Critical Golf: Unbiased Golf Equipment Reviews

Just a bit thicker than standard watches, the S1 has an easy-to-use interface providing distances to the near, center and far edges of the green. While hazard distances aren’t available, the S1 provides hole and par information, along with shot measuring capability. If you are looking for just the basics and don’t mind wearing a watch while you play, or simply miss your Finnish Suunto G9, the S1 is the way to go! Read more at our detailed Garmin Approach S1 review.
Retail price: $179.99
Three year total cost: $179.99
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The Callaway upro mx+ presents a commendable feature set in a lightweight and slim form factor. The touchscreen takes some practice, but Callaway has built in other input tools (such as an optical navigation button) that make things easier. It’s still missing shot tracking, which we consider to be a pretty basic feature, but an attractive price point that provides access to the entire course database (including top-of-the-line ProMode maps with satellite images) for no additional charge makes the upro mx+ a contender.
Read our detailed Callaway upro mx+ review.
Retail price: $249
Three year total cost: $249
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With its “Plus” series, Bushnell joins the growing number of manufacturers offering golf GPS devices that come with courses pre-loaded, and, even better, requiring no membership fees for access to the course database. The neo+ is one of the simplest devices we tested, providing text distances to the front, center and back of the green and up to four other hazards/targets on each hole. If you are looking for ease of use, the neo+ ranks among the top devices. Read on at our detailed Bushnell neo+ review.
Retail price: $149.99
Three year total cost: $149.99
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The Bushnell Hybrid features the great idea of combining a laser rangefinder and a GPS device into a single package. Evaluated from the GPS perspective (we have a separate review evaluating it from a laser rangefinder perspective), it’s a bit light on features, is big and bulky, and costs a bundle. A fair attempt for a first generation product, but we’re hoping that new versions will have better integration between the GPS and rangefinder functions. Read our detailed Bushnell Hybrid Golf GPS Device review.
Retail price: $499
Three year total cost: $499
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The GolfBuddy World is a nice combination of an intuitive user interface, quality graphics, a full set of features, exceptional course coverage with pre-mapped targets, and no annual or per-course fees. While users can use the touchscreen to target any point on the hole and receive distances both to that point and to the green, as well as select the flagstick location, touchscreen sensitivity fell short of our expectations. The screen isn’t as bright as we would like, but hole and green graphic images are crisp. Though still not as well known as SkyCaddie and Garmin, GolfBuddy is making good progress. Read our full GolfBuddy World review.
Retail price: $299
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An affordable entry into the golf GPS watch market, the Expresso WR62 shares enough of the same technology with the Bushnell neo+ golf GPS watch to be almost a fraternal twin. Both devices provide distances to fixed points at the front, center and back of the green, but the Expresso adds up to two hazards per hole. We aren’t enamored of the styling, but there’s no doubt that it’s one of the best values among available golf GPS watches.
Read our detailed Expresso WR62 golf GPS watch review.
Retail price: $179.95
Three year total cost: $179.95
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The Sonocaddie V500 brings you the latest features, including satellite images and video flyovers. But uneven implementation of certain interface elements left us disappointed. Combine that with overall poor image quality of satellite views, lack of ability to zoom, limited mapped points, and buggy software, and you’re left with a device that gets lost in the noise. Oh, and it finished last in our course coverage analysis at a mere 21% of courses available. Not compatible with Macs. Read our detailed Sonocaddie V500 review.
Retail Price: $399 plus fees
Three year total cost: $428.95
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The GolfBuddy Platinum is touted to have an improved screen with better touchscreen response over their earlier devices. Unfortunately, we didn’t see much of a change on either front. The device still has a nice set of features, and comes with a pre-loaded course database that achieved a perfect 100 on our course coverage test. But the high end price tag makes us wonder if you aren’t better off sticking with the prior generation GolfBuddy products. Read more in our GolfBuddy Platinum detailed review.
Retail price: $399.99
Three year total cost: $399.99
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Bushnell jumps on the golf GPS watch bandwagon with their latest GPS device, the neo+ golf GPS watch. The Bushnell watch provides distances to the front, center and back of the green and also measures shot distances, but doesn’t provide distances to hazards, nor will it track scores. The blocky early 80s digital watch styling didn’t appeal to us, but the inexpensive price point certainly did. Read more in our detailed Bushnell neo+ golf GPS watch review.
Retail price: $199.95
Three year total cost: $199.95
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The SkyCaddie SGXw’s ability to determine any point on the course, pre-mapped targets, radiating yardage arcs, mapping of the entire green all add up to the most extensive mapping and distance information you can find in a golf GPS unit. The optical trackpad received mixed reviews from our staff (and there are still bugs to work out). It’s a great device for data aficionados, but players will want to consider both the device size and hefty price tag before purchase.
Retail price: $399.95
Three year total cost: $549.80
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The SkyCaddie SGX has some of the latest features, including full hole graphic views and detailed green maps that show contours and false fronts. But course coverage for these new maps is still sparse, a user interface that feels overloaded (maybe it’s time to move to a touchscreen?) and a steep price tag, keep the SGX from rising higher in our rankings. Read our detailed SkyCaddie SGX review.
Retail price: $349.95 plus yearly fees
Three year total cost: $499.80
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The GolfBuddy Voice tries to take voice-enabled golf GPS devices to the next level, but things don’t quite click as intended. The attempt to include a display seems misguided, as it’s too small to really be of use, and isn’t the whole point of a voice-enabled display to avoid having to look at a display? Adding distances to the near and far edges of the green is useful, but the method of accessing them is awkward. The device is too thick to look stylish when it’s clipped to the bill of a cap, so you’re left attaching it to your collar or belt. For now, we’re still unconvinced about the utility of voice for GPS devices.
Retail price: $199.99
Three year total cost: $199.99
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The MOTOACTV is a beautiful thing, with a fantastic touchscreen, bright screen, and all kinds of fitness functionality, plus the ability to play your favorite MP3s…and it’s all available in a wristwatch. The hardware engineers deserve rich kudos. The software engineers…not so much. Numerous bugs, including in simple things such as adding up the scores, drove us batty. For now, the MOTOACTV Golf Edition is all hat, no cattle.
Retail price: $299.99 plus $29.99 for watch strap (looks like strap is currently free)
Three year total cost: $299.99
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The Celestron CoursePro Elite suffers from being a “tweener” – caught as neither a compact basic device nor a full featured top-end unit. Most consumers are likely to find a better fit elsewhere. The exception is that the CoursePro Elite may appeal strongly to those who enjoy customizing their own course maps or need a device that displays one of the whopping twelve different languages that the CoursePro Elite supports. Read our detailed Celestron CoursePro Elite review.
Retail price: $149.95
Three year price: $182.84
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The Matrix SHOTMATE “speaks” distances at the push of a button. Approximately the size of a matchbook, and with a clip to attach to a cap, shirt or belt, it’s incredibly easy to use, and comes with courses preloaded. The trade off is that the SHOTMATE only provides distances to the center of the green, which may be sufficient for some, but alas, the distances to bunkers, creeks and trees are all too relevant to our game. Read on for our detailed Matrix SHOTMATE Voice review.
Retail price: $149.99
Three year total cost: $149.99
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Though the golf GPS watch market is growing rapidly, we were surprised by IZZO stepping into the game with their spidey-looking IZZO Swami Watch. The watch includes distances to fixed points at the front, center and back of the green, and features auto hole advance, shot distance measurement, and a digital scorecard. The navigation needs some work and there is no way to save scores, but the IZZO Swami Watch is the least expensive golf GPS watch on the market, comes pre-loaded with courses and carries no subscription fees. Read more at our detailed IZZO Swami Watch review.
Retail price: $149.99
Three-year total price: $149.99
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The SWAMI 3000 brings a number of significant improvements to the original SWAMI 1500, including course name displayed on screen, pre-loaded with over 19,000 courses. If you like bells and whistles, look elsewhere, but if an uncomplicated approach is more to your liking, the SWAMI 3000 is a nice simple unit in a lightweight and compact form factor. Read our detailed IZZO SWAMI 3000 review.
Retail price: $99.99
Three year total cost: $139.98
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IZZO changes things up their past golf GPS device format with the new Swami 4000. More similar in look to competing golf GPS devices, the new Swami 4000 comes with the same set of basic features that we have come to expect from IZZO, which includes distances only to fixed front, center and back of the green points. IZZO retains an aggressive price point with the Swami 4000, and without any recurring fees, currently the Swami 4000 is the lowest price unit in our tests over three-year total cost! Check out our detailed IZZO Swami 4000 review.
Retail price: $119.99
Three-year total price: $119.99
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