6 Best Garmin Golf Watches 2025 in Canada

The Garmin Approach S12 is a solid choice for golfers looking for a straightforward, easy-to-use GPS watch. It comes preloaded with over 42,000 course maps worldwide, ensuring strong coverage and reliable location tracking. The watch offers clear yardages to different parts of the green and hazards, helping with course strategy. Its display is sunlight-readable and has decent resolution for quick information viewing, though it’s relatively small at 0.9 inches, which might feel a bit cramped if you prefer larger screens.

Battery life is impressive, with up to 30 hours in GPS mode—enough for multiple rounds without recharging—and up to 10 weeks in regular watch mode, so you won’t need to worry about frequent charging. The device is comfortable and lightweight, fitting a wide range of wrist sizes, and is water-resistant, making it durable for typical golf conditions. Score tracking is straightforward, and when paired with Garmin’s app, you can upload scores and join leaderboards, adding a fun social element. It also supports shot tracking with extra sensors, though those need to be purchased separately.

On the downside, the watch doesn’t offer many smart features beyond Bluetooth connectivity and lacks touchscreen controls, relying on buttons instead, which may feel less intuitive to some users. If you want a simple, reliable golf GPS watch with essential features and excellent battery life without extra distractions, the Approach S12 fits well. For those seeking advanced smart features or a bigger display, other options might be more suitable.

The Garmin Approach S42 is a lightweight and comfortable golf smartwatch with a bright 1.2-inch color touchscreen that’s easy to read on the course. It comes preloaded with over 42,000 course maps worldwide, making it a great choice if you play on many different courses or travel often. The GPS is accurate enough to give reliable distances to the front, middle, and back of greens, as well as hazards, helping with club selection and strategy. One standout feature is the AutoShot round analyzer, which automatically tracks your shot distances; pairing it with optional club sensors can provide even more detailed stats, though these sensors are sold separately. The battery life is impressive, lasting up to 240 hours, so you won’t need to recharge frequently during multiple rounds.

In terms of smart features, it offers basic notifications from your phone and tracks activities like steps and sleep, but it’s not packed with extras beyond golf and fitness essentials. The design includes a durable ceramic bezel and a silicone band that can be swapped out, adding to its comfort and style. If you're looking for a solid golf watch that focuses on accurate course data and shot tracking without complicated extras, the Approach S42 fits well. However, if you want all-in-one smartwatch features or very detailed shot data without buying extra sensors, you might find it limited.

The Garmin Approach S10 is a straightforward and lightweight golf GPS watch designed for players who want reliable course information without complexity. It offers accurate yardages to the front, back, and middle of greens, plus hazards and doglegs, on over 41,000 preloaded courses worldwide — great for golfers who play on a variety of courses. The 1.2-inch sunlight-readable display is clear and easy to read outdoors, which helps when you’re on the course. Comfort is a strong point thanks to its slim profile and soft silicone strap, making it easy to wear for a full round.

Battery life provides up to 12 hours of GPS use, enough for most golf rounds, though it may require charging for frequent multi-round days. The watch keeps score and tracks total distance and time, with the option to upload scorecards to Garmin Express for round tracking, but it lacks more advanced shot tracking and detailed statistics found in higher-end models. Smart features are minimal — it connects via Bluetooth but doesn’t offer notifications or fitness tracking, focusing instead solely on golf.

Durability is decent with waterproof construction, suitable for typical outdoor conditions on the golf course. This watch is a solid choice for golfers who want a simple, reliable GPS tool that’s lightweight and easy to use, without extra distractions or complicated features. For those seeking in-depth shot analysis or smartwatch capabilities, more advanced models would be a better fit.