Izzo Swami 4000 Review

The Izzo Swami 4000 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Izzo Swami 4000'

Izzo Swami 4000
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Our Izzo Swami 4000 Review considers hands-on testing as well as feedback from dozens of users. Our ratings score is a compilation of ratings from user reviews across multiple websites.

Izzo Swami 4000 User Rating: 4.12 Stars 4.12 out of 5 (146 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

See our video review of the Swami 4000.

We believe the Swami 4000 to be one of the best values in a basic golf GPS. Here’s what we love:

  • preloaded with over 25,000 golf courses (update it before you play and there are thousands more, plus corrections to existing courses.)
  • provides distance to front, middle and back of every green
  • large numbers on an easy to read color screen
  • Super easy to use
  • can easily measure your shots
  • long battery life (up to 12 hours)
  • quick satellite lock and course recognition
  • easy to edit green locations if necessary

We don’t really have anything negative to say about the Swami 4000, but there are a couple of things we should mention… It has auto-hole advance, but it only works if you take the unit onto the green. However it’s not really any trouble to press the up arrow button to get to the next hole, if you aren’t using this on a belt clip (included) or in your pocket. It has a “scorecard” view, but that only shows the total hole distance and the par. There is no place to input your scores. We’re partial to paper anyway, but for some that may be an issue.

Screen readability, simplicity and price are the reasons we’d pick the Izzo Swami 4000 as our favorite basic handheld golf GPS.

User Reviews – Most mentioned Pros
most frequently mentioned on top

  • accurate
  • value
  • easy to use
  • easy to read
  • lots of courses
  • acquires distances quickly
  • size
  • shot measuring
  • durable
  • customer service
  • improves game
  • lightweight
  • auto hole advance
  • auto course recognition
  • yellow color
  • battery life

Most mentioned Cons
User Reviews – most frequently mentioned on top

  • belt clip
  • auto hole advance – Must take Swami 4000 onto the green for auto hole advance to work
  • battery life
  • course not in database – updating the database often solves this issue. Also, Izzo will add courses upon request.
  • customer service response
  • problems downloading updates
  • slow to get satellites first time
Izzo Swami 4000 Features and Specifications
Izzo Swami 4000
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 10-12 hours
Battery Li-ion recharge
Size (Width x Height x Depth) N/A in. x N/A in. x N/A in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size 1.8"
Resolution N/A
Display Type color
Weight N/A oz.
Rainproof waterproof
Touch Screen No
Touch Targeting No
Manual Pin Positioning No
Stat Tracker No
Digital Scorecard Yes
Computer Analysis Tools No
Ground Verified N/A
Alternate Targets No
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Supports 12 different languages and displays distances in yards or meters
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Izzo Swami Golf Watch Review

The Izzo Swami Watch has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

Before I did my Izzo Swami Golf Watch Review, I wanted to read all the user reviews we could find to get a feel for what people liked and didn’t like.

'Izzo Swami Watch'

Izzo Swami Watch
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Accuracy and convenience were the most mentioned pros. I definitely agree that it seems as accurate as any golf GPS I’ve tried and the convenience of GPS in a watch, is ultimate!

Izzo Swami Watch User Rating: 3.78 Stars 3.78 out of 5 (32 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

The size and bulkiness of this GPS watch, was the most mentioned con. I agree that the Swami Golf Watch is a little bulky, but even with my small wrist, I didn’t find that to be a problem. However, comfort was an issue for me and my small wrist, although not for everyone. Several users specifically mentioned that it was comfortable. It’s also probably important to mention that I don’t normally wear a watch.

My overall opinion is that the Izzo Swami Golf Watch is an outstanding value. It’s easy to use, convenient and accurate. I would recommend it to anyone with a medium to large wrist or to anyone who wants to fasten it to their golf bag. That’s what I did and found that to be extremely convenient. I wear a +1.5 in reading glasses and could see the watch clearly without I figure I’ll be okay until my eyes need 2.25.

In full disclosure, Izzo did send me this watch to use for a video review and to offer as a giveaway to one of my readers. I stand by my opinions and summaries of reader reviews.

Most Mentioned Pros in User Reviews
In order from most mentioned to least

  • accuracy
  • convenience
  • easy to use
  • lots of courses
  • auto course recognition
  • easy to read
  • comfortable
  • odmeter
  • easy to set up
  • preloaded
  • works well as a watch
  • ability to correct distances
  • improves game
  • battery life
  • price
  • no fees
  • auto hole advance

Most Mentioned Cons in User Reviews
In order from most mentioned to least

  • too big / bulky
  • not enough courses
  • a little slow auto recognition
  • not comfortable
  • instructions
  • hardware problems

SEE OUR LIST OF THE BEST GOLF WATCHES

Izzo Swami Golf Watch Features and Specifications
Izzo Swami Watch
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation N/A
Battery Life 6-8 hr w/GPS
Battery Li-poly rechargeable
Size (Width x Height x Depth) N/A in. x N/A in. x N/A in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size 1.3
Resolution N/A
Display Type N/A
Weight N/A oz.
Rainproof waterproof
Touch Screen No
Touch Targeting No
Manual Pin Positioning No
Stat Tracker No
Digital Scorecard Yes
Computer Analysis Tools No
Ground Verified N/A
Alternate Targets No
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Supports watch functions – time/date, odometer & alarm
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Bushnell neo+ Golf Watch Review

The Bushnell neo+ GPS Golf Watch has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Bushnell neo+ GPS Golf Watch'

Bushnell neo+ GPS Golf Watch
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Take a look at our preview of Bushnell’s new GPS golf watch. (Our Bushnell neo+ Watch Review will be available after customer feedback begins to roll in.)

Bushnell neo+ GPS Golf Watch User Rating: 3.96 Stars 3.96 out of 5 (81 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

Our initial impression is that Bushnell saw what was working in the Garmin S1 Golf Watch and built their own version. The neo+ watch provides distances to the front, middle and back of the green and has a shot measuring feature like the S1. Bushnell’s biggest sales pitch seems to be that it has a much longer battery life than the S1 and 25,000 courses preloaded. If it were just those two watches in the race, that would be enough to give the edge to the Bushnell neo+ watch… but in 2012 the game changed….

Besides the Bushell neo+ golf watch, there are three other new golf watches hitting the market this year, the Garmin S3, the Expresso WR62 and the MOTOACTV Golf Edition. All of them provide distance information to alternate targets and hazards, which seems like a very good thing. We are qualifying this statement for now, because we know that the major factor the high Garmin S1 ratings, was it’s simplicity and convenience. Any time you add more features, you’re going to lose some of the simplicity. Only user feedback will let us know how this really plays out.

The problem for Bushnell is that people who want ultimate simplicity are probably going to go with something that’s tried and true, like the Garmin S1, especially since they cost about the same. The longer battery life may make a difference to some, but will that be enough?

To learn more about GPS Golf Watches, read our Comparison of Golf GPS Watches or Part 4 in our Compare Golf GPS series.

Bushnell neo+ GPS Golf Watch
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 12 hrs w/ GPS on
Battery rechargeable
Size (Width x Height x Depth) N/A in. x N/A in. x N/A in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size N/A
Resolution N/A
Display Type N/A
Weight N/A oz.
Rainproof waterproof to 30 meter
Touch Screen No
Touch Targeting No
Manual Pin Positioning No
Stat Tracker No
Digital Scorecard No
Computer Analysis Tools No
Ground Verified No
Alternate Targets No
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Waterproof (IPX7)
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User Manual for Bushnell neo+ GPS Golf Watch

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Garmin S3 Golf Watch Review

The Garmin Approach S3 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Garmin Approach S3'

Garmin Approach S3
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Our Garmin S3 Golf Watch Review summarizes pros and cons mentioned in user reviews from around the web. From a features standpoint, we believe this is the most exciting and best golf watch on the market.

Garmin Approach S3 User Rating: 4.34 Stars 4.34 out of 5 (522 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

It’s preloaded with 30,000 courses, has a touchscreen, includes distances to doglegs and layups, allows for manual pin positioning, has a scorecard, shot tracking and more. Although the price of the Garmin S3 is quite a bit higher than other golf watches, the feature set and enthusiasm of reviewers lead us to believe it might be well worth it.

Take a look at what they are saying. Please note that positive comments outweighed negative comments by about 40%.

Most Mentioned Pros
(in order from high to low):
  • Accuracy
  • Convenience
  • Scoring Feature
  • Easy to Use
  • Improved Scoring
  • Size
  • Intuitive
  • Good Customer Service
  • Easy to Set-up
  • TouchScreen
  • Shot Tracking
  • Auto Course Recognition
  • Battery Life – some players could go 36 holes on a single charge
  • Easy to register and update courses
  • Speeds up play
  • Can be used as a regular watch in non-GPS mode
  • Acquires distances quickly
  • Manual pin positioning
  • Acquires satellites quickly
  • Ability to add custom targets
  • Size of course database
  • No fees
Most Mentioned Cons
(in order from high to low):
  • Sometimes requires more than one “swipe” for touchscreen operations that require swiping
  • Battery life too short – some players were unable to make it through 36 holes.
  • Some watches arrived in a language other than English. Customer support was reported to be very helpful. We noted that more recent reviews didn’t mention the issue and suspect it has been corrected.
  • Although it includes distance to doglegs and layups, several users complained that it did not have distances to bunkers and possibly other hazards.
  • Some users had trouble with it jumping to the wrong hole.
  • Watch band quality
  • Not enough courses
  • Poor instruction manual
  • Accuracy issues
  • Auto hole advance didn’t always work
  • Price
Garmin S3 Golf Watch Specifications
Garmin Approach S3
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 8 hrs GPS / 4 wks
Battery Lithium-ion recharge
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 2.7 in. x 1.8 in. x .6 in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size 1" x 1"
Resolution 128x128
Display Type monochrome LCD
Weight 2.06 oz.
Rainproof IPX7
Touch Screen Yes
Touch Targeting No
Manual Pin Positioning Yes
Stat Tracker No
Digital Scorecard Yes
Computer Analysis Tools No*
Ground Verified No
Alternate Targets Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Stroke or Stableford scoring. Can save, review and print scorecards from your computer. Can download new courses & updates. IPX7 Waterproof - Immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter
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MOTOACTV Golf Watch Review

The MOTOACTV Golf Watch has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'MOTOACTV Golf Watch'

MOTOACTV Golf Watch
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The new Motorola Golf Watch is jam-packed with features and we’re looking forward to seeing how users respond in our upcoming MOTOACTV Golf Watch Review. This latest entry into the GPS Golf Watch competition goes well beyond providing distances to the front, middle and back of the green, which is all that is offered on the very popular Garmin S1 Golf Watch.

MOTOACTV Golf Watch User Rating: 3.92 Stars 3.92 out of 5 (48 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

Here are the most notable features of the MOTOACTV Golf Watch:

  • Distances to front, middle, back of greens
  • Distances to hazards
  • Preloaded with 20,000 golf courses
  • Scorecard feature – tracks your relationship to par
  • Track data like total steps taken, distance covered and calories burned on the course
  • Tracks key stats (putts, greens in regulation etc.)
  • Tracks the clubs you hit and can be customized to show only the clubs in your bag
  • Wirelessly uploads your rounds
  • Online, you can see a virtual representation of your round using a satellite view of the course and get the details of every shot you played
  • Keeps scorecards online for reference
  • Allows sharing the details with friends

Compare the MOTOACTV Golf Watch with the Garmin S1 and the Expresso WR62.

Our only question… Is it too much? Simplicity may be the biggest contributing factor the high ratings of the Garmin S1. Often, the more features there are, the more problems to be had. We’ll let you know when the user reviews start coming in.

MOTOACTV Golf Edition Features and Specifications
MOTOACTV Golf Watch
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 9 hrs w/ GPS on
Battery Li-ion recharge
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 1.8 in. x 1.8 in. x .38 in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size 1.6
Resolution 176x220
Display Type Color (QCIF+)
Weight 1.23 oz.
Rainproof rain resistant
Touch Screen Yes
Touch Targeting N/A
Manual Pin Positioning N/A
Stat Tracker Yes
Digital Scorecard Yes
Computer Analysis Tools Yes
Ground Verified No
Alternate Targets Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Syncs wirelessly to MOTOACTV.com and provides virtual representation of your round using satellite course view. Can display texts and calls from your smartphone. Tracks heart rate*, pace, distance and calories burned.
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GolfRangefinderShop.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you buy anything after clicking through, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep the site up and running, so thank you! We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.
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