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2021 GOLF GPS BUYER’S GUIDE
Do you prefer a golf GPS or a rangefinder? If you vote GPS, we’ve tested and broken down the best golf GPS models on the market.
Many golf GPS models do more than just provide distances to front, middle and back pin locations. Some are in watch form and come with fitness components to help you track your health.
If you’re not a watch fan, you can buy GPS devices that are hand held and provide the hole layout, green depth, slope, the list goes on.
The golf GPS has so many capabilities it might just make rangefinders obsolete.
WINNER – Garmin Approach S62
If you want a Golf GPS that will get you dialed in, go for the Garmin Approach S62. It’s easily accessible from your wrist providing multiple data points, including wind direction and playlike distance to ensure you get the right yardage. 41,000+ pre-loaded golf courses will keep you entertained for a lifetime. Once you’ve completed your round, you can keep track of your health on the same device. Throw in phone link capabilities and you have the undisputed winner of the 2021 Most Wanted Golf GPS Test.
- 1st in display
- 1st in features
- 5th in functionality
- 1st in accuracy
BEST HANDHELD GOLF GPS - SkyCaddie SX500
SkyCaddie's SX500 has top of the line visuals. The big color screen is easy to navigate through course maps and the club customization feature. A durable case and long battery life makes it one less thing to worry about.
FEATURES THAT MATTER
Display
Size and clarity are essential for providing the best possible overview of any hole. The best golf GPS devices of 2021 tend to have digital or LCD displays with touch-screen technology.
Golfers looking for the best display should consider the SkyCaddie SX500 or the Garmin S62 . Both provide clear and concise visuals that are easy to navigate.
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 providing strokes gained as well as GPS capabilities.
Functionality
The majority of golf GPS units today have 10,000+ 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 SX500 and Shot Scope V3.
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.
THE BEST GPS DEVICES 2021 - FEATURES
| Product | Courses | Lifestyle Tracking | Hole Mapping | Battery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bushnell ion 2 Check Price | 36,000+ | Y | APP | 12 HOURS |
 | Bushnell Phantom Check Price | 36,000+ | N | APP | 10 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 Check Price | 41,000+ | Y | Y | 20 HOURS |
 | Golf Buddy aim W10 Check Price | 40,000+ | Y | Y | 13 HOURS |
 | Izzo Swami 6000 Check Price | 30,000+ | N | N | 12 HOURS |
 | Shot Scope G3 Check Price | 35,000+ | N | APP | 10 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 SX500 Check Price | 35,000+ | N | Y | 14 HOURS |
BEST GOLF GPS WATCH - Garmin Approach S62
The Garmin Approach S62 has everything a golfer could need. 41,000 preloaded courses, 20 hour battery life, wind direction and "play-like" distances all contribute to the S62's top finish. It also offers smart watch capabilities and can link to your phone.
The Best Golf GPS 2021 – More Tips
- 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 smartwatch. 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.
How We Test
We're here to help you find the perfect golf GPS to fit your needs.
To do that, we employ a thorough and fully independent testing process that leaves no feature unexplored, no detail unchecked, and no stone unturned.
Our Metrics
Golf GPSs are tested head to head using rigorous protocols.
The metrics we consider when rating travel bags include Display, Features, Functionality, Accuracy.
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SEE MY RESULTS
THE BEST GPS DEVICES 2021 - RESULTS
| Product | Display | Features | Functionality | Accuracy | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Approach S62 Check Price | 1st | 1st | 5th | 1st | 94.5 |
| Shot Scope V3 Check Price | 8th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 92.5 |
| SkyCaddie SX500 Check Price | 1st | 8th | 1st | 1st | 92.5 |
| Garmin Approach S42 Check Price | 3rd | 6th | 5th | 1st | 92 |
| SkyCaddie SX400 Check Price | 3rd | 8th | 1st | 1st | 92 |
| Garmin Approach G80 Check Price | 5th | 5th | 7th | 1st | 91.5 |
| Bushnell ion 2 Check Price | 12th | 2nd | 7th | 1st | 91 |
| Golf Buddy aim W10 Check Price | 5th | 6th | 7th | 1st | 91 |
| Sky Caddie LX5 Check Price | 5th | 2nd | 12th | 1st | 90.5 |
| Shot Scope G3 Check Price | 8th | 10th | 1st | 1st | 89 |
| Garmin Approach S12 Check Price | 8th | 10th | 7th | 1st | 88 |
| Bushnell Phantom Check Price | 8th | 12th | 7th | 1st | 84.5 |
| Izzo Swami 6000 Check Price | 12th | 12th | 12th | 12th | 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.
Matt L
6 days agoI had been using a Garmin Vivoactive 3 for the last three years until the shot tracker stopped working. Garmin replaced it with a refurbished new one, but I decided to upgrade to the S62 in June. The features are amazing and the battery life is outstanding. The one thing that I would like to mention is that if you are using IOS, thus Garmin Express to update, I have found that the courses do not actually update. My playing partner also has been using Garmin wearables for a few years and after a yardage discrepancy between our devices where his was accurate he told me he uses Garmin Connect on his PC to update. After I installed that on my MacBook it was found that all the courses around the world needed updating. I haven’t called Garmin about it yet to find out if it was something I was doing wrong on the mobile Express app, but the app says the updates are automatic when connected and syncing. .Other than that it’s a pleasure using the device it’s great to look at the watch and see the fairway shape and all the other features. The only yardage issue have encountered was on our local Brambleton, VA course on a par three I played to the back of the green and shot the ball 12 yards over, but that was the exact yardage the watch gave me. (This was after updating the courses) So, that is the only thing about a GPS device I’ve found every once in a while a hole on a particular course may not be mapped to the correct yardage.
Matt L
50 seconds agoI just wanted to correct second to last sentence, that was supposed to be 12 feet, not 12 yards.
loweboy
2 months agoI have always gauged distance from eyeing it, or using the markers on the course. I just decided to get the Phantom 2 GPS. I see it is 8th on your list. It had good reviews on a different site. Hoping it arrives before Saturday so I can try it out.
Travis
4 months agoI have the Garmin Approach G80 and absolutely love it! Not only is it a great GPS device with every feature I personally want from a gps device, including slope adjustment and functional display for yardages to hazards, but also includes a built-in launch monitor that has really helped me dial in my yardages, especially with my wedges. It’s a little pricey but I don’t like wearing a watch when I play so those devices were immediately out for me and with the added functionality of the launch monitor, especially just after quarantine started last year, the versatility of the device for practice at home with the built-in games and virtual rounds was incredibly useful. Obviously it’s not a device for everyone but I couldn’t recommend it more highly and would definitely buy it again if presented with a chance at a “do over”.
Ryan S
3 months ago10000% agree. It’s been one of the best golf purchases I’ve ever made. Being able to get my numbers on the range or course and see the hole and have a “skycaddie” like device esp. for courses I’ve never played before in the same device is amazing. I don’t get how it ranks 5th in features here when it is the only device that has a built in launch monitor here. Obviously this is geared to the GPS side of things.. but having that duality for me has been amazing.
Abraham
4 months agoNot sure why anyone would buy this. I have the oldest version of an apple watch (prime day, $139). The Grint Apple watch app allows for all the same data but also the easiest way to keep your score, index and get a ton of useful data on your scoring.
Btw, I can also use it to track a run/split times and listen to music, podcasts, books, send/receive texts, check weather, make/receive calls, open/close the garage door, answer my doorbell, pay with my credit card, etc. etc. etc . . . for the price, it is the best watch out there.
Mike
4 months agoGuys, 500 bucks is “a little pricey”? Obviously you guys are in a different tax bracket than me. To get yardages? I couldn’t give a damn about fitness tracking.. I know, I know,”other people do”. Melissa fitness tracker can actually do the workout for me, what’s the point?
TigerArmy
4 months agoThere is one best way to measure the accuracy of GPS golf devices and it’s very easy to do aswell. Find the front of the green where the GPS shows 0 yds and look how far away that is from the real front of the green – there you have your accuracy. You can then set eg. a golf bag on that 0 yds point, go some 50/100/150/200/250 yds back on the fairway and use a laser rangefinder to shoot at the bag. Compare that measurement to what the golf gps is showing to the front of the green – there you have your accuracy. That is the way it should be done.
Frank Pipolo
4 months agoI have had the S62 for 5-6 months and I love it. Add the sensors to it and gives you some great stats. The virtual Caddie is really good. Highly recommend it
David Jr.
4 months agoI also have the S62 and have gone back and forth on the idea of getting the sensors. I would love to know how they are do you have many missed shots. I’m going back and forth between these and Arccos
Dave
4 months agoI have a Bushnell Neo and when you use it in conjunction with the Bushnell app on your phone it provides another level of functionality i.e. hole maps etc. Did you guys test it using that functionality? Very happy with it.
James Adams
4 months agoI do not have a golf gps. I do however have a rangefinder that gives me distance and slope. I feel that having both is fairly redundant and greatly unneeded. I have a hard enough time hitting the ball consistently without a watch on my wrist or another device to worry about forgetting in the cart. We all already take our phones with us and countless other gadgets. Is there a gps device that can replace the rangefinder and phone on top of being a golf gps device?
JD
4 months agoI have both. I don’t pull the laser out until I’m within a single shot range. But before that I just use the GPS to see what I would need to hit to leave me a good approach yardage. And sometimes you can’t see the flag.
cksurfdude
4 months agoJust an fyi, re: Golf Buddy aim W10 …
There *is* a companion app available (iOS and Android). Connect watch and phone via Bluetooth (turn BT On in Settings on watch).
Have not yet tried it out on-course…..
Jackie
4 months agoI have the SX500 and mount it in my cart and get 4rounds out of it. Easy to take with me when I hit the road. If you want a golf gps it’s the bomb.
Walter
4 months agoWell they all appear to have the same accuracy so it comes down to the features. I think the accuracy is the most important part of any GPS.
Jim
4 months agoI was always curious about their relative accuracy. Super interesting that 11 of 12 tied for accuracy.
TheTinDoor
4 months agoHelp me understand: why would anyone buy a GPS-only device over a ShotScope?
It’s not price (<$225 for ShotScope vs. $500 for Garmin or $190 for the Golf Buddy)
It's not GPS (as mentioned, they all use the same satellites)
They all give yardages to hazards
One automatically tracks all your shots, distances, clubs, and overall performance and let's you analyze all that for free (no subscription).
The rest… don't.
I guess if you want to count steps, it's worth the extra $300 for the Garmin?
What am I missing? Why would anyone buy a GPS watch without shot tracking integrated?
pieter
4 months agoI tried Shot Scope V3 last summer. On average it missed a shot on nearly every hole, so basically I had to keep track on what clubs I had hit on all the holes to correct the output afterwards.. It cost me sometimes more than half an hour afterwards to correct all the missing shots, which was very frustrating. I would only consider Shot Scope again, if they solve their performance issues.
Henry
4 months agoMy experience with shotscope was not missing shots, but adding shots. Till I realized the practce swings I was taking behind my playing partner while he played his shot got “interpreted” by Shotscope as me talking a shot. Then when I moved to my actual ball location and played, that was registered as a shot too. I have since learned to kepp practice swings in close proximity to my ball.
In short. I am very happy with Shotscope V3.
Brian
4 months agoGarmin has shot tracking integrated, but without their sensors you just have to input the club after each shot. And the analysis is lacking, but it does let you look at your shots on each hole after a round, and gives you club distances.
I think the big difference is of course the watch screen. The S62 has the hole layout, touch to measure any distance, plays like distances etc. It also doubles as a smart watch, though not one that really competes with an Apple watch for smart features. Still, there are a bunch of features in the non golf realm that shot scope doesnt have.
Not saying the shot scope isn’t insane value because it is. But just pointing out that there are more additional features on the Garmin other than step counting.
Scott
4 months agoHow do you feel or your thoughts on the Bushnell Wingman?
Harry Nodwell
4 months agoIts a good speaker. The GPS just comes from their app or product
Chris
4 months agoI’m interested to see how these dedicated solutions compare to App based solutions.
I’m already using Arccos and it has mapping/GPS functionality and Apple Watch integration that serves the same purpose in addition to all the great aspects of Arccos. Am I losing anything by not going to any of these dedicated solutions? Is it less accurate?
Harry Nodwell
4 months agoThat’s a good question. We are looking into the GPS app space to see how they compare to a GPS device. As of right now, I don’t have a definitive answer for you
Peter
4 months agoWhen you look into GPS apps from phones, please keep “Golf Pad GPS” on the list. It’s the one I use and I think it’s fantastic. I actually liked the interface better than Arccos iPhone app.
brennan
4 months agoHow about a review of phone based golf GPS apps
Brian
4 months agoI’d like to see that as well. I ‘have a Garmin Approach S20 and a laser rangefinder with slope , but I’d like to see how a Golf GPS app on my smartphone would compare. I tried a couple apps a few years ago, but I expect they’ve progressed since then. I’d even put my old Android smartphone to use as a dedicated golf GPS if any of the apps are good enough.
MarkM
4 months agoYes Please!
Cannon Gies
3 months agoI would like to see this as well. Particularly how they interact with smart watch.
Richard
4 months agoI like the Garmin G80 better than the S62. Same functionality on a bigger screen, plus it has a built-in launch monitor,.
I like Garmin Z80 even better. Rangefinder with GPS. It shows the position of the pin on the green. No other device does this automatically.
Garrett
4 months agoHave the same one – totally love it. THAT should have been the true #1. I also have the Garmin 62 watch, but prefer the bigger screen and less weight on my body
Matt M
4 months agoHow does Arccos perform as a GPS unit?
Lloyd Davis
4 months agoI just played, for the first time, with my new Approach S62 and it’s amazing. After the first round, I can see the benefits of the Virtual Caddy feature (doesn’t make recommendations un til you’ve played five rounds), and the accuracy was equal to the Sky Caddie 500 another m ember of the foursome was using. Glad that you’ve “confirmed” my selection. It’s a huge step forward from the S60 I had been using.
TenBuck
4 months agoNice test on GPS units. Just curious, when looking at the accuracy, every one was rated 1st except for the Izzo which was rated 12th. What was the criteria for accuracy and just how far was the Izzo off. from “first” place?
Bobby
4 months agoWould really like the SX500/400 IF they had slope adjustment capability…like the Garmins.
Johnny
4 months agoNice review, but I feel like we need to see some comparison to smartphone / smart watch combo’s here as well, since quite a few of us already own these. Just load up some software, subscribe is necessary, and carry on, yes,..??
Willus
4 months agoSky caddy gigs you for an annual subscription. $30 to $60 depending if you travel. That alone should be reason for disqualification.
Patrick Reed
4 months agoThe word disqualification hits a little too close to home.
Charles
4 months agoS62, 100% agree. I don’t have to switch between watches now when I go play and with the CT-10 trackers on each club course stats are a no-brainer. No one ever mentions finding your ball with GPS trackers and some trackers don’t have the feature that gives you shot yardage in real-time. The S62 does. So if you know your club distances you can now go to those yardages and start looking. Is this all quite pricy? Yes, but it works so depending on how much you spend on golf to have “fun” this will defiantly weigh into whether or not you buy the S62. I’ve had the GameGolf tracking system and I was on the beta for their latest “Pro” version. And while I liked the web/phone interface more than Garmin Connect the glitches and misreads or no reads at all were infuriating. Golf is hard enough without technology making it that much harder. So I bought Garmin. It’s not flawless but it never makes me angry on course and that’s a big plus.
mark
4 months agoYou’ve compared range finders, and GPS units. Have you ever done any research (comparisons) on phone GPS apps?
Harry Nodwell
4 months agoIt is in the works and we’re looking into it
Brian
4 months agoExcellent!
Deacon Blues
4 months agoGlad to hear it, Harry! Over the last several years I’ve used GolfLogix, TheGrint, 18Birdies, and (most recently) Arccos Caddie for their GPS and other features. I look forward to your review of those and other GPS apps.
Kevin
4 months agoSHOT SCOPE V3 always goes head to head vs Arccos caddie system. Slightly surprised to see Arccos not in this category but also can see how it’s stands in its own category.
Dan
4 months agoYou should do an article on GPS Apps for those who use their existing smart watches and smart phones on the course.