The US Open is about to tee off, and if all the excitement has reignited your golf fever, perhaps it's time to invest in some tech to help you up your game. We've tested a whole buggy's worth of the best golf watches on the market, and the standout brand in this area is Garmin. Below, I've rounded up our very favorite Garmin golf watches for you to browse. We've thoroughly tested every one of these watches, and none scored lower than four stars out of five — hit the 'View details' button for a summary of what we thought, plus a link to read the full review.
I've included our very favorite model, the Garmin Approach S70, which TechRadar's resident golf-fanatic Rob Dwiar called "fantastic", declaring it should be "top of your list if you’re after something that will give you the most bang for your buck". On the subject of value for money, you might have noticed a budget-friendly interloper in the Garmin pack: the Shot Scope V5 is well worth considering if you're after an affordable golf watch that nails the basics.
Within Garmin's wider lineup, these watches are the specialized golf options, and some are better than others when it comes to off-the-course features — the super premium MARQ Golfer (Gen 2) being the best performer day-to-day. If you're looking for something for more general use, our best smart smartwatch guide has plenty more options to consider. Now's a really good time to buy, too, because there's an Amazon Prime Day coming up (with plenty of other retailers running rival sales) and there's a good chance we'll see some Garmin bargains in amongst the deals.
Great golfing Garmins (and one bonus)
Garmin Approach S70
Pros
- Chock-full of excellent golf features
- Great screen and UI
- Super battery life
- Accurate yardages, and easy to use
Cons
- Less effective as an everyday smartwatch
- The proprietary charging cable is a bit short
Garmin Approach S12
Pros
- Relatively affordable price
- Great GPS accuracy and speed
- Powerful app
- Superb battery
Cons
- No colour display
Garmin MARQ Golfer (Gen 2)
Pros
- First-in-class on-course features and performance
- Unparalleled accuracy in yardages and shot tracking
- Supreme design and build quality that’s a joy to use
- Wonderful as a day-to-day smartwatch
- A complete premium golf watch package, including three CT10 shot trackers
Cons
- Garmin’s default font is not the best
- No subscription to Garmin Golf Membership included
- Price will be prohibitive for some
Garmin Approach S62
Pros
- Impressive battery life
- Tracks shots automatically
- Deep phone notification integration
- Comfortable and good looking
- Other sport and sleep tracking
Cons
- Not cheap
- No putting tracking
Garmin Approach S50
Pros
- Garmin pedigree shines through for golf, fitness, and health
- Superb on-course performance excellent
- Lightweight but robust build
- Good value for money
Cons
- Two button system won’t be for everyone
- Short charging cable combines with Garmin’s inelegant proprietary charging solution
- Default strap is poor
Shot Scope V5 GPS watch
Pros
- Easy to use
- Excellent value for money
- Comes with 16 tags for detailed shot tracking and analysis
Cons
- Only one color
- No touchscreen
