Garmin Approach S60: Golf GPS Watch review

Garmin has launched the new Approach S60 golf GPS watch into Australia and after testing it out over the last few weeks we can confirm it’s a beauty.

We were pretty excited to get our hands on the new Garmin Approach S60 golf GPS watch and we weren’t disappointed.

The Garmin Approach S60 is an updated version of the Approach S6 which came out a few years ago now. Resembling the multi-sport Garmin Fenix GPS watch, the Approach S60 is geared towards golfers with a circular colour-screen face that looks as stylish as any golf watch we’ve seen.

Whereas recent offerings from both Garmin and other golf watch brands have tended to lean towards a more sporty design, Garmin have gone the other way with the Approach S60 offering up a watch that looks good on the tee, in the office or at the bar.

In our opinion, the Garmin Approach S60 could be considered the best golf GPS watch on the market.

First impressions
Our first thoughts were the ones we spoke about in the Garmin Approach S60 unboxing video a few weeks ago. This is a slick-looking watch. Probably the most stylish golf GPS watch we have reviewed. The first thing we noticed is just how solid the Approach S60 feels.

This is a Garmin watch after all – they don’t do things by halves but it was noticeable that this was a not just a watch to be worn on the golf course.

The leather band is comfortable, looks good and can be easily interchanged without the need for any tools. The default/time view can be changed to several different options and it was clear that the inside circular section, featuring 18 numbers was going to be useful on the golf course.

On the golf course
The Garmin Approach S60 does a great job of giving you all the basic distances you need; front, back and centre of the green. But it’s the extra stuff that the Approach S60 can do that distinguishes itself above its competitors.

Pre-loaded with 40,000 golf courses, the Approach S60 is a breeze to get running on the golf course.

Tapping the golf application will see the S60 begin searching for golf courses near your location. Selecting the golf course you’re playing will reveal some options including whether you would like to keep score before showing a map of the first hole and distances to the front, back and middle of the green.

By tapping the colour map of the hole you can zoom and measure the distance to say, a bunker or water hazard by simply positioning the marker anywhere you like. By tapping on the green, the pin position can also be moved and saved for that particular round.

We particularly liked the option to switch easily to any hole on the course by dragging your finger around the outside of the watch face and selecting the hole of interest. The digital, colour watch face is incredibly responsive.

Once we knew all the options, there was no time wasted in getting a few quick measurements in between shots.

A bunch of other great features can be enabled to track more information during your round including the option to set the average driving distance to be mapped automatically each hole to give you a quick way to see if your tee shot will reach that hazard.

The Garmin Autoshot feature is again implemented in the Approach S60 as well as the SwingTempo and Swing Training features. By connecting to the Garmin Golf app, AutoShot is a great automatic way of tracking your every shot on the golf course. It’s easy to enter club information and see your round shot-by-shot.

Off the golf course
It would be remiss of us to not add a little more on how much we enjoyed wearing the Approach S60 off the golf course.

Like a lot of the Garmin range, we added the running app to our favourites and with a click of the top-right button, we could easily select it to track our run on the odd day we were feeling like doing some exercise.

It kept us moving by tracking the number of steps we took each day, received call and message notifications from our smartphone, and we lost track of the number of compliments and enquiries we received about the Approach S60.

Drawbacks
The Garmin Approach S60 comes with its own unique USB charging cable. And while the battery life was fantastic (we estimate you could easily get through a full day of golf without needing a recharge) we did find ourselves out of battery and after leaving the cable behind, we couldn’t immediately recharge it.

The GPS lost track of which hole we were playing during one testing but it was easy to get to the correct hole by sliding our finger around to around the perimeter of the watch face.

While we loved the large, solid feel of the Approach 60, we could see that its size may annoy a few golfers who aren’t used to wearing a watch while playing a round of golf. After preferring to use a rangefinder for the past year, it did take us a while to get used to wearing it on the golf course. By the end of the round, we loved how simple it was to use and wouldn’t hesitate to wear it again.

The price of the Approach S60 might put a few golfers off as it is towards the top end of the market. But if you’re looking for a slick new watch, AND something to wear on the golf course, this is a ripper that will keep you happy for many years.

The Garmin Approach S60 is priced at $570 and now available in Australia.
The Garmin Approach S60 was provided for review purposes only. We voluntarily reviewed this product under Aussie Golfer’s review policies.