Garmin Approach S60 Review & Best Golf Watch Alternatives

The Garmin S60 is a great golf watch with unbeatable style and functionality. Hazle-free golf with the strategy of your next shot on your wrist. A real plus with the Garmin S60 is its very smooth feel and it does not feel like it’s in the way at all.

Keeping track of your score

With sensor technology to improve the proximity of the “AutoShot”, your golf watch will register placement of strokes and distances for a continued, in-depth, analysis on Garmin Connect. The “AutoShot” function will automatically keep track of every stroke along with the golf round.

Another great feature that I know have been sought after is the ability to compete with friends through the golf app. You can create “Top Lists” and add tournament modes, which is really great.

Automatic updates

Many golf courses frequently make alternations to the golf course, such as changing the tee placement, moving around hazards, bunkers, and greens. With the latest automatic and extended database of the Garmin S60, it will automatically update your favorite golf course to the latest modifications. This is a great feature I know other Golf watches lack.

Greenview and “PlaysLike-distance”

The Green-view is outstanding, with its large and colorful screen. The ability to move the flag around on the touchpad increases your odds to land close enough for a birdie putt.

“PlaysLike” is a function that allows you to adjust the distance to the target depending on if it is an upward or downward sloping hill. This function is also possible with the “point-at” function, where you can go into map view and tap on the screen to get the distance to the hazard or bunker of your choice.

Personalize and Activate yourself outside the course!

With up to 10h battery you can easily last 2 rounds of golf with the GPS function. Without the GPS function activated you can use the watch for up to 10 days. You can use the Garmin Approach S60 for running, cycling, swimming and much more. You can then save and collect it all in the Garmin Connect app.

This golf watch can count steps, calories and helps you keep an active lifestyle. Garmin keeps stepping up the game!

We tried The Garmin Approach S60 on the Course – Here is what we found!

The Garmin S20 contains:

Scoring
As soon as you leave the green, the watch will automatically switch over the “score” tab, which is very neat. Depending on your settings, you will enter fairway hit, the number of putts and the number of total strokes on the hole. It will then automatically calculate GIR (green in regulation) and update it to your Garmin Connect app.
Here is what a score card could look like:

We think that it is clear and easy to navigate. One downside is that it is difficult to do any changes when you have entered the wrong amount of strokes or puts on the watch.

Accuracy
We made it a habit to stop at every distance checker on the course and compare it to the watch and it was surprisingly accurate! We also compared the distance to hazards with a range-finder and it only differed 1-3 yards, which is probably due to the thickness of fingers.

One thing to be aware of is if the watch thinks that you are at another hole that the one you are actually playing. This can occur by accident when you are walking down the fairway or if you are close to, or even behind, the green that you are playing towards. This is an easy fix, as one click of a button will move you to the correct hole. But still, be aware!

Distance and map overview
The distance and map overview is probably what makes this watch such a great investment. With on click, you get the entire hole with yardage and dogleg. You are then able to zoom in and out of the course to take a closer look at hazards or doglegs.

With another touch on the screen, you will get distances to the 250, 200, 150 or 100-yard lay-ups which is very very useful. When close enough to the green, it will give you the distance to the front, back and middle of the green. For those skilled enough, you can pick and choose yourself where to “put” the flag on your watch.
Amazing function!

Battery
After the round, I have around 60% of the battery left, and the round was around 4h, which means I could definitely play 2 rounds on one charge which is great. The charging takes a little longer than what you would be used to with i.e. your iPhone, but I doubt you will run into battery problems with this watch.

The Bottom Line
It looks good, collects all the necessary stats for any golf/stat lover and it does the job and then some. The application and interactiveness could be improved but we would suggest using this togheter with another scoring app for ultimate tracking.

Alternative #1

Garmin Approach S20

We would like to stick out our necks and put the Garmin Approach S20 as the first alternative.

Garmin has an incredible track record with all things GPS, outdoor and sports and is a clear favorite in the sector.

The Garmin S20 contains:

• Autoshot – Autorecording shot distances with your Garmin Connect account.
• Comfortable and Stylish – Comfortable fit and does not feel like it is hindering any movements.
• Activity tracking – Off and on the course. Displays – Steps, Calroies, Distance and monitors your sleeping patterns.
• Scorecard – Very simple and effective way to keep score
• Pre-programmed golf courses

Of course, there are drawbacks to the S20 compared to the S60 but the clear pro is the drop in price when a new model arrives.

Features that the S20 lacks compared to the S60:

• Lower Display Resolution – Tthe S60 offers the higher resolution of 240 x 240 px.
• No Full Color – The S60 rocks a full-color touchscreen display gives you a birds-eye view of the course map, along with distances to relevant hazards ect.
• Less sporty look – The S20 do not offer such a sporty look as compared to the s60.
• Lack of Touch Target – The s60 makes it very easy to get the distance to a target by simply tapping it on the watch.
• Less Activity Profiles – The S60 allows multiple activity profiles both in golf and in other sports such as running, swimming, cycling and skiing.
• Lack of Vibrating Notifications – Unlike the S60’s vibration combined with the audio notifications, the S20 lacks vibration to its audio.
• No “PlaysLike” Feature – The PlaysLike Distance feature added to the S60 calculates differences in play style needed based on elevation.

Both are really god buys, but the S60 is probably a safer bet in terms of longevity and software updates as the s20 is the better bet in terms of value.

You can check out the Garmin S20 here and the Garmin S60 here.

Alternative #2

GolfBuddy GB9 WTX+

The Golfbuddy GB9 offers great value and a sleak design. It offers full color display, sensitive touch screen and over 38 000 pre-loaded courses.

It features:

• Course update with GolfBuddy Smartphone App
• Notification sync through Bluetooth with smartphones
• Preloaded with over 38,000 courses with free updates
• Automatic course and hole recognition
• Distances to front, center, and back of the green
• Distance to water hazards, bunkers and out of bounds
• Distance readings from the golfer’s position – Dynamic green view
• Shot distance measurement – legal for handicap & tournament play

The battery life and customer reviews are outstanding, putting this golf GPS watch second on our alternatives to the Garmin S60.

Amazon Review

The Golf Buddy watch had performed very well through several rounds. It automatically detected every course and changes to the next hole well without needing my prompting. The color screen is clear and easy to read. The battery lasts through multiple rounds. ….

I like the fact that it’s a watch and I don’t have to worry about losing it, which is the case with handheld and clip-on devices. From what I can tell, it’s accurate. Readings have pretty much been in line with course markings. I bought it on sale during the Amazon Prime days and I’d say it’s a good deal overall.

→ Check out User-Reviews and Pricing here 

Alternative #3

Bushnell iON 2 Golf GPS

Bushnell is often seen as the “Runner Up” to Garmin and offers great products in close contest to the quality that Garmin delivers.

Those who like a little more sporty look to their golf watch should definitely look into the Bushnell iON 2.

• This product includes a USB Cable and a Portable USB Charger
• Like many watches, it includes course recognition, automatic hole switching and back, center and front distances.
• It measures distances to bunkers, water hazards and out of bounds
• Well working step counter.

The watch is easy to use. You just search for a course, it shows all the courses in your area, you pick the course you want to play and you’re ready to go.

Compared to the yardages of handheld laser GPSs, the yardage is always within a yard or two. We think that a watch is easier to use and takes up less time from playing.

→ Check out User-Reviews and Pricing here

Alternative #4

Garmin Approach X40 Golf GPS Watch

Another Garmin! We couldn’t help ourselves. But the “X” series is slightly different and will probably not suit everyone.

But it is a great alternative for those who want to get more out of their golf watch and are looking for more “activity-tech” and slim design.

• Same distance tracking as Garmin S20 (distance to back, center, and front of the green)
• Autoshot – automatically records shots during the round and connects to the Garmin account
• Unique feature – 24/7 Heart rate monitor. This heart rate monitor is up there among the best and is a really cool feature to add to your golf watch. This reduces the need to use two devices.
• Up to 10h battery life with GPS activated, and 5 days without.

So those that are looking for a great hybrid between an activity watch and a golf GPS watch – this is it for you. Some may be thrown off by the size of the screen, but if you only are interested in the distances, this is easy to live with.

→ Check out User-Reviews and Pricing here

Thank you for reading this post, hope you find the Golf GPS Watch for you! If you have any questions or want to interact with us, please leave a comment down below.

Make sure to check out our Guide to find the best golf balls for you or us listing the 5 best electrical golf push carts!

All the best.