In today’s world of technology, having a smartwatch makes life simpler overall. But not all smartwatches have the capacity to offer specific golf features. It can become burdensome when trying to sort out all of your different technologies and apps, so why not have a product that can do it all?
One of my personal favorites is the Garmin Approach S60. Not only does it offer superior golf features, but it also combines your typical smartwatch and fitness tracking capabilities, all wrapped up into a sporty wristwatch.
Read through this Garmin S60 golf watch review and see if this is the right choice for you.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Garmin Approach S60
Golf GPS systems help to provide the ultimate course management while on the green. With the impressive combination of a top-of-the-line golf GPS, smartwatch, and fitness tracker, the Garmin Approach S60 golf watch is in a league of its own.
If you are looking to improve your game’s overall quality, this golf watch is a great option. Some of the features on this watch are unmatched by any other brands. You will find that these things can be critical in analyzing your every move on the course.
The impressive technology packed into this wristwatch does not come with a small price tag, though. If you are not an avid golfer, there are other options out there that offer similar information at a fraction of the cost.
It is crucial to note that the watch does have the functionality of a smartwatch and fitness tracker built-in. Because this watch’s primary function is as a golf GPS, it doesn’t reach high-performance levels in these areas.
A few things to consider:
- Steep price tag
- Newer version S62 now available
- Not the best available fitness tracker or smartwatch
- It does not include a heart rate tracker
If you are looking for a top of the line, sleek smartwatch, Apple Watch is likely the way to go. But, the Garmin Approach S60 golf watch is still an attractive option that can sync well to your smartphone via Bluetooth to show you incoming calls, emails, and text messages on your wrist.
Garmin Approach S60 | At a Glance
The Garmin Approach S60 offers you critical information to help you master your golf game, all while being packed into a sporty wristwatch. You have all of the information readily accessible to you at the touch of a screen.
Pros
- Touch Targeting mapping feature allows you to finger-touch zoom
- Swing tempo measuring capability for practice and rounds
- Automatic downloads for your highly frequented courses
- PlaysLike Distance feature adjusts yardages to account for uphill/downhill shots
- Sync to your smartphone and connect via the Garmin Golf app
Cons
- High price tag
- Not the sleekest smartwatch
- Not as good of a fitness tracker as Fitbit
Overall, the Garmin Approach S60 golf watch is an excellent option for anyone who is not budget-conscious looking to improve their game. If you consider the cost of private lessons, the watch might not be the wrong choice. As long as you are familiar with golf GPS systems and can navigate through the features effectively, you will be sure to learn so much about your current game and how to improve.
Features & Benefits
All Garmin products are some of the highest available in terms of GPS technology. The Garmin Approach S60 golf watch does not fall short of any of the expectations brought on by this brand.
Most Notable Features
There are so many incredible features the Garmin Approach S60 has to offer, but here are some of the most noteworthy that make it stand out above all others on the market.
Swing Tempo Monitoring
Unlike many other products available, the Garmin Approach S60 measures your swing tempos. Before this golf watch, the only other way to accurately measure your swing tempo was to use swing analyzer products or extensive camera frames.
With the help of the Garmin Approach S60, you can the time that has elapsed on your backswing and downsizing to find a reliable, repeatable ratio. Measuring your swing tempo is critical in practice swings and can help you reach the optimal tempo of 3.0.
While it might seem unnecessary, having the ability to track your swing tempo during practice swings and rounds can be critical. I know for me that having this feature helped me recognize that my swings during rounds significantly increased. Realizing this has helped me to focus on my control during rounds and improve my overall game.
Touch Targeting
The first-ever GPS watch to allow you to zoom into different points of a hole makes it stand out from others on the market. The zoom features help you to check exact yardages to allow you to clear a bunker, water hazard, or navigate out of other vital locations. While you can find this sort of functionality in golf GPS products, you will not find it as compact as a wristwatch.
Additional Features & Benefits
The swing tempo monitoring and touch targeting are attributes that make the Garmin Approach S60 golf watch the industry leader. While many golf GPS products are offering standard features, you will find that the Garmin Approach S60 exceeds many of these standards as well.
Golf Course Library
The Garmin library contains over 41,000 different worldwide courses, which means that all of the information about the course you are playing will be quickly available to you within a matter of minutes. Not only does the watch come preloaded with all of these courses, but thanks to Garmin Connect, you can get automatic updates on your favorite courses downloaded whenever available.
Accuracy
The yardages provided in the Garmin library is exceptionally accurate when tested against a rangefinder and also against course yardage markings. PlaysLike Distance will adjust your yardages based on uphill and downhill shots.
Display
The Garmin displays not only the front and center but also the green back yardages as needed. The large face of the 1.2-inch touchscreen offers an overall crisp and clear display, even amidst direct sunlight overhead.
Customizable Look
Garmin offers a convenient QuickFit band, which allows you to have an interchangeable style worn on your wrist. Easily changed without using any tools, you can have your Garmin Approach S60 golf watch match you on and off the course.
You can also customize the face of your watch easily. Through the Connect IQ store, you can download custom watch faces, apps, and widgets for your golf watch. Are you looking for the ultimate customized watch face? Use the Face It app to upload any photo off of your mobile device to the face of your watch.
Battery life
The watch claims to have up to 10 hours of battery life while playing and up to 10 days in watch mode. Based on experience, I found roughly 8-10 hours of battery life on each charge, meaning you can easily play two full rounds of golf before having to charge up.
Shot Tracking
Because the Garmin Approach S60 is attached to your wrist at all times during your play, it will automatically sense each shot you take. Tracking your shots will immediately show you the distance clearly on the screen and helps you to figure out your actual yardages. If for bragging rights alone, this is a great feature and can also help you find rogue balls when needed.
AutoShot game tracking will automatically detect your movement through the course and record your shots along the way. At the end of your game, you can simply view your post-game analysis through Garmin Connect.
Scorecard Option
Another great feature of the Garmin Approach S60 is that it gives you the option to keep score or not. If you decide to, your watch will automatically sense when you’re on the green and will prompt you to enter strokes at each hole so that you will never forget.
Smartwatch and Fitness Tracker
If you are an exercise enthusiast, the Garmin S60 golf watch performs better as a smartwatch and overall Fitness Tracker. It does not automatically track your heart rate, but you can purchase a heart band that will sync up with the app. While it doesn’t have all of the latest FitBits and Apple Watches features, it still has decent monitoring.
One of my favorite aspects is the buzzing reminder to get up and move around when your Garmin Approach S60 senses too long of inactivity throughout your day. The Garmin app displays your activity by week or month while syncing up nicely to your smartphone.
You always have the option to pair the watch with your smartphone via Bluetooth. I choose to do so to view my incoming calls, emails, and texts on my wrist. With a simple buzz, I can quickly view my watch to see what is going on on my phone in my pocket.
Alternatives
While it is hard to top the quality at the Garmin S60 golf watch’s price, you might be curious about other options out there. Take a look at some of the top contenders I’ve found below.
Garmin Approach S62
Just when golf GPS technology couldn’t get any better, Garmin went and released the newest version of their watch in January 2020, the Garmin Approach S62 GPS Watch. Not surprisingly, these advances in their golf watches come with a hefty price tag.
The Virtual Caddie is one of the most mentionable new features on this watch, providing club suggestions at every hole. As an avid golfer, I don’t like utilizing this feature simply because I enjoy making that decision myself. It could help newer golfers or in extreme circumstances as it does take wind speed and direction into consideration.
- 18% larger touchscreen display than the S60
- Sharper resolution
- Faster on-screen map selection reaction
- Virtual Caddie providing club suggestions
- Increased battery life
Garmin Approach Z80
Offering the highest accuracy in measuring distance within 10” to the flag, the Garmin Approach Z80 gives you a new perspective on courses not available through any other products out there. Equipped with the Garmin software with over 41,000 preloaded worldwide courses, the Approach Z80 will determine which hole you are playing at the moment to deliver course layout and par information.
For the golf connoisseur, the Garmin Approach Z80 will leave no details of each hole unnoticed. While you will lose the smartwatch and fitness tracking convenience, you are gaining unmatched distance measuring accuracy.
- Laser Range Arc shows an arc on the 2D course map
- PlaysLIke Distance will adjust yardages for uphill and downhill shots
- PinPointer feature helps on blind spots
- Image stabilization for ease in finding and ranging the flag
- CourseView and Green View overlay imaging
GolfBuddy Voice 2
If you are looking for a simple, no-fuss option to help you on the course, the GolfBuddy Voice2 is an excellent option to consider. With a price tag significantly lower than the Garmin options, the GolfBuddy Voice2 is still a quality piece that displays actual distances to the front, back, and center of the green.
Loaded with 40,000 worldwide courses and free updates available via USB sync, the GolfBuddy Voice2 will provide you with distance measuring at the push of a button. The GolfBuddy Voice2 will read out measurements from the convenience of your hat or belt, unique to this product.
- Affordable option
- Multiple color choices
- Reads distance out loud
- Hands-free clips to hat or bag
- Customer service notoriously bad
Final Thoughts
Garmin proves time and time again to be an industry leader in GPS technology, so it is no surprise that they are one of the best options for taking your golf game to the next level. This Garmin Approach S60 review has clearly shown the incredible features this watch has to offer. Choosing to move forward with the purchase is entirely up to your budget.
Why be bothered fumbling around with different gadgets and apps? Combine your smartwatch, fitness tracker, and golf GPS water all in one with the Garmin Approach S60 for a seamless transition on and off the course.
Click here to check out the Garmin Approach S60.
