There are many ways in which a smartwatch can be deployed for particular sports. So, if you are into golf and looking for a perfect smartwatch as a companion to help you assess your game and development, there are plenty of great choices available in the market.
The most important thing a Golf-specific smartwatch should have is a fast and accurate GPS system. The golf-related features are always a relief. So, in this article, we will provide you with detailed coverage of which smartwatch is good for investing in if you are looking from a perspective of a golfer.
1. Garmin Vivoactive 3
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is one of the finest smartwatches that one can get as a professional or even a not-so-serious golfer. This smartwatch can prove to be a multivariate option if one has other sporting enjoyment and outdoor activities to account for.
Features Garmin Vivoactive 3
- Garmin Vivoactive 3 features a 1.2-inch display with Gorilla Glass 3-protected screen.
- Garmin Vivoactive 3 also exhibits a durable display and is known to have a water resistance feature, equating to 5 ATMs.
- As far as the golf-relevant features go, this smartwatch comes with over 41000 golf courses.
- Therefore, once you are at a golf course, you can select the variant and make use of the course-based attributes to assess the distance between the holes, doglegs, greens, and other relevant sections.
- This Smartwatch also features auto shut, and attributes for determining the shot distance, pinpoint, pin placement, and the measuring metric to ascertain layups, match scorecards, and individual stats.
- In addition to that, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 also allows golfers to measure the intensity of the hit if the golfer has pre-dialed the distance.
- The Garmin Vivoactive 3 offers several other non-golfing sports-based attributes notably support for swimming, running, and weight training activities.
- This Garmin VIvoactive 3 Smartwatch can be considered for fitness tracking and is not restricted only to golfing activity.
- A brilliant, minimalistic design, led by the 1.75-inch Smartwatch diameter along with the sleek and efficient device also brings in an interchangeable band, which is one of the more durable options in the retail space.
- The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is best known for its golfing accuracy and even exceptional battery life.
- If one is interested in raw figures, the Garmin battery is expected to last for up to 13 hours or slightly more, even with the GPS turned on. However, if one is planning on switching the GPS off, it is still possible to churn out 7 days’ worth of battery life.
- For the exclusive features, this Smartwatch supports non-contact payment via the secured Garmin Pay followed by the unmatched ability to change and customize watch faces as per preferences.
- The Garmin Vivoactive 3 also comes with the VO2 Max health and fitness monitoring enhancement which is perfectly complemented by your ability to pair in-store widgets.
- Besides, one also gets to explore a decent consortium of health-based attributes, including heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, and more.
- In conclusion, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 can easily be classed as one of the best golf-based Smartwatches, which also doubles down as an all-inclusive fitness hub if one chooses the preferred mode and smartwatch-based enhancements.
Specifications for Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Golf smartwatch
- Battery life – 13 hours with GPS mode
- Water Rating – 5 ATM
- Compatibility – iOS and Android
Pros Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Golf smartwatch
- Waterproof and lightweight
- Contactless payment
- GPS enabled and daily activity tracking
- The touchscreen display is colorful
- Compatible with apps and other widgets
Cons Garmin Approach S62 Golf Smartwatch
- Features are sometimes difficult to navigate
- Inaccurate swim tracker
- The screen is a low resolution
2. Garmin Approach S62
Garmin is a known name when it comes to sports-based smartwatches and the Garmin Approach S62 is a premium smartwatch that offers a premium design that goes well with golf dressing. It integrates vital information and all the mapping that you need on your wrist in full color while you swing that caddy.
Features Garmin Approach S62
- It has a 1.3-inch color touch screen, which is bright and visible even in direct sunlight. The faceplate of the watch is made using a ceramic material, which makes the watch scratch resistance.
- The Garmin Approach S62 watch encompasses more than 41,000 built-in pre-loaded maps from around the globe, and these maps work flawlessly.
- The Garmin S62 displays data like wind speed and direction which makes it a lot easier in figuring out which club to use and which direction to swing the club.
- The smartwatch is powered by a custom sensor and it can be paired with the famed CT10 sensor, which helps to track every shot with accuracy.
- The Green View feature provides you with the true shape of each green regardless of your position on the golf course. You can also drag and drop the pin for accuracy and precision.
- Because it comes with GPS support, the watch can also be used to track running, jogging, and other sorts of sporting activities.
- With the Hazard View feature, you can quickly scan through the hazards on the map and acquire all the important, so you know what to avoid and skip.
- You can pair with the Garmin Golf app more details about your game like strokes gained analysis. You can also participate in the tournaments and leaderboards to access more data about your game.
- The Garmin Approach S62 is a wonderful smartwatch, especially for pro golfers. This is a smartwatch that can last for more than 7 days on a single charge if the GPS is not used.
- The usual Garmin Features exist on Garmin Approach S62 without asking.
- Pulse Ox feature to monitor the blood oxygen saturation level
- Improved heart rate sensor via the wrist-based PPG method
- Preloaded activity profiles for other sports and activities
Specifications for Garmin Approach S62 Golf Smartwatch
- Battery life – 14 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours in GPS mode
- Compatibility – iOS and Android
- Water Resistance – 5 ATM
- Memory – 1 GB
Pros Garmin Approach S62 Golf Smartwatch
- Great battery life, sufficient for 5 rounds of golf on a single charge
- Wind speed and direction with the virtual caddie app
- Garmin Pay support for contactless payment
- Vibrating features to show smartphone notifications
- The usual great features from the Garmin
Cons Garmin Approach S62 Golf Smartwatch
- The most expensive golf watch on the market
3. Garmin Approach S42
The Garmin Approach S42 is one of the most classy-looking watches in the list of GPS Golf Watches. It is visually stunning and is available in two colors on Amazon, Black, and White. This Garmin S42 Golf Watch weighs about 2.8 ounces which means one will not feel its presence in the hand all day long.
Features Garmin Approach S42 Golf Smartwatch
- The touchscreen display size 2.4 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches which can be read while in sunlight giving an HD display. The 1.2 inches color display with a metal bezel looks premium and stylish.
- S42 is the size of typical sports watches preloaded with more than 42,000 CourseView maps of Golf courses around the world. You can regularly upgrade for the course that you like to play often.
- With the AutoShot game tracking feature, the Garmin Approach S42 automatically tracks shot distances that are detected.
- You can also pair it with CT10 club tracking sensors (sold separately) for advanced tracking capabilities.
- The manual Pin positioning feature allows one to manually move the pin to a location and get the most accurate distances.
- The Green view display gives the front, middle and back view of the greens and yardage with its true shape no matter wherever you are.
- It works just like any other smartwatch that can be connected to your smartphone and you can receive text and call notifications directly to your touchscreen watch.
- Apart from this, one will get to keep track of scorecards through Digital Scorecard and can easily manage and share them with your friends seamlessly.
- Most importantly, one can get on with all of the above features in a day with 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Specification for Garmin Approach S42 Golf Smartwatch
- Battery Life – 10 days with smartwatch mode, 15 hours with GPS mode
- Water Rating – 5 ATM
- Memory – 64 MB
Pros Garmin Approach S42 Golf Smartwatch
- Battery life is great
- Accuracy is improved
- The touchscreen color is bright and sharp
- Features are excellent
- Garmin Golf App is free
Cons Garmin Approach S42 Golf Smartwatch
- Expensive
4. Golf Buddy Aim W10
The Golf Buddy Aim W10 is an affordable smartwatch that is primarily made for pro-golfers, as it has features like built-in offline maps with a color touch screen.
Features Golf Buddy Aim W10 Golf Smartwatch
- The Golf Buddy Aim W10 smartwatch has a big 1.3-inch IPS LCD touch screen with minimal faceplate.
- The Golf Buddy Aim W10 watch also has markings on the faceplate of the watch, which will show the direction of the watch to suggest the exact location of the player on the golf ground.
- As far as the additional functions go, the watch supports USB zoom functions, which will help players to get a better view.
- The display also shows positive and negative buttons on the screen, which will help in easing out the navigation across the golf course.
- The watch has more than 40,000 maps spread across 170 different countries and the maps will be updated via Bluetooth technology and a smartphone.
- The Aim W10 can also be used as a normal smartwatch, and it comes with custom watch faces there are 8 different faces, which gives the watch a new look with a new watch face.
- The watch has a digital scorecard, which is useful for golfers and the watch can be used with both Android and iOS smartphones.
- In the golf mode, with GPS turned on the Golf Buddy Aim W10 can last for 13 hours, and for normal users, the watch can last for more than four days on a single charge and it also supports fast charging.
Specifications for Golf Buddy Aim W10 Golf Smartwatch
- Battery Life – 10 hours with Golf Mode
- GPS – GPS and GLONASS
- Compatibility – iOS and Android
- Water Resistance – Yes, Heavy Rain Proof
Pros Golf Buddy Aim W10 Golf Smartwatch
- Rechargeable via USB
- The zoom function is helpful
- Casting to GolfBuddy Smart app through Bluetooth
- 10 hours battery life in Golf mode
Cons Golf Buddy Aim W10 Golf Smartwatch
- Must be connected to the phone all the time
- The Golf Buddy app is pretty basic
5. Shot Scope V2 Golf Smartwatch
The Shot Scope V2 Golf Watch is one of the finest shot trackers in the market. It is made available with about 20 tags that easily fit in the back of the clubs and are used to record the data from the shots that you take each time for further analysis. This is one inexpensive golf watch when compared to other GPS smartwatches.
Features Shot Scope V2 Golf Smartwatch
- It is a very lightweight device even though it looks a bit bulky but weighs only 7 ounces. One can wear it all day without feeling anything.
- With the help of Auto performance tracking, the device does GPS tracking on its own.
- The database has over 36000 courses worldwide along with free and regular firmware upgrades.
- The Shotscope V2 is more than capable of tracking and monitoring your golf performance with over 100 statistics on your game. This will allow you to make strategies and well-informed decisions about how to focus and improve your game further.
- The dynamic Yardages help to provide details of the front, middle, and back of the Greens moving along with you and detailed insight of the course.
- The battery life as reviewed manages to keep running for just one round and a little more the next round after which it does need charging.
- The Club Sense technology makes it much easier for logging in to the swings automatically, also by removing practice swings the watch will gather the data of the club used and the location of every shot and put it up on a map for an aerial view.
- The watch is very easy to set and use for the long term and the data it provides is very much accurate.
- You can sync your golf rounds with apps on different OS via the Bluetooth or USB
Specifications for Shot Scope V2 Golf Smartwatch
- Battery life – 5 to 6 hours with Golf mode
- Water Resistance – Yes
- Compatible with – Windows 8 or later, MacOSX Sierra or higher, Android 5.0 or later with Bluetooth 4.0, and iOS 11 or above with BLE 4.0
Pros Shot Scope V2 Golf Smartwatch
- Reads putt quite accurately
- Medal mode achievements are fun
- In-depth swing and performance data with the Shotscope app
- Valid for tournaments
- Affordable at $99
Cons Shot Scope V2 Golf Smartwatch
- Sometimes error swings are recorded
- Sensors lose connection at times
Are Apple watches good for golf?
In no way are Apple watches designed for golf and it is pretty evident. You’ll need a third-party app like Golfshot or 18Birdies as Apple watch golf apps will involve some kind of payment or subscription. Some of the apps will take yardage from phones and as a result discrepancies of one kind or the other may come in.
If one has an Apple Watch and doesn’t want to buy a second watch just for it being used for golf, then it can and will do a job for one. But while choosing the best golf watch from everything available, the Apple Watch would not top the charts for sure. Also to add, features such as calls and other such notifications may prove to be a disturbing element in your game.
Which Garmin watch is best for golf?
Garmin has manufactured quite a few smartwatches specifically designed for golf sports. With the Approach series with models like S42 and S62, Garmin has taken Golfing seriously when it comes to tracking. The features loaded in these techs are evidence of that. Having said that, these golf-specific smartwatches are pretty expensive for someone who is into golf as a hobby. So, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 appears to be a day saver here.
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is possibly one of the best Smartwatches that one can purchase as a professional or even an enthusiastic golfer. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 can easily be classed as one of the best golf-based Smartwatches, which also doubles down as an all-inclusive fitness hub if one chooses the preferred mode and smartwatch-based enhancements. The multisport feature allows it to function as a complete smartwatch both on and off the golf course without a doubt.
Are Android watches good for golf?
Android smartwatches today are not just a simplified version of a smartwatch on your wrist. With the advancement of research in the fields of mobile GPS, Bio-tracking along cutting-edge analytics, these pieces of technology can do much more than a smartphone simply cannot.
Android smartwatches from Garmin and other manufacturers offer a range of features like accurate and fast GPS tracking, mapping, yardage, scoring, and shot tracking. These features are accompanied by regular health-related monitoring like heart rate, steps, and calories. Thus, Android watches are more than just good for Golf. They are leaping forward to be the ultimate choice for enthusiasts and professional golfers.
List of Best Smartwatches for Golf with GPS
Some of the best smartwatches for golf with GPS currently available in the market are:
- ● Garmin Vivoactive 3 and Vivoactive 4
- ● Garmin Approach S62
- ● Garmin Approach S4
- ● Golf Buddy Aim W10
- ● Shot Scope V2
- ● Tec Tec Tec ULT-G
- ● Garmin Approach S10
So, If you have decided you want a GPS watch for golf, then you need to think about what features are important to you. If you’re looking for your standard front, middle, and back GPS yardages then going for a budget watch will be helpful, however, there are some incredible watches out there that offer much more. Alternatively, some watches can go into much greater detail when providing yardages, course detail, hazard information, and so on. Make sure you don’t burn a hole in your wallet for a hobby unless you really want to pursue it to the end.
