I need to replace my older GPS watch, any recommendations?

I've been totally reliant on my Bushnell Neo-XS for almost 5 years. I'm programmed to glance at it before every shot so I feel naked without it if I forget to take it to the course. Unfortunately I think I damaged it last week when I played a shot from up close against a tree. (on my follow through my wrist lightly bumped the trunk and I think the point of impact was one of the watch buttons). Everything still works fine but the face steams up now so I can't read it once I begin to heat up.

I have a laser too but I typically only use it a few shots/round, as a GPS readout is quicker and close enough anyway given my ability. I'm looking at maybe upgrading to something that shows hole maps and facilitates pin placements and layups because I play lots of new courses. In fact yesterday's round was at a course I'd never played before, and I really missed my NEO-XS. I'm considering the Garmin S60 and S6 and Golf Buddy WTX right now. Anything else I should consider? Anyone familiar with these have insight? THANK YOU!

Daddio said:

I've been totally reliant on my Bushnell Neo-XS for almost 5 years. I'm programmed to glance at it before every shot so I feel naked without it if I forget to take it to the course. Unfortunately I think I damaged it last week when I played a shot from up close against a tree. (on my follow through my wrist lightly bumped the trunk and I think the point of impact was one of the watch buttons). Everything still works fine but the face steams up now so I can't read it once I begin to heat up.

I have a laser too but I typically only use it a few shots/round, as a GPS readout is quicker and close enough anyway given my ability. I'm looking at maybe upgrading to something that shows hole maps and facilitates pin placements and layups because I play lots of new courses. In fact yesterday's round was at a course I'd never played before, and I really missed my NEO-XS. I'm considering the Garmin S60 and S6 and Golf Buddy WTX right now. Anything else I should consider? Anyone familiar with these have insight? THANK YOU!

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My only experience is with a Garmin S4 and a Garmin Approach X40. The S4 was very good and if I hadn’t wanted to track more things than just golf GPS it would’ve been fine. The approach is very much like a Fit Bit and I like tracking steps, resting heartbeat and the sleep function. Seems like you have picked out a couple really good ones. I’m not sure how you could go wrong with them also


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I have a Garmin S6 I'm looking to move cheap. Full color LED screen, very good shape. Lmk if interested, they are great watches. Great battery life when GPS/Bluetooth is off to function as a regular watch.

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Send it back to bushnell-see what they say. They can only say no...or they might fix it free.

So I’m going outside the box but Apple Watch using the arccos app. It’s the best thing I’ve ever used.


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I also have been using the Apple Watch with fun golf app and really like it. Now you can get a new iWatch 3 for $279 which is good value for that watch.

Bushnell Ion, love mine.


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uitar99 said:

Send it back to bushnell-see what they say. They can only say no...or they might fix it free.

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My battery died on my Neo XS and Bushnell said they could not replace it. Offered $50 credit on The Neo Ion which I used. I have had the Neo Ion for 2 years. Great battery life, very similar to Neo XS, but not as comfortable to wear.

Ed Settle said:

My only experience is with a Garmin S4 and a Garmin Approach X40. The S4 was very good and if I hadn’t wanted to track more things than just golf GPS it would’ve been fine. The approach is very much like a Fit Bit and I like tracking steps, resting heartbeat and the sleep function. Seems like you have picked out a couple really good ones. I’m not sure how you could go wrong with them also


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I use the Approach X40 and love it mainly because of its shape and style. Like it was mentioned, it's a lot like a Fitbit so i can wear it out. I typically bring that with me on vacations instead of my normal watch since I can get all my notifications and what not without my phone in my hand all the time.

Battery wise... I'm down to about 1.5 rounds per charge now.

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I’m a fan of the Golf Buddy Voice 2. Pretty cheap, free downloads, works perfect for front, center, back of green as well as marking shots and measuring distances. It’s just a good simple never look back option.

I love my garmin vivoactive music

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Ring Bushnell customer service they were amazing for me

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Buster1 said:

I’m a fan of the Golf Buddy Voice 2. Pretty cheap, free downloads, works perfect for front, center, back of green as well as marking shots and measuring distances. It’s just a good simple never look back option.

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Love mine too. Use a laser when I need an exact distance to a pin or hazard.

Little different but I use a Garmin Fenix 3. Use it like the Apple Watch, but better battery life and works better with stuff I use. Works with my cycle computer and snowboarding in the winter time including tracking backcountry routes.

For golf I load the courses I play and it supplies gps distances. It’s easy to use and once I start it I don’t need to touch anything during the round. You can keep score and such as well but I just use for GPS distances. Very happy with it.

Motopilot said:

Little different but I use a Garmin Fenix 3. Use it like the Apple Watch, but better battery life and works better with stuff I use. Works with my cycle computer and snowboarding in the winter time including tracking backcountry routes.

For golf I load the courses I play and it supplies gps distances. It’s easy to use and once I start it I don’t need to touch anything during the round. You can keep score and such as well but I just use for GPS distances. Very happy with it.

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I recently bought a Garmin Vivoactive 3 to do the same thing and so far I have been quite happy with it. It works quite well for an all around smart watch without being dedicated to one thing, and they are reasonably priced for what they do (I got mine for $300 CAD).

The s60 is a really good watch. I've recently started using the apple watch with arccos and its good too.

tucsondivots said:

My battery died on my Neo XS and Bushnell said they could not replace it. Offered $50 credit on The Neo Ion which I used. I have had the Neo Ion for 2 years. Great battery life, very similar to Neo XS, but not as comfortable to wear.

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Similar here. I had the neoxs and really loved it. In its third season (this year) it began to crap out mid round. Not every time but enough times to be an issue. It would act like the battery was dead and i would have to reset the watch mid round and then it would be fine from that point on. But this began to happen a bit more and once or twice it wouldnt reset till i actually did place it in the charger just for a second. Honeatly wasnt a battery issue because once reset it would last for hours but something wrong with the program i suppose. At least is what Bush had said. Bush said they would fix it if I shipped it and would charge 50 to do so. But they also just offered me the ion2 with a 50 discount. I figured cheap enough so rather than go for 50 on the old one why not just get the newest one. And now i have the ion2.

Honestly I really like the older neo xs better. It was a tad slimmer vs the tad bulkier ion2. problem is that as i bend my wrists while perhaps practice swinging the glove will often hit the button and this becomes annoying. I have to make certain I keep it further up my wrist to prevent this. My old neo xs would do this too at times but never even half the amount of times the bulkier ion2 does. The other issue is that the neoxs contrast was much more domiinant and imo alot easier to read. The ion2 just doesnt have quite the same contrast on the readout and requires a touch more viewing than just the quick glance I was always so use to with the neoxs.

Honestly, while I like this and if i never owned the neoxs woud probably love this on2. But if i could do it over I really would have sent them the neoxs to repair for the 50 because I just liked it much better for the reasons given. But soon enough i would have needed a bettery anyway which is not replaceable.

I dont care for nor use the extra features of the ion2 that the neoxs didnt have so that stuff is useless to me. Its not a problem at all having the extra things but just not things i need nor utilize. But having the extras is probably what required the processor to be larger and the watch become bulkier. As for the display having less contrast? I have no idea why that is.

Imo its a good watch but Im not nearly as happy as I was with the neoxs. I think bush made a product here that (while good) is not as good as the one it replaced. But sometimes these things happen.