These 9 GPS smartwatches make distance measurement a snap

gps smartwatches

There's a GPS smartwatch for every budget.

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There’s one on-course necessity that all golfers covet, regardless of their handicap index: accurate yardage.

Luckily, modern golfers have an array of devices to choose from, from handheld laser devices to GPS smartwatches.

Smartwatches are a great option for players who are already used to wearing a wristwatch. They’re also handy because they’re basically impossible to lose, unless of course you opt to take it off mid-round.

In addition to measuring to-the-yard accuracy, many GPS smartwatches also offer full-color display views of the particular hole you’re playing, as well as carry distances to intermediate targets and a look at hole locations.

They’re also available at a numerous price points, starting at $129.99, so there’s an option for virtually every budget.

Check out our favorite GPS smartwatches below, and for more great gear for your game, check out the latest inventory in GOLF’s Pro Shop.

Izzo Swami Watch

$99.99
Izzo’s Swami Watch gps offers a comfortable and modern design while also providing excellent performance on the course. Improve your round with precise distances to the front, center, and back of the green as well as distances to water hazards, bunkers, and doglegs. Additional benefits include Auto-Course Recognition, Auto-Hole Advance, Shot Distance Measurement, and Digital Scorecard. The Watch Golf gps is water resistant, easy to charge, and offers up to 10 hours of battery life in GPS mode.
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Garmin Venu SQ Watch

$199.99
Garmin’s Venu SQ Watch offers a sleek design that’s suited for every outfit and every part of your day. Run, walk, bike, or golf with more than 20 preloaded sports apps to choose from. The watch features a bright color display and optional always-on mode, so you can see everything with a quick glance. The touch screen is easy to use and the quick release band is easy to swap out so you can change your style as needed. Battery life last up to 6 days in smartwatch mode and up to 14 hours in GPS mode. Golfing features include yardages for distance to front, middle and back of green as well as lay ups and doglegs. You can also measure shot distance, use a digital scorecard, and track stats.
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SkyGolf SkyCaddie LX5

$249.99
The SkyCaddie LX5 is the ultimate golf watch. It can function as a golf GPS as well as a practical, everyday watch. The smartwatch offers real GPS overview of the course, as well as has a set list of targets to choose from in order to get the optimal distance for your next shot. Holevue allows players to visualize the layout of the entire hole for shots out of the tee box and see the shape of the green as your stepping up for an approach shot. Intelligreen Technology rotates the view of the green on your watch with the view you have in real-time, allowing golfers to come up with the best plan of attack at their particular location around the green. Digital scorecards are built-in for extremely easy scorekeeping as well as 35,000+ preloaded golf courses.
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Shot Scope V3 GPS Watch

$219.99
Shot Scope V3 is an advanced GPS watch with automatic shot tracking and statistics platform. F/M/B GPS distances and hazards are clearly visible on the daylight readable color screen, while the Power-Sense strap and tracking tags ensure every shot is recorded automatically while you play. After your round, upload and analyze over 100 statistics on your game including strokes gained analytics and start improving your game. Complete with over 36,000 pre-loaded courses worldwide and no additional costs or subscriptions, Shot Scope V3 is one of the most desirable GPS watches on the market. GPS + Performance tracking watch Automatic shot detection Strokes Gained analytics platform included for advanced stat analysis Power-Sense strap allowing seamless shot detection 16 tracking tags with smart GPS chip for automatic club recognition Industry leading putting statistics Ability to pause round to take a few practise shots Shot recognition displayed on watch screen Every shot is plotted on a map of the course Advanced GPS accuracy Daylight readable colour screen Dynamic F/M/B green distances Front & carry distance for every hazard 36,000+ preloaded courses worldwide Measures the last shot distance Interchangeable straps Distances available in Yards or Metres In-house course mapping and 48 hour course edits Interactive features; Medals, Leaderboards and Course Hub Everyday watch Sync your round via Bluetooth 10+ hour battery life / 2+ rounds Free mobile app and web dashboard statistics platform Free firmware updates, including new features 3 golf modes No phone or tagging required on course Statistics on Tee Shots, Approaches, Short Game, Putting, Scoring and full round/season PinCollect technology provides exact pin location for enhanced approaches, short game and putting statistics Over 100 statistics that can be broken down by lie type, distance, club used, proximity, round, season and much more Virtually join any club in the world on Course Hub to view how Shot Scope users play that course Social share feature, share good rounds or highlights with friends on social media Conforms to the Rules of Golf No subscription
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Bushnell iON Edge Watch

$99.99
The ION EDGE has been designed to meet the ever-changing needs of golfers wanting wearable EMD’s. The ION EDGE features a new design with a touchscreen display and the Bushnell Golf app for automatic updates to the more than 38,000 preloaded courses worldwide. The ION EDGE is one of the industry’s easiest to use golf GPS watches with instant yardage measurements.The ION EDGE offers the golfer long battery life (15+ hours), and even more benefits such as a NEW touchscreen display, GreenView with moveable pin placement, Dynamic Green Mapping (front and back distances are shown based on golfer’s line of play), shot distance calculator, and the ability to get up to six hazard distances per hole.The ION EDGE Golf GPS Watch instantly recognizes courses. It features an auto-hole advance which automatically changes from one hole to the next, so a golfer can start play and get front/center/back distances without touching any buttons the rest of the round.
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Garmin Approach G12

$119.99
We’ve got your game with the Approach® G12 golf rangefinder. Clip the thin GPS device to your pocket, or use the lanyard loop to mount it on a golf bag, to see distances to the green at a glance — for up to 30 hours on a single charge. Use big-numbers mode to display accurate yardage measurements to the front, back and middle of the green. See positions of the hazards and doglegs on a hole, so you can find the best way to navigate each shot. This rangefinder comes preloaded with more than 42,000 courses worldwide and gets wireless course updates (when paired with a compatible smartphone), so you can easily play your favorites. Pair with Approach CT10 club tracking sensors (sold separately) to automatically track your shots. Your shot data, scores and stats will be automatically uploaded to the Garmin Golf™ app (when paired with a compatible smartphone), so you can see your game, participate in weekly leaderboards and more.
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Garmin Approach S12 Watch

$149.99
We’ve got your game with Approach® S12, a golf watch designed to turn on when you tee off. Get key yardages to the green, as well as to hazards and doglegs, on 42,000 preloaded courses worldwide. Keep score from the watch itself and upload directly to the Garmin Golf™ app (when paired with a compatible smartphone) to participate in weekly leaderboards. Pair with optional Approach® CT10 club tracking sensors (sold separately) for more automatic game tracking capabilities. Play longer with a battery life that holds up — get up to 15 hours in GPS mode.
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Golf Buddy Aim W11 Watch

$199.99
The Golf Buddy Aim W11 is an advanced golf GPS smartwatch with features that are hard to beat. The industry-changing addition of Green Undulation makes the Aim W11 the only device you need on the course. Know your lie from the tee to the green with the Golf Buddy Aim W11
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Garmin Approach S42 Watch

$249.99
We’ve got your game on and off the course with Approach® S42, a GPS golf smartwatch that puts information from more than 42,000 CourseView maps worldwide on your wrist. The Green View feature allows manual pin positioning so you can quickly reference distances to the front, middle and back of the green as well as hazards and doglegs. The AutoShot round analyzer measures and auto-records detected shot distances (lie and ball contact may affect shot tracking); pair with optional Approach® CT10 club tracking sensors (sold separately) for more automatic game tracking capabilities. Pair with the Garmin Golf™ app (when downloaded on a compatible smartphone) for strokes gained analysis, to participate in leaderboards and tournaments and gain more insights into your game. Wear the watch all day, and get smart notifications (when paired with a compatible smartphone) and estimated activity-tracking features.
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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.