Do you ever watch the professional on TV and get jealous about how much help and valuable information their caddie provides them? No? Just me? Ok then...
Well I do, and although golf technology hasn't reached the stage of giving me my own personal robot caddie (yet), for now I rely on some of the best golf GPS devices to act as my own little yardage buddy. Having a piece of technology as part of your setup, whether that be one of the best golf rangefinders, best golf watches or the ever improving golf GPS devices can help you dial in your yardages and choose the right shot at the right time.
Each golfer has different preferences when it comes to which device to use. Golf GPS devices are probably the easiest to use and typically give you yardages to the front, middle and back of the green. Simply hook it onto your bag and have a glance to begin your pre-shot routine.
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
The S70 is a premium as it comes in the golf watch department, delivering a beautifully clear display and the ability to determine yardages of almost any hazard or target on the golf course.
An entry level watch with plenty of feature, the G6 represents excellent value for money. It's one of the easiest GPS devices to use and the hole maps and hazard info genuinely enhance decision making.
An accurate GPS caddie experience with the smallest of fuss, the G20 provides all the information you could need on the golf course and pairs it with an almost endless battery - impressive for a unit with this many features.
The SX550 features 35,000 courses that are mapped out with incredible accuracy and is one of the most detailed and accurate GPS devices we've used. The clear large screen is a real highlight.
A fun, high-quality speaker that will not only play music but will both visibly and audibly communicate yardages, making it a useful and enjoyable companion on the course.
A reliable, simple and affordable magnetic golf speaker that is designed to provide individuals with a great sound track to their round of golf while also delivering accurate distance to the hole information.
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 budget watch
A lot of modern golf GPS watches come with lots of bells and whistles, meaning two things - they can sometimes be tricky to use and also typically come with a rather hefty price tag. Shot Scope's G6 Watch comes in at the entry-level of golf watches on the price scale but performs as well as some of the best golf watches thanks to some well thought out and easy to use features.
As mentioned, one of our favorite things about this watch is how simple it is to use - You literally just have to charge it via the included usb cable, turn it on and navigate to ‘Play Golf’ on the menu in which you make your selections using the buttons on the four corners of the watch. Aerial views, albeit on the basic side, are provided a help give you plenty of knowledge and detail about the hole ahead which includes yardages to the greens as well as hazards that line the hole.
Included in your purchase are two interchangeable straps that are available in a whopping 12 colors for the ultimate customization experience - and they're very comfy too! There's no doubt this is one of the best value golf watches on the market in 2025 and beyond.
- Read our full Shot Scope G6 Watch Review
Best GPS device overall
Garmin no doubt see themselves as the leaders of the pack when it comes to golf gps devices and their new Approach G20 is the first of its kind on the market - a distance measuring device that uses solar energy - pretty cool right?
A lot of the best golf rangefinders and golf GPS have plenty of bells and whistles, meaning they can sometimes be a bit of a pain or headache to use. With the G20 however, it's the opposite. Arriving at the course for testing, we simply switched it and after selecting the 'play golf' setting, the G20 located the course instantly. There's 43,000 preloaded golf courses packed into this little device, good news for those who like to travel around to play.
Our testing showed yardages were pretty spot on, as you expect from a Garmin product. What's more, along with nailing the basics, you can go one step further and pair it with the Garmin golf app to track scores, statistics (like fairways hit, putts taken and even wind direction) and stats on your clubs like yardages. The Solar charging element is the standout feature and is indeed very cool. When the device detects sunlight it will charge itself, beneficial to those who play in good weather often. It does take a rather clear day for it to charge, but 36 rounds of battery life means you won't have to worry about it dying.
- Read our full Garmin Approach G20 Solar 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
We pride ourselves with our testing procedure at Golf Monthly - it's one that has been finely tuned over years of testing and one that has been trusted by our readership to this day. This trust is something we value highly and thus strive to give our readers and listeners to more most informative buying advice possible that is free from bias. No brand ever gets preferential treatment and no manufacturer can 'buy' a good review. Instead, our reviews are conducted by our team of avid golfers who both know what it takes to make a good golf product but also understand good value for money when they see it, too.
Testing the latest Garmin Approach watch on the 9th hole at Royal County Down
Our testers use a range of the best golf launch monitors, rangefinders, golf watches and GPS devices to gain more knowledge when we are testing golf clubs, be that the best golf drivers, best golf irons or the best golf wedges, particularly when it comes to gauging distances on offer. With any review, we like to test in a range of different conditions, whether that be conditions or style of golf course, we want to see how these devices perform in various contexts.
This includes testing rangefinders in clear but also dull conditions to see how they perform, testing GPS devices out on different courses and testing golf watches, especially those that double up as everyday smart or fitness watches, both on and off the course to explore and test each and every feature. We leave no stone unturned in our testing procedure as we strive to judge and critique every aspect of each device before concluding on our verdict.
For more 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.
FAQs
Are GPS devices worth it?
We think GPS devices are definitely worth it. They save a lot of time, last a long time, are convenient and simple to use, offer in-depth detail of the shot you face, and can sit easily on your golf bag. With a GPS device no longer do you have to find a sprinkler, or guess yardages because you can simply look at the screen to help you plot your way around the course.
Are there GPS devices which you can use for golf and other activities?
Yes, many GPS devices, specifically watches, offer users the freedom to check out yardages on the course, as well as use it for running or work off it. Many brands offer superb options, with many being used for golf, running, gym, emails and receiving texts.
Do golf GPS devices require a subscripton?
Most of the time GPS devices will already have thousands and thousands of courses already preloaded when you first turn them on. However, in some cases, companies will offer a subscription if you are to keep the courses updated, like on SkyCaddie's LX5 or SX550 because it maps the courses on foot for extra accuracy. This will either be in the form of a free trial followed by a monthly/yearly subscription.
