Equipment

Our Top 5 Golf GPS Devices (Apps Excluded)

Published

10 years ago

February 21, 2014

Ok, so you have a smartphone with plenty of apps that offer some basic golf GPS functionality, but having this (often free) technology right at our fingertips does come with a price, specifically battery life and accuracy. Most phone app GPS options tend to drain as much as 50% of your battery during a single round, and few are accurate within anything better than about five yards.

Now, consider the fact that the use of a GPS range finding device comes in handy for roughly 50-70 shots during a round (depending on your skill level), so if you find yourself using GPS often, it’s a no brainer to resign your cell phone to email and stock checking duties and pick up a decent golf GPS. Side note…it’s also against some country club rules to have a phone out on the grounds as it can be distracting to your playing partners, another reason to own a separate unit.

With that said, here are our top 5 golf GPS devices (apps excluded) based on price, usability, functionality, and general awesomeness (if that’s even a word).

Garmin Approach S1

Weight/Size: 1.8 ounces; 1.8 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches

Description: The GPS Device has gotten cooler, sleeker, and even more fashionable in recent years and evidence of that has been the emergence of golf GPS watches. The wrist watch GPS is favored by countless golfers due to the fact that it’s readily accessible – as simple as glancing down at your watch before every shot instead of pulling a device out of your bag or pocket. The S1 is available in black and white to help match your style.

If you’re looking to step it up a notch you can also check out the newer S2 and S3 models which progressively stack up additional bells and whistles such as a touch screen that allows you to pinpoint distances around the green and higher resolution screens. These more advanced models do however also come with a higher price tag. In our opinion, the S1 offers everything you’ll need and more.

Maps: 17,000 courses in North America.

Price: Normally retails for around $250, but you can usually find the S1 on Amazon for about $150.00.

Annual Fees: None

Golficity Rating: 4/5

Golficity Rating 4

Bushnell Hybrid Laser GPS

Weight/Size: 8 ounces; 2.1 x 2.6 x 4.3 inches

Description: Probably the king of all rangefinders. This amazing device has two unique components: GPS capability and a built-in laser rangefinder. Combining the best of both worlds, this unit’s GPS measures distances to the front, middle and back the green, while its laser function brings you pinpoint accuracy right to the flag. While not as accessible as a wrist watch, the Bushnell Hybrid Laser is appropriately light weight and very portable.

Maps: Bushnell partnered with iGolf to put together a unit that’s fully equipped with 16,000 North American courses, all of which were mapped from a combination of either club pros, satellite imagery, aerial photos, and/or customer input.

With over 16,000 venues we’re certain your favorite course will come pre-loaded on this device, so don’t worry that is has less than the Garmin watch.

Price: Normally at Golfsmith and other major retail chains for around $499.99 $500 in stores, but we’ve seen it go as low as $335.99 on Amazon so watch for deals.

Annual Fees: None

This video about says it all…

Bushnell Hybrid Laser GPS Golf Rangefinder

No Description

Golficity Rating: 5/5

Golficity Rating 5

Skycaddie SGX

Weight/Size: 5.6 ounces; 4.8 x 2.5 x .75 inches

Description: The Skycaddie SGX packs a big punch in a compact unit about the same size and style of most smartphones. The device comes fully equipped with a three-inch color display and allows users to hone in on any point of a hole. Users can also view the hole, scorecard, and the green by simply rotating the unit from portrait to landscape, the same way you would on a smartphone. The battery life is plenty for a round (or three) as its rechargeable battery gives you 14 hours of solid power.

Maps: The unit comes equipped with roughly 30,000 courses (worldwide) which they claimed to have measured by personally by their staff and associates. According to SkyGolf, their team of mappers have walked and measured these courses the same way a pro caddie would before any tournament.

Price: Retails for about $300, but here again we were able to find it on Amazon for $219.99. Watch out for the annual fees on this one though…they can add up quickly.

Annual Fees: $30-$60 annual fee.

Golficity Rating: 4.5/5

Golficity Rating 4.5

GolfBuddy World GPS

Weight/Size: 4.2 ounces; 4.1 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches

Description: We like the fact that this unit offers both a touchscreen as well as physical buttons, offering two ways to navigate a course. We also liked the fact that the hole view automatically changes to a close-up of the green and that the battery lasts up to 10 hours. However, perhaps this unit’s best attribute is the fact that its database expands far beyond North America’s borders, something travelling golfers will be happy to hear. Overall an excellent GPS device for the money.

Maps: Satellite imagery and surveyors who chart each hole were used to map nearly 40,000 courses worldwide (18,000 in North America), making this unit a great option for golfers who travel internationally.

Price: The GolfBuddy World GPS retails for around $300, but you shouldn’t be spending nearly that much on this unit. Just a little digging and we were able to find the GolfBuddy World GPS on Amazon for $203.46 and Golfsmith for 229.99.

Annual Fees: None

DGTV – Golf Buddy World GPS

No Description

Golficity Rating: 4/5

GolfBuddy Voice GPS

GolfBuddy Voice GPS

Weight/Size: Small and very light weight, comparable in size to an iPod Shuffle.

Description: The GolfBuddy Voice GPS has been racking up great reviews from golf blogs, golf magazines, and most importantly users everywhere – and for good reason. What allows this unit to stand out from the rest is its size. Taking up no more space in your pocket than a matchbook, the GolfBuddy Voice GPS still has the capacity to store up to 40,000 courses worldwide!

This no-frills device is very easy to use, and certainly won’t break the bank if you’re looking for a simple GPS unit. Plus, as an added bonus, this unique unit will actually speak distances to you verbally in up to eight different languages. It’s like having your own personal caddie! Ok, perhaps it’s a bit gimmicky but at under $150 the price is certainly right for this one.