9 Best Golf Watches for Men 2026

The Garmin Approach S12 is a no-nonsense powerhouse built for golfers who want reliable GPS performance without the complexity or cost of high-end smartwatches. With a sunlight-readable display and access to over 42,000 preloaded courses, it delivers crisp, accurate yardages to greens, hazards, and doglegs right out of the box. Its standout feature? A 30-hour GPS battery life—the longest in its class—that ensures you can play round after round without scrambling for a charger, making it perfect for weekend warriors and league players alike.

On the course, the S12 shines with its automatic scorekeeping and seamless integration with the Garmin Golf app, letting you upload stats and track performance trends over time. While it lacks touchscreen functionality and full-color mapping, it compensates with intuitive button navigation and rock-solid GPS accuracy across diverse terrains. It handles course transitions smoothly, though it requires manual hole advancement unless paired with Approach CT10 sensors (sold separately), which can be a minor hassle during fast-paced rounds.

Compared to the budget-friendly TecTecTec ULT-G, the S12 offers better display quality and stronger app integration, positioning itself as the best budget reliable option for serious improvement. It doesn’t try to be a fitness tracker or smartwatch, focusing purely on golf essentials. For players seeking a durable, long-lasting GPS watch that nails the fundamentals, the S12 delivers unmatched value and consistency—outperforming cheaper models while avoiding the bloat of premium alternatives.

Meet the Izzo Swami, a game-changer for club selection thanks to its proprietary i-Caddie technology that offers personalized club suggestions based on your actual distances. This isn’t just another GPS watch—it’s a digital caddie in watch form, analyzing your position and recommending the right club with startling accuracy. With 38,000+ preloaded courses, auto-course recognition, and auto-hole advance, it eliminates the guesswork and setup hassle that plague many entry-level models.

During real-world play, the Swami proves its worth with instant, precise yardages to the front, center, and back of the green, plus layup and carry distances to hazards—critical for strategic shot-making. The shot distance measurement feature helps you build a reliable distance profile over time, while the digital scorecard keeps your round organized. However, its 10-hour GPS battery life means it may not survive back-to-back 18s without a recharge, limiting its appeal for tournament players or marathon practice days.

When stacked against the Rad Watch, the Swami lacks a touchscreen but wins with smarter on-course decision support. It’s ideal for mid-to-high handicappers who struggle with club selection and want data-driven confidence. While it doesn’t offer fitness tracking or smartphone notifications, its no-subscription policy and lifetime course updates make it a long-term value leader. For golfers who want smarter insights without smartwatch clutter, the Swami is a compelling pick—offering intelligence that punches above its price tag.

The Bushnell iON Elite is a feature-packed touchscreen marvel that redefines what an affordable golf watch can do. Its vibrant color touchscreen delivers intuitive access to HoleView and Shot Planning, letting you tap any point on the hole for exact yardages—ideal for aggressive pin attacks or cautious layups. With 38,000+ preloaded courses and Dynamic Green Mapping, it shows front and back distances based on your line of play, giving you a tactical edge few budget watches can match.

In action, the iON Elite excels at visual course management, especially with its GreenView and movable pin placement—a rare feature at this price. The display remains readable in direct sunlight, and USB-C charging ensures fast, modern convenience. However, its 12-hour battery life limits extended use, and the interface, while responsive, can feel slightly laggy compared to Garmin’s smoother systems. It doesn’t track fitness or support music, but it’s laser-focused on golf performance.

Against the SkyCaddie LX5, the iON Elite trades a slightly smaller screen for better battery life and USB-C charging, making it the best value with touchscreen functionality. It’s perfect for tech-savvy golfers who want touch-based precision without paying premium prices. While it lacks advanced training metrics, its smart course visualization and affordable feature set make it a standout—delivering 90% of the experience of high-end models at half the cost.

The Garmin Approach S50 is a fitness-first golf powerhouse, seamlessly blending on-course precision with comprehensive health tracking. Its 1.2-inch AMOLED display brings over 43,000 courses to life with stunning clarity, while wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery energy monitoring, and advanced sleep tracking help you optimize performance off the course. For golfers who treat their game as part of a broader wellness journey, the S50 is a game-improvement engine wrapped in a sleek, lightweight design.

On the fairway, it delivers front, middle, and back green distances, PlaysLike Distance for elevation-adjusted shots, and Hazard View for smarter risk assessment. Pair it with Approach CT10 sensors for full shot tracking and gain deep insights into your swing patterns. The 15-hour GPS battery supports a full week in smartwatch mode, but heavy GPS use will drain it faster than the S12. It handles notifications well, letting you leave your phone in the cart—though music storage requires a subscription.

Compared to the S44, the S50 adds fitness profiles and health metrics, making it ideal for athletes who train off the course. It’s less advanced than the S70 but more holistic than basic GPS watches. For players who want golf precision and fitness integration, the S50 strikes a rare balance—offering smartwatch sophistication with true golf DNA, making it the best for fitness integration without overpaying for unused luxury features.

The Garmin Approach S70 is the undisputed king of golf watches, delivering an immersive, caddie-level experience that transforms how you play the game. With a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, 43,000+ full-color CourseView maps, and the ability to pan and zoom on hole layouts, it provides unmatched strategic insight before every shot. But where it truly dominates is with its enhanced Virtual Caddie, which analyzes your swing history, wind, elevation, and temperature to recommend the optimal club—making it feel like a pro caddie is on your wrist.

In real-world testing, the S70’s Superior PlaysLike Distance feature recalibrates for uphill/downhill shots and atmospheric conditions, delivering pinpoint accurate yardages that lesser watches can’t match. Its exclusive green contour data on select courses reveals slope severity and direction—critical for reading putts—while advanced putt alignment helps you line up with confidence. The Signature Stand Bundle adds serious value, including a portable power bank that keeps the watch charged anywhere.

Versus the S50, the S70 adds green contours and smarter shot execution tools, justifying its position as the best overall. It’s built for low-handicappers and competitive players who demand every possible advantage. While it’s the most expensive option, its depth of data, strategic tools, and premium bundle make it a long-term investment—delivering professional-grade insights that elevate both practice and play like no other watch can.

The Garmin Approach S44 hits the sweet spot between performance and price, offering a slim, stylish design with a vibrant 1.2-inch AMOLED display that makes course navigation effortless. It comes with 43,000+ preloaded courses and delivers essential yardages to greens and hazards, but unlocks its full potential with a Garmin Golf membership—enabling full-color CourseView maps, PlaysLike Distance, and Touch Targeting for exact point-to-point measurements. For golfers stepping up from basic GPS watches, the S44 is a gateway to advanced analytics.

On the course, it performs reliably with 15 hours of GPS life, enough for multiple rounds, and supports smart notifications so you never miss a message. While it lacks built-in heart rate for fitness training, it pairs with CT10 club trackers for detailed shot analysis. The non-touchscreen interface is intuitive, though touch-targeting requires the app—limiting real-time flexibility. It doesn’t offer green contours without membership, which feels like a locked-door tactic.

Compared to the S50, the S44 skips fitness tracking but keeps the premium look and display at a lower cost, making it the best mid-range premium option. It’s ideal for golfers who want high-end visuals and smart features without the fitness focus. While the value depends on membership, the hardware alone delivers a refined, distraction-free golf experience—offering near-top-tier performance at a more digestible price point.

The TecTecTec ULT-G is a stealthy budget champion, proving you don’t need a touchscreen or app dependency to get accurate GPS performance. Its LCD display may lack color, but it’s highly readable and paired with 38,000+ preloaded courses, automatic hole progression, and front/middle/back green distances—everything a beginner or recreational golfer truly needs. What sets it apart is its zero app requirement; it works independently, making setup fast and battery-saving.

In real play, the ULT-G delivers solid GPS accuracy and reliable shot distance tracking, though it lacks advanced features like PlaysLike Distance or hazard mapping. Its 2.5-round battery life is decent for weekend use, and the water- and dust-resistant design ensures durability in tough conditions. The four-button interface is simple to master, but lacks the visual appeal of modern color screens. It won’t impress tech lovers, but it just works—consistently and affordably.

Against the Garmin S12, it’s lighter and cheaper but falls short on battery and display quality. Yet for golfers who want a no-frills, plug-and-play GPS watch, the ULT-G is the best budget lightweight option. It’s perfect for juniors, seniors, or casual players who value simplicity and portability over bells and whistles—proving that essential golf tech can still be accessible and effective without breaking the bank.

The Rad Watch is a touchscreen disruptor in the budget space, packing 42,000+ courses, Dynamic Green View, and touchscreen pin positioning into a sub-$100 package. Its interactive display lets you drag the pin to the exact flagstick location, giving you true-to-scale green visualization—a feature typically found in much pricier models. With FCB (front, center, back) distances, hazard tracking, and shot distance measurement, it delivers smart, visual golfing data without the premium price.

On the course, the Rad Watch impresses with its glove-friendly touchscreen and IPX7 waterproofing, standing up to rain and sweat with ease. The long battery life supports multiple rounds, and free app integration unlocks stats and course updates—no subscription needed. However, the interface can feel slightly unpolished, and GPS lock times are slower than Garmin’s. It lacks fitness tracking, but its golf-specific ecosystem, including speaker control, adds unique flair.

Pitted against the Bushnell iON Elite, the Rad Watch offers similar touchscreen features at a lower price, making it the best touchscreen budget option. It’s ideal for tech-hungry golfers who want modern visuals and interactive tools without overspending. While not as refined as premium brands, its feature density for the price is unmatched—delivering smart, touch-first golfing intelligence that redefines budget expectations.

The SkyCaddie LX5 boasts the largest, brightest Full HD touchscreen in the category—a 1.39-inch display that makes HD Color CourseView maps pop with stunning clarity. With 35,000+ ground-verified courses and a 3-year prepaid membership, it delivers professional-grade mapping accuracy right out of the gate. Its IntelliGreen feature shows the exact shape and rotation of greens, letting you slide a cursor to the pin for precision targeting—perfect for aggressive approach shots.

In real use, the LX5 excels at visual course planning, especially with zoom and pan functionality that reveals bunker depths and green tiers. The WiFi-enabled system automatically updates courses and syncs stats, while heart rate and step tracking add light fitness utility. However, its two-round battery life is solid but not exceptional, and the interface, while sharp, feels slightly dated compared to Garmin’s smoother UX. It doesn’t support music or contactless payments.

Compared to the Bushnell iON Elite, the LX5 offers a larger, higher-resolution screen and better course verification, justifying its place as the best HD display & mapping option. It’s tailored for detail-oriented golfers who prioritize visual accuracy and strategic planning. While it lacks some smart features, its mapping fidelity and screen quality make it a top-tier choice for serious players who want crystal-clear course intelligence—proving that display excellence still matters on the green.