The golf speaker scene remains a fairly niche enclave of the golf tech space, but 2026 is the year of its most fierce competition for the best golf speaker title. So far this year, I’ve already tested both the Bushnell Wingman HD and the Mileseey GeneSonic Pro, and both left me very impressed.

Now it's time for a speaker I’ve been wanting to test for a while - Blue Tees’ entry in the battle for musical supremacy - the Player Pro. The brand has taken the best features from its popular Player+ speaker and added a few upgrades, most notably 360° sound, a new and improved full color touchscreen display and smart golf features that tap into your Blue Tees golf ecosystem - more on that later.

The first impressions are strong - this is a good-looking speaker that doesn’t weigh too much. However, if you’re a walker like me rather than someone who rides in a cart most rounds, it might prove too heavy to attach to the side of your bag. Nevertheless, this remains an option for you.

There are 42,000 preloaded courses on this speaker, with a wealth of golf-specific features. However, and I will address this now, a subscription is required for a lot of these features. Without paying, you’ll still have access to audible front/middle/back distances and a high quality music system, but that's about it.

On the flip side, the subscription lets you access so much more, including hazard distances, shot tracking, green views, club recommendations and access to the general Blue Tees ecosystem released in 2026. There’s more, with an on-device scorecard, dispersion tracking, social leaderboards and AI-adjusted yardages based on how far you hit each club and the conditions you are playing in - all behind the paywall, too.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s frustrating. But it's not unreasonable for what you get. You get your first year free, and after that it's $49/year or $99 for three years. All things considered, I don’t think this is too bad.

Whether it is worth the money to you or not depends on whether you want to buy into the ecosystem. It’s been a big year for the brand, releasing two new rangefinders, the Captain Pro and Captain Air, a new affordable launch monitor in the Rainmaker, and this speaker, all connected to the newly-launched Blue Tees ecosystem and housed in the Blue Tees app.

If you want your own golf ecosystem and somewhere to store shot data to learn more about your game, Blue Tees is one of the most affordable places to do that. The app isn’t perfect, as I have mentioned in previous reviews, but I’m confident it will improve as the months progress.

Back to the speaker. Music-wise, this is a great device and one I’ve been using a lot around the house over the last number of weeks. The dual-driver speaker system delivers sound all around you rather than in one direction and the heavy-duty magnetic strip allows you to stick it just about anywhere.

I tested it at both Ormeau Golf Club in Belfast as well as Royal County Down, two busy golf courses where I couldn’t blaze the tunes. However, this let me focus solely on the golf-specific features.

On the course, each of the features is delivered brilliantly on one of the best screens I’ve ever seen on a golf speaker. The full-color touchscreen is dead easy to use, which made reviewing this device and testing out the aforementioned features a lot easier than I thought it would be (they all work brilliantly, I’ll add).

Since I walk 99% of my rounds, this device isn’t for me and that’s fine. However, if you’re a Lewis Hamilton-level cartaholic, you can attach this to the frame of your buggy and get every piece of information you could possibly want mid-round. The GPS technology is genuinely useful and reliable. Having to connect to the app before each round is a pet peeve of mine, but it only takes a few seconds.

Golf speakers used to be additional devices to bring onto the course with you - they were there for music, and although they’ll throw a few yardages at you, you’ll still need one of the best golf rangefinders or your trusty golf watch. With the Player Pro, that is no longer the case. You get the best of both worlds, and if you decide to pair it with other Blue Tees devices, you can open up an entire ecosystem for your game for a very decent price.

I’ve been impressed by all the releases Blue Tees has delivered in 2026 and I can’t say I’m surprised to say that the Player Pro continued that trend.

The influx of GPS watches and smartphone apps had perhaps initiated something of a shift away from golfers using handheld GPS devices on the course. Yet new products like the Pinned The Caddie and Sky Caddie Pro 4X suggest they might be on the comeback and the new Shot Scope H50 is another example looking to steer golfers away from the rangefinder or watch.

The H50 comes in at a very respectable £249 compared with other GPS devices and I was lucky enough to be able to put it to the test over multiple rounds - here are my thoughts.

Out of the box it undoubtedly has a sleek, premium feel. It weighs 270g, so less than a Pro ZR rangefinder, and has a tacky outer rubber shell that makes it easy to hold. Turning it on for the first time, it required a pretty lengthy firmware update - no big deal - and it paired easily with my Shot Scope app.

With a good first impression in the books, I took it to the course. The display on the whole looks clean and modern. It took far longer than I’d have liked to locate the course I was on (sometimes around a minute) although the instructions do say to connect to the course five minutes before your round.

I’m torn on the hole maps. Initially I thought they looked a bit basic and dated, but on reflection this graphical style ensures you’re able to see what lies ahead as clearly as possible. Touch the screen and the pointer will give you specific yardage to that point.

The touch screen was very responsive, even with my gloved hand, which is a crucial factor on devices like this, although there was a little lag in loading some of the other screen options like settings.

There are lots of cool features on the H50, like having slope-adjusted ‘Plays Like’ yardages for greater accuracy as well as distance arcs both off the tee and then into the green to show you what lies in wait 200, 150 and 100 yards away from the green.

Hit the green view option and you’re able to move the pin position on the green for a more specific distance if you want to go pin hunting - this is particularly useful if you’ve been given a sheet with the day’s pin positions or if you can clearly see where the flag is positioned.

Get on the green and then the fun really starts, in theory at least. The H50 has the option of seeing a heat map of the green, displaying the subtle breaks via arrows and a colour chart with light green being a gentle slope to dark blue being severe.

In reality, however, many of the arrows didn’t reflect the actual slope of the green and on some holes at my home course the arrows were missing altogether. Other devices I’ve tested that offer a similar feature I’ve also found to be lacking, so I’d take them with a healthy pinch of salt. However, I did find it a useful reference when I wasn’t really sure of the break on a given putt to show the general slope of the green.

Obviously a lot of these features (plays like distances, green heat maps) are not legal for competition play - you just need to check the tournament mode before starting your round and all the non-confirming features become disabled. But even then, the H50 is an incredibly useful tool to help you build a strategy and choose clubs that will keep you out of trouble.

I also liked how versatile the H50 was. I could keep it in my back or side pocket, or clip it to my bag using the included carabiner. The latter was a good option when employing the big numbers mode so I could glance at the front, middle and back distances without having to pick it up.

You’ve also got the option of the built-in magnet, which is great for cart users looking for always on, hands-free access to crucial distance information.

The battery life impresses too - I got at least 2 rounds from a full charge with some juice to spare - Shot Scope say the H50 should last 15 hours and I’ve got no reason to dispute this.

Overall, my experience with the H50 was a very positive one. I’m not sure it will fully convert me away from using a rangefinder but when playing new courses, the color hole maps and level of detail and interaction were incredibly helpful in plotting my way around. If you know your club distances, it will enhance your strategy and decision making, which is an area many golfers could make big improvements in to lower their scores.

Not too long ago, golfers on a budget had to choose what avenue to go down when it comes to golf tech. One of the best golf rangefinders or watches would prove beneficial when on the course, but opting for a launch monitor could revolutionize your practice sessions on the range. We can’t forget about devices that can help your putting practice either.

Well, Garmin have said to hell with that conundrum, here’s a device with all those features, and we’ll throw in a few more on top of that. Say hello to the G82, the all-singing, all-dancing launch monitor/GPS. Poetically, if you and your golf game are Batman, this thing can be your Robin.

Quite honestly, it is difficult to know where to start with the G82 because even explaining what it is isn’t the easiest task given how many features it has, but here goes - it is a one-of-a-kind product that transforms whether you’re on the course, on the practice putting green or at your driving range. On course, it provides detailed, accurate course information like the best golf GPS. On the range it delivers superb launch monitor data, club mapping and training modes like target practice. You can even take it to the putting green to get feedback on putting stroke length, tempo, and club and ball speed.

First impressions aren’t very exciting, but that isn’t a critique. Garmin products aren’t very flashy and the G82 continues this trend, which I respect - they let the quality of their products do the talking. You get the signature plain grey Garmin box and inside you’ll find the G82, which feels chunky and premium. It feels a lot better than the previous G80 which it is tasked with replacing. Out of the box, you’ll find the device itself along with a magnetic attachment with a carabiner clip.

I’ll begin digging into the off-the-course features, beginning with the launch monitor capabilities. Setting it up could not be easier - attach the magnetic case to the back of the device, prop it up a few inches from the ball and start swinging. You’ll be met with crucial data points like ball speed, club speed, smash factor and tempo instantaneously after each strike.

Connecting the G82 to the Garmin app unlocks another layer of possibilities thanks to the bag mapping feature. Manually input each club and hit a few shots and the G82 will work in tandem with the app to gauge your yardages for each club, which is then inputted into the Garmin ecosystem to help give you club recommendations on the course. It also works in tandem with other Garmin devices like the Z30 rangefinder or the best Garmin golf watches like the S50 for even more immersion. This club tracking can be done automatically if you pair the G82 with the CT10 shot-tracking tags.

For those who like to grind on the greens, they can take their practice to the next level courtesy of the putting practice feature which, as I mentioned above, gives you numeric feedback on factors of your stroke like length, tempo, and club and ball speed.

Now that our bag is mapped, yardages are dialed and our touch with the putter has been sharpened, it is time to hit the course. With 43,000 pre-loaded courses, chances are the G82 will be ready for wherever you tee it up. This is another GPS device, much like the best golf speakers, which I think is better suited for those who ride in a cart during rounds, but walkers like myself can still get the best from the 5” crystal clear display device without too much hassle - it’s actually small enough for you to fit it in your back trouser pocket and although it didn’t personally bother me, it will feel rather chunky in there, similar to a hefty yardage book or scorecard holder.

For those that don’t want a hefty device in their back pocket as they swing, the G82 will clip onto your golf bag courtesy of the magnetic backing. This is stress-inducing given it takes a while to trust the magnetic attachment to keep your device safe and secure. However, the size the magnet inside the G82 means you needn't worry - in nearly ten rounds of golf it only fell off the attachment once, and it was when a friend was jogging down steps with his bag on his back.

When he realized, he was in a panic, thinking he’d lost the $500 Garmin I was testing (it was in my pocket) but as he prepared to run back to the tee I removed it from my pocket, thus ending the joke. However, I reminded him that courtesy of the ‘Find My’ function built into the G82, you’ll get a notification on your phone letting you know you forgot it and where it is.

In terms of it acting as your on-course caddie, it does a great job, which won’t be a surprise to those who have used Garmin golf products before. The display is crisp and the maps are pleasingly detailed - you can upgrade this to satellite aerial imagery if you have a Garmin Golf Membership.

Once connected to the app you’ll get real time wind updates that factor into your Virtual Caddie’s thinking for your club recommendation. Yardages are also adjusted for elevation changes as well as environmental conditions. The green view lets you adjust where the flag is on the green for extra detail, or it’ll do it by itself if you’ve connected your G82 and Garmin Z30 rangefinder to the app. The green contours available through the Garmin Golf membership add another layer of detail, too.

Finally, the digital scorecard is superb and can really enhance your friendly competition rounds. It has you completely covered with the ability to track stroke play, stableford, skins and match play with adjustable handicaps.

There really aren’t many drawbacks I experienced with the G82. How much you’ll get out of it depends on your personality - I personally hate being on my phone or using a screen during rounds and as a walker, I’m unsure how much I’ll use this long term as a GPS device because of that.

However, I haven’t had one practice range session without this thing with me as I tighten my game for the summer season. It is obviously a lot of money at north of $500 but the value of it will depend on how much you use it. There are SO many features, so much so that after a month of use I’m still getting used to the menus and modes, but this will come with time.

If you’re dedicated to your practice routine and hit the course multiple times a week, the G82 could be a godsend for your game. For the weekend warriors, I question the value for money here - but it is very a much a 'it is what you make of it' type scenario.

Nevertheless, we’ve banged on a few times that brands like Garmin set the standard for the golf tech market and the G82 is another example of that - I look forward to seeing how/if rival brands respond.

Since the launch of the S1 watch in October 2010, Garmin has developed a strong reputation for producing some of the best golf watches on the market that provide players with reliable and easy to access GPS information. Now the brand has launched its first product aimed specifically at juniors.

The Garmin J1 Approach is lightweight, easy to wear and has a focus on helping younger players to learn and improve. What’s more, the watch also has parental controls for children under 13.

To find out whether Garmin’s latest creation hits the mark, we asked 24-handicap junior golfer Thomas Oubridge to put it through its paces.

One of the most important elements to any technology that’s designed to help (and not hinder) your game is how easy it is to set up and then use when you’re competing. The good news is the J1 Approach is simple to set up and the local courses are quick to access.

There is also a large color touchscreen as well as physical buttons to navigate through the various features. Alongside the usual distance measuring information, the watch also links to the Garmin app which provides the option to record and monitor your stats.

One of the benefits of a watch like this (over a laser), is that it provides overhead maps that can help with building a sensible strategy. For instance, you are provided with a picture of the green and you can use the touchscreen to drag the pin to the correct location.

Likewise, the watch shows you where the hazards are located on each hole and ideal lay up areas. Just as with the brand's flagship Garmin Approach S70 golf watch, these features are helpful when it comes to knowing where you can and can’t miss.

Overall, the Garmin J1 Approach watch is a great addition to the best Garmin golf watches. It is comfortable, lightweight and it looks smart (whether you are using it on or off the course).

The set up is simple, albeit we had to change some settings for the statistics to be recorded which was a little frustrating. The touchscreen is excellent and it works well to manually set the pin position on the greens.

It is fun, easy to use and can even help improve your scoring.

As more and more brands dip their toes in the field of the best golf gadgets, it means two victories for us golfers. Not only do we have more choice than ever before, but because the competition for our attention is as fierce as it has ever been, it means brands have to think outside the box to make their products stand out.

Mileseey has done just that with its GeneSonic Pro speaker. In terms of my excitement levels when I head to the course to test out a new piece of tech, speakers are relatively low on the scale - realistically, how innovative can a golf speaker be? Well, Mileseey answered my question emphatically, and the answer is very.

What sets the GeneSonic Pro out from the rest of the market is the ingenious detachable GPS device. In fact, this is the first 2-in-1 product combining a detachable GPS golf handheld with a portable Bluetooth speaker in golf. The handheld module is lightweight and provides on-the-go yardages, while the main speaker unit can be mounted on golf carts using an integrated magnetic system that feels strong enough to remain stuck to a NASA rocket during takeoff en route to the International Space Station.

My critique of a lot of the best golf speakers is that they’re made almost exclusively with the cart golfer in mind, meaning they are relatively heavy, big and ultimately a device that a player who walks for 99% of their rounds can't use without it weighing down their bag. The GeneSonic Pro’s detachable GPS means I can still get use of this speaker every round, even if I don’t want to bring the entire device out with me.

It features a 3” color touchscreen that has as much course information on it as you could ask for, including detailed course visuals with hazard layouts, green shapes, pin positions, fairway mapping, and automatic course/hole recognition. It also offers smart scoring prompts and post-round tracking, whilst linking it to the Mileseey Golf App adds another layer of immersion through shot tracking and post-round analytics.

The detachable GPS is a breeze to use and also doubles up as a remote control for your music, meaning that I could swiftly press skip on any country songs my playing partner had queued during testing.

The yardages are instant and accurate and despite the level of detail, the entire golf functionality is very easy to use. Whether you’re zooming in on a hazard, moving the pin to its corresponding position on the green for a more accurate number or tracking your score, everything is clear and simple - something that can’t be said for every golf speaker.

Having this level of detail on a GPS golf device isn’t unheard of, but a lot of the ones we have tested over the years have required an extra annual subscription to access greater detail, but I’m happy to say you don’t need that here. The GeneSonic Pro comes with over 43,000 pre-loaded courses and the GPS system recognizes where you are when you turn it on, rather than requiring input into an app.

As for the speaker side of things, much like the recently-reviewed Bushnell Wingman HD, the sound quality is as good as any portable speaker I’ve had over the years, and that includes devices from the big audio brands like Bose and JBL. Three distinct modes (golf, home and 'party' (woohoo!)) cater your music to your surroundings, meaning it isn’t out of place anywhere you take it.

The 40W output is designed for open environments like golf courses and you can tell - I never found myself double checking a yardage it called out to me during testing and we didn’t have it anywhere near full volume. If you’re like me and live in a country where it seemingly has never and will never stop raining, then fear not, for the IP67 rating means it is capable of withstanding rain and wet conditions.

A full charge of the speaker gives you up to three full 18-hole rounds or 15 hours of music at 50% volume and although the battery life of the detachable GPS outside of the speaker was on the low side, it charges once you reattach it to the speaker.

Ultimately, I find it hard to critique this speaker. Mileseey has clearly thought hard about the design and how to cater for as many golfers as possible rather than just those who use carts and it has been executed extremely well. The removable GPS is a brilliant idea and one I expect rival brands to replicate in the future. The $300 price tag is a little punchy, but you very much get what you pay for here.

There are a lot of divisive topics in golf - the future of the relationship between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, the potential golf ball and equipment rollback, the World Handicap System, just to name a few. Although the debate over music on the golf course isn't the most important we'll ever have, that does not mean it isn't as equally intense as the ones I've mentioned above - my playing partner scowled at me when I arrived on the first tee with the Bushnell Wingman HD in my hands ahead of my first round of testing, for example.

Long story short, Bushnell's latest speaker is aimed at one particular type of golfer and you all know who you are. I sit in the middle ground in which I am very lucky to have a very prestigious golf course as my home club and therefore rules and respect are paramount, meaning myself and friends have to be very careful about where and when we play music on the links. Late summer evenings with very few players on the course is the ideal time, but we'd never blare the tunes when the course is packed with players.

This speaker is dedicated to the more casual player - the guys and girls who might only play on weekends with friends, usually in a cart, at a club with a rather relaxed general attitude to the often stuffy rules of the game. I would not class myself in this category personally, but I'm also not someone who wears a tie to the golf club before each round, so as someone in the happy middle, I was intrigued to see how the Wingman HD would perform for me.

During my first round I didn't even play music from the speaker, instead focusing on solely the golf features - and they were plentiful and brilliant. Yardages were accurate, as we've come to suspect with Bushnell products, and were beautifully displayed on the new 3.5" color HD screen, which is easy to read.

You also get overhead previews of the entire hole ahead of you as well as green view images to help you learn what is ahead of you. Not only this, but the Wingman HD conveniently provides on-screen hazard locations and layup points which I found very useful for strategic play, a notable improvement on the Bushnell Wingman View.

Access to Bushnell's GPS app comes as part of the package for this speaker and it's a really underrated tool to use on the golf course. It's one of the best golf GPS apps I've ever used and perfect for the tech-savvy player who likes to use screen devices to help plot them around the links. Live scoring allows you to follow your progress on the speaker, whilst IPX67 waterproofing means your device is safe against the elements should they arrive.

The BITE Magnetic strip on the back of the device is absolutely superb and will stick to the frame of your golf cart with ease. Unfortunately, carts aren't available to players at Royal County Down where I tested the Wingman HD, so although a helpful lanyard clip is provided so you can attach it to your bag, it kept hitting off the back of my legs as I walked.

As golf becomes more expensive, I find myself really championing pieces of golf equipment that can be used on and off the course - one example is the rise of the best spikeless golf shoes and how some of the best casual golf shoes don't look out of place in a pub or on the first tee. The Wingman HD is a product you will get a lot of use out of at home as well as on the course, whether you're a music lover like me or want a new sound system to listen to the radio or your favorite podcasts.

The aforementioned BITE Magnetic strip makes the speaker experience even better, allowing me to stick it to any magnetic surface around the house. If I'm cooking, I'll stick it above me on the extractor fan, for example. When it's not being used on the course, its new home is stuck to the light switch in my bedroom!

The sound quality on offer is superb and as good as any other speaker I've ever owned, including the likes of JBL and Bose, two big hitters in the industry. Two 15-watt speakers with 2 passive radiators ensure crisp sound, a good bass and 360° whether you're on the course or at home. The 'Concert Links' feature lets you connect up to 100 Wingman HD units together in case you fancy hosting a concert on the golf course - just be aware of players around you if so!

With an RRP of $199.99 or £199, it's not a cheap device, but considering how much use I've had with it both on and off the course, I've been nothing but impressed by the Wingman HD. Notable improvements have been made from the previous iteration and I'm confident this speaker will serve me well for years to come (and if it doesn't, there's a one year warranty included).

In this day and age, if you’re out on the course without some sort of distance measuring device, you are immediately putting yourself on the back foot. The best golf GPS devices offer detailed course maps, shot tracking, and valuable advice on how best to navigate the course.

All of those aforementioned features are neatly contained within the compact SkyCaddie Pro 4X GPS unit. I must confess I’ve always been a GPS watch or laser rangefinder guy, but when I received the Pro 4X in the post it did excite me. It's more streamlined than the impressive but sizeable Pro 5X GPS and even sleeker and slimmer than the SX400.

Arriving fully charged and with one year’s free subscription, the device was ready to use immediately, so I got it straight out on the course to see what it could do.

First impressions are important, and thanks to the very neat size of this device I was immediately impressed. This was a tool I ideally wanted to keep on me at all times, so having the ability to slide it in and out of my back pocket with ease, and not notice it during my swing, was an immediate plus.

Despite being small, the bright 4" LCD touchscreen is very easy to use, and thanks to the vivid colours on display it also works perfectly in all light conditions. As soon as I got to the course, it took the Pro 4X mere moments to find the course I was on and I was ready to go. Before I played the round, though, it’s worth mentioning that I inputted my carry distances with each club, and this additional feature became very handy, which I will get into later.

So standing on the first tee, I was met with a variety of options, the most useful of which being the HoleVue, which allows you to pinpoint parts of the hole, giving you a target yardage and how long your second shot will be into the green. Using the touchscreen you can move your target around and you’re also treated to arcs per
club, which will tell you which hazards and parts of the hole are in range.

I mentioned before that I entered my club distances, and it’s this exact scenario where that came in handy, when you are presented with the arcs on the hole at your target distance, you are given a variety of options so you can see which club will hopefully end up where.

The HoleVue feature is superb, and makes plotting your way around the course so easy. Pick a target, select your club and fingers crossed, with a good strike, you should avoid the trouble. Another great feature included in this view is that hazards are marked with constantly adjusting yardages as you navigate allowing you to see what you need to do in order to cover those pesky bunkers. These same yardages can also be displayed in a list format. For fans of a more simplistic interface you can also switch over to a basic front/middle/back view with extra large numbers.

Moving on to approach shots, the Pro X4 allows you to utilize IntelliGreen Pro and the PinPoint features. The PinPoint is very easy to use, it allows you to move the Pin to where you think it is on the green, with the aim of really dialling in your yardages, however I would say that if you are far away, or your view is obstructed there is a certain degree of guessing involved without an accurate pin sheet.

Once your pin is in place, however, you can then use IntelliGreen Pro which is a superb feature that gives you an incredibly detailed map of the green, which includes contours, false fronts and yardages to the front/pin/back and sides. This extra level of detail once again allows you to make much more educated decisions, which in turn should result in better scoring.

All of the features mentioned above are as close as you can come to having a caddy in your pocket, and I have definitely seen improvements to my game as a result. I’m making better decisions off the tee, and doing a far better job of avoiding the danger on my approach shots. Most importantly, I'm trusting the accuracy, knowing that SkyCaddie map all the courses on foot.

The device also allows you to keep score and if you are big into your data, you can also track your shots for review after the round by simply inputting which clubs you used for each shot, whether you hit the fairway, missed it left or right, and how many putts you made. It's also compatible with the new GameTrax 360, which I'm excited to try out.

All in all the Sky Caddie Pro 4X is a fantastic GPS device. The level of detail is incredibly useful, the features are intuitive and comprehensive, and both the size of the device and the quality of the screen make it incredibly user friendly.

The best golf GPS devices seem to be getting larger and larger, offering golfers in-depth detail on golf courses across the world on the huge screens. Pinned Golf's 'The Caddie' is one of the largest, if not the largest, on the market with its massive 8-inch screen dwarfing the likes of the SkyCaddie Pro 5X or Blue Tees Ringer. But does size really matter? I took The Caddie onto the golf course to find out.

Straight out of the gate, I need to clarify that this is not the device to use if you're primarily a walking golfer. Such is the size of this device, you'll need to be using it either in a ride-on cart - where the strong built-in magnet allows it to sit conveniently on the cart - or by using the accompanying mount for an electric trolley. As a walking golfer, this device is simply too large. It can't fit in a trouser pocket, and you'll do well to find a pocket in your bag to easily store and use it. It's a non-starter here. That being said, the trolley mount I tested it with was highly effective, so trolley golfers will also be able to enjoy this product's benefits.

But The Caddie was never designed with that type of golfer in mind, so with that out of the way, I want to talk about all the reasons why The Caddie might be the right device for you. Firstly, the size is genuinely impressive. It's by far the biggest screen you'll be able to get on a dedicated golf GPS device, and it allows for a vast amount of detail to be shown on the screen.

At the start of each hole, you're shown a 3D flyover on the 8-inch full-colour touchscreen, detailing the exact shape of the hole, any hazards in the way and the exact shape of the green. The touchscreen allows you to scroll, zoom and search yardages to your heart's content and get a full 360-degree view of the hole ahead of you. You can touch any part of the hole to get a yardage to that area (very useful for calculating layups), while the bottom of the screen will show you in large font the distances to the front, middle and back of the green. Another nice feature is that yardages will hover above the front of a hazard like a bunker, which allows you to see the yardage without having to click on it before. The same goes for the back edge and front edge of the green.

I'll be honest, the quality of the graphics was a little disappointing. The textures are quite grainy, especially on the trees, and remind me more of an old Tiger Woods PlayStation 2 game than a modern piece of technology. There was certainly a little lag time in the touchscreen, too, and the 3D tree graphics were often depicting trees that were a lot larger than the trees I could actually see on the golf course.

The detail of what was surrounding the hole was lacklustre too. On the first hole at North Hants golf club - a long par three around 210 yards - a line of fairly dense trees sits around 20 yards over the back of the green. Though the green shape, hazards and yardages were all correct and detailed, the display on the Caddie showed no signs of these trees, thus leaving me without the info on how far over the green would be in trouble. This was one of many instances where the device's detail came into question.

That being said, the amount of information on the screen is impressive, and the ability to touch any part of the hole on such a large screen does allow you to get a clear picture of what is ahead of you and allows you to make better decisions because of it.

My favourite part of The Caddie is its scoring and game tracking features. The Caddie has modes that allow you to keep track of stroke play formats, match play or even a scramble, something I've not tested on any other GPS device of its type. Inputting the handicap index of your playing partners also allows The Caddie to let you know who has shots on which hole, a nice quality of life feature that keeps everyone in the group in the know as to who has shots where.

The game tracking is a nice addition, too. The Caddie prompts you at the end of the hole to input whether you hit the fairway, the green and how many putts you had. It's a fairly quick and easy way to keep track of some topline stats about your game, all of which are saved onto the device. All of this comes with no subscription fee, which also includes any future updates to the software, of which I'm sure there will be plenty over the lifetime of this product.

Though this might look like a delicate piece of technology you wouldn't want to risk breaking in the elements on the golf course, I can confirm this device is more than built to last outside. The case it comes in is incredibly rugged in case of any accidental drops, and it is fully weatherproof, and the screen is easily visible in all light conditions, which is a clever bit of design. The magnet in the back of the device is incredibly strong, and nearly no amount of rough terrain traversed by either your trolley or the ride-on cart will knock it off.

Overall, size really could be the winner here for a certain type of golfer. Though the graphics and the screen lag leave a little to be desired, I've got no doubt future updates will see The Caddie become an even more in-depth GPS device than it already is. The scoring and game tracking features are ideal for group golfers, and anyone who primarily plays golf in a ride-on cart will reap the rewards from this large, bright and intuitive GPS built to help golfers enjoyment of the game.

The 18Birdies app is one you may have heard of before - it has over 200,000 five-star reviews on the Apple App Store and more than 2 million active monthly users so it must be pretty good, right? I took it for a few spins around Royal County Down to see what all the fuss was about.

To answer that question in brief - yes, it is indeed pretty good. I've tested a number of the best golf gps devices over the last year, including a number of the best golf watches, none of which come close to the detail on offer from this free app.

The best part is its high-quality satellite imagery that gives you a bird’s-eye view of each hole as you play. A movable cursor can then give you accurate yardages to any part of the hole you'd like, be that bunkers, hazards, or even just parts of the fairway or rough. With over 43,000 pre-loaded courses, chances are your local club will be included.

Although I had a couple of blips in terms of yardages on a few holes, especially on the Annesley Links at Royal County Down, they were sometimes off by up to 20 yards, which I noticed quickly. I never had the same problem on the same hole the following day for example but I also think my little corner of Northern Ireland is less friendly to GPS devices compared to others I have played.

As mentioned, this is a free app. Often with things that are free, the features are heavily limited in an attempt to force users to purchase the premium version or membership but I can't say the same here. The free version gives you customizable yardages (mentioned above), plus a scorecard with automatic handicap calculation and stat tracking, community features with friend connections, live scoring and social tools — great for large groups and clubs.

The premium version gives you even more - for $19.99 per month, $99.99 per year, or $7.99 per week you get access to features like an AI Swing Analyzer, club tracking and recommendations, strokes gained analysis and 3D green maps. The strokes gained analysis were my favorite, uncovering for me I tend to miss left more than right with my approach shots and giving me an area of my game to work on at the range next week....

The club selections, once adjusted to how far you hit each club, factor in conditions to help you refine your approach shots further. However, take the wind with a pinch of salt - during one of my rounds the wind blew on the front nine before disappearing on the back but the app still factored it in due to an inaccurate weather forecast. Use it as a guide but also factor what you feel out there as you stand and analyze the conditions before your shot.

I got the most enjoyment out of using this app during a round with a buddy at Concra Wood Golf Club in County Monaghan, one of the very rare occasions I would ride a buggy during rounds. In a 2v2 match, myself and partner were glued to the app as we navigated a course we were only semi-familiar with. During competition rounds at Royal County Down I used the app less for two main reasons - I'm not a big fan of looking at my phone or smartwatch during rounds and my knowledge of my home course meant I didn't necessarily need to use all the features of the app as it would slow down our pace of play.

This gives me two main conclusions in this regard - this app is much better if you play golf whilst riding a cart and can place your phone on a mount or if you are playing a course you don't typically play and need a bit of help plotting yourself around.

To conclude, it isn't difficult to see why this app has proven so popular. It's not the perfect fit for me as a player who doesn't like looking at screens on the golf course, but that is very much a me problem. However, if I'm in a position where I'm playing a course for the first time and/or riding in a cart, this app will be open for the full 18 holes. The user experience is top notch and when you consider how much is available without even paying for the premium membership, it's a no-brainer for any golfer to give it a try.

Alongside the new Approach S44, the Garmin Approach S50 is one half of a new duo of GPS golf watches to add to the already popular Garmin lineup. Considering Garmin makes some of the best golf watches on the market, I was excited to get my hands on a watch that could potentially serve me well as a caddy on my wrist whilst on the course and as a fitness tracker off it.

Both the Approach S44 and the Approach S50 are beautifully constructed, boasting a slim, lightweight build packed full of useful features. The crisp 1.2-inch color AMOLED display really pops no matter the weather, meaning you’ll never be squinting at your watch trying to read your yardage like a pensioner attempting to read the newspaper. 43,000 courses come preloaded with both watches and are complemented by key golf features like yardages to hazards and the front, middle and back of each green.

I enjoyed having the S50 on my wrist during testing - it felt like a miniature caddy with whom I checked in with whilst playing when I needed to. I’m naturally more of a rangefinder guy, and I don’t think that will ever change, but pairing my Approach Z30 rangefinder and the S50 together gave me absolutely no excuses for misclubbing!

As a man who has never been a fan of wearing a watch whilst playing, be that a regular day-to-day watch or a specifically designed golf watch, I was very interested to see if I’d like Garmin’s latest releases. What struck me immediately was how lightweight the S50 was. I’m easily distracted as a player and had a feeling a golf watch would do so during my swing, but instead, I barely noticed I was wearing it. Add to that the fabric strap and it's the best watch-wearing experience I've had bar none. Unlike many silicone straps, which have specific holes to fit around your wrist, this fabric strap uses a small Velcro closure that means to can fit it to any size you like. It meant no awkward fit, and the lightweight, low-profile watch barely made an impression on my wrist.

One quick glance at the watch as I arrived at my ball meant I was ready to go, as the watch gave me three important yardages to help me find the right club to hit. It’s a very basic feature, but I really enjoyed the score-tracking feature provided. The S50 will give you a soft vibration on your wrist as you walk to the next tee box to remind you to enter your score, a useful reminder, especially when I was competing in competitions. The device also turns off any smartphone notifications when it enters golf mode, another quality-of-life feature I really appreciated.

Yardages were accurate, too. Although rarely spot on, they were never more than two or three yards out. The consistency allowed me to fully trust the S50 and not be second-guessing the club in my hand as I was about to hit my approach. It features slope-adjusted distances, which are easily toggled on and off. I would have loved some more information on green complexes, but they are hidden behind a paywall. To access them, you'll have to sign up for Garmin's Golf Membership, which will set you back £89.99 for a year.

Also hidden behind this membership is the ability to use touch targeting on any point of the full hole map on the display. Instead, it gives you preset layup distances in the middle of the fairway. A final feature behind the paywall is an even more detailed hole map. Though I loved how clear and accurate the standard hole mapping was, the detail on the paid-for version is stunning. Here you can get a bird's-eye view of every tree on the golf course as well as the exact shape of bunkers, rather than just a generic graphic. I always find extra subscriptions like this frustrating when you've already forked out the best part of £400 for the hardware. That being said, I think the £89.99 a year is worth it for those who play very regularly and want that extra layer of detail.

Off the golf course, this is one of the best day-to-day watches I've used. I've been an Apple Watch user for the last few years, but the Approach S50 has very nearly persuaded me out of it. It is fully loaded with the best health tracking features modern watches can offer. Heart health can be tracked through the HRV status, blood oxygen saturation can be tracked thanks to the Pulse OX sensor, sleep is tracked in excellent detail, and all your daily activity can be tracked too.

My favourite feature was the nap detection. As a regular napper (hopefully my employer hasn't got to this part of the review), it was cool to see exactly how long I'd napped for, whether I'd hit the ideal nap time and how it had benefitted my body. You can go into as much or as little detail with all your health and activity on the S50, which makes it adaptable and appropriate for any golfer. Ultimately, my integration with the Apple ecosystem (phone, tablet and laptop) means it makes sense for me to keep using my Apple Watch. However, I can see how someone with less Apple-based integration in their life could happily use the Approach S50 as their daily driver.

Overall, bar the pesky features hidden behind a paywall, I can't fault the S50, and I loved every round I used it during my testing. As a golf watch, it is faultless with the crystal clear and intuitive touchscreen shining well above any of the competition right now. As a daily watch, it allows you to go into as much or as little detail as you'd like with your activity and the comfortable strap and lightweight build mean it makes very little impression on your wrist. If you think you don't need the health and fitness tracking capabilities, then the Approach S44, which is ostensibly the same product, is the perfect golf-only watch for you.

Often with simplicity when it comes to golf watches you also get a limited array of features but the new G6 watch from Shot Scope well and truly bucks that trend. Despite the modest price tag of £179.99 it comes with full color hole maps, distances to hazards and doglegs, lay up points and a built in scorecard. But how do they work in practice? I took it to the course over multiple rounds to find out.

VIDEO: See the G6 watch in action in this video on how good golfers break 80

The first observation would be how simple this watch is to set up and get going. You literally just have to charge it via the included usb cable, turn it on and navigate to ‘Play Golf’ on the menu. You make your selections using the buttons on the four corners of the watch - they’re a little fiddly to press at times but the labels in front of them explain clearly what each one does. I don’t think the lack of touchscreen detracts from the experience - golfers who just want the crucial distance information without the bells and whistles of the sister X5 watch or competitors like the Garmin Approach S70 will appreciate how this keeps the cost down.

It typically takes just a few seconds for the course to be located and, like the best golf watches, the opening screen displays the front, middle and back distances in a way that is clearly visible in all light conditions. The screen is on the small side, but not to the point that you have to squint to see anything, plus the compact nature of the watch as a hole ensures it doesn't distract you during the swing.

The bottom-left button is where the bulk of the features are accessed. You have to press it twice, once to unlock it (which is a little annoying every time) and then again to bring up the hazard information. I like how you get distances to reach and carry them and it was obvious to me which hazard the numbers were referring to when cross referencing them with the hole maps. Speaking of, these aerial views were a little basic in design but showed enough to see what lay ahead and how far away certain points were. This really came in handy on blind tee shots or on new courses and you can easily scroll up and down the hole to see the distance at which points of interest lie.

I also liked the ability to move the pin location around by cycling through a host of positions to get a more specific distance if you’re feeling aggressive and want to go flag hunting, although this requires a good understanding of exactly where the pin is located. The G6 will prompt you after each hole to enter your score and it will then display this on the home screen so you can keep track.

The G6 watch doesn’t have the ability to track shots like the V5 watch or the X5 and you could argue the extra £20 to get the V5 is probably better value, but only if you’re into your stats and want that added insight into your play. With the G6 you can wear it on either arm and you do get two interchangeable straps (from a choice of 12 colors) which, it has to be said, are made from a very soft material that genuinely enhances the comfort on your wrist. There's no doubt this is one of the best value golf watches on the market in 2025 and beyond.

The Approach S44 and Approach S50 are the two new additions to Garmin's popular golf smartwatch lineup. Garmin is well recognized for making some of the best golf watches on the market, so I was intrigued to see how their Approach S44 performed out on the golf course.

The S44 is a feature-packed watch, featuring a slim, lightweight build and essential tools for golfers looking to improve their game. Equipped with crisp, 1.2-inch colour AMOLED displays, the new smartwatches include preloaded maps of more than 43,000 golf courses and key golf features like hazard view and distance to the front, middle and back of the green to help players hit the right club.

Like the best golf GPS devices, this is a mini caddy to add to your wrist to help plan your next shot, be that navigating a bunker or hazard or receiving help on which club to choose at the right time. This watch also doubles up as a smartwatch that you can wear off the course, albeit without the many health features that are included with the premium Approach S70.

What I like about Garmin is that it lets the quality of its products do the talking. Rarely is there a lot of fuss when unboxing one of its products or any additional bells and whistles - instead, it's almost a bit of an anti-climatic feeling when I unboxed the S44. That isn't a criticism by the way, rather a testament to how a brand is focusing on the important things - the quality of the product.

After removing the watch from the plain but effective packaging I began using it straight away. It came with a full charge which was helpful, although the strap was very rigid for my first few days of use which impacted the comfort and ease of use. This thankfully loosened after a few days but you might struggle to adjust it to your liking at the very beginning.

My first few days wearing the watch did not feature a day on the golf course but rather me using the watch as an everyday smart watch. Connecting my phone to the S44 allowed me to keep a track of my phone notifications on my wrist, check the time, weather, daylight hours, my step count and change my music whilst in the gym and away from my phone. I'm not a massive fan of phone notifications arriving on my wrist, but the Garmin watch allows you to choose which notifications do and don't arrive to the S44 which I found a valuable feature.

I then took this watch to it's natural playground to see how it performed - the golf course. I've never been a big watch guy, always preferring to use some of the best golf rangefinders instead. I've also never been a fan of wearing a watch, or anything for that matter, on my wrist during a round of golf, but given how lightweight the S44 is it really didn't bother me wearing it as I swung the club.

I tested the watch primarily on the Championship Links at Royal County Down and was immediately struck by how clear and concise the display was - one quick glance at my watch gave me the yardage to the front, middle and back of greens which sped up my pre-shot routine compared to when I use my rangefinder.

I also loved the score tracking feature which sends a vibration to your watch as you walk to or reach the next tee box, reminding you to input your score. As a player who tends to mark his card every three or four holes during competitions, this can help avoid scratching down an incorrect score onto your scorecard.

Yardage feedback was largely accurate and consistent. At Royal County Down we have the yardage to the front of the green etched into each sprinkler head, so comparing the yardages on those to my watch proved a good test of accuracy. Although rarely spot on, the watch was never more than two or three yards off. I always found the watch was never under the yardage but rather always one of two yards over. This consistency allowed me to understand my distances that little bit easier rather than second guessing the device.

I would have loved some more information on green complexes, but they are hidden behind a paywall. To access them, you'll have to sign up to Garmin's Golf Membership which will set you back £89.99 for a year.

As a watch to be worn both on and off the course, the battery life is fabulous. Both the S50 and S44 smartwatches deliver up to 15 hours of battery life in GPS mode and much longer when not on the golf course - I charged mine on average once a week.

This is yet another really solid product from Garmin. The S44 delivers all you could want from a golf GPS watch whilst also doubling up as a handy day-to-day smart watch. Those who are fitness-inclined like myself might want to upgrade to the S70 or S50 version of the watch for more health and fitness features, but for pure golfers the S44 is a solid alternative.

When it comes to distance-measuring devices I've always been a GPS guy and so when I had the chance to test the Garmin Approach G20 Solar, I was very interested to see how it performed.

To start with, it's the first handheld solar-powered golf GPS device on the market and, given it's made by Garmin, a brand that I've used for over a decade, I knew that the first thing I was guaranteed was quality of build.

I tested the G20 Solar over numerous rounds on holiday in Tenerife, as well as a few rounds at home in Oxfordshire and the first thing that struck me was the ease of use when getting started.

Arriving at the course, you simply switch it on with the top-left power button and, after selecting the 'play golf' setting, the G20 will locate the course instantly.

Packed with over 43,000 courses, you can scroll up-and-down through the various menus using the arrow buttons on the left side. Along with those two buttons, the bottom right button allows you to go back whilst the top right button acts as the 'Ok/confirmation'.

It's worth noting that, unlike some of the best Garmin golf watches, the G20 Solar isn't touch screen, which I think makes it easier to use. The slight downside is that the device doesn't provide an overhead view of the hole, only front, middle and back yardages, as well as measurements to various penalty areas and lay-ups.

To test for accuracy, I used the G20 Solar alongside my Shot Scope Pro LX rangefinder, which is one of the best rangefinders on the market and, overall, the GPS was throwing out yardages similar to that of the Pro LX, which was a good sign.

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.

Unfortunately, I was unable to test the club aspect as I didn't have the tags, but the tracking of scores and basic stats would certainly benefit most golfers.

We now move to the main selling point - the Solar charging element. When the device detects sunlight it will charge itself and, with a high enough battery life and plenty of sunlight, it can sustain itself and essentially provide unlimited usage.

This sounds great on paper and, when out in Tenerife where the sun shines all day, I didn't have to worry about finding a charging port. However, when back in cloudy England, it does appear that charging it is slightly more difficult.

The G20 Solar does reportedly provide up to 36 rounds without solar charging, which is far more than most of the best GPS golf devices. The only slight qualm is that, if the sun isn't shining, it can play on your mind that the device isn't charging.

However, the G20 Solar does show the battery gain throughout the day and Garmin has clearly thought about the weather being cloudy, as you can also charge it via a USB cable.

Overall, there's a lot to like about the Garmin Approach G20 Solar. Not only is it small and practical, but it provides all the basics and ease-of-use you are ever likely to need round the golf course.

The Solar element is a useful piece of technology and, given the amount of charge you get with it, it's seriously impressive. The only slight downside is that at an RRP of $299.99, you might expect more features or hole information. But if you're after a no-nonsense golf GPS device, the Approach G20 Solar delivers in spades.

The Watch Ultimate has been Huawei’s flagship smartwatch since its inception a few years ago with a focus on expedition and diving, hence the marine blue color scheme. The new Huawei Watch Ultimate Green Edition takes you from the water to the fairways with its golf-specific styling and lengthy feature list.

The watch is presented with a set of three straps so you can continue to wear this watch away from the course, no matter the occasion you find yourself in. The silicone strap is ideal for when exercising, playing golf or exploring. The seamless integrated woven strap is an industry first and is exceptionally comfortable, water resistant and breathable. The titanium strap is the last included and is perfect for the smarter occasion where you still want all the functionality and health features the Watch Ultimate offers.

Built from premium Zirconium-based liquid metal, this watch is extremely strong and durable. Unlike a lot of other smart watch metals, this unique material holds is shine for much longer and is known to be 4.5 times stronger than stainless steel. The dual-color, nano-tech ceramic bezel offers something slightly different to other golf watches on the market and adds to the golf theme this watch is designed around.

The Watch Ultimate features a Sapphire glass dial and 1.5” touch screen that I found to be really responsive and immediate to touch. There are four golf specific golf watch faces, offering information such as statistics on your latest round or a live scorecard feature, lighting up each hole's score in a certain color around the edge of the watch so you can quickly identify where your score stands coming down the 18th hole -  something I found particularly beneficial.

As golfers, we’re becoming more aware how technology is influencing clubhead design with many of the best drivers, fairway woods and irons having been created with the help of A.I. but like many, my bad rounds on the course are often caused by swinging out of tempo or making simple course management mistakes. 

The new advanced golf mode sees over 15,000 courses across the world available to download onto the Watch Ultimate. I tested this watch on a course I had never played before and was able to quickly identify what distance I had to the fairway and each of the bunkers surrounding the fairway. The Watch Ultimate also gives you the distances you would expect from a GPS golf device, yardage to the front, middle and back of the green, as well as a ‘plays like’ feature which takes into account undulation and gives you a calculated, adjusted yardage for when playing uphill or downhill. I found the yardage given to be accurate and tested it out against on of the best golf rangefinders.

There are a few other new features on the Watch Ultimate that are perfect for social play such as green contouring. When you walk onto a green, you will be presented with a live look at the slopes on the green to help you read a putt. You can also receive information such as wind speed and direction but remember, these cannot be used during tournament play under the Rules of Golf set by the R&A and USGA.

The range feature was what I found to be arguably the most useful on this watch. By swinging on the range, the watch could identify my tempo and offer advice on whether I needed to speed up my backswing or downswing using color coded boundaries. If your swing measures in the green it’s deemed as good tempo and if it’s in the red, you have some things to work on - as you can see below, I must have been swinging well on this particular day!

If you’re someone who likes being generally active outdoors the Watch Ultimate has some impressive trail walking and hiking trail maps as well as boasting a 100m water resistant standard for those who like to scuba or free-dive. As standard you can expect around eight days of battery life, with scope to last 14 days if using features sparingly. 

All in all this watch is one that looks great and has some really impressive features that have the potential to really help golfers get better. The punchy price of £749 sees the Huawei Watch Ultimate enter the market as one of the more expensive golf watches comparable with the Garmin Marq golfer and TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition, but its versatility, premium design and useful functionality go a long way towards justifying it for those with deep pockets. 

For me, the best golf GPS devices, and any golf technology for that matter, needs to enhance your playing experience and add a tangible benefit to time on the golf course. Too often I've found over complicated, over dressed pieces of technology getting in the way of the golf at hand. 

The reason I mention this is the list of features that come with Voice Caddies new T11 Pro GPS watch perhaps border on the side of distraction, due to the sheer number. One look at the spec sheet, and you'll see why my fears were triggered. Yardages, wind direction and speed confirmation, automatic green slope calculation, practice tempo mode, shot and putt tracking, green undulation data, full hole mapping, pin placement, course and green zoom, putt view for elevation and club recommendations. This isn't even the full list. For some, this might be the dream golf watch teeming with every possible feature and, for some, an overwhelming mess. In this review, I'm going to break down the features I found most useful and the ones perhaps Voice Caddie could've left on the cutting room floor.

Before I get into the features, I must commend the T11 Pro for how premium the casing and screen look and feel. The screen in particular, which uses OLED technology, is a stand out feature versus its competition. It's incredibly bright, the graphics are the clear and the touchscreen is perfectly responsive. It has to be one of the best touchscreens on any GPS golf watch currently on sale. 

Sticking with the positives, I'll start with the features I found worked best and used most often during my many rounds of testing. The first of these was the full hole mapping. I find this an invaluable tool on any golf handheld GPS or GPS watch, especially when playing new or unfamiliar courses. On the T11 Pro, the clear graphics really come into their own with this features as it accurately shows you the shape of the hole, shape and size of hazards as well as an accurate shaping of the green. It leaves you with no doubt of what is in front of you and the ability to touch to specific points for a yardage only adds to its usefulness. Some of the useful features on top of this include wind direction and speed (which is calculated when connected with the Voice Caddie app), a driver distance arc (which you can set at your average driver distance to see what parts of the hole you may be bringing into play) as well as a pin arc, which shows you circles 50 yards and 100 yards away from the pin. 

The reason this feature works so well is that you barely have to touch the watch to utilise it. Most of this data appears automatically and one glance at the watch face gives you pretty much all the info you need to hit your tee or approach shot. When you walk onto the fairway, the watch will recognize this an automatically zoom in to display the key info around the green for your approach shot. It's automatic functionality like this that I really appreciate on golf technology. 

The data gets a little denser as you apporach the green, but I must commend Voice Caddie for how its executed its green reading features. The Smart Approach View, as the brand calls it, is probably where the watch flexes its biggest muscles. It displays the exact shape of the green including arrows to color gradient to show the slope and it also rotates to your exact position on the hole. This rotation feature was my favorite of the bunch. You won't always be approaching the green from position A1, so knowing what part of the green you'll be looking to carry first is really useful to automatically have fed to you on course. 

However, this does lead me onto the first features that I don't feel added to my overall experience. Smart Putt View is another impressive feature on the watch, but to me it wasn't as enlightening as I think Voice Caddie thinks it is. This system provides you with critical information on the green factoring in slopes and breaks. It then feeds than information to your watch, giving you prompts like 'aim left', 'aim right over a clublength' or 'uphill, downhill, flat to the pin'. As clever and unique as this is, I found it only scrambled my head when over a putt. That's not to say it's innacurate, far from it, but the last thing I want when I'm trying to read my putts is my watch telling me what to do. Perhaps for some who are poor at reading greens this could become a useful helping hand, but this was a clear case of information overload for me on course.  I like the clear color gradient and arrows that give me a really solid idea of where the green is sloping, but the suggestions were a step too far. 

The second feature I had a quick go with and then realised this wasn't for me is the built-in tempo practice. When in this menu, you can practice your golf swing against a set tempo number and the watch will feedback whether you're slower, faster or precisely on this set tempo number. Without a clear idea of what is a good tempo number to input into the watch beforehand, I didn't really find much use for this. It's a cool feature you can use anywhere with the right data at your fingertips, but you won't find me practicing my tempo in the fresh meat aisle of my local supermarket any time soon. To be fair to the T11 Pro, these are the only two features I didn't really feel added to the overall experience. There are plenty of others I simply don't have the word count to go into great depth on, but rest assured this watch has plenty to keep you busy. If you a bit of a data geek, then there's so much to get stuck into. Equally if you want to keep it simple, the main features will keep you well informed and not too distracted on course. 

As a day-to-day smartwatch, the T11 Pro is perfectly useable too. It's a little bigger than my Apple Watch on the wrist, but when connected to your smartphone will give you notifications from calls and texts. For sure, this isn't anywhere near as comprehensive as a dedicated day-to-day smartwatch, but its usable nonetheless if you need minimal functionality off the course. 

Overall, the jury is still out for me on whether this watch is feature packed to the point of become distracting. If you actually used every feature on this watch on every hole you played, you'd be exhausted by data and likely get distracted from the golf at hand. On the other hand, my favorite feature, and the one you'll likely use the most, was the full hole mapping that you barely have to interact with to use to the fullest. With that in mind, I'd say Voice Caddie has put in great efforts to make this watch as feature packed and as hands off as possible. 

The sheer amount of features, and the quality of the screen, certainly make it worth it's fairly steep price point in the market. There isn't anything quite like the T11 Pro that I've yet tested, bar perhaps the Garmin Approach S70, and it's certainly an exciting and well executed piece of technology. 

We've reviewed some excellent handheld GPS devices to far this year. While it's still a smaller category compared to the size of the GPS watch or laser rangefinder market, the likes of the Blue Tees Ringer and SkyCaddie Pro 5X have proven the handheld market still has a lot to offer golfers. Another offering in this part of the market is the new Bushnell Phantom 3 Slope, the third generation handheld device from a brand more famed for its rangefinders. 

While the move from the original Phantom to Phantom 2 saw the addition of sloped distances for the first time, Phantom 2 to Phantom 3 sees the addition of an all-new touchscreen. It has made the device much easier to use than before - where you had to use the side buttons - and scrolling between the various screens when in play is easier than ever before. For sure, the screen isn't as premium as something, but it reacts quickly to any commands. The new touchscreen is especially useful for the Greenview feature, which gives you an accurate shape of the green ahead, which angle you're attacking the green from and the ability to place the pin for a more precise yardage. 

Otherwise, to be honest, not much has changed in terms of out and out functionality. One pleasing change has come in the shape of new graphics on screen. We criticized both previous generations of Phantom devices for the somewhat rudimentary view you'd get on screen. The 8-bit style numbers and dull screen made the device feel a little less than premium. That's all changed for Phantom 3, with a backlight and cleaner number graphics allowing the display to match the premium nature of the casing itself. 

As for data, the Phantom 3 covers all bases. Front, middle and back yardages are the main three numbers you'll see on screen, but scrolling through the pages via the touchscreen will allow you to look at the distance to hazards, access Greenview mode, use the shot distance calculator and enter your score. Having the slope adjusted distances available is incredibly useful, and can be turned on and off so you can use the device in competition. 

Returning from the last two generations is Bushnell's Bite magnet, a vital feature for those who play a lot of cart golf which allows you to place the device on the side of the cart for the duration of the round. The magnet is superbly strong and you can leave the device to operate without really having to touch it. The UI includes auto course and hole recognition, auto score prompt and auto course updates which makes it even easier to use. For those who carry, the Phantom 3 also comes with a case and carabiner clip that allows you to attach it easily to the side of your bag. Such is the brightness of the screen, you can easily scan over to your cart or bag to get the key data you need. The battery lasts for 4 rounds of golf roughly, which is a good amount of time, and can be recharged via a USB-C cable that comes in the box. 

Overall this is a steady improvement on the last two generations. Those with the Phantom 2 Slope will likely see plenty of benefits from upgrading while those still in the original Phantom will want to jump on to this new device ASAP in my opinion. Sure, it doesn't offer the full hole mapping of some handheld GPS devices, but with with the RRP at $149 (£149.99), you can't expect that level of functionality. The biggest compliment I can give it is how little I noticed it when I was playing, such was the ease of use. The Phantom name, therefore, seems rather appropriate for this excellent GPS device. 

Having never really been an on-course music type of guy, I was somewhat skeptical when the GolfBuddy Voice XL GPS Speaker turned up on my doorstep for review, however with some interesting features involved, I kept an open mind and headed off to the course to see if it could sit amongst the best golf speakers or even the best golf GPS devices.

Straight out of the box the feel of the product is extremely premium. The 701-gram weight provides enough heft to know you have something fairly robust in your hands, but not so much that you might strain a bicep lifting it. The speaker material that surrounds the unit is smooth and once again feels durable enough not to cause problems later down the road.

For context, size-wise, the GolfBuddy Voice XL is just a touch longer than my hand and not too bulky, it easily fits in a golf bag for post-round storage and transportation.

The instructions were refreshingly simple and clear and the setup process is about as straightforward as it gets. Once you have held down the power button for 3 seconds and have heard the welcoming tune, a blue light will flash which means it is ready to pair with your phone. All you need to do then is head into the GolfBuddy app on your phone, go to device management, and pair up. Then you are all set. It is IOS and Android compatible which is always a plus point.

The overall aesthetic is excellent with high-quality finishes throughout and a cool GB (GolfBuddy) logo tucked on the underside of the device. The buttons are well laid out and couldn’t be any clearer to use. They are plenty big enough that even if your vision is compromised by one too many on-course beverages, you will still have no problems locating the correct one.

One feature that I really enjoyed was the remote control that clips on and off the GolfBuddy Voice XL GPS Speaker easily. I didn’t test its full range but it works perfectly from the opposing side of the fairway and allows you to toggle between songs or even yardages. Speaking of yardages, the offering is fairly basic but covers everything most players will need such as front, middle, and back of the green, and these yardages are also shown on the LED display within the speaker and also verbalized via the speaker which is a cool feature. When the LED display is not showing yardages, it defaults to a handy clock display which is nice and clear.

The cart mounting magnet is one of the better ones I have come across. It is plenty strong enough to know that the speaker is staying put, but doesn’t scare the living daylights out of you as it snaps ferociously into place. Comparable strength to the Shot Scope Pro ZR laser, GolfBuddy has the strength just right on this one.

The GolfBuddy Voice XL GPS Speaker comes pre-loaded with 40,000 golf courses and there are a couple more really cool features worth mentioning. Firstly, the speaker doubles up as a power bank so if, like me, your phone is always limping towards the end of the round power-wise, you can simply top it up via your speaker, brilliant! The speaker itself is charged via a USB-C and can last up to ten hours.

As on-course music hasn’t really caught on in the UK as of yet, I must admit to feeling a little self-conscious while testing out the GolfBuddy Voice XL GPS Speaker, but I did genuinely enjoy what it had to offer. The build quality is undeniable, the speaker is high-quality and it couldn’t be any simpler to use. You can’t ask much more than that.

When it comes to golf rangefinders, innovation doesn’t just mean clever new features designed to give you more accurate distances – there’s also been a focus on making devices even more convenient to use.

One of the unique aspects of the CaddyTalk Minion laser rangefinder, the brand’s smallest product, is that it’s designed to be carried on your person – either in your pocket or clipped on to your belt (mainly the latter).

I can see the appeal. A small thing, perhaps, but it can be a bit tedious putting your laser away in your back/pouch after every shot, which is far less of an inconvenience with the Minion.

The device comes in a hard case. It’s a somewhat unusual design and the clip can be a little stiff. That said, if you’re clipping it on to your belt, it does need to be to keep it in place. Having worn it several times, I’m confident I’m not going to lose it. Many users of golf rangefinders will have had that sinking feeling when realising their device is probably sat on the fairway a few holes back. Losing a laser can be very costly.  

The weight takes a little getting used to. At just 99g – which it needs to be when clipped on your belt – this is the lightest laser rangefinder I have ever used. On occasions, however, I did find that it lacked a bit of stability, especially in the wind. That’s the main trade off, but you do get used to it and those with a relatively steady hand will find it works just fine.

As for what it offers when you’re standing over a shot, this is a feature-packed little device. According to CaddyTalk, Magic Slope (M-Slope), which can be turned off for tournament play, by applying the concept of ballistics, the Minion provides higher accuracy of recommended distances compared to existing rangefinders. Clever stuff. 

The Minion, which is charged via a USB-C cable, is easy to use. Locking on to targets is very straightforward, and it vibrates when you have your target. The display is crystal clear and you can scan the horizon to assess what lies ahead of you, with the Minion displaying the shortest distance. I found this really useful off the tee when assessing which hazards were in play and whether trees needed to be avoided. There’s also the slope-adjusted feature, which places it among the best rangefinders with slope. It’s a serious piece of kit that will appeal to those who like to have as much information as possible before hitting a shot.

If I had to choose between the CaddyTalk Minion and the larger CaddyTalk Cube, I’d opt for the latter, but this is only because I’m not one for wearing a device on my person, even if it doesn’t distract you when you play. My feelings were very much the same when I tested the GolfBuddy Aim Quantum rangefinder – another impressive wearable device, just not one I liked using in this way.

I'm going to be picky and say I'm not a huge fan of the gray/yellow color scheme but there are four combinations to choose from, which is something not many rangefinder makers offer. Overall, the Minion is an impressive device, one that I understand is proving to be quite popular in Asia and given the impressive feature suite, it's not hard to see why.  

I have to admit, I was skeptical when I found out I was being sent some golf-specific GPS earbuds, but I was determined to head into my testing with an open mind so let's see if the TecTecTec Team8E Golf GPS earbuds can rival some of the best golf GPS devices on the market.

The first thing that caught my attention was the multi-functional element on offer. Not only do you get a golf GPS, but you also get a fully functioning wireless earbud, and when you consider the price of these two items separately, the $129 that TecTecTec is asking for seems like incredible value. That is if they function well, however.

I’m pleased to report that they do. To start with, the packaging and branding are very premium-looking and the box is laid out nicely. No frills, just a nice, robust-feeling storage and charging case, a charging lead, and the instruction manual. Everything you require and nothing more. Nice start.

The setup process is pretty simple.  You just need to download the app, sign up for an account, and pair your phone with the earbuds via Bluetooth. Once you’ve picked your audio source, you’re all set to listen to whatever you want. The audio isn’t as crystal clear as you might experience on say Apple Airpods, but it is certainly above average in my opinion.

In terms of the golf side, the set-up is equally as straightforward. Just open the TecTecTec App and hit the ‘Quick Play’ button. A menu of nearby golf courses will appear to select from. Once you’ve found your course, you can then pick your tees for the round and the app will take you straight to hole 1. The app screen shows you front, middle, and back yardages, but we aren’t here to talk about the app, are we? We want to know how the earbuds work…

Well, essentially, if you tap your right earbud once, you will hear the yardages to the green (you can preset whether you want front, middle, back, or all of the above in the app), and if you tap twice, you will get the distance to the nearest hazard. It will also detail what type of hazard it is and where it is situated on the hole. 

A feature that I really liked was the shot measurement option. Here, you just press and hold your right earbud, and once you receive the instruction, you can walk to your ball, tap again on your right earbud and you will receive an exact yardage of your last shot. This is really handy for getting a feel for your yardages or even just boasting to your friends about how far you are driving the ball!

I wanted to test out the accuracy of the Team8E Golf GPS earbuds so I put them up against my ShotScope Pro ZR, and the results were good. 

If you’re using a GPS device instead of a rangefinder, you should expect small amounts of error, but on the few occasions I cross-referenced, there was never more than 3 yards of difference between the two.

As you would expect, other functions that are generally available on wireless headphones, such as the ability to accept phone calls, are available with the Team8E Golf GPS earbuds.

This will be a subjective area, but I found the fit of the Team8E Golf GPS earbuds to be excellent and had no aches or soreness, even after the 9 holes I played wearing them. 

I am still not sure about the social aspect of these earbuds as a golfing accessory. If I turned up on the 1st tee paired up with someone wearing earbuds, I think I might feel a little put out! Even worse, if they started without them, but put them on a few holes in, I think I would be even more offended! However, if you play a lot on your own and you enjoy listening to music or podcasts while you do so, then these will be great. One thing I would certainly want TecTecTec to improve would be the ability to find out distances to more than just the nearest hazard, if they could achieve this, I think they would have a much more rounded and comprehensive golf product.

The sound quality is more than palatable, the accuracy of yardage is there (albeit slightly limited in what they can measure), and they are super simple to set up. As I said, I wasn’t entirely convinced to start with, but I am starting to think that there really is a market for this product. 

Having been thoroughly impressed with the Shot Scope products I have seen of late, including the Pro ZR laser rangefinder and the X5 Golf GPS watch, I was pleased to see another arrive on my doorstep. This time it was the Shot Scope V5 Golf GPS watch, so let’s see if it can find a place amongst the best golf watches.

To be frank, this could easily be one of the shortest reviews I have ever written, as the V5 is the exact same product, with the exact same functionality as the X5, just with four buttons to navigate the menus as opposed to a touch screen. Thus, it is $50 cheaper, that’s it, review over!

On a serious note, that is essentially it though. Everything other than the touch screen is still present, and, if I am completely honest, I actually prefer the button navigation. It requires less precision and I made fewer errors.

As with the X5, the Shot Scope V5 Golf GPS watch comes preloaded with 36,000 golf courses and will give you accurate yardages to the front, middle, and back of any green along with hazards and run-outs. I cross-referenced the yardages with my Bushnell Tour V6 laser and was very impressed with the accuracy. I feel that when you go to GPS versus laser, you are accepting that you may get a few yards of discrepancy, however on the samples I took, at no point was the V5 watch any more than 2 yards away from the laser.

The full hole maps feature allows you to see a really clear and simple overview of the hole in front of you and really helps you visualize and come up with the right game plan. Green view and pin placement are other features that I really liked, making the V5 watch suitable for tournament play, even at the professional level where precise flag distances are crucial to my score.

The watch comes with 16 second-generation tracking tags, which allows you to take advantage of the excellent strokes gained statistics facility. I firmly believe that understanding strokes gained is the key to improvement for most golfers. The V5 watch makes this very easy to track and when viewing your results, you will be left in no doubt as to what to prioritize in your next practice session.

Another important point here is that there are no subscription fees. Hoorah! You simply pay your money, and get your device along with all of its excellent features. Simple, and a huge plus point for me.

The Shot Scope V5 GPS golf watch has a neat and tidy aesthetic, is intuitive to use, and has all the functionality you could ever ask for. I have always been a laser guy, and I will most likely stay that way, but the additional features and statistical element of the Shot Scope V5 Golf GPS watch has really got me thinking. One thing I will say is that if I do switch over to the watch side, this is where I will be starting.

I also think this is a great present too, whether it is for yourself or for the golfer in your life. But for more gift ideas for birthdays, Christmas and so on, check out our guide on the best golf gifts.

Having been exclusively a Rangefinder user throughout my career, with the occasional printed course guide thrown in, I was intrigued to see what the SkyCaddie Pro 5X had to offer, so I ventured out onto the links to see if it could rival some of the best GPS devices in the game.

The SkyCaddie Pro 5X is a digital course guide, around the size of an iPhone, that comes pre-loaded with 35,000 courses that SkyGolf has ground-verified for accuracy. An ultra-fast multi-core processor is designed to give you an exceptionally fast response time while the HD graphics with multiple views hopes to provide a high-quality visual experience.

The first thing I noticed when taking it out of the box was the new larger 5.5” screen, up from 4” with the SX400 model. Given the level of detail the Pro 5X provides, this is a welcome and necessary upgrade.

The setup experience was straightforward, a short power charge, and off I went. Once you turn the unit on there are some handy short tutorials to get you up and running, which I found very helpful. The PRO 5X comes with a 12-month Birdie Membership included in the purchase price but you will need to sign up for a SkyGolf subscription plan once that period ends. The annual subscriptions range from $29.95 to $59.95 depending on the level of detail and features required. 

For my first test round, I played on the West course at Saunton Golf Club. The Pro 5X picked up the course quickly using GPS location, but had it not, there is also a search feature if required. Once I had chosen my course, I was then directed to a selection screen where I could customize my preferences such as tees, flag positions (more on that later), and many more options. When you are ready to start the round, you just need to make sure that you have a clear view of the sky for the satellites to pick up the signal, and off you go.

In terms of features, the Pro 5X is jam-packed. One of the first that caught my eye was the Intellipath technology. Once you have dragged the cursor to your intended aim point and yardage, the Intellipath feature will kick in and show you all of the distances to any other relevant course feature within the vicinity such as bunkers and water hazards. I really enjoyed this feature and it was a real time saver for me when I would normally need to laser multiple individual bunkers to decide on my club.

Once I had hit my first tee shot (straight down the middle I’ll have you know), the next high-quality feature became apparent. Dynamic Holevue technology rotates the fairway and orients the green from wherever you are as you move from the tee to the green. This genuinely improves the experience as you see everything situated directly between you and the green instantly, giving a much better perspective. As I didn’t have a pin sheet for the day, I was unable to take advantage of the Pinpoint feature that allows you to input flag positions before the round ensuring complete accuracy, however, I could see the pin on the 1st was towards the back right portion of the green so I was able to drag the marker to my best estimate. 

Another green-related feature I enjoyed was the updated Intelligreen Pro. This allowed me to see all of the major contours of the green from the fairway to inform my club selection better while staying within the rules as it doesn’t factor slope or gradient into distance calculations.

As well as giving you plenty of information, the Pro 5X allows you to record a lot of information too. The scoring area of the software is very easy to use and you can also gain some real statistical insight into your game by utilizing the impressive stats feature.

The Pro 5X can even help you select the correct club using the Dynamic Rangevue feature whereby you can pre-load your club yardages. Then, as you play, you will see your club range next to the RangeVue ring on every part of the course which can be a handy visual. Obviously, this is more of a rough guide as it doesn’t factor in slope, temperature, or wind so the player would need to make those adjustments and calculations themselves.

I could go on for pages and pages naming all of the features, but I want to talk more about my personal experience using the Pro 5X. Speaking as a PGA Pro, who still plays somewhat competitively, I was genuinely impressed with the level of accuracy of the unit. In my testing, I only played a couple of courses, both of which I knew reasonably well so some of the features weren’t as crucial as they would be on a course I didn’t know. I am legitimately excited about using the Pro 5X on a few courses I am less familiar with as the season progresses as I really do feel it could save me strokes and most certainly time. 

Whether it is figuring out a run-out to a ditch or working out how much of a dog leg you can cut off, it is extremely quick, easy, and most importantly accurate with the SkyCaddie Pro 5X.

One of my personal favorite features was the Intelligreen technology that adjusts its own orientation and pin location yardages depending on the angle you are hitting from. For example, if you were hitting from the geometric center of the fairway, at that angle the flag may be 10 yards on from the front edge, however, if you have hit a wild tee shot and you are coming in from way left, then the amount of room between the front edge and flag from your angle would alter i.e. if the pin was positioned tight to the left edge of the green, you would have less green to work with and vice versa. The Pro 5X calculates this and adjusts accordingly.

I’ve been fortunate enough not to have tested the SkyCaddie Pro 5X in the rain as of yet, although SkyGolf says that it is “highly water resistant” for those with concerns.

The SkyCaddie Pro 5X is a very impressive, interactive digital course guide. One of the main points of difference with SkyCaddie products is that all of their yardages are ground verified by SkyCaddie staff who walk the courses with measuring equipment rather than just relying on satellite imagery which can be unreliable.

Whilst I am in the early stages of my relationship with the Pro 5X, I can fairly confidently say that it is going to be one of my essential items when packing my bag for tournaments this year.

The price of the unit varies somewhat from $399.95/£399.95 device only, or up to $579.90/£579.90 depending on whether you buy it with a subscription plan or not.

With the popularity of the best golf watches and the best golf apps, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the handheld GPS has fallen somewhat out of favor. However, after using the Blue Tees Ringer GPS handheld for the last six weeks, I was quickly reminded why some of the best golf GPS devices are so much fun to use.

Coming in at $199, you really get a lot for your money, all packed into a premium, well-built and compact device. Everything is controlled through the single centre button and a 2.5in touchscreen. The touchscreen is very impressive for a product of its kind, even if it does fall just short of the smartphone quality screen I tested on the more expensive SkyCaddie SX550 GPS. That said, the Ringer's touchscreen is bright, incredibly responsive and easy to navigate while the graphics are crystal clear too.

The rest of the device builds off the premium touchscreen with a textured back side to help grip as well as a built-in magnet which is ideal for being attached to the side of a golf cart or a golf trolley while you’re playing. For me, it's best to use the Ringer when you’re riding in a golf cart, although it's compact enough to be kept in your pocket for the whole round if you’d prefer to have it always by your side. Offering 10 hours of battery life, this should cover you for at least two full rounds before you need to recharge.

Onto the functionality of the device, and I was blown away by the amount you can do. Of course it has all the basic minimums you’d expect from a device like this, covering front, middle and back distances to greens and distance to hazards but it also comes with useful functionalities like shot distance, scorecard features and green view with pin placement. If you have the Blue Tees Player+ Speaker too, the Ringer can act as a remote to control the music and volume.

Cycling between all these features is as simple as a swipe on the screen, which makes it really quick and easy to navigate when you’re on course. Accuracy was very good too and fell within one or two yards when I was comparing it against one of the best golf rangefinders on the market. You can use as many or as few of the features as you want, but it’s safe to say Blue Tees has thought of every possibility when it comes to data gathering of course.

If you sync the Ringer GPS to the Blue Tees Game mobile app (which is available on iOS and Android devices), there are even more features now at your fingertips. With over 40,000 courses pre-downloaded to the device, the app offers visual flyovers of every hole, allowing you to play exact layup locations or decipher exactly how far away a very specific tree is.

This also unlocks individual shot tracking capabilities whereby you log on the app every time you hit the ball and with which club. Over time, this will allow you to go into much more detail about the strengths and weaknesses of your game as well as get a better idea of how far you hit each club.

To me, this is all a little bit too much of a fuss when you’re trying to play golf. Using both the Ringer and your smartphone to work out yardages and then having to manually add each shot if you want shot tracking distracts from the game at hand. If you’re really into the idea of shot tracking, then the Arccos Caddie system will be much better suited to you as it does everything automatically without you having to interact with your phone.

If you’re after a fuss-free GPS, the Ringer GPS without the premium subscription is the way to go. These two features linked to the app will also require you to subscribe to the Blue Tees premium membership which costs $49.99 a year. Decent value, yes, but not worth it for the complexity of it in my opinion.

Overall, the Ringer is a superb handheld GPS device in its own right and is best suited to be used as such. Superb build quality, premium touch of details, and a feature-packed base system that covers everything plus a little bit extra.

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition Watch Review

TAG Heuer shook up the golf GPS watch scene when it entered the market a few years ago with its super premium offering. Minor updates have followed since and it has even signed Tommy Fleetwood as a brand ambassador. 

Now there’s a new version for 2022 called the Connected Calibre E4 golf edition, which we were fortunate enough to test recently on the golf course at Burghley Park Golf Club.

Significant technical improvements include the new automated shot-tracker, redesigned software and an all new buckle with magnetic ball marker built into the strap. It should also be easier to control the watch’s golf functions, plus you now get high-resolution 2D maps showing hazards and distances on more than 40,000 golf courses around the world. All of this for a mere $2,650/£2,200, making it the most expensive golf GPS watch on the market today.

On first inspection, this watch isn’t massively different to the previous version. The dial on the side is a little more responsive and the addition of the ball marker makes the strap feel different, but it retains the sporty, premium look and feel. The setting up process remains a little laborious - it requires you to pair it with both the Google Wear OS app and the TAG Heuer app to maximise functionality. It is also worth adding in your carry distances with each club if you know them in order to the get the club recommendations on the course.

The watch display is detailed and crystal clear, although we’d have preferred the maps to be a little brighter. When playing, random patches of rough are coloured brown like bunkers, which is somewhat confusing until you realise that bunkers are actually displayed in a slightly lighter shade of brown. This may seem overly critical, but when you enter a market at this price, you lay yourself open to forensic analysis!

You use the dial or ‘crown’ as TAG Heuer call it to scroll up and down the 2D view of the hole on the watch screen. A red dot moves with it and the distance, as well as the suggested club to hit for said distance, changes accordingly. For more information like front and back numbers, you are required to tap the distance on the screen where you’ll also see the par of the hole.

The Driving Range feature is a very cool one that sets this watch/app experience apart. Furthermore, the fact that drives are tracked automatically now using the watch’s accelerometer and gyroscope to mark your tee shot and then subsequent shot, makes it more seamless to collect the data it requires. 

Over time, as data accumulates, the watch will essentially create a ‘heat map’ for every hole in the app, which shows where shots landed on previous rounds color coded by your score. This allows you to see what clubs work best on each tee shot, which is ideal for optimising strategy if you play the same course most of the time. 

You can manually tag the locations of all shots using the watch - just press the button and select the club - which will give you more performance insights post round. Why the automatic shot tracking is only limited to the first shot on each hole is a mystery, perhaps (hopefully) future updates will allow the ability track all shots on each hole. The club recommendations are somewhat useful, although the fact that wind and slope aren’t factored in means you need to take them with a healthy pinch of salt. The magnetic ball marker on the strap is a nice idea although in reality it is very fiddly to use and no more convenient than using a coin in your pocket, arguably less if anything.

The app is another part of the package (along with the free sleeve of TAG Heuer emblazoned Titleist Pro V1 balls) that sets it apart. You can toggle between 2D and 3D versions depending on your preference. The map interface has been completely redesigned so you can see more of it with greater detail visible at once such as distances, club information, scores, and hole numbers displayed as you play. This means you’re able to see both the distance to target and distance of the tracking shot at the same time, which is very useful in practice scenarios.

The final thing to mention is the battery life. Despite all the features in play, you get 5+ hours of full golf shot tracking, which is one of the longest we’ve tested and 30 percent more than the prior version. 

We came away from a round using this latest TAG Heuer watch content with how easy it was to use and the information it provided, but couldn't help feeling there are other options, like the SkyCaddie LX5 and Garmin Approach S62, that do a similar job for considerably less money. However, if cost isn't an issue, this is undoubtedly one of the best golf watches around that has plenty of unique features for golfers to benefit from, but they do require the user to be fully immersed in the concept.

Garmin Approach S62 GPS Watch Review

Scrolling through the feature list on the Garmin Approach S62 would suggest this promises to be the ultimate golf GPS watch comparable to the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition, offering bucket loads of exciting functionality at a more affordable price point.

We tested it over multiple rounds and have to say it was an enjoyable and relatively seamless experience. It's easy and intuitive to get the watch set up and the touch screen works well in conjunction with the side buttons to navigate through the various options. The color touchscreen display is a full 17 per cent bigger than the previous Approach S60, which makes it easier to navigate and see hole details more clearly on the color maps.

You can even swipe around the edge of the screen to switch between holes quickly if you need to and access distances to hazards as well as the crucial front, middle and back yardages. There's also the option to account for elevation changes and manually move the pin position for more accurate distances, something many of the best golf watches offer.

The hole maps are somewhat basic and dimmer than we'd have hoped, but we were still able to see clearly what lay ahead and move the pointer to areas of interest. If you enable shot tracking, you can tell the watch what club you hit after each shot and after five rounds of doing this the Virtual Caddie feature becomes available, suggesting clubs to hit for upcoming shots.

While this function is not permitted in tournament play, it's a nice feature to have recommendations on clubbing from a device that definitively knows how far you actually hit each club rather than what you think (or hope!) you hit them. Once paired with your phone, the watch can also factor in the wind conditions in real time when suggesting a club, which is genuinely next-level functionality that not many other golf watches offer.

We weren't too fussed about the shot tracking element, but did find the Pin Pointer feature useful on blind shots and efforts from the trees when the green wasn't visible.

The GPS distances stacked up well against our laser and the other leading GPS devices we were testing at the time, although the hole maps on the accompanying Garmin Golf app hadn’t updated to include course changes from a few years ago even though the watch did.

The visual is slick and stylish and would look as at home off the course as on, plus there are lots of fitness tracking options should you want to use it more as a sports watch rather than just a golf GPS. It also has the ability to receive email and text notifications should you so desire. Overall this is undoubtedly one of the best Garmin golf watches out right now but if you want to spend a little less we have also created a guide on the best value golf watches as well. 

Coupon Discount Codes

Garmin Approach S42 GPS Watch - Specifications

Garmin Approach S42 GPS Watch Review

If you head to any golf club on a busy day, you’ll be hard pressed to find more than a handful of groups in which there are no GPS watches in use. And most prevalent among them will likely be a Garmin. Unquestionably one of the best golf watches on the market, we recently put the Garmin S42 Approach to the test and weren’t disappointed. 

Set up was refreshingly straightforward. We downloaded the Garmin app and paired it easily with an iPhone allowing us to see the benefits of the shot tracking. The watch is still very usable without the app however. 

Slotting in between the Garmin S12 and the premium S62 options, we tested the S42 watch on a sunny (but cold) day at Essendon Golf Club. Having never played the golf course before, the watch came in extremely handy. At the set-up stage, it offered us the option of course A or B, which confused us initially, but goes to show the level of detail involved. We've since had it out on several other occasions, allowing us to form an opinion based on things like accuracy, functionality, ease of use, style and value.

Starting with the usual features, yardages to the front, middle and back of each green were accurate and helpful, particularly at a course we’d never played before. On more than one occasion, the shot we were facing looked significantly shorter than it was in reality, so having that reassurance really was great. Additionally, when off the beaten track, it's great to have such easy access to accurate numbers. This is definitely an advantage when compared to a laser device.

The 1.2-inch color screen is also extremely clear, adding to the ease of use. In fact, just this feature alone we think makes it a worthwhile investment. And what’s more, it actually shows you the true shape of every green, rather than just the generic - a feature that we thought alone was worthy of placing in our 2023 Editor's Choice.

But it doesn’t stop there. As well as more than 43,000 preloaded courses worldwide, there is also the option to pair it with the Approach CT10 club sensors for automatic club tracking. When used in conjunction with the Garmin Golf app, this allows golfers to take advantage of the AutoShot round analyzer that records shot distances and plots your way round the course. Once finished, you can look through your scores and review various performance stats that help to target potential areas of improvement. It is features like this that separate watches from the best golf rangefinders, which purely involve zapping the flag in a matter of seconds. 

Away from the course, it’s a sleek and stylish watch that can easily be worn in social settings and also comes packed with fitness and wellness benefits. For example, the S42 can be used to track steps, sleep productivity and even calories. 

Another important thing to highlight is that we barely noticed we had it on. People can often be reluctant to try a GPS watch because they think it'll interfere with their swing but this is absolutely not the case. Other than checking yardages, you wouldn't know it was there.

One thing we would say is that it takes maybe five or so rounds to really get to grips with all the features and get the most out of what’s on offer. And although it comes in at a loftier price point than more basic models, based on our testing, we would certainly recommend seeing this process through as it’s worth it. It is definitely one of the best Garmin golf watches currently on the market.

More Garmin reviews

• Garmin Approach S70 Golf Watch Review
• Garmin Approach S62 GPS Watch Review
• Garmin Approach S12 GPS Watch Review
• Garmin Approach R10 Launch Monitor Review

Bushnell Ion Elite Golf GPS Watch Review

Bushnell is well known for its golf rangefinders but the new Ion Elite GPS watch places it among the major players when it comes to golf watches. Bushnell launched the Ion Edge last year - a functional yet somewhat basic model, which is in stark contrast to the cutting-edge Ion Elite with its color touch screen and plethora of features available to the gadget-loving golfer.

VIDEO: See our run through of the latest golf watches on the market

First impressions are good with the strap being comfortable and tacky to hold it in position. This is arguably one of the best looking watches, especially with the sporty white strap. The watch itself is relatively compact - there are thinner ones out there like the Shot Scope X5 or Garmin Approach S42 - but it certainly doesn't interfere with your swing in any way through size.

What I like about the Ion Elite is how simple it is to navigate. There is only one button on the side, which serves as a back and on/off button, a concept that is simple to grasp. Everything else is accessed by the touch screen, which is bright, clear, detailed and responsive. It lags a little when you’re wearing a golf glove but without it, the experience is very similar to that of a modern-day smart phone.

Once your course has been located, the home screen displays front, middle and back distances as well as the hole number and par. Then there are icons in the four corners that you press to access other display modes and functions - scoring, hole maps, green view and hazards/lay ups.

The hole maps are very useful, providing a bird's eye view of the hole. You can zoom in on it, move the pointer and add driving or approach shot arcs at different distances tailored to your game. On the green screen, you’re able to quickly reposition the flag so the middle distance becomes more accurate and they’re also based on your line of play. The adaptive technology sees this watch feature in our 2023 Editor's Choice.

The hazard screen will list the distance to upcoming hazards as well as the distance you need to hit the ball to reach certain lay up yardages - 100, 125 and 150 yards - which I found especially useful on par fives that were out of reach in two.

Then there’s the scoring screen, which will not only log your score for each hole but also how many putts you took and whether you hit or missed the fairway, and in which direction. During your round, the home screen will display your current score to par so you can keep track. All the stats are then collated on a summary screen after your round, providing an overarching if somewhat basic assessment of your play.

Where this watch sets itself apart is the Slope functionality, which is very rare even among the best golf watches and is accessed via the golf settings. You can choose to toggle the Slope feature on/off or if you want to make sure your Ion Elite is completely legal for competition play, you can opt for the tournament mode. Once you enable these settings, a coloured ring will appear around the outside of the home screen display as a reminder. If it’s blue, that means the watch is displaying slope compensated distances, and if it’s orange it isn’t and required further calibration by taking it to a tee box or green. A white ring indicates tournament mode has been switched on.

In the white strap version we tested, the styling of the Ion Elite is such that you could easily wear it off the course as a sports watch (yes, it tells the time too) but primarily this is a golf-specific wearable and a very good one at that. It is quick to charge although the connection system is a little flimsy - the magnets are weak and so it easily becomes disconnected if you accidentally knock it.

Make no mistake, Bushnell has absolutely nailed it with the Ion Elite and it's a million times better than the somewhat rudimentary Ion Edge watch. Coming in at £199 it easily becomes one of the very best value golf watches when you consider all the features it offers, not to mention access to the Bushnell Golf app for hole flyovers and more in-depth performance analysis capabilities, which undoubtedly adds value.

Not everyone wants the fancy bells and whistles that many of the best golf watches offer. Simplicity is often the number one consideration for golfers and not many offer a more intuitive experience than the Shot Scope G5.

Where its sister X5 watch provides a touch screen and shot tracking capabilities, the golf functionality of the G5 is slightly more rudimentary yet it manages to provide all the information a golfer needs, displayed in a user friendly format. The screen size is generous and yet it has a minimalistic feel to it, perhaps because of how lightweight the case and straps are. I like how the outer ring of the display is slightly raised, which should reduce the risk of scratches accumulating if you're in the habit of leaving it face down on a surface for whatever reason.

You’ll notice there are four buttons in each corner of the G5 and each one is labelled to describe its function, so you’re left in no doubt as to how you navigate through the settings and screens. Once you’ve clicked ‘play golf’ and you’ve selected the course you’re on, the front, middle and back distances are displayed clearly on the main screen. There’s plenty of other useful information on there too, like the time, battery level, the hole number and its par as well as your current score. 

But if you just want the main distances displayed, you can toggle off all the extra info if you want - you can even opt to just see the distance to the middle of the green if that’s all you’re interested in. Hazard information is a click away and the fact the G5 provides distances to reach and carry the hazard is particularly useful and not something all of the best golf gps devices offer.

Despite its modest price tag of £149.99, there are plenty of other features included - like distances to doglegs and lay up points, shot distance measurement and a digital scorecard to keep track of your round. But I think one of the most redeeming features of the G5 is it’s off-course appeal. The G5 is sporty and incredibly lightweight and compact, which means you don’t really notice it’s on when you’re wearing it. Plus the silicon strap is soft and comfortable. 

Buy the G5 and you get a choice of two strap options from the 12 available - you have to clip them on yourself, which is a little fiddly but can be done in a matter of seconds with practice. When wearing it off the course, you can opt for a clock design over a digital display. It’s fairly basic, but bridges the gap perfectly between the course and the world outside of golfer for those who want a watch they can wear all the time.

Garmin Approach S70 Golf Watch Review

When it comes to the new Garmin Approach S70 Golf Smartwatch, it’s probably easier to talk about what it can’t do than what it can. In short, it can’t swing the club for you, but it can pretty much do everything else.

Besides getting accurate yardages to greens, bunkers and other features on the course, it is capable of tracking your score, your shot distances and even make club selections. You can easily swipe to see the weather forecast and even integrate that into your round. And if you set it up with a smartphone, it can relay all your notifications so you're kept fully in the loop.

I actually found the last feature both helpful and maybe a little overwhelming. For now though, after having the watch for less than a week, I’m continuing to see every email, iMessage, ESPN news, Linked-In, credit card charges (in real time), calendar events, and all my other notifications right on my wrist. I may edit those in short order, but right now, it fascinates me (the Garmin Approach S70 can be paired with either an iPhone or Android). You can also see who’s calling your phone - you can’t answer the call from the watch but you can bluetooth music from it.

This also is a tremendous fitness and health watch with a heartbeat monitor, step counter and all sorts of other fitness programs that you can employ to get yourself in better shape for golf. But like the best golf watches, the Garmin Approach S70 is really good at measuring distances on the course and tracking your rounds.

The watch comes preloaded with more than 43,000 courses, and at the push of a button, you can go from an interchangeable watch face (which can show your last round on the bottom) to full-on golf mode. When you get to the course, it will automatically download the course you’re at via satellite and start your round for you. The updated hole maps give plenty of detail and can be changed easily. This is one of the major advancements over the Approach S62 and the Approach S42, where the maps looked a little dated. You can see distances to different features like bunkers, trees and water, and you can also drag the pin to reflect its current location for even more accuracy.

But let’s talk about the watch itself. It comes with several pre-loaded watch faces, from a variety of digital looks to analogue designs, depending on your mood and the setting (when not in golf mode). The new Approach S70 is also offered in two different sizes - a 1.2-inch or 1.4 inch AMOLED display, which is the highest resolution available. I tested the larger face in black, and figured that’s probably best for golf because it’s, well, larger, however some users might prefer the smaller size for everyday use. The watch band is comfortable, easy to adjust, and feels just fine on the wrist while swinging.

There are three buttons on the right side - an action button, a menu button, and a back button - which are easy to use and navigate through different functions and screens. It’s fairly intuitive, though reading the user manual will open up what seems like endless possibilities. You can customize your golf settings, changing the number sizes and looks, and after a few rounds, the watch can analyze your performances on the golf course, something not many of the best golf GPS devices offer.

Some other features worth mentioning include “Plays Like Distance,” which can provide an estimate of how far a shot will play based on whether it’s uphill or downhill, the wind, temperature, and/or barometric pressure. You can also employ a virtual caddie, which can make club recommendations based on those factors as well as your playing history (minimum of five rounds). You can also measure your swing tempo with the goal of finding the perfect ratio of backswing to through swing (3.0). Because different golfers have different speeds, Garmin provides six different timings, and the watch can let you know if your backswing or downswing times are too fast, too slow or just right for the selected timing. 

For a monthly fee, there’s even more. When connected to an active Garmin Golf membership ($9.99 per month), you can see the greens’ contours, how much they slope, downhill and uphill. Testing has shown this works in showing the main contours of each green, but doesn't account for every subtle break, which makes it only somewhat useful. The membership also allows you to download all your rounds.

And finally, unlike many smartwatches on the market, and certainly golf watches, the battery life on the Garmin Approach S70 is impressive. The Approach S70 can hold a charge for up to 16 days in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours when using GPS. So you don't have to charge it daily or even weekly, if you're not playing golf every day. It charges via a USB-C cable, which is fine for Macbook users but might create a problem for traditional USB users given a plug adapter isn't included in the box.

All these features undoubtedly make the Approach S70 one of the best Garmin golf watches money can buy, perhaps with the exception of the super premium Marq Golfer watch.

Shot Scope X5 GPS Watch Review

For golfers looking to combine shot tracking and GPS information in a wearable, Shot Scope has always made compelling products and the new X5 looks to build on what was on offer from the impressive Shot Scope V3. The new watch is sleeker and offers more off-course appeal without sacrificing its popular shot tracking capability, which comes from new and improved lightweight second-generation tracking tags that screw into the tops of your clubs.

To cover everything this watch offers would take almost an eternity, such is the wide ranging functionality built in so this review will look to cover the most important areas golfers consider when choosing a golf GPS watch.

The set up process is pretty straight forward although to access the statistics you’ll need to screw the tags into the tops of your grips, which takes some time. The X5 needs to be worn on your lead arm and because it needs to be within 10cm of the tags to pick up shots, expect it to miss a few if you like to grip down on the club. On arrival at the course, the X5 took around 20 seconds to locate the course - you get the option of GPS or GPS+Track depending on if you’re using the tags. Hit a shot and the club used will be shown in the main display. The home screen also shows the front, middle and back distances, the hole number and par as well as your current score if enabled.

The lock function comes enabled as standard, which I’d recommend turning off in the settings before you play as it is annoying to have to manually unlock the X5 every time you want to use it by twisting the crown button 360° or pressing and holding the middle of the screen.

Swipe left and you’ll see the distances to reach and carry hazards, which I found particularly useful and is not something many of the best golf watches offer. Swipe right and you’ll see a map of the green you’re approaching and the ability to move the pin position, which works well when adopting a dragging technique rather than a tapping one. Other features include shot distance measurement, doglegs and lay up distances and the ability to add penalty shots. Full hole maps are currently not available but are due to be added at some point in 2023.

This brings us on to the touch screen navigation which, on the whole, worked fine but it wasn’t as responsive as I was hoping for - swiping left and right didn’t often work first time and some swipes up or down on the settings resulted in selection options I was trying to scroll past, possibly because of the relatively small screen. You do have the option of rotating and pressing the button in the top right corner, which works better and the watch will also vibrate on each setting as you scroll through. You can also press this button to scroll through the game menu in golf mode instead of swiping, so there are alternatives that allow you to get to where you want to go. It must be said, though, that the screen itself is crystal clear and very easy to read regardless of the light conditions you are playing in.

When you finish each hole, the screen will prompt you to tap the pin collect button to mark the pin position as well as enter your score and the number of putts taken if you’ve elected to do so. After your round, you need to sync the watch to the Shot Scope app for the data to be transferred, which takes a few seconds. After my first round using the X5, the overall score and shot locations were quite a way off in some cases, and so some editing was required - which is no different to when using the Arccos Smart Sensors. However, this is quite fiddly and time consuming to do on iPhone - Shot Scope recommends doing this on desktop and I can see why. Although perhaps I am just more used to doing it on the Arccos app.

Once the editing is completed, you get free access to over 100 performance statistics which includes Strokes Gained. Unfortunately you can only compare yourself to handicap indexes in increments of five, which is relatively vague but the information nevertheless is displayed clearly through various pie charts, line graphics and color-coded graphics broken down into six key performance areas. 

For £279.99, you’re undoubtedly getting a lot for your money and while the user experience wasn’t perfect, it was certainly an enjoyable product to use that has the potential to improve decision-making and club selection. It looks at home away from the course as a sports watch (it will track your steps and tell the time) and comes in seven color choices to suit your visual preference. The versatility and performance of this watch combined, earns it a place in our 2023 Editor's Choice.

GolfBuddy Aim W12 Golf Watch Review

The variety of features available on today’s golf watches surpasses what I ever expected and the Aim W12 is another example of a cutting-edge, feature-packed offering designed to give golfers an awful lot more than just your basic front, middle and back yardages.

Visually the Aim W12 is a decent improvement over the Aim W11 from 2021. It looks slicker, a little more streamlined thanks to the flatter button in the corner and comes with a premium leather strap as standard (as well as an extra silicon one in the box). Navigation is controlled mostly via the color touch screen, which is clear (360x360 pixels), bright and reassuringly responsive - you’ll only need to press the button on rare occasions to go back to the previous screen. This helped us stay focused on our game and earned the Aim W12 a place in our 2023 Editor's Choice.

It took over a minute to locate the course, which was a little frustrating, and it will only start displaying distances when you arrive at the first tee, vibrating to let you know when it has done so. Firstly, it will show a 2D flyover of the hole, which gives you a good initial idea of what lies ahead and the hazards to be wary of. From the main screen that shows the front, middle and back distances you can swipe left to view a color hole map. The maps graphics are perfectly useable, they’re not the most detailed or visually arresting, but they help you see everything you need to. On the hole maps, orange arced graphics will show you where a 150, 200 or 250 yard drive will finish while dashed blue graphics depict how far these will leave you to the green. Touch the screen and these disappear, replaced by a touch target scope that you can move up and down the hole. Press the + icon and your view will zoom in for a closer look.

Swipe left again and you’re greeted with a graphical representation of the green on which you’re able to move the pin position for a more accurate distance. In the US, users will have access to a green undulation heat map that shows the putting surfaces’ slope angles and their severity, which is a nifty feature to have available to you when lining up your birdie try. You can measure shot distances and also swipe to gain access to a hazard list, although it would have been nice to know to distances to carry them as well as reach them.

One feature that makes the Aim W12 more accurate than its predecessor is the slope functionality, which takes into account the changes in elevation when providing the distances. This is particularly useful when playing hilly courses and a small icon will be displayed on the left of the main distance screen when it is turned on. There aren’t many watches that offer this - only the Bushnell Ion Elite, Garmin Approach S62 and Voice Caddie T9 spring to mind - so the Aim W12 is in elite company among the best golf watches. For competition use, you’ll need to disable it, which is easily done via the settings.

The user experience with the Aim W12 was near faultless. Besides taking longer than expected to locate the course, it was quick and easy to grasp how to access the different screens and there wasn’t much repeat swiping required. The battery life in golf mode has come down from 13 hours on the Aim W11 to 10 hours here, so you might only get two full rounds from a full charge rather than three. But it is now IPX7 waterproof, which provides that peace of mind if caught out in a deluge. You certainly can wear it off the course - there are fitness features including a step counter - and a traditional watch face, but the styling probably lends itself more to being a golf specific watch. For me, the user experience goes a long way to justifying the £279.99 price tag.

Voice Caddie T9 Golf GPS Watch Review

Voice Caddie is a major player in the distance measurement category thanks to impressive products like the A2 watch and SL2 Active Hybrid rangefinder, the model we crowned the best golf rangefinder at one point. The T9 GPS watch looks set to cement its place among the leading brands thanks to its expansive feature list and near flawless user experience.

My first impression of the T9 was a good one. This watch is slick, modern and lightweight. With its shiny silver bezel, it has the off-course versatility that enhances its value. The color, reflective LCD touch screen is bright and readable in all light conditions and super responsive - it hardly requires any repeat swipes unless wearing a glove.

It has the basics covered in terms of yardages on the main screen - front, middle and back - but you’ll notice a slope icon on the left. This is because it factors in slope on the distances for enhanced accuracy. You can turn on tournament mode to disable this feature and make the watch legal for competition play easily in the settings. The main screen also displays the hole number and par as well as your current score, assuming you’re entering it as you go along.

Swipe left you’re greeted with a full color hole map of what lies ahead. You can zoom in and move the crosshair to show you the distance to a certain point and what you have left to the middle of the green. Tap the arrow head icon and the watch will do a 2D flyover of the hole, plotting your driving distance (which you can input in the settings before use) as well as key hazards that are in play. If you tap a bunker, it will tell you the distance to reach and carry it - very cool.

But it’s the level of detail shown about the green that really brings the T9 to life and separates it from the competition. Swipe left again on the hole map screen and you’ll see heat map of the green showing its undulations, both their direction and colour-coded by severity, with arrows indicating the main borrows. You can tap different parts of the green to move the pin position and I like how the front of the green distance also changes based on your direction of play.

Once you’ve relocated the flag position, swipe left again and you’re then able to tap on the green where you’re roughly putting from. The T9 will tell you the distance and the elevation change to the hole. This will really come in handy on social rounds where you’re struggling to tell if a putt is uphill or downhill. You could also select a putt position 90° from where you’re actually putting from to get a steer on the amount of break! The green undulations mostly matched up with what I was seeing but on a couple of occasions it was clearly wrong - so you might want to take them with a pinch of salt.

This watch claims to offer automatic shot and putt tracking and while it was easy to enter my strokes and putts taken on each hole after being prompted by a vibration walking to the next tee, I often had to make changes to what was being presented. No big deal, but I don't think the T9 can truly claim to automatically track the shots you're hitting.

This level of functionality is enough to justify the $349.99 price tag as one of the best golf watches, in my opinion, but you get added extras like a color-coded tempo trainer, shot distance measurement, multiple watch faces and the ability to pair it with the MyVoiceCaddie app for a more visually-intuitive summary of your performance with basic stats. I thought the Bushnell Ion Elite was as close as it would get to the perfect golf GPS watch but the Voice Caddie T9 offers that extra level of functionality the tech-savvy golfer will really appreciate.

SkyCaddie LX2 Golf GPS Watch Review

For those that want SkyCaddie’s industry-leading (in terms of accuracy) GPS distances on a simple, fuss-free wearable device without the complicated bells and whistles, the LX2 is an appealing prospect.

Before teeing off for the first time it’s worth creating an account with SkyGolf, syncing your LX2 via WiFi and activating your pre-paid Go Play membership card included in the box. It takes time, but it is worth going to this effort to get the most out of your £200 investment. To gain access to the full feature suite you’ll need upgrade to the 360 Pro membership plan for £40 a year - more on that later.

The square LX2 lacks the visual wow factor of the feature-packed LX5, but the minimalist design coming in at a mere 57g means you’ll hardly notice you’re wearing it. The user experience is, for the most part, a passive one as the LX2 automatically recognises your course and advances to the next hole when appropriate, just like the best golf watches. 

The graphics on the 3.25cm screen are basic but easy to read. In auto mode, we found the brightness a little dull, but you can adjust the backlight level in settings. You navigate through the menu mostly using the touch screen, which is responsive most of the time but doesn’t work as well when using your glove hand. The main screen shows front, middle and back distances and the hole number but tap the screen and the bottom row will scroll through your step count, the battery level, the hole’s par and stroke index and the time. 

Swipe left and you gain access to the scoring system where you can enter shots taken, number of putts, GIR and fairway hit/miss. Sync the watch after your round and you’ll be able to see your stats in more detail on the SkyGolf360 website. Swipe down to measure shot distances and swipe up to see the distance to the recommended fairway target, which is a nice addition although the top of the main number is frustratingly cropped off the top of the screen initially.

On the face of it, this watch is as basic as it looks. Function over form, certainly. But upgrade to the 360 Pro plan and your LX2 becomes a miniature version of the LX5. When activated, swipe right from the main screen and you’ll instead see a 2D map of the hole, on which you can zoom in on more specific areas and move the crosshair up and down the hole by sliding your finger on the screen. As you do so, the distance to that point from where you are and the distance from that point to the middle of the green also change. You’re also able to zoom in on the green, which will always rotate to match your angle of approach for a closer look and tap the crosshair icon to move the pin position to a more accurate place.

I’ll be honest, it doesn’t work as well as it does on the larger screen of the LX5. The chances are if you’ve opted for the LX2, you prefer something more basic and less expensive and therefore the added cost of the 360 Pro plan isn’t justifiable. Having tried using the hole maps in demo mode, you could make a case that SkyCaddie has tried to cram in too much because trying to see and navigate through that level of detail on a tiny screen was tricky at times, depending on the light conditions. 

The majority of golfers likely won’t indulge in the full compliment of features and will instead likely enjoy leaving the LX2 on the main screen and lock it with the top side button so you’ll always see the distances you need. For this reason, it becomes one of the best value golf watches around and should be considered by less tech-savvy golfers that demand fast and accurate distances without additional hole-planning capabilities.

Garmin Approach S10 GPS Watch Review

Garmin has become a huge name in the golf industry, specializing in producing some of the best golf watches money can buy.  And speaking of money, we all know that the upper end of this market will put a fairly sizable dent in a golfer’s pocket. With that in mind, we were keen to test the entry-level Garmin Approach S10 GPS watch to find out how it compared to its more expensive competitors. 

The first thing to say is that it was well packaged when it arrived and came with instructions that told us how to set it up and get the most out of it on the course. As we envisaged, it wasn’t rocket science, but it was a nice touch all the same. There are a whopping 40,000 courses preloaded, meaning you can be confident in the knowledge that, wherever you’re playing, it will have all the information you require. Just turn it on, select the course, and head to the first tee equipped to play your best. 

We always enjoy the front-middle-back yardages that GPS watches display as, no matter where you are on a given course, a distance is always provided. It’s one of the big advantages products such as this have over even the best golf rangefinders, as you don’t need a clear sight of your target. Additionally, the S10 gave us run-out yardages on doglegs as well as numbers to key hazards. Especially at a new venue, we found this to be invaluable.  

In fact, at no point throughout testing were we unable to find a yardage we wanted or needed. That may happen in the future, but instances will be few and far between. Onto the looks, and while admittedly it isn’t the most stylish watch, that’s fine because it isn’t designed to be. For those wanting to marry style with substance, look to the upper end of the Garmin range. 

What the S10 is, however, is extremely lightweight and sleek. For anyone still hesitant about trying a GPS watch for fear it might be cumbersome and cause distractions, you needn’t worry as there’s more chance of forgetting it’s even there. And not only that, but the strap on the Garmin S10 is actually quite comfortable on the wrist. 

The screen is black and white - again, head elsewhere if you want color graphics - and the information is very clear to read. Even in sunlight, we didn’t struggle with glare. To be honest, from start to finish, the Garmin S10 experience was completely effortless and given the price, it is one of the best value golf watches out there right now. 

Coupon Discount Codes

GolfBuddy aim W11 GPS Watch Review

GolfBuddy has made some key improvements on its aim W11 over its predecessor, the aim W10, and the brand continues to pack a punch as one of the best golf watches on the market at an affordable price.

The first noticeable difference versus the Aim W10 is the new ceramic bezel that adorns the outside of the aim W11. This is an excellent aesthetic improvement and creates an altogether more premium look that is much less distracting on the eye than the previous bezel.

Pre-loaded with 40,000 courses worldwide, the aim W11 comes charged and ready to go out of the box. The GPS knows exactly what course you are on and loads quickly. Throughout the round, the watch also knows exactly what hole you are on, vibrating every time you get to the next tee box.

We've tried this on several courses across the UK now and found it quickly finds the correct course and were impressed to see how accurate the mapping was on our home course. Much of the bread and butter functionality of this GPS watch has remained the same versus the aim W10 and the single button on the upper right of the watch makes this an easy watch to use, with the touchscreen doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to functionality.

Having one button is really straightforward and the touchscreen is fairly responsive, although we found it a bit laggy on occasion when swiping left and right. On the wrist, it weighs 50g and we found it took a bit of getting used to with its overall size. When we did adjust to the overall footprint of the watch it became second nature, but it is worth noting there are lighter and smaller GPS watches out there.

The aim W11 is loaded with features - so many we can't go into full detail on them all - which all thoroughly enhance the experience out on the golf course. We found it genuinely saved us a couple of shots on course, especially in places where we might have airmailed a green or blocked ourselves out of a dogleg if we hadn't had the hole map and yardages available to us.

To discuss the headline features on the aim W11, it has the classic front, middle and back yardages as well as carry yardages to the front and back hazards, a clear and accurate map of the hole and shot distance tracking. Accurate distances are incredibly useful whether you're playing a new golf course or a your home course. If you regularly play on new courses the accurate map of the each hole will help massively with strategy.

We first tested the W11 on the new course at Essendon Country Club, a course that has been designed with two greens on each hole. Despite this unique course design feature, we were pleasantly surprised to find the aim W11 was aware of this and in fact has a dedicated feature that allows you to switch between greens depending on which you are playing.

It was the only GPS watch in our group that has this functionality so scored major points versus its competitors on this front. It was frustrating that two of the features - slope calculation and green undulation - are only available on select golf courses in Korea, Japan and some in the US, so we weren't able to properly test that functionality here in the UK.

Regardless, this GolfBuddy rangefinder offers solid performance and comes in at a price that is pretty reasonable in the golf watch market. That being said you can find cheaper models out there as well so make sure you take a look at our best value golf watches guide as well, which actually features the W10 model. 

SkyCaddie LX5 GPS Watch Review

The LX5 has a 3.5cm HD color touchscreen and comes pre-loaded with over 35,000 ground-verified worldwide courses. Golfers get the exact green shape and yardages from their approach angle, while multiple yardage arcs overlaid on fairway landing areas and greens assist with club selection. Other features include a Step Counter, Heart Rate Monitor and five watch faces to choose from when wearing the LX5 away from the course.

Many golfers choose a GPS watch for at-a-glance simplicity, but there is nothing basic about the LX5. It is a shrunken down version of the impressive handheld SX400 and SX550, cramming in an enormous amount of detail and features into a wearable device.

The best golf watches need to have good screens, and thankfully the stand-out feature on the LX5 is the touchscreen. Bright and crystal clear, it is easy to read in different conditions and without having to hold it close to your face. From the main Big Numbers screen, which displays bold front, middle and back distances, you swipe in different directions to see the hole map, hazard list, enter your score or measure your shot distance.

The definition on the hole graphics is truly stunning, allowing you to see every detail of what lies ahead, and we like how the LX5 will recommend the optimum driving position based on feedback from the SkyCaddie mappers who have walked the holes.

Moving the crosshair is a little fiddly, and your finger always seems to be slightly in the way, but the generous screen size helps to negate this. It really comes into its own in situations where rangefinders fall down, like on blind shots and when hazards aren’t visible, and will be very useful on new courses.

We also like a lot of other things about the watch too. It is lightweight (65g) and comfortable to wear. The styling, along with the fitness features, encourage you to wear it away from the course, too. The battery life comfortably lasted two rounds and the three-year Worldwide Membership plan included adds value and longevity to the investment. You can also add performance stats, like putts taken and fairways hit, which can then be synced to the SkyGolf360 app for easier analysis.

Shot Scope V3 GPS Watch Review

The Shot Scope V2 launched just shy of three years ago and while it did the job of providing GPS distances and tracking shots automatically, its cumbersome size was a bit of a stumbling block. Reductions in price and improvements in the performance dashboard continued to entice golfers into the benefits of Shot Scope’s automatic shot tracking and game analysis, but truthfully it needed a makeover.

Step up the Shot Scope V3, a model which made our best golf watches guide. It is now 60 per cent smaller than the V2 and is just 10mm thick. On your wrist, therefore, it has a much lighter, more modern fit and feel, not too dissimilar to the Apple watch in fact. This streamlined, everyday design makes it instantly appealing and the tacky rubber strap is comfortable to wear and stays in position when walking and swinging a club so once it’s on, you really don’t notice you’re wearing it.

To get the full functionality, you need to screw the 14 tags into your clubs, which is time consuming and a little fiddly. There are some other set up instructions in the accompanying free app but you only need to do this once.

We have to say, it does take longer than we’d have hoped to detect the course but once detected and selected, the yardages for the first hole will appear. With the press of a button, you can see how far it is to reach and carry bunkers and penalty areas. You can even add penalty shots like provisional tee shots and lost balls, although it takes a calm head to remember to do this while cursing your previous shot!

The screen size is a little smaller than the V2, but this doesn’t impact on the readability. The functions are navigated using the four buttons in the corners, all of which are clearly labeled so it’s easy to get to where you want and because it isn’t a touch screen, you don’t need to worry about brushing the screen accidentally when folding your arms for example.

During play, the only thing you need to remember to do is hit the PinCollect button when retrieving your ball from the hole as everything else is done automatically. This marks the pin position and saves editing time afterwards. The GPS distances are quick to update and comparable with other GPS devices we tested.

After your round, you’ll see a map with all your shots plotted on it and your total score. We’ve played five rounds with the V3 now and have to admit, it hasn’t once got the score exactly correct. That said, it only takes a few minutes to make the necessary corrections in the app – perhaps adding or removing a shot here or there - and most rounds required less than a handful of shots to be corrected.

For context, this has also been the case with other automatic game analyzers we’ve used in the past and future firmware updates, which are really easy to do, should fix problems like this.

The information available on the dashboard is a real eye-opener. We were particularly interested to see our distances with each club, which side we tended to miss fairways off the tee and our up-and-down success rate with different clubs. There are 421 medals to unlock, which provides motivation to improve in certain areas, while you can also see how you compare with other Shot Scope users of the same handicap.

We should also mention the price of this watch because we think it is one of the best value golf watches out there. Considering the lower price point it comes at, and the combination of usability and features, it really is a model you should consider if you want a golf watch but don't want to break the bank.

Garmin Approach S12 GPS Watch Review

The Approach S12 is Garmin’s entry level GPS watch and you get something that’s easy to use and provides accurate distance information throughout the round. The display is clear and updates automatically as you play.

We had no problems locating the course on arrival at Essendon GC and were able to get the correct yardages within a minute or two of starting the set up. The black and white screen of the S12 is slightly smaller than some of the other, more expensive Garmin options. This gives it a basic, inexpensive look but from a purely golfing perspective, it didn’t detract from how effective it was at providing yardages.

We liked how readily the standard front, middle and back yardages were available. For the most part, this was all we needed but yardages to layup areas and hazards were also available which was very handy. You can also manually move the pin position to get a more precise number when hitting into the greens. It is because of features like these that we included this model in our comprehensive best golf watches guide.

Where this watch did suffer in comparison to more expensive models like the S42 and S62 is with the lack of touch screen functionality. To scroll through the different yardage information on each hole you need to press the buttons on the side of the watch. Sounds simple and it is but we found it more fiddly than when using touchscreen watches. It also takes a little getting used to to know which button to press as you search for different information or settings.

One thing we loved about this watch was how lightweight and sleek the strap was. This means you can swing the club without it catching on your clothes or your other wrist. In fact, you would barely know you were wearing it.

For those who sometimes struggle to see the information, the Garmin Approach S12 GPS Watch has a ‘Big Numbers’ mode. By changing the format of the display, it makes the key information a little bigger and easy to see. In all, this is an excellent, if fairly basic GPS watch. It is easy to use and the yardages it provided during our test round were accurate and reliable. As it comes in at such a low price point, it is undeniably one of the best value golf watches on the market at the moment.

We also think this is a great present too, whether it is for yourself or for the golfer in your life. But for more gift ideas for birthdays, Christmas and so on, check out our guide on the best golf gifts.

Coupon Discount Codes

Bushnell Phantom 2 GPS Review

Bushnell makes some of the best golf GPS devices out there and the new Phantom 2 GPS reinforces that position while also accounting for significant improvements on its predecessor. The first thing we noticed when picking up the Phantom 2 is the size - it's 40 per cent larger than the original Phantom. 

In our opinion it's the best change Bushnell has made in the new device and, despite the larger size, it's still a relatively small device that easily fits into the palm of your hand. With the larger frame comes a larger screen and this displays much clearer graphics when compared to the original Phantom as well as other basic GPS devices on the market.

This larger, clearer screen meant we could quickly scan the device for our yardage, rather than have to go up to our bag and inspect it closely. It also comes with Bushnell's updated Bite technology, a magnet on the back of the device that allows to stick to any magnetic surface - a feature that would be  useful on a buggy, for example. While we didn't actually take it out for a spin on a buggy, we can see how useful it would be and the Bite magnet has seven pounds of pulling force so is strong enough to stay in place. In fact, you'll find this tech on many of Bushnell's best golf rangefinders.

The most significant new feature on the Phantom 2 is Dynamic Green Mapping, which provides you with front, middle and back distance measurements no matter which direction you are approaching the green. This is especially useful when you find your golf ball well off the beaten track - don't worry we've all been there - and conventional 100 or 150 yard markers are well out of sight.

Whether you're playing your home course for the 100th time or you're playing a new track for the first time, we found having these accurate yardages from any angle gives you the confidence to pull out the correct club and execute the shot. Another feature on the Phantom 2 is GreenView pin placement distance, allowing you to get an even more precise yardage to an exact pin location, and is accessible with the simple press of one button on the side of the device.

It's this and other simple ergonomics of the Phantom 2 which make it such a pleasure to use. The main front, middle and back yardages are always present on screen and then its just takes a press of one button to place the pin, find out how far away a hazard is or log your score on a hole.

Our only qualm with the Phantom 2 is the integrated app. The app has been given a significant update since the original Phantom GPS was released and allows for course updates to take place, provides additional course information and allows you to keep track of score.

While the app itself is pleasant to use, it doesn't offer enough extra information to make it worth having your phone out all round alongside the Phantom 2. All the main information you need is already on the device itself - dynamic yardages, pin placement and score etc. - so what's the need for the app?

We struggled to answer that question over multiple rounds with the Phantom 2 and when we realized just how much of our phone battery was being drained, we quickly put our phone away and got on with using the device on its own. e

Overall the Phantom 2 offers users a simple yet data rich experience at a very competitive price. But if you want to go down a different GPS route then why not take a look at our guides on the best golf watches, or best golf rangefinders as well? 

Samsung Galaxy5 Pro Golf Edition Watch Review

In the last five years, the number of people who wear smartwatches has more than doubled worldwide. Some 230-plus million people walk around with these wondrous gadgets, the least of their functions being telling time. Smart watches can monitor heart rates, count your steps, answer phone calls, sync you calendars, and some even check blood pressure. More than that, they can run hundreds of apps.

So if you're a golfer who has a smartwatch to go with your smartphone, probably the last thing you want is some other type of watch to wear while you're playing golf. The good part is that if you have a smart watch, there are several golf apps that will allow you to use your watch for distances, scoring and tracking shots. But even better would be a golf watch that's already preloaded with a really good golf app. That's the case with the new Galaxy Watch5 Pro Golf Edition ($330) from Samsung. It has to be paired with an Android phone, so iPhone users need not apply. But for those of you with a Galaxy phone, Android 8 or higher with 1.5 GB of RAM or more, this might be one of the best golf watches available right now.

I tested the Watch5 Pro Golf Edition over the course of six rounds. And even though I've never owned a smart watch before, nor an Android phone (I paired this watch with a loaner Galaxy S21 FE 5G), I didn't find it that difficult to use. Personally, I'm pretty much good with distances to the green and other obstacles like bunkers and water, as well as scoring, but there's so much more you can do with this watch. 

First off, the Golf Edition comes preloaded with the Golf Buddy Smart Caddie, a special app developed for the Galaxy smartwatch by GolfzonDeca. There's an icon on the exclusive golf edition watch face (if you don't change the face) that you simply click on, and it takes you into the app. You have to download a course first before you play, then you can activate the round  on the first tee. From there, you can check on a bevy of options. The basics are the hole maps, distances, and scoring, which is all pretty easy. But for those who want to take a deep dive, the Smart Caddie app really has them covered.

For example, you can keep track of every club and every shot you hit, and how far you hit the ball. That in turn, will basically chart all your tendencies - fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts, etc. The app can recommend what clubs to hit in certain situations once you start entering data. There's also a compass feature to tell what direction the center of the green is from where you are. And there are greens heat maps available on certain courses, which can help you read breaks and slopes. Again, it really depends on your needs and personality. 

I also found the distances to be accurate when compared with a laser rangefinder I was using. Battery life was good as well since the golf edition of this watch comes with an even longer battery life than previous versions. As long as you take the watch out to the course fully charged, you should have no trouble getting through a round with plenty of power left over for the rest of the day. And charging the watch with the included magnetic dock is a breeze. If you're not playing golf you can probably get by for a couple of days without a charge, by the way.

The bottom line is the Galaxy Watch5 Pro Golf Edition pretty much provides all the data one could want to find - distances, keep score, track golf shots, and help in green reading, which matches any golf specific watch on the market. But the best part is that it all comes in one watch that looks at home off the course too. 

Voice Caddie A2 Golf Watch Review

My experience with Voice Caddie products is relatively limited but every time I’ve used one, I have been suitably impressed. It started with the SL2 Active Hybrid rangefinder, which I crowned the best golf rangefinder of 2022, and it continues with this A2 Golf GPS watch.

This stylish, modern and waterproof sports watch is noticeably lightweight and the flexible white strap with a significant amount of buckle holes allow for a secure yet comfortable fit. You navigate the A2 using a combination of the colour touch screen and four corner buttons. You can use either, depending on your preference - for example, the right hand buttons double as up and down functions on certain menus, but you can swipe the screen up or down to achieve the same thing. The touch screen itself is responsive enough and becomes brighter when you lift it up to look at it, a clever feature that no doubt saves on battery life too.

The automatic course detection was inconsistent for us. Sometimes, it took less than 10 seconds, other times it took over a minute, the latter being quite a frustrating experience. To get going, it also requires you to be near the first tee, which won’t be a problem most of the time but could be an issue if you’re playing in a shotgun start. 

The main golf screen has a lot of information on it but displayed in a clear, easy-to-digest format. As well as front, middle and back distances, you get the time, battery life, hole and par, yards or metres, and your current score. It will also tell you the number of steps you’ve taken. Swipe to the side and you access the full color hole maps. On these, the graphics are basic but the layout is clear enough. You can reposition the pointer to see distances to various points of interest and if you enter in your driving distance beforehand, it will show you where a typical drive will finish on any given hole.

Swipe again and you’ll see a colourful view of the green displaying the undulation data, something not many of the best golf watches offer. It takes a while to get your head around and is only really somewhat useful in extreme situations where you can’t see the green or if there is a tier to be short or long of. But you are also able to move the flag position for a more specific yardage, something you should take advantage of if you have access to the day’s pin positions.

Once you walk off a green, the watch will vibrate to remind you to enter your score for the hole you’ve just played as well as the number of putts. Most of the time, it had already guessed correctly, but there were some changes that need to be made, which involves quite a fiddly swiping procedure. It also doesn’t work overly well when wearing a glove, so be sure to do this before putting your glove to hit your next tee shot. The stats are stored on the scoring screen for your perusal by tapping the bottom right button and at the end of the round, you’re presented with a nice screen that summarises your performance, albeit at a basic level.

In the settings you’re able to play around with other useful features, most notably the option of slope-adjusted distances or Tournament mode that disables them. You can also measure shots and opt for the Night mode, which illuminates the screen to a brighter level. 

All in all, this is a comprehensive golf GPS watch that is both insightful and intuitive. Not only does it provide with the requisite information and then a whole lot more, it presents it in a clear fashion that is simple to navigate.

Bushnell Phantom 2 Slope GPS Review

If you’re playing a hilly course and relying on a GPS device, the number you see on the screen often bares very little resemblance to the actual distance based on the change in elevation you’re faced with. It could quite easily be the difference between hitting the wrong club or the right one, which is incredibly frustrating when you make a good swing only to find the bunker short of the green. But the new Bushnell Phantom 2 Slope is one of very few golf GPS units that is able to compensate for these changes in gradient and provide more accurate yardages, which should provide that extra peace of mind that allows you to swing with total confidence.

Compared to the original Phantom 2 GPS, the basic functionality remains the same. It still provides moveable pin position for more specific flag distances, lay-up and hazard information as well as the ability to keep score. The big difference being when the Slope feature is enabled, a small icon appears in the top left of the screen. This is important as slope-adjusted distances are not legal for competition play, so if you are teeing it up in the medal make sure you disable the Slope mode, which is easily done via the settings.

In terms of accuracy, it stacked up well against the Motocaddy M5 GPS electric trolley we were using alongside it and distances measured using our Bushnell Tour V5 Shift laser rangefinder to pins that looked like they were central on the green were highly comparable, only differing by less than a handful of yards at most every time.

The simplicity of this device versus a laser rangefinder is what sets the Phantom 2 Slope apart. Turn it on when you arrive and it takes around 10 seconds or so to detect your course and the distances to the front, middle and back of the first green appear straight away. You can easily switch holes using the top and bottom buttons on the left hand side and while the screen graphic are basic and fairly archaic, they’re easy to read from surprisingly far away. The other thing we like about the Bushnell Phantom 2 Slope is how versatile it is, specifically around where it can be stored. Because it is so lightweight and compact, you can keep it in a variety of places during your round - including your pocket, attached to your bag or even clipped to the face of one of your clubs using the excellent Bite magnetic mount feature on the rear side.

Remember the Phantom 2 Slope also provides access to the excellent Bushnell app, which provides color hole maps and flyovers as well additional scoring and performance insights, considerably enhancing the value for money given the modest £149 price. It also comes in two colours - black and the striking camo grey - making it one of the best Bushnell golf rangefinders for the money.

TecTecTec ULT-G GPS Watch Review

My first experience with a TecTecTec golf product came earlier this year when I tested the KLYR laser rangefinder, which I came away highly impressed with. More recently, I’ve had the chance to test the company’s ULT-G GPS watch.

I typically prefer a rangefinder over a GPS device, in part because I’m not the most technologically savvy golfer and GPS watches and/or handhelds can be confusing and frustrating in terms of their setup and features. The ULT-G was neither, however, and would be the kind of GPS watch that I’d actually use. It’s basic and simple, and I mean that as a compliment.

In terms of my initial impressions, the ULT-G watch looked sharp and felt far more solid than its lightweight design might suggest. The band was also quite nice, making the watch comfortable to wear, and once I had the device set up, its display was easy to read.

And speaking of setup, the ULT-G was a breeze in that regard. The manual provided was outstanding in terms of directions, and I had no trouble getting the watch ready for play or pairing it with my phone and the TecTecTec GPS app, which offers course and device updates, as well as technical support. It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to use the app to use the ULT-G on the golf course, and the device offers 38,000 preloaded courses with no subscription or update fees.

As soon as I got out of the car when I arrived at my home course for testing, a list of courses was quickly populated upon hitting the Satellite button. And when I clicked on Atlanta National at the top of the list, I was instantly given a front, back, and center yardage for the first hole. As I played, there were no issues with each new hole populating automatically and I could also manually change holes with ease.

In addition to front, back, and center yardages (meters are also available, as well as five language options), the ULT-G provided distances to hazards and to carry them, and it has a distance tracking feature as well, which proved to be disappointing only in terms of how far I was actually hitting my driver! But in all seriousness, when testing the various yardages that I was getting from the ULT-G against the same numbers I was also shooting with a rangefinder, the watch proved to be highly accurate from a data standpoint.

In terms of features, however, that just about covers what the ULT-G has to offer, which for me was perfect but for some golfers might not be enough. It also doesn’t have touchscreen functionality, but it should be noted that the various buttons on the watch are easy to understand and use. But if you’re looking for course mapping and stat tracking, among other features, you won’t find it here.

What you will find, however, is a quality, user-friendly GPS watch that covers the basics in impressive fashion. At at a retail price of $99.99, the ULT-G is one of the best value golf watches on the market and between this device and the KLYR rangefinder, I have no problem recommending TecTecTec to anyone looking to address their distance measuring needs.

Samsung Galaxy Active2 44mm GPS Watch Golf Edition Review

The product of a joint enterprise with GolfBuddy, the Galaxy Active2 Golf Edition GPS Watch comes in three strap designs. We tested the 44mm version, which is the middle of the three in terms of size but is still one of the thinnest and most compact GPS watches on the market.

In all honesty, the setting up process was frustratingly laborious, involving different apps and a few passwords to pair the watch with the phone to get the courses downloaded and the watch set up. You start a round of golf by tapping on the top of the home screen to access the free Smart Caddie app, which comes preloaded with a lifetime subscription usually worth £76.

The home screen in golf mode displays the front, middle and back distances in a surprisingly clear and bright fashion given the modest size of the screen along with the hole, its par and your score. To switch holes manually, you use the unique rotating touch bezel via a circular motion with your finger around the edge of the display, something I've not experienced before when testing the best golf watches.

From the home screen, you can also access the hole maps with which you can choose either a graphical representation or a satellite image depending on which works best for you visually.

There’s a moveable pointer for the fairway and green, which is easy to operate, as well as the option of arcs or lay up circles to optimise strategy and club selection when laying up. On a small number of courses worldwide (mostly in Korea we understand), the flag will switch to a rainbow colour scheme to signify that Green Undulation technology is available, showing all the slopes on the green in great detail.

You can also keep track of your score and to minimize distractions, the end of the strap secures underneath the rest of the strap, meaning you haven’t got to worry about it coming loose during a swing.

Much of the navigation and functionality on this watch is unique to the market, which makes it an appealing prospect to the gadget lover. It also doubles as a versatile fitness watch off the course with its timeless, simple design and you can also view incoming emails if you want to stay connected to the outside world.

What really sweetens the product here is how this model is regularly on offer at retailers. We have seen the watch, in both black and pink, heavily discounted with as much as 60% off on occasion. This therefore is a model that provides outstanding value given how much you can find it for.

GolfBuddy aim W10 GPS Watch Review

The GolfBuddy aim W10 comes in at a more than competitive price so we were keen to see what the user experience was like. The first impressions are that it’s a touch bulky on your wrist but the overall design is pretty plain and neutral, making it a versatile choice for off-course wear if desired although there aren't many non-golf specific features to take advantage of.

With just the one button combined with the 1.3” colour touch screen, getting started and navigation is fairly self explanatory. It will only display distances once you reach the first tee, and will vibrate to let you know when it’s ready.

The front, middle and back distances are easy to read and update quickly just like on all of the best golf watches. On this screen you can also see the hole number and par as well as your score. You then swipe in different directions to access the functions, which include hole maps and hazard lists.

In all honesty, the hole maps are a touch clunky, the screen is quite dim and there isn’t a moveable pointer that allows you to pick out specific points on a hole and see how far it is to it. That said, the arcs that appear are both useful off the tee and when hitting into greens and you’re also able to move the pin position on the green for greater accuracy.

The battery life proved to be long-lasting - you’re almost certain to get at least two round from it on a full charge and you can sync your score to the smartphone app for a deeper dive into your performance. Is it one of the best GolfBuddy rangefinders? You can certainly find models that offer better functionality, but for golfers after simplicity and accuracy, the Aim W10 delivers.

Garmin is one of the leading brands in the golf watch space and the MARQ Golfer is the brand’s most premium, feature-packed model you can buy for a mere $1,850/£1,699. In fact, the golf features only make up a small section of its capability (it can track your breathing, blood oxygen levels and even pay for things in shops) but these features alone make it one of the best golf watches on the market.

Opening the box is an exciting experience. Inside you get a spare strap and three CT10 sensors that screw into the ends of your clubs and allow you to try Garmin’s automatic shot tracking system. But, the MARQ Golfer will prompt you to manually enter what club you hit on each shot until you reach the green as well as your score and how many putts you needed. This data is stored and then presented on the Garmin Connect smartphone app once synced after your round for you to analyse.

After five rounds have been logged, you get access to Garmin’s Virtual Caddie that will suggest clubs for upcoming shots based on your history. They’re even more accurate than you think because they can take slope and current wind speed and direction into account. Very cool, right?

During testing, we found that the silicone rubber strap helped the watch stay in position during the swing better than the tritone green jacquard-weave nylon strap because the MARQ Golfer, at 88g, is on the heavy side. It’s also a little bulky compared to others we’ve tried, but not to the point that it gets in the way.

Once charged and powered up, you’re left to work out how to navigate through the menus using the touch screen and the five buttons scattered around. It is frustratingly confusing at the start and while it improves with practice, you never feel like you’re in complete control of where you’re heading. Start your round successfully, however, and you’re greeted with a 2D overhead view of the hole with distances to the front, middle and back of the green. By pressing a button you can scroll through the hazards that lie ahead in distance order, seeing how far it is to reach and carry them, while also seeing lay up points. You’re also able to relocate the pin position for a more accurate distance (pictured above).

Other features we liked include the PinPointer feature (above), that points in the direction of the pin when it isn’t in view, and the fact it will confirm the current wind speed and direction. Both, along with the Virtual Caddie, are not legal for competition use but were very handy during our testing round.

You're also able to toggle on smartphone notifications, so the watch vibrates when you receive an email or text but it's worth disabling the vibrate function so it doesn't disturb you in your backswing. That said, it's nice to feel somewhat connected to the outside world and the MARQ Golfer can do lots of useful things you currently use your smartphone for - like fitness, maps and contactless payments.

This watch has similar golf functionality to the impressive Garmin Approach S62 but the MARQ Golfer has infinitely more appeal off the course, which besides the price is the main point of difference. The premium touches like the 46-millimeter titanium case and ceramic bezel with custom etched 1-18 golf hole markings no doubt enhance the aesthetics, giving it the look and feel of an elegant timepiece. It is easily among the best Garmin golf watches regardless of what you look for, but some will struggle to justify the investment when other models will do a similar job for considerably less money.

Coupon Discount Codes

Garmin Approach G12 GPS Review

The best golf GPS devices come in all shapes and sizes and the Garmin Approach G12 is certainly one of the most compact units on the market. Despite it being only a little larger than a poker chip, it's packed with features and yet remains simple to use. We took it out for a full round Essendon Golf & Country Club and with a quick read of the included instruction booklet we were able to pick up the simple functions and see the distances to the front, middle and back of the green on the first hole straight away.

There are a host of display options - we love the 'big numbers mode' where the middle distance is displayed bigger than the others and despite the screen's modest size it is clear and easy to read in different light conditions. There are other view modes that include the number and par of the hole plus the flag distance and then by pressing the up and down buttons on the left hand side you get access to hazard information and suggested lay up distances. 

The Garmin Approach G12 is very lightweight (25g), small and has been cleverly designed to be clipped to your golf bag, hat or clothes. It's also the perfect size to pop into your trouser pocket but be careful not to accidentally drop and lose it if you do!

The small buttons on the side of the GPS take a little practice to get used to pressing. There are four to click, allowing you to toggle between holes, get your distance to hazards and much more. If you are a bit clumsy with your fingers you might find yourself accidentally clicking through too many times. Thankfully it's easy to go back but if you prefer larger buttons or a more sizeable screen then you might prefer the Garmin Approach G80 GPS, which also doubles as a portable launch monitor. 

You'll get up to 30 hours of usage on a single charge which is impressive. That means if you're on holiday playing golf every day for a week it should last until you get home. With 42,000 courses uploaded to the device globally Garmin's network is certainly extensive.

What sets the Garmin Approach G12 apart from other small units is that you can pair it with your smartphone. Download the Garmin Golf app for free and you'll be able to keep your scores, stats and compete with other users in the virtual golf world while also gaining access to full color hole maps. 

What's more, for a little added investment, you can buy Garmin CT10 club trackers, which will then pair to your Garmin Approach G12 unit to track your shots, giving you accurate yardages. That's mighty impressive for a little unit. At just under £130/$150 we think the Garmin Approach G12 punches way above its price point given the level of features on offer and versatility. It would make a perfect golf gift too.

Coupon Discount Codes

Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Gen3+ Review

The latest release of the Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Gen3+ features enhancements to the third generation, hence why they are called Gen3+. As covered in our previous Arccos Smart Sensors review, the general function of the sensors to track your shots remains the same.

The Gen3+ Arccos Smart Sensors feature a new smaller P3 putter sensor that is 40% smaller and 20% lighter at 6.2g. It now fits more easily into the end of a pistol putter grip without getting in the way. This is a big improvement if you use this type of putter grip both when using the club and visually.

VIDEO: See the 2023 Arccos Caddie experience in action

Simply screw the sensors in the end of the grips of your clubs and pair them with the Arcoss Caddie app, one of the best golf GPS apps around by the way, and it will track the GPS position of shots you take on each round and the club you used. This information is then analysed using strokes gained metrics both for your round, and now also by individual club, so you can see which parts of your game you need to work on. The all-round improvement made on these sensors, alongside their accuracy when tracking see's them feature in our 2023 Editor's Choice. 

The Artificial Intelligence in the Caddie software has also been updated to improve the quality of the tracking so that fewer shots are missed. Arccos claim that it will now capture 98% of all tee shots and having used the system on course for the last 6 months, the tracking since the update has been a lot better and there is less need to add in shots manually after the round.

Some of the functions, such as marking a putt off the green as a chip to remove it from your putting stats, have moved menus so if you are a long term user, then look around as the features are still there. You still need to have your phone in your pocket when you play as Arccos relies on the microphone to hear the sensors in action. If this is not for you then the Arccos Caddie Link review shows how this Bluetooth belt clip device will do the tracking instead.

Personally I have been using the Arccos Caddie app on the Apple Watch, which not only does the tracking, but also displays the actual GPS distances, Caddie adjusted distances and suggested club on your wrist so you never have to get your phone out at all. There is also a tournament mode to switch the club advisory function off if playing in a competition as it is not legit for that yet.

When you buy the sensors you get the first year’s membership free and then it is currently $12.99 per month billed annually. This is quite steep but you are getting real insight into your game and a free GPS that suggests clubs back to you based on your past performance – just like having a caddie on tour. So if you are serious about improving your game then the Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Gen3+ are a worthwhile investment.

Related: Read our Best Golf GPS Guide

There is a wealth of information in the app about your performance by round, club, course and date, even type of ball and if you like your stats you can lose hours trying to find the magic cure for your golfing ills. Usually the answer is always the same golfer’s adage – just practice more and play better! 

The Garmin Approach G80 is so much more than just a very good GPS device, it’s also a launch monitor. The G80 delivers standard yardages on over 41,000 pre-loaded courses. It detects the course you’re on rapidly and it’s quick to access the various, plentiful features. You can put it in your pocket or clip it to your bag or trolley frame via a special mount (£15.99).

The touchscreen makes the features easy to navigate but the screen is much smaller and even in its maximum brightness setting, is quite dark, pale in colour and hazy, making it difficult to see clearly in certain light conditions. Recent changes to our home course weren’t incorporated, but the distances provided were within a few yards of our laser rangefinder.

The Approach G80 has features such as Garmin’s PlaysLike Distance, giving you distances to the target, adjusted for uphill or downhill shots, which can be easily turned off for tournament play. Green View allows you to zoom in on the green to get precise yardages according to wherever the pin is on the day.

The sunlight-readable touch screen is receptive and you can point to any spot on the hole map for detailed yardage information.

The PlaysLike Distance tool is a useful one outside competition to give you a great feel for the effect of slope on yardages. Pinpointer shows where the green is on blind holes and you can zoom into the green to get accurate yardages to the flag.

But, it's also a launch monitor able to track club head speed, ball speed, smash factor, swing tempo and estimated distance. You simply position it on top of a ball just in front of where you are hitting from. It also works with the free Garmin Golf app, letting you compete, compare and connect with fellow golfers.

There are also games and practice modes that will help you improve – check the tempo of your swing or compete against friends or other golfers anywhere in the world.

Carry distances on the G80's launch monitor differed by around 10 yards with driver compared with the Foresight Sports GCQuad but were much closer with irons and wedges, to the point that it provides a very useful reference for a fraction of the cost.

This is an excellent “two in one” product, both as a GPS unit and a portable launch monitor.

Coupon Discount Codes

In this Bushnell iON Edge GPS watch review, we test it out on the course to assess its functionality, usability and overall performance

Bushnell iON Edge GPS Watch Review

Almost all golfers nowadays will put their trust in a laser rangefinder or some sort of GPS device to help get them from A to B on the course. And among the premium brands in the distance-measuring-device market is Bushnell. 

With that in mind, we were keen to test the company’s iON Edge GPS watch and find out how it stacks up against some of the best golf GPS watches available right now.

We’ll begin with the style and while it isn’t a knockout, it was a decent-looking addition to our wrist that wasn’t overly bulky or heavy. 

It’s black and sleek and felt quite soft and didn’t interfere with our swing or cause any discomfort, so all good in that department.

Moving onto the functionality and we’ve experienced better. For starters, there wasn’t an instruction manual included in the box so we were left to guess a little as to its operation. It wasn’t rocket science, thankfully, but could have been made easier. 

There is one button on the side which we correctly figured would boot it up, and from there, one swipe to the right gives you the option to begin your satellite search for the correct course. 

For the first few rounds, we weren’t able to get the most out of the watch because we simply didn’t know how to and we didn’t want to spend ages on the course figuring it out. 

Even now, after using it between five and ten times, we aren’t 100 per cent confident we’re maxing out its potential.

However, we did enjoy utilising the front-middle-back yardage function in conjunction with the moveable flag function (seen below), that allows you to cycle through the different pin locations and select to get a more precise distance to the flag.

Additionally, we decided to input our scores and some basic stats into the watch as we played. It’s something we haven’t really done in the past as it can focus the mind too much on the score instead of trying to treat every shot on its own merit.

But we may have turned a corner on that. At the end of each round - unless it’s been a total disaster - quickly seeing how many fairways you’ve missed and how many putts you’ve hit is quite handy. 

RELATED: Best Golf GPS apps

It is nowhere near as in-depth as strokes-gained analysis, but we think these stats still have their place.

Being totally honest, we were disappointed in the touchscreen. It really is quite unresponsive, while at the same time being annoyingly sensitive to a misplaced finger. 

On more than one occasion each round, swiping up and down or left and right either took multiple attempts to complete or navigated us to another menu entirely. 

If you're able to master this temperamental aspect, Bushnell’s iON Edge watch is a solid product that has the ability to point out hazards, move the pin position and help guide golfers round the course on the route best trodden at a very competitive price. 

In this GolfBuddy Aim V10 GPS review, Mike Harris sees what the compact distance measuring device has to offer.

GolfBuddy Aim V10 GPS Review

This is GolfBuddy’s most advanced, simple-to-use talking GPS to date. It provides visual and audio distance readings to the front, centre and back of the green, as well as hazards.

It features a larger 1.2” LCD and longer 12-hour battery life on Golf Mode. Numerous additional features can be found within settings, so golfers can choose between yards and distances, alter the volume, and there’s even a slope function available on certain courses.

RELATED: Best Golf GPS

Using a GPS is like having your own caddie to help steer you round the course - and they now talk, of course. GolfBuddy’s aim V10 has this function and although you can mute the voice, that verbal communication confirming a yardage often helps you to focus on the shot that you’re faced with.

What we really like about the device, however, is its simplicity. Most golfers wouldn’t go too far wrong by playing to the middle of the green and whilst there are some terrific laser rangefinders on the market, they can tempt you into high risk shots and going for sucker pins.

The Aim V10 gives you the key information, including hazards, and often just taking the reading for the middle of the green is wise - hit the shot well and you’re still giving yourself a birdie putt.

We also like the fact that you just turn the device on and it auto detects the course. The LCD is also nice and clear and it can even measure shot distances.

Getting those yardages at a glance - you can clip the device easily to your belt, bag or pocket - will give you all the confidence you need to negotiate your way round. As a result, it will improve your course management and strategy.

Within settings, there’s also a slope function for certain courses, which ensures you get an even more accurate yardage, plus for courses with multiple greens on a hole, there’s a green setting option allowing you to switch between left and right.

The controls did take a little bit of getting used to, and the instruction booklet is very small - so our advice would be to watch GolfBuddy's video on YouTube on how to use it, after which you should find it pretty simple to operate.