Category: Golf GPS Reviews

Yes, it does have distances to front/middle/back of green, plus hazards. Yes, there is a green view with ability to place the flagstick, and a scorecard. And yes, there are 40,000 worldwide courses pre-loaded and Garmin has great course coverage. But it clips to your waist. Clips. Read on for more details about the Garmin Approach G10 golf gps. Retail price: $129.99 Three year total cost: $129.99 Amazon.com: Check price now

GAME GOLF LIVE, as with the older Classic, doesn't have a screen, but the LIVE can provide real-time on course statistics, in-round editing capabilities, real-time (or post-round) syncing, and "SMART GPS" via a connection to your Bluetooth-enabled iOS/Android device. If you leave your phone at home, that's okay...GAME GOLF LIVE continues to record your stats for review post-round, either on your phone or computer. Read on for more about GAME GOLF LIVE. Retail price: $299.00 Three-year cost: $299.00 Amazon.com: Check price now

Ahh, the wearables revolution begins. In this case, it is GolfBuddy trotting out the GolfBuddy BB5 golf GPS band. What's that? Well, think of that fitbit you or your buddies have, but one that shows distances to front, center and back of green on an LED display. We don't have any issues with their effort, but we are concerned about the price. At $250 retail, we bet many players will start looking toward golf watches that offer target and hazard distances, and scoring functionality. Read more about the GolBuddy BB5 golf GPS band. Retail price: $249.99 Amazon: Check price now

The Swami 4000+ adds distances to hazards and doglegs to the original Swami 4000, which offered only front, center and back of green information. There is an associated $20 price bump, but with no annual fees, the IZZO still remains one of the most inexpensive golf GPS devices on the market. The device has a 1.8" color screen, and offers basic functionality such as hole advance, shot measurements, and distances in yards or meters. Read on for more about the IZZO Swami 4000+. Retail price: $139.95 Amazon: Check price now

The GolfBuddy WT5 brings a slimmer design and lower price tag to the GolfBuddy lineup. It offers the basics in its simple black-and-white LCD that is 1.3" across. Four buttons allow the player to get distances to targets and hazards, front/center/back points of green, place the pin for more accurate reading. The WT5 also provides an image of the green and pin, and a scorecard. Read on for more about the GolfBuddy WT5 Watch. Retail price: $199.99 Amazon: Check price now

And here they come...the Apple Watches. Our test is for the 42mm Watch Sport with Golfshot subscription, though users will have the same user experience on the course. In addition to flashing your Apple fanboy-ness, you will also receive 3D hole flyovers, stats tracking and yardages to hole and targets. Stay tuned for more in our upcoming Apple Watch review. Retail prices are shown below for the range of Apple Watch offerings. Apple Watch Sport: $349-$399 Amazon: Check price now There are also options for the Apple Watch at $549-$1,099, and the Apple Watch Edition at $10,000-$17,000 (right....) Golfshot: Check price now ($24.99 annually)

We have to admit we are struggling to figure out the target market for the Callaway (/IZZO) ECLIPSE. You can clip the device to your belt or bag, and then quickly detach it and carry it in your pocket. Um, or you could simply get a dedicated handheld or a watch. The ECLIPSE provides front, center and back or green, as well as distances to hazards and doglegs. There are scoring features as well, including putts and GIR. We just aren't quite sure what the versatility gains us. Read more about the Callaway ECLIPSE. Retail price: $199.99 Three year cost: $199.99 Amazon.com: Check price now

Want simple? The Bushnell NEO Ghost is it. The Ghost provides front, center, and back of green distances, with up to four hazard distances per hole - this in addition to the part and hole number. The NEO Ghost comes preloaded with 33,000 courses, with no downloads or annual fees. There are 6 buttons on the device that allow you to move through menus, make selections, and track (but not save) shot distances. The functionality is essentially the same as the Bushnell NEO XS watch. The deciding factor for players will be if they want to spend a bit more for the convenience of a watch instead of pulling the Ghost from their pocked or the attached clip. Read more details in advance of our full Bushnell NEO ghost review. Retail price: $129.99 Three year total cost: $129.99 Amazon.com: Check price now

The SkyCaddie AIRE II is the smallest handheld SkyCaddie handheld device, providing distances to the front, center and back of green only on its black and white screen. And as all SkyCaddie devices, don't forget to consider the yearly fees for the features you will likely want, in this case distances to hazards, as well as additional green information...for a whopping $49.95 per YEAR. Check out more details on the SkyCaddie Aire II. Retail price: $169.95 Three year total cost: $319.80 Amazon.com: Check price now

GolfBuddy continues their model numbering system we haven't deciphered yet with the GolfBuddy PT4. This top-of-the-line GolfBuddy replaces the GolfBuddy World and GolfBuddy Platinum. It notably features an extremely large 4" high-resolution touchscreen and slimmer body design. While players generally think first of SkyCaddie and Garmin, the GolfBuddy PT4 features stats tracking, distances to any point on the course, pin placement capability and customizable targets, and with excellent course coverage and no annual fees, it shouldn't be overlooked. Read more in advance of our full GolfBuddy PT4 review. Retail price: $399.99 Three year total cost: $399.99 Amazon.com: Check price now

Some might file GAME GOLF Classic (not to be confused with the GAME GOLF Android-exclusive tag set or their mobile app) under the category of GPS Devices, but as the unit tracks shots to help players learn more about their game after the round, and doesn't provide distances to holes or hazards during play, we have filed GAME GOLF Classic under our Training Aids category. Read on for more about the GAME GOLF Classic. Retail price: $199.00 Three-year cost: $199.00 Amazon.com: Check price now Golfsmith: Check price now

The Garmin Approach G7 updates the Garmin G6 with slope-adjusted distances (whoa!), club recommendations, and the ability to receive email, text and call alerts. The G7 shares the same form factor as the G6, distance information to front/center/back of green and doglegs, and users can pinpoint any target on the course via touchscreen. For those deciding between the G7 and the Garmin Approach G8: the G7 has a slightly smaller screen (2.6" diagonal), lacks the ability to point in the direction of the center of the green for blind shots, and does not have Wi-Fi. But then again, it's $100 cheaper. As with other Garmin Approach devices, there are no annual fees. The G7 also connects to the new Garmin portal to upload scores and track progress over time. Check out more info about the Garmin Approach G7. Retail price: $249.99 Three-year total cost: $249.99 Amazon.com: Check price now Golfsmith: Check price now

The Garmin golf GPS watch lineup continues to expand with the Garmin Approach S4, the new top-of-the-line watch in the family. As with the Garmin Approach S3, the S4 features a touchscreen display, is preloaded with courses (and free lifetime updates...we like!), has distances to front/middle/back of greens along with layup and doglegs. The Approach S4 can also measure shot distances and track scores and statistics. While we are still left longing for pre-mapped hazard data and an online portal, the Approach S4 does add the latest and greatest feature from Garmin – the ability to check your emails and text messages when paired with an Apple iPhone. You might be at the office...who knows?! Read more details in advance of our Garmin Approach S4 golf watch review. Retail price: $249.99 (dropped from $349.99 at launch) Three year total cost: $249.99 Amazon.com: Check price now Golfsmith: Check price now

As with their prior voice GPS devices, the Voice Caddie VC300 speaks distances to center, front and back of the green at the push of a button. The device comes with 30,000 worldwide courses preloaded, and course updates can be downloaded (to Windows devices only...bummer) for free via their client software. The device features, as you would expect, automatic course and hole recognition, shot distance measurement, and volume control. The rechargeable battery provides up to 8 hours of continuous use. Read more about the Voice Caddie VC300. Retail price: $169.00 Three year total cost: $169.00 Amazon.com: Check price now