The short answer: the SkyCaddie LX5 is the better value if you want a golf watch for golf: a big, bright touchscreen, detailed green shapes and a three-year membership included, for $249.95. The Garmin Approach S70 is the better watch overall: an AMOLED screen, battery that lasts days instead of rounds, a virtual caddie and full fitness and smartwatch features. It also costs more than twice as much, and Garmin’s best golf extras need a paid membership.
Published October 2026 · Prices checked on brand and retailer sites, October 2026
LX5 vs. S70 at a Glance
| SkyCaddie LX5 | Garmin Approach S70 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.95 ($299.95 Ceramic Bezel) | $649.99 (42mm) / $699.99 (47mm) list |
| Screen | 1.39-inch color touchscreen | 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen (both sizes) |
| Battery | About two rounds | 15 hrs GPS / 10 days (42mm); 20 hrs GPS / 16 days (47mm) |
| Courses | 35,000+ ground-verified maps | About 43,000 preloaded |
| Green detail | IntelliGreen: green shape and distances from your angle | Front/middle/back; green contours with Garmin Golf membership |
| Smart features | Score entry, shot measurement | Virtual caddie, PlaysLike (elevation, wind), club tracking with CT10 |
| Fitness | Heart rate, steps | Full Garmin sports and health tracking |
| Membership | 3 years included | Garmin Golf $9.99/month for the extras |
LX5 specs and prices from the SkyGolf listings in the Divot Depot store. S70 prices, screen, battery and membership cost from TechRadar’s review; PlayBetter listed the S70 at $699.99 in October 2026.
Where the SkyCaddie LX5 Wins
Price. The LX5 costs $249.95, and the Ceramic Bezel edition is $299.95. The S70 starts at $649.99. That gap pays for a lot of range balls.
Green information without a subscription. SkyCaddie’s patented IntelliGreen shows the actual shape of the green and the distance to the front, back and any point on it from the angle you are approaching. Golf Monthly’s review also noted yardage arcs over landing areas, a hazard list, score entry and shot measurement. A three-year membership comes in the box, covering map updates and SkyGolf 360 stats.
Ground-verified maps. SkyGolf maps its 35,000+ courses by walking them rather than relying only on satellite images, and it markets the maps as error-corrected. Garmin covers more courses (about 43,000), but if you play mainstream courses in the U.S., both will have yours.
The catch: battery. SkyGolf rates the LX5 for about two rounds, and Golf Monthly found that held up. You will charge it every couple of rounds, and it is not built to be worn all week. Golf Monthly’s other complaints were that it is a little chunky on the wrist and the hole-map navigation can be fiddly.
SkyCaddie LX5
$249.95A big, bright touchscreen, IntelliGreen green shapes and a three-year membership included. The pick if you want a golf watch for golf.
Buy from our store →Where the Garmin Approach S70 Wins
It is a real everyday watch. The S70’s AMOLED screen is sharper (454 x 454 pixels on the 47mm), and the battery lasts 10 days (42mm) or 16 days (47mm) as a smartwatch, with 15 or 20 hours in GPS mode. You can wear it all week, track runs and workouts with Garmin’s full sports tracking, and take it to the course without thinking about charging.
Smarter golf features. The Virtual Caddie recommends clubs and gets better as it learns your shot data. PlaysLike distance factors in elevation and, per TechRadar, wind and weather. Pair it with Garmin’s Approach CT10 sensors and it tracks every club you hit. TechRadar called it “chock-full of excellent golf features,” with accurate, easy-to-use yardages.
The catch: price and membership. Green contours and some advanced features need a Garmin Golf membership at $9.99 a month. Over three years, that alone costs more than an LX5. TechRadar also found the S70 a step behind as a general smartwatch for things like messaging, and disliked the short charging cable.
Garmin Approach S70
$649.99+An AMOLED golf watch that doubles as a full fitness smartwatch, with days of battery, a virtual caddie and club tracking via CT10. Budget for Garmin Golf if you want green contours.
Check price →The Fairer Fight: LX5 vs. Garmin S44
If you like Garmin but not the S70’s price, the Approach S44 ($299.99, announced in January 2025) is the closer rival to the LX5. It has a 1.2-inch AMOLED screen, up to 15 hours of GPS battery, front/middle/back distances, Hazard View and CT10 compatibility. Full CourseView maps and green contours still need a Garmin Golf membership. Against that, the LX5 has the bigger screen and includes green shapes and three years of membership; the S44 has the better battery and the Garmin ecosystem. The step-up S50 ($399.99) adds PlaysLike distance, heart rate, sleep tracking and music.
Garmin Approach S44
$299.99An AMOLED Garmin golf watch with 15 hours of GPS battery and Hazard View. A strong alternative to the LX5 if you want Garmin’s app and battery life.
Check price →On a Tight Budget? SkyCaddie LX2
The SkyCaddie LX2 is $99.95 and shows front, center and back distances on SkyGolf’s ground-verified maps, with no annual fee required. It skips the LX5’s big color hole maps and IntelliGreen, so it is a distance watch rather than a strategy watch, but it does the core job for less than half the price.
SkyCaddie LX2
$99.95Front, center and back distances on 35,000+ ground-verified courses, no annual fee. The simplest way into a golf watch.
Buy from our store →Which One Should You Buy?
Buy the SkyCaddie LX5 if you want the most golf information per dollar, you like seeing the real shape of the green, and you are happy to take the watch off between rounds. Buy the Garmin Approach S70 if you will wear it every day, want fitness tracking and a virtual caddie, and do not mind paying for Garmin Golf. If you are between them on budget, look at the Garmin S44 or the LX5 Ceramic Bezel.
Golf watch for golf: LX5. Everyday watch that also does golf: S70.
Comparing more models? Our best golf GPS watches of 2026 covers the wider field, and our rangefinder roundup is the place to start if you want exact yardages to the flag instead.
Does the SkyCaddie LX5 need a subscription?
A three-year membership is included with the LX5 and covers map updates and SkyGolf 360 performance tracking. Check SkyGolf’s plans for renewal pricing when it runs out.
Does the Garmin Approach S70 need a subscription?
No for the basics: distances, hazards and the virtual caddie work without one. Green contours and some advanced features need a Garmin Golf membership, which TechRadar lists at $9.99 a month.
Which has better battery life?
The Garmin, by a lot. The S70 lasts 15 hours (42mm) or 20 hours (47mm) in GPS mode and days as a smartwatch. The LX5 is rated for about two rounds.
Is the LX5 Ceramic Bezel different from the standard LX5?
The features listed are the same: 1.39-inch touchscreen, IntelliGreen, 35,000+ courses, heart rate and a three-year membership. The Ceramic Bezel edition costs $50 more for the premium bezel finish.
Are golf GPS watches legal in tournaments?
Distance-only GPS is allowed when the committee permits distance-measuring devices. Features that measure elevation or wind, like Garmin’s PlaysLike distance, must be turned off. See our guide on slope and the rules.
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