So, you want a golf GPS watch and you’re on a budget? Well for just under $150 you can get a great watch that will help you judge distances so you can find more fairways and greens in Regulation. In this article, we will compare the best budget golf GPS watches to save you time and money.
My golf watch has helped me endless times out on the course especially on courses that I have never played before, and mine was just $139.99. So, it might have been a cheap golf GPS watch, but it was still one of the best purchases I have made.
At A Glance: Top 3 Cheap Golf GPS Watches
- Garmin Approach S20Best Value For Money
- Garmin Approach S10 Top Entry-Level GPS Watch
- Bushnell Neo Ion 2Best Of The Best
So, let’s dive in and see what the best options for affordable golf GPS watches are right now…
Top Product Overview
 | Best Value For Money
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 | Top Entry-Level GPS Watch
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 | Best Of The Best
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Best Budget Golf GPS Watches in 2020
Garmin Approach S20
You have probably heard of Garmin, they have been making solid GPS devices and even fitness trackers for years. But they have more recently ventured into the Golf GPS game.
This budget GPS golf watch from Garmin has to be one of the most comprehensive golf GPS watches around. Especially for the price you pay.
So, what do you get for such an affordable GPS watch:
- AutoShot round analyzer which measures and auto-records shot distances
- Pairs with Garmin TruSwing sensor for metrics to improve your swing consistency
- CourseView feature automatically shows and updates frequently played courses
- Digital scorecard
- Smart notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts
- Activity Tracker – keeps track of your steps, distance and sleep
All in all, this watch has the main features you need to play a great round of golf and review it afterwards. Why? Because it also keeps the stats from your games so you can review them as you progress.
Pros
- Course View - including greens
- Stats recorder - including shot distances
- Movement bumps - to keep you moving
- Notifications - connects with smartphones
Cons
- Not the cheapest watch for beginners
CANMORE TW-353 GPS Golf Watch
This cheap GPS golf watch from Canmore is all about the course. It has a huge worldwide database of information that you can constantly update to ensure you have the best data.
While you are out on the course, it gives you all the following data:
- distance to green (F/M/B)
- hazard distance
- shot distance
- scorecard
- digital clock with alarm
So, all the most important data for the course, as well as your scorecard, to save you worrying about pen and paper, and also an alarm, so you finish your round on time.
Pros
- Worldwide database of courses
- Important course info on the go
- Scorecard and timer
Cons
- No extra functions like smartphone connections (could be a good thing to keep you focused on the game)
Garmin Approach S10
If the Garmin S10 is too expensive for you, then the cheap Garmin S10 is a great entry-level GPS golf watch worth checking out. It is not as fancy as the S20, lacking the activity tracker, auto shot measurement, and connection to your smartphone, but you can go without a lot of those things. What it does come with instead is:
- 41,000+ courses pre-loaded
- A lot of course data in display (distance to green etc)
- Manual shot distance input
- Digital scorecard
Pros
- Lots of courses pre-loaded
- Course data on display
- Digital scorecard
Cons
- Missing advanced smart watch features
- No Auto-shot-distance tracking
Bushnell Neo Ion 2
If this Bushnell GPS Golf watch is on sale, it can definitely rank amongst one of the best for under $150. It comes with a whole swathe of golf features any golfer would love, including:
- 36,000+ Courses in 30 Countries
- Front/Center/Back Distances
- Up to 4 Hazard Distances Per Hole
- Auto Course Recognition
- Auto Hole Advance
- Shot Distance Calculator & Round Odometer
The only downside is that it is a little on the dark side and hard to read on the course according to some reviewers. But the functionality is super-useful
Pros
- 36,000+ Courses loaded
- Lots of course related data on display
- Odometer
- Distance calculator
Cons
- Difficult to read in bright conditions
Dream Sport GPS Golf Watch
One of the cheaper watches in this review, the Dream Sport Golf GPS watch still has most of the functions you need in a watch. It’s pre-loaded with over 40,000 golf courses, so chances are your local is in there.
It also comes with accurate distances to front/center/back of green and lots more hazard and other distances to help you choose the perfect club for your next shot.
Pros
- 0,000+ golf courses in over 80 countries
- Accurate distances to front/center/back of green and more
- Course odometer
- Easy to read
Cons
- Golf-functionality only
- Slow to change modes
Will a Golf GPS Watch costing under $150 be any good?
Normally I would say you get what you pay for buying golf equipment, however, in the case of Golf GPS watches the quality is very similar in all the price ranges. The only difference really is the number of features.
There is no difference in the accuracy of a $99 watch over a $400 watch as they both use the same Satelite GPS to track the distances.
What features will I get from a golf GPS Watch?
All the watches will give you all the information you need to hit a better and more accurate shot like the distance to the middle of the green and also the distance to the front and back.
Some of the better quality watches show an image of the green and give a bit more detail like the slope of the green and an overhead picture. They will also show you where the hazards are, perfect for those blind approach shots. Most watches in this article will have all the features you’ll need to improve at golf.
Many of the watches also let you enter your shot per hole to help track your round and give you a running total. Great for seeing your scores and handicap lower.
What to look for when buying a Golf GPS Watch
When buying a new golf GPS Watch you need to think about why you want one.
Functionality
If you want one to simply give you the distances then most watches will be fine. However, if you want to get as much information as possible to give you an advantage over your playing partner, then a more expensive watch might be best.
Battery Life
The second thing I would want to know is how long the battery life is, most watches have fantastic battery life compared to old series 1 watches but I’d still get one with good battery life. There’s nothing worse than being halfway through your round and recording your scores on your new watch for the battery to run out.
Connection To Smart Phone
If this is the kind of watch you are going to wear all the time, then perhaps you want it to connect to your smartphone so that you get all the notifications. A lot of the Garmin watches do this, but most of the other cheaper watches don’t have this functionality.
Activity Tracking
As you pay more, you also get more features. And one of the big ones the watch manufacturers are adding is activity tracking. The first one most of them have is a simple odometer (ie. number of steps taken). The next one they add is a distance traveled, which can come from the odometer or the GPS (which is more accurate). Then you have other things like sleep, which some people love to track. So far, only the Garmin Approach S20 has all of them in this price range.
Watch Style
Finally, I would personally want a stylish watch that I could wear anywhere. Some of the older series 1 watches which you can get for as little as £59.99 are huge and look ugly. Technology has moved on and the watches have become smaller and more stylish.
Final Thoughts
No matter which Golf GPS Watch you purchase there’s no doubt that it will help you improve your golf and lower your scores. Just playing those blind shots and knowing which club to select will save you a shot or two per round.
Stop guessing distances and buy yourself a Golf GPS Watch.
Golf is hard enough, so give yourself every advantage you can and invest in one of these watches.
