In our recent golf GPS tests, we also looked at the top golf watches on the market. A golf watch is incredibly convenient, giving you quick access to essential course data right on your wrist. But keep in mind that not all golf watches are created equal—some offer features that can make a real difference in your game. Here are some of the best choices if you prefer a watch over a handheld GPS.
Garmin Approach S70 (Best Overall)
Who Is It For?
✅ Golfers who play a lot of golf: For avid golfers who love a ton of information, the Garmin Approach S70 provides everything from wind speed to club distances and more.
✅ Players who want a watch for on and off the course. The Approach S70 works on and off the course for monitoring health and fitness or listening to music.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ You are on a tight budget: Priced at $649.99, this is one of the more expensive golf watches.
Why Buy
The Garmin Approach S70 is the best overall golf watch of 2024. Our testers loved the number of features and the fact that it can be worn everywhere. The only issue you will run into with the Approach S70 is the price. The good news is it can keep up with the latest smartwatches so that helps soften the blow on the $649 price.
Score: 9.9
Editor’s Choice: Voice Caddie T11 Pro
Who Is It For?
✅ Players who need help with tempo. The Voice Caddie T11 Pro helps players practice their swing tempo.
✅ Anyone looking for help with their putting. The T11 Pro has a “Smart Putt View” function that helps with green reading, especially for longer putts.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ Golfers who need a watch for on- and off-course use: The off-course functionality of the T11 is limited compared to others like the Approach S70.
Why Buy
The Voice Caddie T11 Pro is a great golf watch. It’s not necessarily going to work well for both on- and off-course use but while you are playing, the features and functionality are designed to save you strokes. Testers loved the brightness and clarity of the screen, even if it is a little small compared to other GPS watches. When you install the MyVoiceCaddie app, you will also get wind speed and direction as well as club recommendations while on the course.
Score: 9.7
Editor’s Choice: GOLFBUDDY aim W12
Who Is It For?
✅ Golfers who play hilly courses. If you play hilly courses and have trouble judging distances because of the elevation changes, the slope functionality on the GOLFBUDDY aim W2 will help.
✅ Anyone looking for a clear display. The large, bright display is easy to read.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ Anyone looking for precise touchscreen capability: The GOLFBUDDY aim W12 has a small face so it’s difficult if you have large fingertips and can’t pinpoint the exact location on the screen.
Why Buy
The GOLFBUDDY aim W12 is packed with features that make it a fun and useful golf watch. Another great benefit of this is the mid-level price point. It’s a very accurate golf watch with a 10-hour battery life. If you play in various conditions, the IPX7 waterproof rating will help ensure the watch gets through the round unharmed.
Score: 9.7
Bushnell ION Elite (Best Value)
Who Is It For?
✅ Players who don’t want to deal with rangefinders. If rangefinders annoy you but you still want accurate distances, the Bushnell ION Elite is a good choice.
✅ Golfers looking for better course management and strategy. The Bushnell ION Elite features technology like HoleView and Shot Planning to help implement strategy into your round.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ Golfers looking for exercise tracking and step features: The Bushnell ION has no pedometer feature.
Why Buy
Accuracy should always matter when choosing a golf watch. The Bushnell ION Elite is one of the most accurate golf GPS watches we tested. If you love your rangefinder but are tired of having to stop and shoot a yardage, the ION Elite is a great place to start. Its $199 price ensures that it fits most budgets. We loved the ION Elite for the serious golfer who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed with technology.
Score: 9.5
Other Top Golf Watches of 2024
These golf watches didn’t may our top four but still had good performance include:
- Voice Caddie A3 (9.3)
- Rad Golf Watch + (8.8)
- Shot Scope V5 (8.7)
What to look for in the best golf watch of 2024
Having a hard time deciding which one of these best golf watches could be a good fit for your game? Here are a few things we learned by testing 12 GPS devices this year.
A clear display matters
A golf watch can only get so big before it starts to interfere with play. If you have poor eyesight, make sure you look for a model with a clear display. Overall, we found handheld GPS devices to be best for those with serious vision issues. However, a golf watch can still work if it has a clear display like the GOLFBUDDY aim W12.
Not all watches have the same features
Every golf watch we tested had different functionalities. If you have your mind set on something like speed of information or automatic advancing to the next hole, look for that function before purchasing. Some watches are quick to acquire their GPS signal and get you a yardage while others take a while. Performance tracking is a key benefit for many players but sometimes it requires a subscription.
Fitness tracking is not always included
If you are just as invested in counting your steps as you are counting your strokes, you may want to double check the non-golf features of the watch before you purchase. While we thought every watch would at least track steps there are some that do not. While it’s nice to have technology that does it all, don’t turn down a great golf watch because it can’t track your exercise.
Accuracy should always be your main concern
A golf watch that tracks your steps and tells you what club to use is great but when it lacks accuracy for the simple yardages you need to reach your targets, it’s not worth purchasing. We noticed a big difference in the accuracy of yardage measurements from the best and worst golf watches of 2024. Overall accuracy from a golf GPS in ideal conditions is within three to five yards.
GPS Golf Watch vs. Golf GPS Devices
As part of our 2024 tech testing, we examined golf GPS devices and the GPS watch. In fact, we also tested the laser rangefinder. You’ll find that it’s possible to get accurate distances with any measuring device. Most of this comes down to personal preferences and additional features that matter to you.
The biggest reason golfers chose the golf watch over the GPS device was to have one less device with them on the course. Many were able to find a watch that also had exercise tracking in addition to GPS and shot tracking, so it made sense to wear the watch for a number of reasons.
Golfers who choose the GPS devices like the hole maps, larger display and the ability to preview golf courses a little easier.
More results
Don’t see the product you are looking for? Want to see how it stacked up against the competition? Find the full results of the Best Golf GPS of 2024 here: MyGolfSpy Best Golf GPS. If you think a golf rangefinder could be a better fit, take a look at our Best Golf Rangefinders of 2024 here: MyGolfSpy Best Golf Rangefinders.
Matt
2 months ago
The T11 Pro was a major disappointment. I am trying to sell mine after a month. I haven’t been on a course yet that it didn’t mess up on. Constantly has me on the wrong hole, has old course information. Or VC just doesn;t support the course while every other watch does. I’m the only one out of my group that constantly had a watch that was messing up. I bought the S3 rangefinder too and same issue, although at least the rangefinder part works great.
The Ion Elite is good, no frills. But the touchscreen is bad. And I find it very difficult if I’m at a place that has multiple 9-hole or 18-hole courses. The UI is not great. But the watch is fine at 99% of courses where its just a straight 18-hole course.