Lower Your Handicap on Even the Hardest Golf Courses with These 8 Smart Watches
The key to lowering your handicap on even the most challenging golf courses is the right clubs and technique, of course, and a GPS golf watch. These smartwatches are purpose-built to help you out on the golf course, precisely measuring distances and showing detailed maps of every hole and hazard. So whether you’re shopping for a gift or for yourself, here are eight smartwatches to check out.
1. Garmin Approach S62 – $500
The Garmin Approach S62 is a feature-packed golf watch.
The S62 is the current flagship of the Garmin Approach range and is packed full of features. It has a 1.3-inch color display that is bright enough to read in sunlight, is loaded with the maps of over 41,000 golf courses, and has a battery life of 20 hours with GPS enabled.
A virtual caddie system factors in wind speed and direction, as well as your position on the hole, to help suggest the right club for your next shot. There is also a system for seeing the exact distance to the front, middle, and back of the green and the ability to see the precise shape of the green as you approach. Hazards like sand bunkers and water features are also detailed on every map.
When taking a blind shot from beyond sight of the green, the watch can help show you the direction and distance to the hole. The watch also has an app for keeping score on your round, plus regular smartwatch features like customizable watch faces, contactless payments with Garmin Pay, heart rate monitoring, and interchangeable straps.
Finally, the watch can be paired with Garmin’s Approach CT10 device. These coin-sized sensors fit the end of your golf clubs to provide shot analysis after every stroke. A complete set of sensors is priced at $300, or the S62 can be bought with three sensors for $550.
Image Credit: Garmin.
2. Garmin Approach S42 – $300
A more affordable option from Garmin is the Approach S42. This golf watch is a new model, available in three colors, and also contains maps of over 40,000 courses worldwide. In addition, it has GPS for precise distance measuring, up to 15 hours of battery life and a 1.2-inch display designed to cope with bright sunlight.
There’s also an app to keep score on your round, detailed green views and distance measurements to the front, middle, and back of the green. Like other Approach models, the S42 functions as a regular smartwatch, too, with step and exercise tracking, email and text notifications, and sleep tracking.
Image Credit: Garmin.
3. Garmin Approach S12 – $200
Lastly, from Garmin, we have the Approach S12. This watch has the same mapping data as the previous two models, along with precise green mapping, an app for keeping score, and up to 30 hours of battery life – a stat made possible due to the screen being monochrome instead of color.
The Approach S12 also connects to Garmin’s club trackers for swing analysis, and stats show the exact location of hazards like sand bunkers.
Image Credit: Garmin.
4. Bushnell Ion2 – $200
Next up, and also at the $200 level, is the Bushnell Ion2 GPS watch. This wearable has over 36,000 golf courses stored onboard, with distance stats shown on the watch itself and more detailed maps displayed on a companion smartphone app for iOS and Android.
The battery life is claimed to last for three rounds of golf, and it automatically recognizes which course you are at, even when you move onto the next hole. In addition, the watch shows the distance to hazards on each hole and features a shot distance calculator to help you pick the right club.
Image Credit: Bushnell.
5. SkyCaddie LX5 – $249
The LX5 by SkyCaddie takes a similar form to the Garmin Approach series. However, this golf watch includes detailed color maps of over 35,000 courses worldwide, a 1.39-inch touchscreen that lets you zoom in for extra detail, and a battery life designed to last for two complete rounds of an 18-hole course.
The display lets you pan around and zoom in to see the exact distance to hazards, carries, and layups on every hole, plus detailed, safe zones and hazards on the fairway.
There is also an app for keeping score, step counting, and a heart rate tracker, plus a range of watch faces to pick from when you aren’t on the course.
Image Credit: SkyCaddie.
6. Golf Buddy Aim W10 – $189
One of the most affordable golf watches available in 2021, the Aim W10 by Golf Buddy has a color 1.3-inch touchscreen display and is preloaded with the maps of over 40,000 golf courses. Green undulations are also included, further helping you make the perfect approach shot.
Like other golf watches, the Aim W10 includes information on hazards, plus distances to the front, middle, and back of every green, and the exact location of the pin. Battery life is lower than others, but 10 hours with GPS enabled should still be plenty for most users.
The watch automatically recognizes which course and hole you are on, and there’s a digital scorecard app, plus step tracking.
Image Credit: Golf Buddy.
7. Hole 19 – from free
The Hole 19 app is available for iOS, Android and smartwatchesHole19
Hole 19 is an app for iOS and Android that works on smartphones and regular smartwatches. Like the watches featured above, the app displays the distance between the green and pin using your phone’s GPS signal and has data for more than 43,000 golf courses.
There is also a digital scorecard and a system for sharing your scores with friends who also use the app. The basic app is free, while a $7.49 monthly or $49.99 annual subscription unlocks Premium Pro, which uses augmented reality on your phone to provide more detailed information, real-time club recommendation, and higher-quality maps.
Image Credit: Hole 19.
8. Tag Heuer Connected Golf Edition – $2,550
Lastly, a golf watch for those with a much larger budget. The Golf Edition is a special version of the Tag Heuer Connected smartwatch, which runs Google’s Android Wear operating system and works with iPhones and Android handsets. As well as being a fully-fledged smartwatch and one of the most enduring to come from Switzerland, the Tag Heuer features GPS-guided maps of over 40,000 golf courses worldwide, a digital scorecard, and comes in a special box with Tag Heuer-branded golf balls and tees.
Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility find engine, to see the other golf smartwatches and fitness trackers.
This article originally appeared on GearBrain.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Image Credit: Tag Heuer.
