18 Best Value Golf Watch (2022 Updated)

I waited quite a long time before breaking down and buying a smart watch. As I am an iPhone owner, the Apple Watch was the logical choice. However, it initially didn’t meet my needs. I am not sports or exercise enthusiast so most off what a smart watch provides didn’t interest me.

I am also an traditional analog watch fan and tend to stay away from modern style watches. What finally tipped the scale for me was the pandemic. I needed a way to stay informed about not only my health vitals but also email and messages without always being tied to my phone or pc.

The fact that I could listen and control my music and phone calls from my watch were extra bonuses. The new Series 7 Apple Watch seems to finally provide enough non-sports/exercise features to make sense to me.

The apps still need more evolution to really be beneficial on a wrist device but it is getting better. I am still learning how to effectively use the Apple Watch and I am sure time and updates will only make it better.

The Series 7 seems to have enough hardware features to take it further. However I am not a fan of buying a new device every year or two, so I am still worried that it might be too soon for the regular population that isn’t always in the gym or running on the track.

However I do feel more comfortable knowing that I have some basic health monitors on my wrist and a better communication system than being tethered to my phone 7×24. I can’t answer battery or lifetime issues yet because I have only owned it for just over a week.

I will say that my iPhone’s battery lasts longer than the watches but perhaps I can make settings changes to improve that. I still see a day’s battery so I can’t complain. My recommendation is that if you are looking for a smart watch, check out how many apps and features you will really use and if they are full featured enough yo justify the purchase and investment.

I got this for my father as a gift and wow, hands out the best version of the Apple Watch. This quickly became another alternative for when he’s not able to look at his phone when at work with features such as imessage and call feature available.

You can also transfer the call from the watch to the phone and vice versa, which is so convenient! The watch came with two belt sizes, which have enough space for small for wide wrists. They’re soft silicone and do not come undone, even when working in a busy restaurant.

The starter belts are great for people with sensitive skin as well. The screen is tough and durable, it doesn’t leave a fingerprint on the screen as intensely as prior versions, allowing you to have a clear screen.

Battery charges super fast, and can last over 8 hours without charge. It is frustrating that it only comes with the cable and not the box. Given that the charger box is $20, spending over $400 on a watch you would at least expect the charger box as well.

The health and fitness features were features that stood out to him, as that’s what peaked his interest in the first place. The heart monitor features have become an essential feature that has helped him learn more about his own health.

The fitness features such as step and walking tracker have motivated him to maintain those levels, as that was something he prioritized. Overall, this version of the Apple Watch is jam packed with new features that allow the watch to feel customizable and as convenient as the iPhone.

This is a great gift for that is easy for people who aren’t as technologically savvy, and is easy to learn, whether young or old.

I came to the Apple Watch from a Samsung Gear S3. While the Apple Watch does most things pretty admirably, offering fairly seamless transitions between screens and apps, it doesn’t do some of the things that the Gear S3 could do.

For instance, it took downloading a second app to be able to see the number of steps on the watch face instead of just the three ‘activity’ rings that don’t actually tell you as much as you might want to know — and it still doesn’t give a live update on steps, catching up and refreshing every few minutes to give an updated number.

Additionally, the battery life is significantly shorter, lasting about twenty four hours before it needs to be charged again. However, the display is large and clear, and the watch faces are extremely customizable, allowing you to really get the look and experience that you want out of them.

Additionally, the watch bands are as easy to switch as sliding them in and out of a groove, as compared to the more traditional watch bands that require you to buy a special tool to change them out — possibly a pro for some, a con for others, given that you’re essentially required to buy Apple-tech specific watch bands.

All in all, it does most of the things I need it to do, and it does them elegantly and with little fuss, but I still miss some of the features of the Galaxy. For something as expensive as the Apple Watch, you’d think this would be standard by now, but alas.

Still, I would recommend it to others, but am disappointed enough that it’s going to miss out on that fifth star — for now.

I bought this a month ago and took it out on a few rounds. The features were easy to figure out, and it was the perfect aid I felt I needed to help judge distances. I also liked keeping score with it.

But, I felt a little distracted with it clipped to me – even while having it tucked into a pocket (I used a strap-like clip to hook it to a belt loop, which provided enough length to tuck this into a pocket).

The option to clip it to my belt seemed tedious – you have to go to settings and change the screen orientation, and you can’t just glance down at it. You have to grab and flip it up to read it. So, I clipped it to my bag, but even then, I fumbled with it when checking distances and sometimes forgot to enter my score after each hole.

It just got frustrating at times to use. Last week, I ordered a watch (the Garmin S40), and I couldn’t be happier. All the same, features are there, and more – color screen, touchscreen, weather, sunrise/set, step counter.

Oddly enough, if this G12 had a touchscreen and a couple of the S40’s features, it would be more enjoyable to use – more like a watch without the strap, which is closer to the experience I expected. This has enough built into it to make it an excellent first device, but I turned too quickly to the realization that I wanted a little bit more.

Usual Garmin top-shelf unit! A fantastic looking device which appears to be very well built for a personal launch monitor. Set-up was very easy. Charged the unit for a few hours, and then paired with my iPhone with ease.

I was already a Garmin Golf App user as I have one of their sport watches with Golf functions. It automatically registered the R10, and then adding the “Home Tee Hero” app was easy. The big question… Is it value for money? The simple answer is “Absolutely!” As long as you have a sensible expectation.

If you are expecting a $4,000 launch monitor for under $1,000 you will be upset. If you are expecting a stunning amount of quality data, functions, and brilliant support software at a price no one else can currently match you will be delighted! Is it accurate? Again, for the money – oh yes! You need to get it correctly set-up, and it does have a “re-calibrate” option if you need it.

It also notes that the environment, and other nearby devices can both impact performance. Which is true for any of these devices. It’s also worth noting that radar-based devices start to “go blind” when it rains.

Once the rain gets really heavy then they will not be able to correctly see the ball flight. The final point on accuracy is; how accurate are you? If you hit the green two times in ten from 120 metres I’d not be too upset by the R10 being a metre or two off! Seriously, unless you have a single digit handicap you will find the accuracy level is just fine for quality game improvement practice.

Capturing video of your swing is also really helpful for reviewing technique, and can be shared with a professional coach, or compared to pros online. Summary? Nothing gets close for the money. It is really well built.

It fits perfectly into the Garmin universe. Garmin are great with customer support, and software updates. The simulation apps are really good to use on an iPhone or an iPad. I’ve not yet tried mirroring to a larger screen.

As long as you are modestly iPhone app literate, enjoy practice sessions, and enjoy metrics this is 100% the device for you at this price point. Fully recommended! (And it has a two year warranty 🙂 ).

This device does what it advertises. Picks up the satellites reasonably quickly. I have used it on 3 local courses. On one course, the carts also had a yardage display and the device was consistent. The clip stays on my belt very securely.

I tried it once clipped to my pocket and it was not as secure. The only design issue I have is when it is clipped to my belt and I look down to get my yardage, the display is upside down. It would be great if the clip or the bezel rotated so when I looked down, I could read the numbers more easily.

Otherwise, no complaints with the display or the accuracy. This was a good purchase.

I have had the V2 since July 2020 and played over 55 rounds with it. The watch and sensors work as claimed. Good insight on your game and shortcomings. Tracks almost all shots and if a few are missed, statistically they don’t matter.

Yes it has made me more aware of where my game lacks and allowed me to focus on that part to shave off few more strokes. But it has been a frustrating experience too…. For starters the watch had to be replaced within first 3 months as it stopped tracking.

Replacement of full watch and sensors was easy. But over time the quality started to show – it’s made of low grade plastic components that break often. The buckle of the strap has broken twice on me.

Each time the replacement has to come from Scotland 😳. First time it took a month. Then the buckle broke again and the second replacement took almost 2 months. 3 replacements sent and only 1 made it to me.

I get that these could be issue with mail as the service reps are very responsive over emails. But the poor quality combined with no USA service ability has put this wonderful gadget low in my ratings.

I will not upgrade to V3 or buy another until they can improve their quality and ship parts from USA. I am now waiting for the strap to break and that will render this watch useless. It’s designed to fail if quality controls are not in place.

Picks up most shots however it does seem to miss more than Arccos. Some shots might be mistakenly assigned to another club. The watch is very lightweight but the band attachment is backwards (to accommodate a sensor) and unnatural at first.

You get used to it after a while. Takes up to 5 minutes to locate the course so I begin play as soon as you leave the car. The addition of layup distances are great but you still can’t see yardage to the corner of a dogleg, narrowing of a fairway, etc.

NO TOUCH SCREEN! Can be difficult to navigate. App is difficult to navigate as well. I love the strokes gained feature but Arccos and Garmin are far better. On Arccos I can toggle between comparing my stats vs a scratch golfer, 5 hcp, or any given handicap target.

It is accurate yardage wise. Within 1-2 yards of Arccos and my rangefinder. I miss the slope features as well as maps of the course I get with the Arccos app or the Garmin watch my wife owns.

I have really enjoyed playing with the Shot Scope so far. It feels light on my wrist and the screen is easy to read with accurate distances. The reason it hasn’t received 5 stars is for two reasons. Firstly, I play at a 27 hole course and it sometimes has trouble going from the front 9 to the back 9, the distances all come up as 999m.

I have to finish the round and start a new round on the next 9. It does join the two nines together when I edit the round but just a little gripe. Lastly, the strokes gained section compares my game to a PGA tour professional which I’m never going to be.

With the amount of users that Shot Scope track both in performance and handicap globally, why can’t I compare my statistics vs a handicap bracket (scratch, 1 – 10, 11 – 20 and so on). This would give me better insights as to where I need to improve to get to the next level.

A man asked me how often I have to charge my garmin. Well, last week on Wednesday I took it off after playing golf and placed it in my pocket. I forgot it was there and washed my clothes with the watch in my pocket.

Today, Tuesday of the next week, I found the watch in the pocket of my pants that had been washed and put through the dryer. Its battery power was at 73 percent and functioned like a charm on the course.

I would say it is pretty sturdy.

I’d rate the golf GPS portion very high. It seems to be pretty accurate. The club tracking is almost pretty good. For those who don’t know what that is, you can set it to monitor each shot and you are prompted after the shot to indicate the club used.

I suspect the watch has sensors that can identify when you’ve actually struck the ball versus a practice swing. After the shot, the watch “suggests” a club given the distance from the flag. On punch outs or layups, the suggestion is frequently way off and requires several button pushes to find the correct club.

If you don’t respond to the prompt before hitting the next shot, you lose the chance to identify the previous club, though you can later correct this after uploading the round to your smartphone. Also, it doesn’t always recognize a shot on shorter chips.

After uploading the round to your smartphone, you can use the Garmin Golf app to see a map of each hole, where you hit each shot, the club used, and the distance you hit that shot. The real downside to the shot tracker is that it confirms I don’t hit the ball as far as I think I will.

For instance, I *expect* to hit a 9 iron 145 yards. The shot tracking proves that expectation to be very rarely met. It has a step tracker that is nice, but not entirely accurate. Apparently it depends somewhat on arm swings, for it only captures a few steps when I’m out mowing the lawn for 30 minutes and have both hands on the mower’s handle.

It also recorded no “steps” when I was out on a bicycle for a couple hours. Overall, I’m happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend it.

Pros: Nice product. Easy to use. Nice size on wrist and images are clear and easy to see. Has lay up distances. Hazard distances Great price. They also have a garmin app to connect bluetooth and app keeps more stats like odometer, calories burned and more.

Im a scratch player and have used every yardage finder out there and by far this is the most convenient and easiest yardage finder to use im my opinion. Also keeps ur score so no need for a scorecard for ME anymore.

Long battery life and easy and quick to charge (6+ hrs battery lofe each full charge). It also has option to connect to the garmin club sensors that go on top of grips. Below are CONS imo. CONS: It is NOT touch screen as that would be easier than buttons on side but not a problem, just my preference.

Does NOT keep club distances automatically obviously without sensors but can be added manually if no sensors (highly recommend sensors). Doesnt have a light on face for when jts morning or evening but really not an issue, just a preference.

Other than that, i live it and highly reccomend!.

Unit has VERY LOW battery life. It is difficult to unlock, generally taking ten to twelve attempts. Why is it locked and why is it so easy to lock inadvertently and difficult to unlock. It is counter intuitive in that you can’t back up if you forget to enter score at end of hole.

If you leave it on (no satellites, just time) at 100% charge for a day, then it won’t stay going for 18 holes. There is a reason for this to be considered Refurbished as previous owner/assembler knew it had issues.

Talked to another guy with S3 and he went back to his S2. It does, however, give me good distance data. My friends have S2’s and laugh at me with my new fangled model which has issues. My experience has been bad.

Electronic items should be proven before sold, design or assembly. The unlock feature is useless and unnecessary. The tutorials on the net are good, but haven’t been able to solve my concerns. Definitely wouldn’t consider buying another unit.

A simple one page written instruction sheet would be helpful also. They got me with this one!.

I like the overall function of the GPS distance yardage. Ease of use is good but sometimes the touch function does not respond. Need to try a number of times to finally accept the command. Display is quite good & pretty accurate.

However, at times it gets confused which hole we’re playing on. At Nicklaus Monterey course, it showed 18th hole yardage while we were still on 16th. Could not get 17th hole yardage, next hole, still showing 18th.

Battery power is ok but could use a few more juice. Enough for a 4-1/2 hour round.

Factory claims unit should charge with power off. Unit comes on when charge cable attached. Turn unit off with cable attached and unit will not charge. At times a message will display “Reset System?”.

If you respond yes all of your custom locations are cleared – gone forever. Very annoying! Unit is very handy over my hand carry G6 that I can keep up to 4 scores and see the bunkers but I cannot mark the yardages on the G6 as I can on the S3.

The only problem is the hour hand. It’s actually hard at time to tell the time, not that I bought it so I could tell time. At 6, the hour hand is somewhere between the 6 and 7. Other than 6 and 12, It’s hard to know the actual time.

The watch was packaged well and arrived undamaged. The item is excellent and as per description. It just happens that the dial is too large for my wrist. I should have double checked the specs against my current watches.

One other comment: I wish the numerals were a tad larger ( my impression is that these would be better in a small dial face as in a ladies watch ). As it is I already have a friend interested in it. In all, a seamless transaction with this seller.

The watch face it-self is okay, it has the Arabic numerals on that I was looking for. The Strap is very cheap looking & I changed mine in the end. Also had to buy an additional watch box to present the watch in as this was for a gift.

It came packaged in a flimsy white card box originally.

Even though I’ve had these products a week now, it’s too early to give an accurate report on how I feel about them. I’m still reading through the manuals, which are a bit hard to read because the writing is small & I haven’t had a chance to test out the various options on the golf course.

I hope to do that today. But i’m still getting my head around all the options for the S6 watch. I can’t load a local course yet as I am too far from any or maybe it’s just the satellite takes too long to load.

More importantly, the TruSwing gadget is taking so long to charge I think there must be something wrong with the battery. I need my PC on at the same time so I can use the USB port for charging. Sometimes the PC is off and so charging goes back on hold.

There is no indication as to how much it is charged but the indicator light is still red meaning it’s not charged yet. At first the TruSwing gadget seemed not to be able to attach properly to the club, but I worked it out.

The S6 watch menu is not easy to navigate but i’m getting the hang of it. It’s probably 2 weeks too soon for me to get an idea of how both gadgets work with my mobile phone to assist me improving my swing.

I’ve only just paired them all. and now I’ve got to see what happens when my TruSwing is finally charged (if I don’t have to return it, that is. may never charge fully at this rate!).

This is my second one of these watches, my first one (S2) stopped charging and once flat would not work at all. This one charges up very fast although will only charge up from my PC/Laptop. Tried to charge from plug in USB type it takes days before the %age moves up even slightly.

On the PC it charges in an hour or so from flat. The watch is brilliant, really helps me select the right club, loads the course quicker than my old Garmin S2, Distances seem to be very accurate. I wish the main Screen was a little larger, seems to have large black surround.

I don’t use the flag on the green location page. It seems a little gimmicky and unnecessary. The strap is quite short, I do not have particularly large wrists but the strap is almost on last hole. Haven’t tried the swing speed analysis info yet.

May try that one day. I love this gadget although I think it is rather expensive though.

My husband purchased this watch for me three years ago and it has never let me down. I thought he was crazy for giving me this as a Christmas present but I hate the thought of playing without it now.

Accuracy is amazing and every course I play on is on it. Even some small 9 hole courses. After spending too much time giving him and my brother in law yardage I decided to get a golf watch for my husband.

I was looking at a golf watches and decided on the same one after reading the reviews on newer editions. It takes reading the instructions and familiarizing yourself with it but it is worth it.

Had high hopes from all the positive reviews. To be honest was super disappointed. The first thing that let me down was the quality of screen and brightness. The screen quality is very very poor and not bright at all.

When you’re in normal watch mode its pixelated and not crisp. Second thing that disappointed me was some holes it was spot on others it was 10 yards off and i had guys with older gen watches telling me the right yardage from golf watches much older.

At this point i would not advised anyone to get this product. Just save your money and use a laser.

Pros: Integration with Garmin Connect and use by multiple people Cons: Starting the device with short “tap” on the scales does not work. I could find no repeatable method of tapping to start the scales apart from picking them up.

These scales simply have a fundemental design flaw, a Google search will show I am not the only person to experience this problem. They should start every time, first time of tapping, without fail at this premium price point.

I had tried three different smartwatches prior to purchasing my Series 7 that claimed to have the same features and benefits as the Apple Watch. The reality is, nothing compares to an Apple Watch. Not only do they not compare, they aren’t as refined or technically sophisticated or as reliable in the way that they function and pair with other Apple products.

I’m not saying this because I’m an Apple geek cause I’m really not. I just like a product that works the way it’s supposed to and doesn’t take more time trying to make it work than it does actually using it.

The Apple Series 7 is bullet proof and knows what to do even before I do. Example, it knows when I’m on the elliptical and instantly records my workout before I tell it to. It counts my sleep more accurately than any watch I’ve ever seen.

Its features are ample with many that I will never use. The apps are well organized displaying the right amount of information. The one negative that I found especially after using other smartwatches is the battery life.

The 7 Series watch barely last an entire day. Even with all the conservative settings, it’s hard to get 24 hours out of a full charge. The good news on the battery, it fully charges in about 45 minutes.

This is the amount of time it takes me to shower and get ready in the morning. Overall, this is a useful product that helps me improve the quality of my life. It’s hard to put a price on good health and that’s what the Series 7 is all about.

I was a little skeptical about whether I’d really find any use in this. It was a toss up between a Garmin smartwatch and this. Mostly I was getting one of them for the rowing tracking, and the Garmin watch I was looking at cost $1,000, plus had mixed reviews of its heart rate tracking.

Ultimately I bought the Apple Watch because I could get it with a 25% discount on Prime Day. Plus, the Garmin had too many bells and whistles that I just didn’t need. Things like maps for golf courses, maps of terrain and state parks, stuff like that.

I’m glad I went with the Apple Watch. The heart rate tracking’s been great plus all of the health things you can do with it. Most reviews I’ve seen have said the heart rate tracking’s been the most accurate of lots of watches and I’ve noticed that that’s probably correct.

The rowing app doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but I’ve thought about integrating my Concept2 rowing machine with the watch to pull in more data. Not sure I’ll do that since I’m not a competitive rower, but might be fun to do.

The app counts calories, heart rate, time, etc. I’m assuming all of the fitness apps like running, cycling, etc. probably all count the same kinds of things. I noticed that the PM4 on my Concept2 and its calorie counter was pretty close to the calorie counter on this watch.

So not sure what algorithm’s being used there. The watch does lots of other things so I rarely take it off. Plus I’m already tied into the Apple ecosystem with my Mac Mini and iPhone, so if you’re the same, it makes sense to go with this watch if you’re looking for a smart watch.

The Applewatch series 3 really is a great watch. I had a series 1 for 5 years and never had a problem. I ended up breaking it, otherwise Im sure it would still be going strong. So, I wanted a replacement.

I really liked the 38mm size of the series 1 I had but after having the aluminum case with Ion-X Glass and seeing the wear and tear show over the years, I was after the same smaller form factor but in the stainless version with the sapphire this time around.

If youre going to wear the same watch every day for 5+ years, spring for a case that has the sapphire screen. Wearing a screen and or bumper protector on your watch is an unneeded nuisance. If you upgrade every year or two save the money and get aluminum, otherwise go premium.

Anyways, as I wanted the more durable case materials, I was looking at an unreasonable purchase price for any of the newer series watches. Especially and obviously the series 7. After some careful consideration I concluded that the series 3 has everything and more than Ill ever need or use.

Im not a fitness nut so the fitness features are more of a curiosity and frankly an annoyance at times and I turn them off. Then there are a menagerie of other apps and functions Ill not touch on the series 3 much less the 7.

Additionally, I find the 3s screensize to be just fine. The SE was tempting with the series 4 size screen but without the better case materials, a no go. So ultimately, it was a choice between the series 3 or 4 in the stainless case.

With there being, on average, a $50 difference between the two pre-owned, I didnt think the tiny bit of extra screen was worth it and opted for the 3. The fact that I liked and was so used to my series 1 certainly factored into that decision.

So far its been a flawless experience with the 3. Faster than my old watch and now I have cellular which is unexpectedly handy. The premium case materials make the watch feel much more substantial and solid, less toy like.

Although, I never felt that my series 1 felt toy like until I got this 3 in stainless to compare it to. After having the 3 off my wrist for some time I put it back on and it was cold! Not having the stainless before I hadnt experienced nor expected it but that just added to the premium feel.

The 3 I purchased was listed as in very good condition and I cant find a scratch or mar on it. Looks brand new, top to bottom. I hope to get at least 5 years out of this one and I dont think getting a higher series and spending more money would be beneficial, for me at least.

Unless youre a fitness or tech nut who has to have thenewest and greatest, this watch is a cutting edge and fantastic device for an incredible price. These types of watches were pure fiction just a few short years ago, dont get wrapped up in the marketing hype.

Thanks for reading!.

I’ve always wanted to get a smart watch but couldn’t decide if I wanted a Garmen, Apple Watch, Fitbit etc. I figured since I have an iPhone and I know apple products really well I’d go with an Apple Watch.

I’ve never owned an Apple Watch before and wasn’t sure if I’d even like it that’s why I bought this one. This Watch was one of the best things I ever bought for myself! This little thing is capable of so much and is a great starter Watch for those wanting to try one! This thing can do everything my phone can do.

This Watch connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth without draining any battery on your iPhone. This Watch will do anything a regular typical Watch can do (tell time, timer, stop watch, calculator) things like that! What I really love most about this Watch is how I can get phone calls and text messages from it.

For instance if I ever get a text message or phone call my watch will automatically vibrate my wrist and display the text or incoming call that way rather than my phone going off. Which is really handy and saves you the embarrassment if you’re in the office or in a movie.

You can also text from it and call from it and the other person wouldn’t even know the difference! I can also monitor my heart rate and fitness goals on this and use it to calculate how many steps or miles I’ve walked or how many calories I burn.

I’ve had this Watch for about 2 years now and have had no problems with it at all. As long as you take care of it it will sure take care of you! I personally think once you get the hang of how to use a smart watch you never want to go back to a regular watch because of how handy it is! Love this and highly recommend it to anyone!.

Not a fan of the iWatch alot money for limited functioality. Also what ever the iWatch can do. The Samsung Galaxy Watch does better at a fraction of the cost. I previously had an Android phone and Galaxy watch.

In comparision i found the Falaxy watch more intuitive and user friendly than the iWatch. I use my watch primarily get notifications from my phone text messages, email etc. It does that, it will notify you of incoming messages.

But the length ofctime that themesssge is shown on the watch is so limited. The Gakaxy watch the notification wiuld stay on the screen long enough to read the content of the text or email. Not true with the iWatch, yes you can adjust the length if time the notification stays on the watch face.

Even the longest length of time for iWatch is still quick. Also sometimes a new text or email notifucation doesnt even appear on my watch. Even though my cell phone is in my pocket. The worst situation is that my partner and i do alot of hiking.

I like to use the watch to track our miles, elevation and calories. The watch repeatedly pauses for no reason during exercise. There is an auto pause feature on the watch that i have disabled, but the watch continues to pause when exercising.

The second screen with wodgets of all the apps pn ypur phone is irritating and useless. I have used this screen less than 5 times in the past year. Also why doesn’t the iPhone keep track of the steps you have completed and then add that to the iWatch? That seems like a basic function to me.

I think you can find a smart watch with equal or better functionality than the iWatch. I am an Apple fan i own an iPhone and iPad both great products, iWatch, not a great product.