--- title: "GPS watch vs phone app vs handheld: how should you get your distances?" url: "https://ifrothgolf.com/read/gps-watch-vs-phone-app-vs-handheld" type: "explainer" topic: "rangefinders-gps" author: "Jordan Hale" published: "2026-05-28" publisher: "ifrothgolf" --- # GPS watch vs phone app vs handheld: how should you get your distances? > Three ways to know how far it is, and they suit very different golfers. The honest pros and cons of each. ## In short - Occasional golfer? A free phone app is fine. Want speed and zero faff? A GPS watch is the sweet spot, and where most should start. Want exact pin numbers? Add a laser. They're three rungs on a ladder, not rivals. For most golfers, a GPS watch is the sweet spot of speed and simplicity — glance at your wrist, read your number, keep moving. An occasional player can save the money and use a free phone app; a golfer who wants the exact yardage to a tucked pin should add a laser. They aren't really rivals so much as three rungs on a ladder, and where you sit depends on how often you play and how much precision you actually need. Here's how the three honestly stack up before you spend a penny. ## Phone apps: the free entry point Many are free or a few quid a year, and they give real golf-course data: front/middle/back yardages, full hole maps and accuracy that's genuinely within a yard or two of a dedicated watch — because they're using the same satellite positioning and the same mapped courses. For someone testing whether GPS distances even help their game, this is the no-risk way in. The catches are all practical rather than about accuracy. You pull your phone out and wake the screen every single shot, which is slower than a wrist glance and gets old fast over four hours. GPS hammers the battery, so an 18-hole round can leave your phone gasping by the back nine — exactly when you might need it for a lift home. And it's one more thing to drop, soak or leave on a bench. Fine for the occasional golfer; a faff for the regular. ## GPS watch: the convenience king No phone, no faff — your numbers live on your wrist and you never break stride. This is where most regular golfers land, and the category splits cleanly by budget. A budget model like the [Garmin Approach S12](https://ifrothgolf.com/product/garmin-approach-s12) strips it back to clean front/middle/back distances, hazard yardages and a simple scorecard on a display whose battery lasts weeks, all for around $190 — for a beginner or anyone who finds a phone fiddly mid-round, it's the easiest possible entry into GPS golf. A premium one like the [Approach S70](https://ifrothgolf.com/product/garmin-approach-s70) adds full-colour course maps, PlaysLike elevation distances, shot tracking, a learning Virtual Caddie and proper everyday smartwatch use, at a flagship price nearer $650. Whichever tier you pick, the trade-off versus a laser is the same: a watch gives you green distances, not the exact yardage to a back-left pin. The decision between the two watch tiers matters more than people expect, because it's a several-hundred-pound gap. The honest test is whether you'll wear it off the course. If a golf watch sits in a drawer between rounds, the cheap one is the smart buy — it does the on-course job nearly as well as the flagship and you're not paying for a fitness watch you won't use. If it'll live on your wrist every day, the premium model's screen, maps and health tracking start earning their keep seven days a week, and the cost spreads across two jobs rather than one. There's no shame in the budget tier; plenty of low handicappers use nothing more than front, middle and back, because that plus their own course knowledge is genuinely enough. ## Handheld laser: the precision tool Point, shoot, exact number — a laser like the [Bushnell Pro X3+](https://ifrothgolf.com/product/bushnell-pro-x3) is unbeatable for the yardage to the flag itself, accurate to the yard with a fast, jolt-confirmed lock and 7x optics that pick a pin out of a busy treeline. For a confident ball-striker attacking flags, nothing else gives you that certainty. The downsides are the flip side of its strength: you have to take it out, hold it steady and aim it — harder than it sounds in cold or with shaky hands — and it tells you nothing about the hazard or the green's front edge you can't see over. It's also a single-purpose device, where a watch earns its keep off the course too. We went deeper on that head-to-head in [GPS watch vs laser](https://ifrothgolf.com/read/gps-watch-vs-laser). ## Can you mix and match? You don't have to pick just one, and a lot of golfers don't. A common, sensible setup is a cheap GPS — even a free phone app — for the whole-hole picture (carries, layups, where the trouble is), paired with a laser for the exact number once you're in range of the green. The app handles strategy off the tee; the laser handles precision on the approach. That combination costs less than a flagship watch and arguably covers more bases, at the price of carrying two things. The newest twist closes the gap further: certain Garmin lasers now relay their pin reading straight to a compatible Garmin watch, so you get the laser's exactness displayed on your wrist alongside the watch's map — one ecosystem doing both jobs. If you already wear a Garmin watch, that connected route is worth weighing before you buy a standalone laser. The point is that these three categories aren't mutually exclusive; they're building blocks, and the right stack depends on how seriously you play. ## Which should you buy? Segment it honestly by how often you play and how precise you need to be. **Occasional golfer** who tees it up a handful of times a year — a free app is plenty; don't spend. **Regular golfer** who wants speed and zero faff — a GPS watch, and it's where most should start; pick the budget tier for plain numbers, the premium tier if you'll use the maps and wear it daily. **Precision-focused or competitive** player who attacks pins and doesn't mind aiming — a laser, either as your first buy or added later once you're serious. Plenty of keen golfers eventually run a watch and a laser together, and the gap between budget and premium watches is unpicked in our [Garmin Approach S70 review](https://ifrothgolf.com/read/garmin-approach-s70-review). The full field is in our [best golf GPS](https://ifrothgolf.com/guides/best-golf-gps) and [best rangefinders](https://ifrothgolf.com/guides/best-rangefinders) guides. ## The takeaway Occasional golfer? A free phone app is fine. Want speed and zero faff? A GPS watch is the sweet spot, and where most should start. Want exact pin numbers? Add a laser. They're three rungs on a ladder, not rivals. ## FAQ ### Is a GPS watch or a laser rangefinder better for golf? A watch is faster and gives front/middle/back green distances at a glance with no aiming — best for most golfers. A laser gives the exact yardage to the flag but you must aim it steadily and it can't see hidden hazards. Many keen golfers eventually carry both. ### Is a free golf GPS app good enough? For an occasional golfer, yes — apps give accurate course distances and hole maps for free or a few pounds a year, within a yard or two of a dedicated watch. The downside is pulling your phone out every shot and the battery drain over 18 holes, which is what makes a dedicated watch worth it for regular players. ### Do GPS watches give pin-accurate distances? No — they give distances to the front, middle and back of the green, not to a specific pin position. They'll match a laser when the flag is in the middle of a flat green, but read short when it's tucked at the back. For the exact number to a tucked flag you need a laser rangefinder. ### What's the cheapest way to get GPS distances on the course? A free phone app costs nothing and is accurate. If you want a dedicated device that won't drain your phone or slow you down, a budget GPS watch like the Garmin Approach S12 covers front/middle/back numbers for around $190 with weeks of battery life. ## Products mentioned - [Garmin Approach S70 (47mm)](https://ifrothgolf.com/product/garmin-approach-s70) · $650 approx — Premium GPS watch — full maps, stats, gorgeous screen. **Where to buy:** [Check price at PlayBetter](https://www.playbetter.com/products/garmin-approach-s70-gps-golf-smartwatch?ghref=2301%3A1337342) (affiliate link) · also stocked by Clubhouse Golf, Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Amazon (AU) - [Garmin Approach S12 GPS Watch](https://ifrothgolf.com/product/garmin-approach-s12) · $190 approx — Budget GPS watch — front/middle/back numbers, nothing fancy. **Where to buy:** [Check price at Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X1L2CDK?tag=ifrothgolf-20&ascsubtag=md_garmin-approach-s12) (affiliate link) · also stocked by Garmin - [Bushnell Pro X3+](https://ifrothgolf.com/product/bushnell-pro-x3) · $550 approx — If you want exact pin numbers instead, a laser is the answer. **Where to buy:** [Check price at PlayBetter](https://www.playbetter.com/products/bushnell-pro-x3-plus-golf-laser-rangefinder?ghref=2301%3A1337342) (affiliate link) · also stocked by Snainton Golf, Amazon (US), Amazon (UK) --- Source: [ifrothgolf](https://ifrothgolf.com) — independent golf-gear editorial. 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