score for their next revision.
but yeah, lookout for the guys who get creative.
Kenny B
5 years agoBy the pics you had them all on the bag or on your hat, but you made no mention of their accuracy. Your #1 most important things to consider is: Distance to the green (Front, Center, Back), so how did they compare? Were shown distances about the same? How accurate, compared to a rangefinder? Features are nice, but reasonable accuracy is more important.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoAccuracy is within 3 yards for all devices, some may claim to within 1 yard.
We found everything to have such similar “error” that nothing stood out/wasn’t within the realm of accuracy promised.
DJB
5 years agoI have used a Garmin G3 for about a year now and love it. It is just so quick and easy to use. I use it where I would not bother to go into a pocket to bring out a range finder.
The negatives that others bring up are true:
* Battery Life is only about 1.5 rounds
* Touch screen can be “finicky” but really only on the initial swipe to start the GPS.
Once through the initial swipe I find it works perfectly. Main reason for me posting is to offer a hint. I use a golf tee for the touch screen. I hear people complain about big fingers but a tee works really well. It helps generally and allows for very accurate pin positioning on the “green view”.
The other nice feature of the G3 and some but not all other devices is ability to measure the distance of a shot. I do not use it much but it is nice to measure that one big drive you made:)
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoI’m trying the tee trick during my next round! this is a GREAT idea
Rah
5 years agoHave the Garmin S1 think it’s time for the S 4 , don’t get me wrong , the S1 works great!!! But upgrades are always a plus …. Great review
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoYou won’t regret it
JoeD
5 years agoI carry my Android phone with me every where I go so it started serving my golf distance needs when I installed FreeCaddie. All the distances, including traps and hazards, an aerial view of the hole I am playing, last shot distance measurement, 24,000+ courses available for download at no cost, 4 person score card plus online storage and analysis tools. No monthly or annual fees, just a very low one time download fee. Also available for Apple products.
BTW, the GPS distance accuracy is a function of the number of GPS satellites that are “visible” to the device being used and the status of those satellites as determined by the US military. They are essential tools for all branches of the service and can be manipulated to affect all GPS device accuracy. If your device has a “GPS” viewable function, that may reveal the “accuracy of the day” for your game!
I am not affiliated in any way with the company, just a happy user that started with a HP PDA years ago.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoI’ve been a GolfShot devotee for some years now, but was surprised how much I liked using a watch vs needing to constantly grab my phone.
The phone apps are impressive though and I can’t wait to share the comparisons when those reviews are completed
Marc Kilgore
5 years agoI have the S3, and the bummer with that is I cannot play 36 holes with it – it lasts 27 holes. I’m wondering if the battery life has improved enough to get 2 rounds out of it. The other question I have is that with the S3, you have to MARK THE HAZARDS YOURSELF, which is pointless if you are playing a new course. The description isn’t clear – does the S4 come preloaded with hazards?
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoS4 should get you through 36 holes unless play is stupid slow.
And sadly, hazards not pre-loaded (can be marked yourself, but yeah…)
info*
5 years agoMarc – There are portable chargers on the market that are very affordable and will charge a GPS during or after your round. Basically you charge these things up at home and they hold enough juice to charge cell phones, GPS units, etc..
Paul Heitmeyer
5 years agoI have one of ESN’s earlier models, which required a laborious online connection and activation that required the assistance of their tech support. Glad to see that the new model doesn’t require that – i’m sure you would have noticed it. My model has 4 copper holes under the watch that connect via a matching pinned usb cable to charge – but the little holes fill with gunk like sunscreen and often don’t make a connection, requiring me to bust out th reading glasses and a needle and try to scrape them out. A pain. Does the ESN you reviewed have this configuration?
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoThe esn and pretty much all the watch style units have this kind of connection. In short term testing we had no problem with it, but can see how that could cause headache along term.
I think the form factor of adding a USB port to the side becomes difficult, but hopefully the future will hold better options (wireless charging perhaps)
Josh
5 years agoHi Tim.
Great article!
Just a quick comment: Adding a mini or micro-USB port to the watch would actually make it so the watch cannot be waterproof (submersion in water would ruin the internal components). Our charging design allows all of our watches to be waterproof.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoJosh – thanks for the feedback!! That’s a GREAT point
Josh
5 years agoHi Paul.
I am an ESN representative. On our first watch (the WR62) the charging contacts on the back of the watch were recessed slightly, and that is why they would become clogged (particularly with sunblock containing zinc oxide). We corrected the design on our WR67 watches by making the contacts flush with the case and by adding guide pins to ensure proper alignment. This eliminated the need to clean the contact area on the watches. We use the same updated WR67 clip & contact designs for the WR72 Alpha watches.
Jeff
5 years agoLooks Great but I really think you should have included the motoActv. I know it’s discontinued but you can find them for steals online still. And it works awesome.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoYeah, tried hard to get it in the mix but Motorola did t have any stock for us sadly
Bill
5 years agoWas very disappointed when Moto gave up on the initial motoActiv. Best feature set of any watch by far. I hope they reboot their efforts.
I’ll be interested in hearing what the new Garmin owners come away with. They may love it but it reminds me of the glowing initial reviews of refrigerators with built in televisions. To date, I’ve never seen one in a house.
Features are great, useful features will sell. I used cell phone apps for a couple years and while the color was great and being able to touch a spot on the graphic to figure yardage to your desired landing area was useful, the execution was maddening. Battery drain rarely lasted a whole round. The screen would reset back to the main screen from time to time and would take forever to find the satellite again. I gave up on them.
The watch is quick, accurate, simple to operate and battery life is superior.
I agree with Tim. There’s going to be a lot of growth in this part of the business. Which features stick around will be interesting.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoI think where the motoActiv was heading is very telling of where every company will need to go in the very near future. Sure, there will be some simpler options for those who want the basics, but tech is colliding in crazy ways and integrations are becoming more seamless.
The Garmin is a solid device and is aimed at the tech savy/tech lovers – definitely not for everyone, but for features everything there is useful, no fluff stuff.
Amazing how accurate everything out there is – depending on attenna/configurations we’re looking at 3 meters for some, and 1 meter for others.
Can’t wait to see where we’re at in two years!
Michael Smith
5 years agoThis is great! I wasn’t even aware some of these existed. I would love to see a shoot out between iPhone GPS apps too.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoIphone and hand held shoutout coming soon!! Can’t wait to share that
blstrong (SeeRed)
5 years agoThe WR72 has me thinking I might be able to get over the fact that I don’t like wearing something on my wrist during play. Thanks for providing more great info.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoYeah, best looking piece for sure
Bill
5 years agoGlad you did a GPS comparison. Nothing beats having the GPS on your wrist for instant, accurate yardages. Rangefinders are great for distances but I prefer the immediacy of having what I need at glance. I spend enough time off the fairway where having distances immediately available on my wrist when there’s no yardage markers close that it’s a huge time saver and makes me confident in my club selection.
I recently looked at what was on the market and came away with a little different take. It depends on what’s important to you. I have no need for texts on my GPS, I have my phone (on vibrate) if I HAVE to allow distractions or need to call someone. I desired a device that would give accurate yardages and measure hazards. Most importantly, I didn’t want to constantly monitor battery strength. I also wanted the basics to be simple and intuitive.
The Bushnell Neo XS is what I ended up coming up with. The switch to a round face makes it much more wearable on and off course. It no longer looks like a cheap 80’s digital.
The tee time feature allows me to enter my next tee time on the watch and 7 minutes prior it automatically finds the course and is ready to go at the first tee with no intervention. Nice little feature.
You can complete the course without ever hitting a button at that point if you only need front back and center yardages. Hazard yardages require a button touch but it’s straightforward.
There’s other features I haven’t utilized like individual shots taken yardage. But one I have used and enjoyed is the time elapsed for the round and the odometer (since I often walk).
I’ve used it for two rounds and am pretty comfortable with the features I will be using and can access them quickly.
The other huge plus is the best battery life of the bunch. I played two rounds a week apart without charging in between and still had a full bar of battery strength left. Bushnell says three rounds between charges and I’ll say it’s easily two and could probably squeak three rounds out of it.
The charging device is simple and I plug one end into a USB port on my computer. The contact with the watch is guided by pins that assure a firm contact.
The only drawback is that when I was wearing a jacket and long sleeves I bumped the button twice during a round and had to hit the button again to retrieve the hole I was on. Only took a second (still less time than picking up a rangefinder and sighting).
If the touchscreen is for you, maybe the Garmin is better suited. But for the feature set, the ease of use and saving $100, I am very pleased with the Bushnell.
GolfSpy Tim
5 years agoDefinitely nothing wrong with the Bushnell, it’s an extremely solid runner up
Dolo
4 years agomy friend has a garmin and when you are far from the hole, it just says something not clever like you are still too far away blah blah… i would rather know the yardage – no matter how far…no jokes needed. does the Bushnell Neo XS give accurate distances – no matter how far?
GolfSpy Tim
4 years agoDolo – that’s really strange.
All of the Garmin devices we’ve tested have given actual yardages (unless we’re talking you’re a mile from the hole….)