What makes it a great Golf Watch
Garmin has just released their brand-new golf smartwatch: the Approach S60 and it looks like they hit a, er, hole-in-one on this one [That wasn’t a stretch]. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge fan of Garmin’s past golf watches or not, if you are anywhere near the green then you’ll want to be wearing one of these.
Garmin has produced many watches over the years each with a specific focus ranging from GPS, Marine, Fitness, and of course Golf. Recently however, Garmin has started to combine features from these different areas to create a more complete experience with each unit. This doesn't mean you get less of a golf focus, the Garmin Approach S60 is a golf watch first and FORE-most [I’ll stop I swear] so the course info and auto-tracking features are safe. Now, however, the watch includes activity tracking and sport training modes similar to that of Garmin’s flagship Fenix 5 range which will count your steps, calories burned and distance travelled.
The Fenix 5 and the Approach S60 share other similarities such as the impressive 1.2 inch 240x240 colour screen (a step up from the previous S6 which only had a 1” display size). Unlike the fenix 5 though the Approach S60 is has a touchscreen. In regards to battery life, the Approach S60 will last approximately 10 hours in active mode. While in the standard watch mode the battery can last up to 10 days. The Approach S60 range is compatible with Garmin’s 22mm Quickfit watch band range. You’ll be able to buy custom watch bands that are snap-in and snap-out fits to quickly change the style of your watch.
Golf Features
The Approach S60 has access to 40,000 golf courses worldwide with 1,236 of those located in Australia. To check if your club is available click here. This course knowledge affords the S60 information for their golf features such as PlaysLike Distance, which adjusts yardages to account for uphill and downhill shots so you can select the best club for the situation. Touch targeting will allow you to touch any point on the map for precise measurements to that exact spot (includes: fairway, sand traps, water hazards and more). The Green view option shows you the green’s true shape from wherever you are on the course. It also allows you to manually drag-and-drop the pin to the correct location for the day for greater accuracy. PinPointer will also tell you the correct direction to the pin when you’re in a blind spot.
It also features other great apps like Swing Tempo to make sure you perform a more consistent swing.
Autoshot will automatically detect your shot and record the distance so you can view it later. It works by detecting when you’ve made a shot, ideally when you’ve made good contact with the ball. Then measure the distance between where that shot was made and your next shot. *Putts are not detected
Social Features
In addition to the Garmin Connect which is still the go-to app for your stats and scores, Garmin has introduced Garmin Golf app. In Garmin Golf, you can compete in weekly leaderboards or you can set up your own tournament for multiple friends to compete. You can also live chat and post their results for others to see. If you have a compatible Garmin device, your scorecard will upload when you sync to the app through Garmin Connect or Garmin Express.
The Approach S60 is available now and the standard Black and White band units are priced at $579. Which is on par for what it can do for you. That was a golf pun if you didn’t catch it. There is a premium Black ceramic version priced at $699 available now also.
*Prices are subject to change