Top Golf GPS Manufacturers
There is a phrase that goes something like this: food is only as good as the cook who prepares it. The same thing can be said about most products and services; they are only as good as the companies behind them. This is more so a fact for companies involved in the manufacture of tech gadgets. The really good companies make great devices, while the average companies make average devices. In this post, we thought it would be nice to show you guys some of the best golf GPS watch manufacturers around. We believe that this will help you guys to avoid buying faulty or downright mediocre devices from average manufacturers.
The Factors We Considered in the Making of Our List
We did not just come up with this list based on our opinions; we wanted to be as objective as possible. So we sat down and decided on the factors to consider in populating our list. The factors we settled on were manufacturer location, reputation, and the quality and variety of products. Manufacturer location was an important factor because of quality. In our view, manufacturers located in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and other Western countries are more likely to make better quality products because they have higher standards to adhere to. So companies located in the West were more likely to be included in this list than those in other places. Reputation was the second most important factor that we considered. The only way for a manufacturing company to prove that it is good enough is to continually produce good quality products. One way to assess this is to find out the reputation of the company. You can tell the reputation of a company by looking at the online reviews and ratings of its products, the people who associate with it, or even by asking your friends for their opinions on it. We only included the manufacturers with a good reputation on our list. The quality and variety of products were also factors that we considered. We evaluated the quality of products by looking at their ratings, the technologies used, the materials used, and their designs. The variety of products was also important since our belief is that better manufacturers are those who constantly innovate and come up with new products. Thus, in our view, the best manufacturers are those that have a wider variety of gadgets. Considering the factors listed above, here is our list of the best golf manufacturers and why they are the best.
The Top Golf Manufacturers
1. Garmin
Garmin is an American GPS systems company that was founded in the late eighties. The company is one of the oldest GPS companies and it is also one of the largest in the world. It makes GPS systems for cars, marine vessels, the aviation industry, and for its own wearables. Garmin is best known for its fitness bands and watches. It makes dozens of them. Its golf GPS watches are the best in class. No other company makes as many premium quality GPS watches as Garmin. Most of the company’s watches are made using high-sensitivity GPS sensors and chipsets, which make them quite accurate. This does not come as a surprise considering the fact that the company has several decades of experience in designing and developing GPS technologies. Most of the company’s watches also feature great designs and the materials used are often comfortable and durable. Lastly, the watches are best known for their complementary Garmin Golf App, which is, hands down, the best golf app out there for post-game analysis. The Garmin Approach S20 and the Approach S60 are two of the company’s best-selling golf watches.
2. Bushnell Golf
Bushnell Golf is part of the larger Bushnell Corporation, a company that was founded in 1949 to manufacture outdoor sports products such as binoculars and rifle scopes. Although the Bushnell Corporation is best known for its binoculars, other optical equipment that it has manufactured with distinction include laser rangefinders, GPS rangefinders, night-vision equipment, and red dot sights. Golfers will probably only be interested in its laser and GPS rangefinders because the company is a leader in the manufacture of both. In terms of GPS devices, the company makes both wearable (watches) and handheld devices. Many people who have used them say that they are accurate to the meter. Their devices are also known for their well-contrasted and very readable displays. With annual sales of over $65 million, you can easily tell that people love their products. Some of the best Bushnell Golf GPS products include the striking Bushnell Neo Ion Golf GPS watch and the Bushnell Phantom Golf GPS handheld device.
3. GolfBuddy
GolfBuddy is also an American Corporation with a manufacturing facility in South Korea, arguably one of the leading countries in the production of tech products (think Samsung). Unlike the Garmin Limited and the Bushnell Corporation, companies which are also involved in the manufacture of other non-golf equipment, GolfBuddy is solely involved in the manufacture of golf rangefinders. The company makes voice, wearable, and handheld devices powered by either GPS technology, the laser technology, or both. As you would expect from an American company, with a Korean manufacturing base, the design of the products is good and the accuracy is also up there. GolfBuddy watches are known to be pre-loaded with thousands of golf course maps. Most have a library of over 38,000 mapped courses. This means that the chances of your local golf course not being recognized by their rangefinders are very minimal more so if you are an American golfer as nearly a quarter of these mapped courses are in the US alone. GolfBuddy Voice2 GPS rangefinder and the WTX+ are fairly representative of what you can expect from this company; cool, highly functional and accurate rangefinders.
4. SkyGolf
Although some people avoid some of its rangefinders because they require the payment of an annual fee, SkyGolf remains one of the top GPS rangefinders in the United States. The company operates from Ridgeland, Mississippi and is behind the relatively popular SkyCaddie golf watches and handheld devices. The products are gorgeous and many users love them for the fact that they provide better information and can help golfers to considerably improve their swings. According to the company, their equipment can increase the pace of play, enhance game enjoyment, improve scores, and make every club better. These may sound like empty but tempting marketing words but they are true. The most popular SkyGolf GPS product is the SkyCaddie LINX GT.
5. TomTom
Of all the companies on this list, TomTom is the only one based outside the United States. This Dutch multinational company is one of the trendsetting location technology companies. It makes cool navigational devices for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and for golfers. Its Golfer watches and their premium features and functionalities are comparable to those of the Garmin Limited. The devices also have quite a commendable library of over 40K mapped courses! Although based in Amsterdam, international customers can buy them from several popular online stores.
Final Word
The Garmin Ltd., the Bushnell Corporation, GolfBuddy, SkyGolf, and TomTom are some of the best manufacturers of golf GPS devices in the world. You now know them and the next step is to know the features you want so that you can choose the right watch for your needs. Check out our article on what to consider when choosing a golfing watch to get a good idea of what to go for.
