Bushnell iON Elite vs iON Edge vs Garmin Approach and More Golf Watches!

You know that feeling when you're standing on the tee box, wondering if you grabbed the right club for that dogleg? Well, Bushnell just dropped their iON Elite GPS watch, and it might be the answer to your distance debates.

Here's the thing - picking a golf watch is like choosing a putter. You've got tons of choices, and everyone's got an opinion. You're probably asking yourself the same questions I did. What's it gonna cost me? Will it actually help me shoot lower scores? Is it gonna be another gadget collecting dust in my bag?

Let's talk about why Bushnell matters first. These guys show up in more tour players' bags than pretty much anyone else. That's not marketing fluff - it's because their stuff actually works when you need it. They've built their rep on making gear that's simple enough to use when you're three beers deep at the turn but accurate enough to trust when you're trying to carry that water hazard.

The iON Elite isn't just another distance finder strapped to your wrist. It's packed with features that'll actually help you play smarter golf. You get front, middle, and back distances to every green, plus it tracks hazards and layup spots. The battery lasts multiple rounds, so you won't be stuck guessing yardages on the back nine.

I'm gonna break down exactly what makes this watch tick, then we'll see how it stacks up against Bushnell's cheaper iON Edge model. After that, we'll check out what else you could get for similar money, and even peek at the fancy stuff from Garmin and Voice Caddie if you're feeling spendy.

Bottom line? If you're tired of pacing off yardages or arguing with your buddies about whether it's 145 or 155 to the pin, this watch could be a game-changer. But let's dig into the details before you whip out your credit card.

The Bushnell iON Elite will set you back $299.99, but here's what you're getting for that chunk of change.

This watch packs some serious tech that'll make you look like you know what you're doing out there:

• Slope compensation that figures out the actual distance you need to hit (not just the straight-line yardage)

• Smart green mapping that adjusts distances to the front, middle, and back based on where you're actually approaching from

• Touchscreen with full color (no more squinting at tiny numbers)

• Pin placement you can move around to match today's setup

• Full hole layouts for planning your shots before you tee off

• Over 38,000 courses already loaded up

• Scorekeeping that tracks your stats automatically

• Recognizes what course you're on without you lifting a finger

• Switches holes automatically as you play

• Measures how far you actually hit each shot

• Battery that'll last 12+ hours (easily a full round, even if you're slow)

• Free mobile app to sync everything up

Here's the coolest part - this thing has Bushnell's special slope feature with something they call Elements. When the watch shows a blue ring around the edge, it's calculating slope-adjusted distances. Got a purple ring? That means it's factoring in the weather too - temperature and altitude changes that mess with your ball flight. Pretty slick for those of us who can't figure out why our 7-iron goes 150 one day and 140 the next.

And don't worry about getting DQ'd in your club championship - you can turn off the slope feature for tournament play. When you do, you'll see an orange ring instead, so everyone knows you're playing it straight.

Bushnell iON Edge - Price: $153.89

The iON Edge's Best Golf Features:

• GreenView tech that lets you drag the pin to its actual location

• Smart green mapping that figures out distances based on your approach angle

• More than 38,000 courses preloaded from all over the world

What You'll Get with Both Watches

Both watches show you Bushnell's big, crystal-clear distance numbers and keep things simple with accurate yardages. They've both got GreenView, which shows you the real shape of the green and lets you move the pin around for better accuracy. The green mapping feature tells you how far it is to the front and back of the green based on where you're hitting from. You'll find all this on over 38,000 courses worldwide.

They'll both track your score, keep tabs on your stats, figure out what course you're playing automatically, and move to the next hole on their own. You also get a shot distance calculator and can use Bushnell's free mobile app.

What Sets Them Apart

Both watches have touchscreens, but the newer iON Elite really shines with its colorful touchscreen that responds instantly. It uses icons that make finding features super easy. The biggest difference? The Elite gives you slope-adjusted distances with Elements (which considers the weather) and HoleView, which shows you exact distances to any location on the green so you can plan your shots better.

The iON Edge does beat the Elite in battery life though - you'll get over 15 hours compared to the Elite's 12+ hours.

Garmin Approach S12 Price: $199.99

Approach S12's Advanced Golf Features:

• Preloaded with 42,000 courses worldwide

• Shows yardage to layups/doglegs plus front, middle, and back of green

• Green view with manual pin positioning

• Manual shot tracking

• Compatible with auto club tracking (accessory required)

What They've Both Got

Both watches keep it simple and easy to use. The Approach S12 saves you $100 compared to the iON Elite. Here's the catch though – it's Garmin's basic golf watch that's actually more comparable to the iON Edge. You won't get slope distances or detailed green info. That said, the S12 still delivers with green view, moveable pins, and manual shot tracking.

Key Differences

So what's that extra $100 actually buying you with the iON Elite? You'll get Active Green Mapping, a color touchscreen, HoleView with Shot Planning, and slope calculations powered by Bushnell's Elements technology.

But here's where the budget-friendly Garmin absolutely outshines Bushnell's top-tier watch: battery life. The S12 keeps going for an impressive 10 weeks in watch mode and 30 hours with GPS running.

Voice Caddie A2 Hybrid Price: $229.99

Advanced Golf Features:

• Automatic slope distances

• Green undulation readings (shows major slope changes on the green)

• Customizable pin placement

What They've Got in Common

Both watches handle slope calculations, though they take different approaches (we'll get to that). You can customize pin placement on both GPS watches too. And hey, they've both got color touchscreens and actually look pretty good on your wrist!

Where They're Different

While both calculate slope distances, here's the deal: Bushnell uses its Elements technology for the math, but the Voice Caddie A2 takes it up a level by actually showing you slope changes right on the green. Even though it's $70 less, the A2 also tracks your activity – steps, distance, calories burned, the whole deal.

As for battery life, the A2 gives you 10 days in watch mode and 10 hours with GPS on. Bushnell says the iON Elite runs for 12+ hours before you'll need to plug it in.

Shot Scope Price: $219.99

Advanced Golf Features:

• Shot tracking with tracking tags

• Review your tracking info on Shot Scope's free online portal

• Distances to hazards plus front/middle/back of the green

• 36,000 preloaded courses

What They've Got in Common

Both watches get the basics right regarding standard distances, they come with free golf apps, and they're loaded with nearly 40,000 courses. But that's pretty much where the similarities stop.

What Makes Them Different

The Shot Scope V3 isn't just about basic yardages – it's all about tracking your shots. For just $200, you get 16 sensors that'll show you exactly how you're hitting each club and help you build up data to analyze your game. You won't get slope calculations, but you'll uncover tons about how you actually play.

The Bushnell iON Elite takes things in a different direction – it brings the analysis straight to the course. You'll get loads of info about the green and where you're standing in relation to it. These watches also look pretty different from each other. Both'll last you at least two rounds before needing a charge.

Garmin Approach S42 Price: $299.99

Advanced Golf Features:

• 42,000 preloaded worldwide golf courses

• Yardage to layups/doglegs plus front/middle/back of green

• Green view with manual pin positioning

• AutoShot measures shot distances (except chips and putts) and automatically syncs to the Garmin Golf app

• Shot tracking

• Custom targets

• Handicap scoring

What They've Got in Common

Both GPS watches look good enough that you'd actually want to wear them off the course, and they've both got responsive color touchscreens. Since they're the same price, they both let you set custom pin positions and targets too.

What Makes Them Different

The S42 is Garmin's mid-range option, so it doesn't include slope at this price. But it does have AutoShot technology – this feature detects how far you hit based on your swing speed and impact, then automatically uploads it to the Garmin Golf app (though it can't track putts and chips).

The Bushnell iON Elite probably wins for pure golf features at this price thanks to its advanced slope technology. But the Approach S42 brings extra value in other ways – you'll get smart notifications on your wrist, activity tracking, and basic running and cycling apps. It also destroys the competition on battery life with up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and 15 hours with GPS on, while the iON Elite gives you 12+ hours.

Voice Caddie T9 Price:  $349.99

 Advanced Golf Features: 

• V-Algorithm 3.0™ (Automatic Slope Calculation)

• Practice Tempo Mode

• Shot and Putt tracking

• Green Undulation data (Indicate with map)

• Course Layout View (Yardages to hazard & bunkers)

• Customizable Pin Placement

• Active Green

• Course & Green Zoom (2nd level)

• The Putt View arrow shows the break direction.

Similarities 

Both of these golf watches do traditional slope very well and offer customizable pin placement. And each is winning in the style category and features an eye-catching color touchscreen.

Differences 

Again, no one does slope like Bushnell. But the Voice Caddie T9 has a few unique cards up its sleeve. It has shot and putt tracking, and you don't have to manually enter your score after each shot or the end of the hole. It has a handy practice tempo mode. It offers a course view at the tee that you can zoom in on when you enter the fairway. As you approach, it displays a green view that shows distance to the front and undulation around the pin. When you enter the green, you'll get a putter's view along with the green undulation. That's some serious AI on your golf watch.

Garmin Approach S62 Price: $499.99

Advanced Golf Features:

• Same features as the Approach S42 (above)

• Virtual Caddie

• Wind Speed and Direction

• Full vector map

• PinPointer for direction on blind spots

• PlaysLike distance (slope)

• Touch-targeting to see distances to any point

• Swing tempo

• Tempo training

• Auto club tracking with accessory

• Green contours with Garmin Golf app membership

Similarities

Both the Bushnell iON Elite and Approach S62 put a stylish GPS watch with color touchscreen on your wrist. Both offer slope technology, customizable pin placement, and custom targeting. You get loads of preloaded courses on each, along with digital scorecard, and shot tracking.

Differences

While the slope on the Garmin watch does not include the Elements factor of the Bushnell watch, the Approach S62 does offer a lot more golfing features. AutoShot detects shot distances and auto-loads them to the Garmin Golf app. PinPointer tells you direction on blind shots. And Virtual Caddie uses your shot data from previous rounds, along with elevation, wind and the layout of the hole to determine which club you should use and where you should aim on your next shot. You also get wind speed and direction. Plus, a green contours feature is available with the Garmin Golf app membership ($100/year or $10/month).

But the S62 doesn't stop at golf features. You get Garmin's health monitoring, including wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, advanced sleep, and Body Battery™ energy monitor. Compass, gyroscope, and accelerometer come standard. Smart features include push notifications, calendar, weather, smartphone music controls, and Garmin Pay™ for contactless payment. Plus, you get activity tracking and several basic sport apps. This is truly a golf smartwatch for active lifestyles, which is why it is $200 more than the Bushnell iON Elite. Oh, and it gets 14 days in smartwatch mode and a whopping 20 hours in GPS.

Want easy-to-use, advanced golf tech on your wrist in a watch stylish enough to wear off the course?

The 2022 iON Elite will give you reliable, precise distances at a mid-range price point.

If you qualify, you can pay 3 interest-free payments over 3 months, or choose another payment plan.

We're here to answer any of your questions about this new Bushnell golf GPS watch or any of the others featured in this article. Just hit us up in the chat box in the lower right corner.