Best Golf GPS 2024

There are many things a golfer can do to get their scores down and maximize their ability. Improving particular areas of the game is an obvious way. If you hit more fairways that makes the game easier, while if you're putting is good that's going to get the ball in the hole more quickly. Other things can give you small gains that all go towards lower scoring. So having the best golf shoes or the best golf bag will make your round more comfortable and potentially lead to better scoring, but any golfer who is serious about improving their game and lowering their scores simply must invest in a DMD (distance measuring device).

These take many forms, including a golf rangefinder, watches or even a golf speaker with in-built GPS. There are various ways of getting the message across but the overall idea is the same across the board; to provide quick, accurate and easy-to-access yardages for your upcoming shot as well as hole information that can assist your strategy.

As mentioned, golf GPS devices can take many forms - be it a value golf watch or a handheld GPS that can also clip easily to your bag. So you have a range of options that come in at different price points so there is bound to be a model that suits your needs and budget. It depending on the level of information you require. The less information, the lower the price.

Every device will provide yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, but most golf GPS devices now provide so much more. Whether it's information on hazards or overhead maps of the hole which will often help determine your strategy, there are lots of ways GPS devices can help. Some will factor in slope and wind, while tracking your shots, making club suggestions and even showing you the undulations of the green you are approaching. Below, we've created a guide highlighting the leading options within the golf GPS sector, so you can pick the device that's right for your game.

The Quick List

Best Golf GPS

Best watch overall

The Garmin Approach S70 GPS watch is a spectacular piece of kit. What does it do that makes it so special? Honestly, it's probably easier to talk about what it can’t do than what it can. It can’t swing the club for you or sink putts, but it can pretty much do everything else.

As with all the best Garmin golf watches, it comes preloaded with more than 43,000 courses and, by simply pushing one button, you can go from an interchangeable watch face (which can show your last round on the bottom) to full-on golf mode. It's positively rammed with features but unlike many smartwatches on the market, the battery life is very impressive. We found it can hold its charge for up to 16 days in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours when using GPS, which is a lot.

There are far too many features to mention here so we would recommend checking out of our full Garmin Approach S70 Watch Review to see exactly what it can do, but as a general overview it will provide accurate yardages to greens and bunkers, keep your score and track shot distances. Some of the more advanced features include Pinpointer (a compass that shows where the green is on blind shots) and a Smart Caddie feature that will make club recommendations for each shot. Last but not least, we could easily swipe to see the weather forecast and even integrate that into our round as the watch will factor in wind and slope when giving distances.

• Read our full Garmin Approach S70 Watch Review

Best versatile watch

The best thing about the LX5 is the touchscreen, which is bright, crystal clear and easy to read in a variety of conditions, There are smaller screens out there and lighter watches (the LX5 weighs 65g) and to some, the LX5 maybe a little bulky, but we found it to be very comfortable to wear and it never impeded our swing.

Going back to the excellent touchscreen though, you can see clear front, middle and back yardages and all you need to do is then swipe in different directions in order to gain access to the hole map, hazards, score entry or to measure your shot distance. Arc lines also help improve strategy, while you can zoom in on the green and move the pin position for more precise distances.

It comes preloaded with over 35,000 courses, all of which have been ground-verified on foot. Based on our testing the LX5 is a very handy watch to have, because it's useful even post-round as while you play you can add statistics like fairways and greens hit, as well as putts taken. This can be synced after your round to the SkyGolf360 app for detailed analysis of how your round went and what areas you need to improve.

• Read our full Sky Caddie LX5 GPS Watch Review

Best GPS device overall

Another excellent offering from Garmin, the Approach G80 comes in at the premium end of the GPS spectrum but it's worth it because you are essentially getting two devices in one as the G80 doubles up as a portable launch monitor.

In terms of the GPS, you get the usual front, middle and back yardages of the green, but Garmin has taken that one step further with features such as Garmin’s PlaysLike Distance, which adjusts for slope on uphill or downhill shots to give you the real distance you need to hit your shot. This isn't tournament legal but can be easily turned off if necessary.

Another feature we liked is Green View, which allows you to zoom in on the green to get precise yardages according to wherever the pin is on the day. This only works if you can see the pin location, but it's still a very handy thing to have. Away from the course, there is also the free Garmin Golf app, which lets you compete, compare and connect with fellow golfers while also giving you statistics to assess how your game is progressing.

As mentioned already, the G80 can even double up as a launch monitor and has the ability to track club head speed, ball speed, smash factor, swing tempo and estimated distance making this an excellent option in the handheld market. Remarkably, all of this tech is packed into a slim device smaller than a smartphone that fits handily in your pocket.

• Read our full Garmin Approach G80 GPS Review

Most accurate GPS

The SX550 is one of the largest models on the list and features a 5.5” full HD color touch screen. It remains up to date thanks to an in-built WiFi which is used to download the latest information on more than 35,000 available courses.

All of these courses have been walked and mapped by one of SkyCaddie’s half a dozen or so trained course mappers. Using professional grade satellite equipment, SkyCaddie have personally walked every hole on every course loaded onto the SX550, mapping out the exact size of fairways, shapes of greens and distances to hazards. We find this to be hugely impressive and you can only admire that attention to detail.

In testing this was noticeable immediately, as when we loaded the device the range of information on offer gave us the clearest and most detailed picture of a golf course as we have seen on a GPS device. A feature we really liked in testing was the green view that will dynamically rotate to show full IntelliGreen Pro information from the golfer’s own angle of attack.

The SX550 could well be one of the best golf GPS devices ever made and unsurprisingly it features in our Editor's Choice awards. However, one thing to be wary of are the annual membership costs that apply after your first year.

• Read our full Sky Caddie SX550 GPS Review

Best speaker overall

This Bushnell Wingman View is a fantastic product and is perfect for the golfer that likes to play music out on the course and who doesn't want to wear a GPS watch or faff around with a laser. It combines all the power of a Bluetooth speaker with Bushnell's market-leading GPS and is an ideal companion if you're riding a buggy or even pushing a trolley.

In testing we noted that the sound quality carries really well on the golf course. The bass certainly has plenty of depth to it and every member of your four-ball will be able to enjoy the music on tee boxes and around greens.

The built-in GPS is visible from the LCD screen built into the side of the speaker, and it gets all of its data from the free Bushnell app. When linked to the speaker, the app effectively casts all the information from your phone to the speaker, so maybe you would want sports commentary or a podcast rather than music? Whatever you play through your phone will come through the speakers.

A nice bonus is that the speaker comes with a small detachable remote in the top of the device that allows you to control the device from afar. This is a superb addition and is especially useful when you have had to leave your buggy/cart to play your shot and need to higher the volume to check your distances.

For more of inspiration check out our guide on the best golf speakers as well.

• Read our full Bushnell Wingman View Speaker Review

Best battery life

Blue Tees is a brand that we really like. It is best known for producing some of the best budget golf rangefinders on the market, but The Player magnetic speaker is what we are interested in here. Our first impression when unboxing was very positive, as it has a premium look which we love. We also like that it has magnetic strip that allows the speaker to be attached to a cart during play. We found that this magnet holds up very well in terms of security during play.

The Player excels in terms of its range (100 feet) and sound quality, which we would place among the best in the golf speaker category. Throw in the fact that it is also waterproof, with an IPX7 rating, and has a battery life of over 12 hours, and we think that the The Player is an excellent and affordable option.

There are indoor and outdoor modes available to choose from, which shows that this speaker has great versatility and isn't just for use on the golf course. If we had to nitpick and come up with a negative then it would be the size, which is a touch on the larger side for this category. It isn't a deal breaker by any means but it does make the device difficult to store in a golf bag.

• Read our full Blue Tees The Player Magnetic Speaker Review

How we test the best golf GPS devices

At Golf Monthly we have a comprehensive testing procedure around all GPS devices, from watches to speakers. This obviously involves using different models out on the course, over a number of rounds and importantly in different conditions too because this gives us an idea on how particular models deal with sunlight, rain and wind. For products that can also be used for activities other than golf (such as smartwatches or speakers) we will test them away from the course to experience their full range of capabilities.

As our entire team are regular golfers, GPS devices usually get a thorough testing and often get compared to one another side by side to test for things like accuracy, waterproofing, durability and other features. That way we can give honest and insightful feedback to you, the reader. The final thing to stress in this section is that under no circumstances can a manufacturer buy a good review from us. Our testing team reviews golf equipment and makes its own opinion on how good or bad the product is, for information on how Golf Monthly tests its products, click here.

What to consider when buying a golf GPS device

Your routine

The best golf watches only require a quick glance so they are much quicker than taking a device out of its case, so weigh up if extra detail or less disruption is most important to you.

Your course

If your course has lots of doglegs, blind tee shots, or you play at other clubs in matches or socially, then you might want the extra information a GPS offers over a laser, although if you can afford it then having both is a useful option.

Type

As the list above shows, there are different types of GPS device to use and they all have positives and negatives affixed to them.

• GPS Watch - Simplicity and convenience are the key here. If you are the type of player who would rather have a quick glance at their wrist to know the yardage rather than using a larger GPS or laser, then a watch could be the way to go. GPS watches nowadays are a lot more compact, slim-lined and light making them ideal because they do not hamper the swing or distract in any way.
• Handhelds - The chief bonus here is the large screen which gives a lot more detail and the touch screen functionality will be familiar to most users because of modern phones. You get clear hazard information and overhead maps of the hole too which could guide your strategy and save you shots.
• Speakers - If you simply want numbers to front, middle and back and you don't care too much about having lots of in-depth information, then there is a lot to be said for having those numbers vocalised to you, so a GPS speaker can be a good choice.

Features

There is also a difference in device when it comes to features. Below is a list of some of the ones we consider to be useful to the GPS wearer.

• Clear and accurate distance information - this is a no brainer really but some models are more accurate and clear than others.
• Pre-loaded courses - there is some variation in how many courses are pre-loaded onto some models compared to others.
• Scorecard - rather than have to write down or log scores into an app, on some GPS devices you can mark your score down with ease.
• Stat tracking - particularly useful to those wanting to know more about their game and where they earn or give away shots.
• Green mapping and pin location - some devices give the user the ability to map the green and place the pin in the correct place. This often gives more information to the user on yardage and what club to hit.
• Waterproofing - a waterproof device is very important, especially if you play somewhere that gets a lot of rain
• Battery power - GPS devices normally need charging via a USB after two to four rounds, so consider which would be easiest for you on a week-to-week basis.

For more buying advice in the technological side of the game, check out our guides on the best golf launch monitors, best golf simulator, or best portable launch monitors.

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