When Garmin wants to apply all of its technological expertise in a class-leading GPS golf watch, and outstanding product is the likely result. Thus a Garmin Approach S60 review of all that the great new model does shows it pretty much is the epitome of current golf GPS watch production.
The Approach S60 looks and works great as a traditional watch with an LCD screen and hour, minute and second sweep hands. When you go to one of the more than 40,000 included regulation golf courses for a round of golf, the S60 automatically recognizes and loads the relevant golf course map and information based on its GPS location.
It will take up to 5 minutes to sync with the appropriate satellite and load the correct golf course map. Once done, the Garmin S60 GPS coordinates tells it which hole you are on and loads it automatically. If you start on the back nine, it will load the map for the 10th hole instead of the 1st hole.
Pros:
- Shot-tracker and plays-like indicators.
- Full color overhead course view.
- Great-looking watch.
- Free Garmin Golf App included.
- Legal for tournament play.
Cons:
- Relatively short battery life between.
- Price will discourage some potential buyers.
The Approach S60 gives you a great overhead view of the hole with the ability to do a flyover and see every hazard, dogleg and the green. A 1.2-inch LCD display delivers an excellent image and highly accurate range data.
You get the front, middle and back distances to the green with the middle distance displayed in larger numbers. Range arcs show the distances to the various hazards, layups and doglegs so that you can identify the safe areas and choose the best club to reach it.
As you move through each hole on the golf course, the Garmin S60 GPS coordinates continually updates your location and distance data to the green.
You can use the touchscreen to pick a target area and get a GPS-guided distance that is accurate to within about a yard of the target. The golf watch will tell you how far it is, which tells you which club you should pick for the golf shot. Whether you are hitting an approach shot to the green or teeing off, the Approach S60 will detect the hit and show the distance.
The golf watch also lets you zoom in on hazards and get a better idea of their shape, size and distance to set up the next golf shot. You can get the straight-ahead distance to the front and back of the hazard to help ensure that you do not land your ball inside the danger zone.
The continually updated data helps you to set up the best approach shot and possibly beat par.
Active Green Feature
An accurate overhead view of each green gives you the best idea of how it is shaped and where you need to place the ball to set up an easy putt. The premium golf GPS watch shows how the green adapts to your angle of approach so that you always get the information on what is directly ahead of you.
A pin-locator feature lets you manually place the pin so that it accurately reflects the actual location for the day. Golf courses regularly cut new cup locations to keep the greens in their best shape and to always ensure the course has new challenges for returning players. The pin locator enables the Garmin Approach S60 to adjust the distance data to the exact pin location and give you the most accurate information that will help you to lower your score.
Plays-Like Indicator Prevents Bad Golf Shots
The rise and fall of the terrain on each hole greatly affects how the ball will travel and where it will land. When hitting shots from a lower elevation, that ball will not travel as far due to the ground rising up to meet it. If the target area is at a lower elevation, then the ball will carry even further in the air and could fly over your target.
Like most golf watches the S60 gives you detailed hole maps and your target area gives you the plays-like distance based on those elevation changes to the target area, including the green. The plays-like distance provides the slope compensation that gives you the practical distance that you need to cover and prevent adding strokes to your score.
Slope compensation technology like the plays-like feature on the S60 is banned for use in R&A and USGA tournaments. You can turn off the plays-like function and make the Approach S60 fully legal for tournament play. Local tournaments might have other rules about using a GPS golf watch or laser rangefinder, so you should check when not competing in a tournament that is sanctions by the R&A or USGA.
Rechargeable Battery Supports Two Rounds
The Garmin S60 has a long battery life as it is a rechargeable lithium unit that gives you up to 10 hours of power while in golf mode and 40 hours while in basic watch mode. The 10 hours is plenty for two full rounds of golf.
With as many special features included with the GPS golf watch, a 10-hour charge is a truly good amount and helps to deliver even more value to its owners. An included USB cable enables quick charges from USB charging ports in your car or from a laptop or an AC adapter.
Garmin Golf App Included
The Garmin Approach S60 includes a free download of the Garmin Connect App, which converts your cellphone into a truly exceptional golfing tool. The app works on Android devices and iPhones alike and enables continual updates of golf course maps and other great features.
You can use it as a digital scorecard and track each club that you use. After a few rounds of golf, the app will show the average distances that you achieve with each club and help you to better identify which club and swing combinations need more practice while at the driving range.
Why Should I Buy a Garmin Approach S60?
The Garmin S60 review does a good job of showing all the great features that you get with the exceptional Garmin Approach S60 GPS watch. The technology backing it is among the best available anywhere, and the S60 truly is a class-leading piece of golf technology that any player would be happy to include in his or her golf kit.
It looks and performs exceptionally well and pulls double duty as a multisport fitness watch. The purchase price makes it obtainable for any golfing enthusiast who enjoys the best and truly wants to improve his or her golf scores.
Still not sold? Check out the comparison between the Garmin S60 vs Golf Buddy Aim W10 to see how it stacks up.
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