7 Useful Golf Watches That Will Help Improve Your Game

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'TWAS NOT that long ago when expensive, clunky handheld readers were the only way to get a GPS reading of a golf course. Now, thanks to the advancement in golf watches, you can have a GPS system on your wrist that not only gives you a lay of the land but also tells you everything from the wind speed to your swing path. Pretty sweet, right?

The downside to shopping for golf watches is there are tons of duds floating around. Lucky for you, the editors and writers of Men's Health have put together this guide to help you make an educated decision on the golf watch that will best benefit your style of play.

How Much Should I Spend on a Golf Watch?

Price is everything when shopping for a golf watch. Expect to pay around $100-$150 for a quality golf watch that provides basic features—think distance reading, course mapping, and scorekeeping. For high-tech watches that are loaded with features like shot tracking and virtual caddies, you'll likely pay anywhere between $200-$500. Any golf watch over $500 usually starts taking into account everyday smartwatch wear, and by that, we mean golf watches that only function as fitness watches and casual watches.

No matter what you want to spend, there's a golf watch out there made for your specific style of play. Some people want all of the data they can get, while others simply want to keep score or make sure they aren't going to send a ball into a sand trap. Keep scrolling to learn about each watch below and snag the one that speaks to you the most.

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Approach S70

Thinner and lighter than its top-selling predecessor, the Garmin Approach S62, the Garmin Approach S70 is the latest and greatest golf watch all players should to when shopping for the best golf watch. From a looks standpoint, the S70 is by far the most stylish golf watch we've seen in years. Usually golf watches are a little behind on design, but for us, this is one of the first premium-priced golf watches that actually looks like a top-of-the-line smartwatch.

The S70 is outfitted with a new AMLED touchscreen that's much more colorful and vibrant than the Approach S62's touchscreen, which makes it easier to see the greens (and bunkers) that lie ahead. The S70 screen is also a tad bit bigger (1.4 inches across vs. 1.3 inches on the S62), allowing you less of the need to squint when reading the watch. As for battery life, the S70 has an upgraded 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode compared to the S62's 14 days.

Garmin wouldn't release a new Approach without updating its golf features too. The Approach S70 comes with an improved virtual caddie, which will take into account factors like wind, elevation, swing data, and the club you use and give your personal recommendations on how to play any of the preloaded 43,000 courses on the watch. The Playslike Distance feature has been improved upon too, with more accurate readings on how your shot will be affected by factors like wind, elevation, and environment.

The last thing you should know about the Approach S70: it functions as a solid everyday smartwatch too. It comes with all the bells and whistles many of the other Garmin smartwatches carry like heart tracking, blood oxygen reading, sleep scores, stress tracking, and more.

If you're looking for a golf watch that works just as well off the course as it does on, then the Approach S70 is your pick. No golf watch on the market packs golf-specific features with a beautiful design and a sleek user interface like this watch can. Start here before checking out any other golf watch.

Bushnell Ion Elite GPS Watch Black

The Bushnell Ion Elite offers a sizable touchscreen with a savvy display that we ended up loving by the end of our first game of wear. It's not as advanced as the Garmin S70, but it's also not expensive either (under $200). The Ion Elite will find your location at the course and dial you in at the course you're playing. On each hole, you get a view of the yardage in the center of the display, and then on the four corners of the watch, you have areas you can tap to check out the Ion Elite's features: scoring, hole maps, greens view, and a hazards map. What's nice is the Ion Elite recognizes when you're on your way from one hole to the next, and so the watch will automatically switch over to the new hole for you instead of having to press or swipe on your watch to get started.

The Ion Elite can be a little slow, especially in the instance when trying to choose your course and the text on the screen moves like a second hand. This can be a pain when you're at a club with multiple courses because you will want to wait for the entire text of the course to show to ensure the Ion Elite is connected to the course you're playing. The Ion Elite is also thicker, and there aren't really any other features that make the watch ideal for wearing off the course as a regular smartwatch.

But remember the Ion Elite is under $200, and most of these qualms are going to be about the same (if not more drastic) when you shop for a golf watch under $200.

If you don't want to spend a ton of money on your golf watch but still want premium features with accurate GPS then the Ion Elite is your pick. Just don't expect it to deliver above-and-beyond results the Garmin S70 can.

Approach S10

The Approach S10 is the most barebones Garmin golf watch, making it perfect for those who are just getting started playing with a golf watch. The S10 provides all the essentials you could need on the course: yardage on each hole plus hazards and doglegs to avoid, scorekeeping, and total distance played with total time.

The yardage is helpful because you get readings on the front, middle, and back of the green, so you have a general idea of the placement of the ball. And at the end of playing, you do get a cool round summary that breaks down your score.

You won't get any crazy shot tracking metrics or even a color display with the S10. But you do get basic data, and the watch is slim, lightweight, and easy to read in the sunlight. Snag one of these and keep it around for occasional use. We'll add the S10 makes a solid golf gift too.

Gen 3+ Smart Sensors

The Arccos Golf Gen 3+ Smart Sensors is not a golf watch, but it does provide some incredible user experience when paired with the Arccos Caddie app on Apple Watch. The Gen 3+ package gets you 14 sensors so you can pop one on the end of every club in your bag. The sensors are unnoticeable and provide shot-tracking accuracy that goes above and beyond what any of the regular golf watches can do.

Downloading the Arccos app on your Apple Watch will allow you to start a round from your wrist instead of pulling out your phone to do so. On the app, you get projected yardages and actual shot distances; plus a unique data capture method for putting where you can stand by the pin, mark your location on your watch, and then proceed to putt.

One downside of the Gen 3+ is you don't get any readings on environment, slope, and weather that other golf watches can read. But if all you are going for is distance tracking and shot feedback, then pairing the Caddie sensors with an Apple Watch 5th gen or above is a great alternative to buying a dedicated golf watch.

Read more: Best Fitness Smartwatches

Connected Golf

It doesn't get much better in the looks department of golf watches than the TAG Connected Golf. From the outside, one will notice a sporty white rubber strap outfitted to a beautiful 45mm matte black titanium case with a smooth crown.

Over 40,000 pre-loaded courses are inside the watch, with details like hazards shown in a bright and vibrant delivery on screen. The best feature is a shot-tracking function that takes your previous shots and recommends your next club based on all the data provided.

The TAG Connected Golf is more of a statement piece but it does provide some functional use for a golf watch. Say hello to the most stylish golf watch.

Read more: Best Luxury Watches

ULT-G Golf GPS Watch

The ULT-G is ideal for entry-level golfers or golfers who just want basic distance readings. You get front/middle/back distances on the green, as well as readings of where the hazards lie. There's no touchscreen, but the four-button design is easy to use and the watch can still connect via satellite to display course information.

It's hard to pack in a ton of tech at a $100 price, but for what the TecTecTec can do on such a limitation it's definitely worthy for a look if you want a wallet-friendly golf watch.

Play 4-Mode Digital Scorekeeping Sports Watch

For those who are looking to just keep score, the ScoreBand will easily log your play on each hole and then calculate your score after nine and 18 holes.

Here's a simple scorekeeping solution that beats having to keep track with a pencil and notecard.

Approach S12

The S12 hits its marks in style, design, function, and—most importantly—price. For under $200 you get front, middle, and back reading on over 42,000 preloaded courses in a minimalist graphic. The S12's rechargeable battery is long-lasting too, it will carry a charge for nearly 30 hours straight on GPS mode. And what's great is you can buy the Garmin CT10 club sensors and get measurements on your swing, should you decide to kick your play up a notch.

• Weight: 1.12 ounces

• Screen size: 0.9"

Read more: Best Watches

Scorekeeping Watch

For those who are looking to just keep score, the ScoreBand will easily log your play on each hole and then calculate your score after nine and 18 holes. If you ask us, it's a simple scorekeeping solution that beats having to keep track with a pencil and notecard.

LX5 GPS Golf Watch

SkyCaddie is praised for being an affordable golf watch with high level tech. One of those includes a high level touch screen. which displays courses in bright, colorful HD picture. You can also zoom in on the course for precise calculations on layups and avoiding hazards. Other features include scoring logs, stats, a heart rate monitor and step counter, and a battery that last up to two full rounds.

• Weight: 2.3 ounces

• Screen size: 1.39"

Aim Golf GPS Watch

A lot of golf watches have an app to download to read the all the data it captures, yet some of the watches are better compatible to smartphones than others. Golf Buddy will pair with all types of smartphones and allow easy access to your data. The watch is also packed with high quality features like a colored touchscreen, a waterproof case, and a battery that will last up to 45 holes when set to golf mode. You also get interchangeable straps you can swap out to better match with your golf attire.

• Weight: 1.77 ounces

• Screen size: 1.3"

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Approach S62

While the S62 is probably the best in terms of value for its features, the touchscreen golf watch is still over $400. But if you're someone who golfs weekly then the S62 is right up your alley. Aside from colored maps and green views on every hole, you get a CT10 club tracking sensor, a pinpointer arrow so you know where to aim even on blind shots, and wind direction and speed measurements. And of course there's a fitness tracker built-in, so you have all those bells and whistles too.

• Weight: 2.08 ounces

• Screen size: 1.3"

G3 GPS Watch

The G3 is a solid wallet-friendly golf watch that delivers front/middle/back readings on over 36,000 courses. Two features reviewers across multiple sites raved about include the weight (0.4 grams) and the G3's constant illumination of the time and battery level.

• Weight: 1.44 ounces

• Screen size: 1.34"

What Is the Best Golf Watch for Beginners?

If you have never bought or used a golf watch before, it's best to try some of the $100-$200 golf watches before going up to something more expensive.

Start with the Garmin Approach S10, as it's going to give you the basic metrics on yardage and scorekeeping while providing a slim and easy-to-read design. The TecTecTec is also great for yardage and scorekeeping. It's not as hot as the Approach S10, but it is about $50 cheaper.

What Is the Best Fitness and Golf Watch?

There is really only one watch we found that's suitable for use as a golf watch and fitness smartwatch, and that's the Garmin Approach S70. It has everything you need for fitness training and recovery, plus it is loaded with a ton of golf features.

The Approach S70 also has a durable and sleek design that's on par with many of the fitness watches you see on the market right now.

How We Selected

All of the golf watches selected above were required to have a high number of ratings with an average of four stars or more. The quality of the watch technology, as well as the price point, were top priorities for consideration. The weight of the watch and graphics interface were also taken into account, as the two functions factor into the overall ease of use. Lastly, we made sure to select a wide range of different golf watches that reflected all types of play and skill levels.

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