Garmin dominated GPS Golf 2025 Test. The Approach S70 earned 9.9, the highest score overall, and the Approach G80 was among the best handhelds. They combine premium precision, bright AMOLED displays and deep feature sets. But that performance comes at a price: roughly $700 for the S70 and $500 more for most Garmin handhelds.
However, some lower-cost models performed nearly as well in testing. They may skip a few extras like green contour visuals, smartwatch features, or a sleeker display, but they provide the accuracy, usability, and reliability you might be looking for.
Here are a few to consider.
Bushnell iON Elite – Best Value GPS Golf Watch (Score 9.5)
of Bushnell iON Elite topped MyGolfSpy’s Value category and remains one of the best buys in golf technology. It features a full-color touchscreen, adjustable incline distances, and more than 38,000 preloaded courses. of iON Elite it stood out for its repeatable distances and consistent accuracy, performing within the expected three to four meter range of the best GPS devices.
Bushnell lists over 12 hours of battery life, water resistance (IP67), and a clear display that stays readable even in bright sunlight. of iON Elite focuses purely on golf functionality.
What you give up: Garmin smartwatch integrations, music and fitness tracking.
What you get: Reliable accuracy, slope functionality and an easy-to-use golf-specific design for less than half the cost of Garmin’s S70.
GolfBuddy Aim W12 – Mid-range watch with high performance (Score 9.7)
of GolfBuddy Aim W12 earned an impressive 9.7 overall. It uses a 1.32-inch TFT-LCD color touchscreen and offers slope-adjusted fairways, green undulation visuals (on most US courses) and hazard/front-back distances. The watch is IPX7 water resistant, pre-loaded with 40,000 fields and runs for around 10 hours in golf mode.
Once again, it forgoes the lifestyle features you’d get with a Garmin, and the display is nothing like Garmin’s.
What you give up: Premium Garmin display technology and longer battery life.
What you get: A bright, reliable GPS watch with solid accuracy and useful visuals for hundreds less.
Bushnell Phantom 3 Slope – Best value wrist (Score 9.0)
If you prefer a simple clip-on or cart-mounted unit, Bushnell Phantom 3 Slope it’s hard to beat. It scored 9.0 overall in testing and costs about $150. You’ll get slope-adjusted distances, hazard data, and the magnetic BITE mount that easily attaches to the cart.
What you give up: no color screen or pinhole graphics, just black and white text and numbers.
What you get: reliable distances, quick setup and tilt compensation that make it a smart or minimalist backup primary device. It is one of the easiest units to use straight out of the box.
Final thoughts
For full results and a full breakdown of the test, see the full results here: MyGolfSpy’s Best Golf GPS Devices 2025.
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