Not only do they require a clear line of sight to get the yardage, but they also require steady hands and rain or mist can affect the laser.

The solution is to invest in a golf GPS watch. It gives you all your yardages, while leaving you completely hands-free. And if you’re also in the market for a fitness tracker, there’s no need to pay twice.

There are some great golf GPS watches around that also double as fitness trackers. You can track your number of steps, your heart rate, your calories burned, and more.

I’ve been checking out some of the best golf GPS watches around that also double as fitness trackers.

After much deliberation, I was able to handpick a shortlist of our top few favorites to review for you. Let’s start with our top pick, the Garmin Approach S60.

Our Top Pick: Garmin Approach S60

Our Top Pick

Garmin Approach S60

$299.90

Look good on and off the course. The Approach S60 golf watch gives you the critical information you need for your round — displayed on a large, 1.2-inch sunlight readable color touchscreen — so you can master your game. And with convenient QuickFit bands, you can change your style without tools to match your activity, so you’re always in fashion.

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• 1.2 inch diameter, full color touchscreen display
• Provides yardages, auto shot tracking and more
• It can give you a bird’s eye view of the green
• Can be paired with your phone for smart notifications
• Fitness tracker with several preloaded activity profiles
• Reasonably good battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• Poor fitness tracker due to lack of heart rate monitoring
• Not a budget golf GPS watch

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02/05/2024 01:41 pm GMT

Introduction to Garmin Approach S60

I decided to make this my number one pick. I feel it has the most to offer the golf enthusiast without costing quite as much as some of the more expensive high-end models. like the Garmin Approach S62 which also made my shortlist.

When the Garmin Approach S60 became available in 2019, it became a quick hit, legendary even.

It has a large, 1.2 inch diameter, full color high resolution touchscreen display. And it comes preloaded with 40,000 golf course maps from all over the world.

When I tried the watch for myself, I found that I could bring up bird’s eye views of the course I was on, and of each hole. Even under direct sunlight, there was no glare, and I could see the display clearly.

Based on the GPS signal, you get yardages to the front, middle and back of the green and so on, so you will be informed exactly how far you have to hit the golf ball at each turn.

This in turn can also help you to decide which club to use for each shot. And it will also give your yardages to any hazards and doglegs and such as well.

But, the usefulness of the S60 to your golf game does not stop there – not by a long shot (excuse the pun!).

There’s PlaysLike Distance, to automatically adjust yardages to account for uphill and downhill shots (in other words, compensation for slope or elevation – somewhat of a rare feature).

There’s Touch Targeting to give you precise distances to any spot, be it the hole or a hazard. And it has AutoShot to automatically record distances during the game. Super handy for post game analysis.

You can also pair it up with the Garmin Truswing Sensor, via Bluetooth. For the uninitiated, the Garmin Truswing Sensor is an incredibly useful tool for anyone who’s serious about improving their golf game.

The Truswing Sensors attach to your golf clubs to give you super accurate data on the club path, your swing tempo, your swing speed, face to target, the dynamic loft, the shaft angle and more besides.

It can even give you 3D animations of each swing, displayed on your smartphone. Although, technically speaking, this watch doesn’t have heart rate monitoring already built-in, it turns out that you can pair it to a heart rate monitor via Bluetooth.

And this is actually a good thing because you get more accurate readouts if you were to use a heart rate monitor around your chest than any heart rate monitor going on the pulse in your wrist.

That said it is still a decent fitness tracker, and it comes with preloaded activity profiles for running, cycling, swimming and more.

It also offers smartwatch functionality, which basically means you can pair it with your smartphone via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls, text messages, emails and more.

When I tested the watch for myself, I was more than happy with the yardage accuracy, especially when there were slopes involved.

I thought the battery life in GPS mode was quite good, coming in at 10 hours on a full charge, but depending on what time of day your game starts, this could be an issue if you had left it on GPS mode all day long.

Admittedly, this watch does cost considerably more money than the budget golf GPS watches that made my shortlist.

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• 1.2 inch diameter, full color touchscreen display
• Provides yardages, auto shot tracking and more
• It can give you a bird’s eye view of the green
• Can be paired with Garmin Truswing for swing metrics
• Can be paired with your phone for smart notifications
• Fitness tracker with several preloaded activity profiles
• Reasonably good battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• Poor fitness tracker due to lack of heart rate monitoring
• Not a budget golf GPS watch

Editors Choice: Garmin Approach S62

Editors Choice

Garmin Approach S62

$448.99

We’ve got your game with Approach S62, a premium GPS golf watch that puts critical information from more than 41, 000 full-color course maps worldwide on your wrist.

Large 1.3” easy-to-read color touchscreen display (18% larger than Approach S60) with scratch-resistant ceramic bezel and interchangeable QuickFit bands

Virtual Caddie suggests club based on typical distance the golfer hits that club, factors in wind speed and direction, and indicates where the golfer should aim on the map.

Pros:

• Sleek smartwatch with a wide range of helpful features for golfers
• Provides slope adjusted distances
• Tells you the wind speed and direction
• The large display makes this watch easier to use

Cons:

• Tracking system sold separately

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02/05/2024 02:21 pm GMT

Introduction to Garmin Approach S62

The Garmin Approach S62 is an upgraded version of the Approach S62 that I reviewed for you earlier. It has more features than the S60, but I didn’t make it the top pick of the shortlist because of its much higher price tag.

It has a large 1.3 inch, scratch resistant, easy to read full color touchscreen, that’s 18% larger than that of the S60. And it comes preloaded with 41,000 golf course maps worldwide.

My favorite feature was the Virtual Caddie, which suggests which club to use next, based not just on the typical distances you hit but also factoring in the wind speed and direction. 

This was a mind opener and really helped my game.

Key Features

• Green view – allows manual pin positioning 
• Hazard view – self-explanatory
• PlaysLike Distance – slope or elevation compensation
• PinPointer – shows direction of pin when you’re in a blind spot
• Pairing up with the Garmin golf app – for post game analysis & leaderboards etc.

It also offers smartwatch functionality, which basically means you can pair it with your smartphone via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls, text messages, emails and more. And it even allows you to make contactless payments.

When I tested it out, I was impressed not only with the golf features and the display itself, but also with the battery life. It lasted a whopping 20 hours in GPS mode.

You can also use it as a fitness tracker, and use it to count your steps, and track what distance you cover in activities like hiking and running.

Unfortunately, however, it does not feature heart rate monitoring, so it cannot give you a good estimate of calories burned during exercise. Other than that, I guess the only other real drawback to this watch for a golf enthusiast is the scary high price tag.

Pros:

• Very large full color touch screen
• Has a great Virtual Caddie function
• Loads of other great golf features
• Even features slope compensation
• Is also a smartwatch & fitness tracker
• Amazingly long 20-hour battery life

Cons:

• Premium product at a premium price
• Poor fitness tracker due to lack of heart rate monitoring

Best Value: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (Golf Edition)

Best Value

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (Golf Edition)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 Golf Edition brings smart to your golf game. You can get up-to-date information on over 40,000 golf courses around the world so you can always know accurate yardage to plan your next shot.* A sleek, sporty design is built for style and comfort everywhere from the golf course to the pool to a night out.** Plus, seamless notifications and integration with your favorite apps means you can stay on top of everything without interrupting your round.

Pros:

• 40,000 preloaded golf courses
• Offers color bird’s eye views
• Loads of great golf features
• Also doubles as a smartwatch
• Works great as a fitness tracker

Cons:

• No slope or elevation compensation
• Battery life could be better
• It’s not what I’d call a budget watch, but it’s significantly more affordable than the Garmin Approach S62

Check Price

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Introduction to Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (Golf Edition)

Now, this is a great watch in all three categories, as a golf GPS watch, as a fitness tracker with heart rate monitoring, and as a smartwatch too.

Let’s start with the golf features. It comes preloaded with over 40,000 golf courses from around the world, which is about the same number as those offered by Garmin golf GPS watches.

It features full maps that display bunkers, hazards and such, and satellite views of the course, displaying the current location, fairways, greens, and yardages.

There’s also automatic hole recognition, touch targeting to find distances to specific locations, dual arc distancing to and from the hole, automatic shot tracking.

And there’s also a digital scorecard that will keep track of holes played, the par for each hole, and the number of putts, etc.

It’s also a great fitness tracker because it features a sensor to monitor your heart rate right on your wrist, so you don’t need to pair it with a chest monitor.

And measuring your heart rate gives you more accurate estimates of your calories burned, AND it can be used to track your sleep patterns.

It also features a step counter, and features apps for tracking swimming, running, and cycling.

It will also give you how many floors you’ve climbed, or laps around a track or pool, your calories burned per day, and number of repetitions done for any strength training exercise you do.

The smartwatch functionality, which basically means you can pair it with your smartphone via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls, text messages, emails and more.

And that’s not all. You can also use it to play music and podcasts from Spotify, and even download your favorite music directly to the watch, thanks to the whopping 4 GB of internal storage.

When I took the watch to the course to test it, I accidentally dropped it in a puddle (I wasn’t wearing it at the time), and I found that the watch still continued to work just fine.

I also found that I could see the color display very clearly, even in direct sunlight, with no glare. I have to admit that when I tested out the battery life, I was quite disappointed.

But I guess I was asking a lot of the watch that day because I had both the heart rate monitor on and had the GPS running.

Pros:

• 40,000 preloaded golf courses
• Offers color bird’s eye views
• Loads of great golf features
• Also doubles as a smartwatch
• Works great as a fitness tracker
• You can use it to play music

Cons:

• No slope or elevation compensation
• Battery life could be better
• It’s not what I’d call a budget watch, but it’s significantly more affordable than the Garmin Approach S62
• Be sure to buy the Golf Edition, because the regular version does not have the special golfing features

Runner Up: Garmin Approach S20

Runner Up

Garmin Approach S20

$249.99

Approach S20 is the golfing partner that doubles as your everyday watch. Features more than 40,000 courses plus Garmin AutoShot round analyzer, activity tracking and smart notifications.

Combines elegant watchband design with high-resolution display and activity tracking.

AutoShot round analyzer measures and auto-records shot distances.

Pros:

• App support with AutoShot Round Analyser for reviewing your performance after every game
• Shows layup distances
• Works as a regular watch and can also be used for email and social media

Cons:

• This watch has difficulty syncing to the course you are on

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02/05/2024 12:31 am GMT

Introduction to Garmin Approach S20

The Garmin Approach S20 is the full package. Not only is it an excellent GPS golf watch and fitness tracker, but it’s a smartwatch too.

You can pair it with your smartphone via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls, text messages, emails and more. Its performance as a golf GPS watch is exemplary.

Like most other Garmin golf watches, it comes preloaded with over 40,000 golf course maps from all over the world.

Plus, users get unlimited updates of these courses for the whole lifetime of the watch. Based on the GPS signal, you get yardages to the front, middle and back of the green and so on, so you will be informed exactly how far you have to hit the golf ball at each turn.

This in turn can also help you to decide which club to use for each shot. And it will also give your yardages to any hazards and doglegs and such as well.

It also has a Green View feature which shows you the true shape and layout of the green, even if you’re behind it. And you can manually reposition the pin as needed.

But where the S20 really comes into its own is when you pair it up with the Garmin Truswing Sensor.

The S20 is also quite a good fitness tracker. Not only does it count your steps every day, and the distance you cover as you walk, jog or whatever, but it also monitors your heart rate through the pulse on your wrist.

And because of this monitoring, it can give you a far more accurate estimate of your calories burned than it otherwise would have. And it can also be used to monitor your sleep to boot.

I like the aesthetic of this watch, with its black silicone band, and smooth rectangular monochrome display. And I can confirm, because I tested it, you can see the display clearly even under direct sunlight.

When I tested the battery life of the device, I found that it lasted about 15 hours in GPS mode on a full charge.

I also found that the yardages provided matched that on my handheld GPS unit, and I never had a problem with the GPS signal.

I would argue that it’s incredibly competitively priced, given just how much functionality this watch has.

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• Provides yardages and auto shot tracking
• It can give you a bird’s eye view of the green
• Can be paired with Garmin Truswing for swing metrics
• Can be paired with your phone for smart notifications
• Fitness tracking includes heart rate monitoring
• Excellent battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• No slope or elevation compensation
• Display is not color but black/white monochrome

Runner Up: Garmin Approach S40

Runner Up

Garmin Approach S40 GPS Golf Watch

$372.98

The Approach S40 GPS golf smartwatch with color touchscreen looks great on your wrist and on the course. It shows distances to the front, middle and back of the green, hazards and automatically records detected shot distances (lie and ball contact may affect shot tracking). It also lets you manually adjust to today’s pin position for accurate approach shots. For even more precise automatic game tracking, pair with optional Approach CT10 club tracking sensors.

Pros:

• Responsive touchscreen
• Waterproof
• Fitness tracking included
• Versatile

Cons:

• Not very user-friendly
• No heart rate monitor
• Quite expensive

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02/05/2024 03:43 pm GMT

Introduction to Garmin Approach S40

Now, the Garmin Approach S40 is an excellent GPS watch for golf. Not only because it comes preloaded with 41,000 golf course maps from all over the world. There are plenty of other excellent features.

This makes it an excellent gadget for those who like to enter golf tournaments abroad. And where the S40 really stands out against other Garmin GPS fitness tracking watches, is that the display is in full color, and you can bring up a clear bird’s eye view of the area before you start your game and for each shot.

You can manually set the pin position, and the watch will automatically work out the yardages to the front, middle and the back of the green. And it will also work out the yardages to any hazards as well.

You can connect it to the Garmin Golf app, which enables you to view all your stats, both in real time during play, and afterward as well, for some in-depth post-game analysis.

And if you’re feeling really confident, you can compete on leaderboards, too. But where the S40 really comes into its own as a golf GPS watch is how you can pair it up with special sensors over Bluetooth to get advanced swing metrics.

These sensors can be screwed into each grip of all of your clubs, and they will automatically track every stroke, and tell you where and how far you’ve hit each shot. They can even measure your downswing and upswing tempo.

For more information on the Garmin Approach CT10 sensors, just go to our review here on Golftlink. They may be somewhat expensive, but if you have the budget for them, they can really help your game.

It’s also a smartwatch, and you can pair it with your smartphone to receive notifications of calls, text messages, emails and more.

You can also use it as a fitness tracker, and use it to count your steps, and track what distance you cover in activities like hiking and running.

Unfortunately, however, it does not feature heart rate monitoring, so it cannot give you a good estimate of calories burned during exercise. When I tried it out for myself, I felt it was a really nice change to have a display that’s in full color. And I found that having that bird’s eye view really helped me get a better feel for the game.

The display is also a nice size at 1.2 inch diameter, which I found I could view clearly even under direct sunlight.

When I tested its battery life, I was really impressed to find that it lasted a whopping 15 hours in GPS mode on a full charge. It’s available with different color bands and bezels.

And through Amazon, you can also buy it as a bundle deal with the Garmin Approach CT10 sensors, or with golf balls or golf balls and such.

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• Provides yardages and auto shot tracking
• Gives a bird’s eye view of the courses and holes
• Can be paired with your phone for smart notifications
• Large, easy to read full color touchscreen display
• Excellent battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• Poor fitness tracker due to lack of heart rate monitoring
• No slope or elevation compensation

Runner Up: Garmin Vivoactive 3

Runner Up

Garmin Vivoactive 3

$239.99

From playing to paying, vívoactive 3 is the smartwatch for your active life. Make contactless payments with ease, right from your watch, and with more than 15 preloaded sports apps — you can choose how you like to get fit. Built-in GPS lets you record the distance, pace, location and more for your outdoor activities.

Pros:

• Met with excellent customer ratings
• It comes very reasonably priced
• Preloaded with many activity profiles
• Handy range of golfing features
• Tracks heart rate, fitness & stress levels
• Good battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• No preloaded golf course maps
• No bird’s eye view of the courses or holes
• No advanced swing training metrics
• Doesn’t save locations of hazards
• No slope compensation

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02/05/2024 02:27 pm GMT

Introduction to Garmin Vivoactive 3

Now, this GPS watch and fitness tracker has simply been flying off the shelves at Amazon, where it’s received well over 10,500 individual customer ratings.

And, better yet, the average customer rating there still comes in at an impressive 4 and a half stars out of 5. It’s very reasonably priced for a branded watch, I have to say. Especially when you consider all the features it has to offer.

It features not just GPS tracking and fitness tracking but it also features smartwatch functionality as well, which means you can get notifications for the likes of calls, text messages, emails and more directly on your wrist when paired with your smartphone via Bluetooth.

But when it comes to other features, it’s definitely a fitness tracker first and a golf GPS watch second. I say this because while it has a lot to offer in terms of fitness tracking, it doesn’t actually come with preloaded golf courses already built in. 

But if you don’t tour worldwide anyway, this isn’t such a big deal, and you can just download the courses you want as and when the need arises.

The golfing features include those all important distances to the front, back and middle of the green, as well as hazard, layup and dogleg distances, which can also come in very handy.

And that’s not all. It also covers club tracking, touch targeting, pinpoint blindspot assistance, and shot tracking.It also comes with about 15 other preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, and with activity profiles, including the likes of strength or cardio workouts, water sports, skiing, running, cycling, and more.

And you can customize your workouts, so they’re completely personalized to you.

The fitness tracker functions feature not only the standard step counting, heart rate monitoring and sleep monitoring, but also your fitness level, using VO2 max and fitness age estimates, and see how they change as your fitness improves over time.

It also tracks your heart rate variability, which in turn is used to deduce your stress levels. When I tried this watch out for myself, I was impressed by just how much you can customize it.

There are loads of different watch faces available through the Connect IQ store that can give the watch a whole new look as often as you wish.

And you download thousands of free widgets and apps too, including the likes of Uber and SmartThings. The other thing I like about this watch is that you can even use it for contactless payment with certain banks.

The display is 1.2 inches in diameter, which is all you really need, and it’s very easy to read, even in direct sunlight.

I tested out the battery life in GPS mode, and it lasted about 13 hours in total, which I thought was pretty good. And I can confirm the yardages on the golf course were spot on too – I compared it with a handheld GPS unit.

It’s available in a range of different color options.

Pros:

• Met with excellent customer ratings
• It comes very reasonably priced
• Preloaded with many activity profiles
• Handy range of golfing features
• Tracks heart rate, fitness & stress levels
• Good battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• No preloaded golf course maps
• No bird’s eye view of the courses or holes
• No advanced swing training metrics
• Doesn’t save locations of hazards
• No slope compensation

Runner Up: Garmin Approach X40

Runner Up

Garmin Approach X40

Slim, lightweight GPS golf band with Elevate wrist heart rate technology and activity tracking

Displays distances to front, back and middle of the Green Plus Hazards. Autoshot tracking measures your shot distances and auto-records detected shots for post-round analysis. Activity tracking shows steps, distance, calories burned, heart rate and activity intensity.

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• Provides yardages and auto shot tracking
• Features accurate 24/7 heart rate monitoring
• Also an excellent watch for running workouts
• Smart, sleek appearance with easy to read display

Cons:

• No bird’s eye view of the courses or holes
• No advanced swing training metrics
• Display is in black and white, not color

Check Price

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Introduction to Garmin Approach X40

In this model, Garmin has built a GPS watch specifically with golfing in mind. It comes preloaded with their normal offer of 41,000 golf course maps based all over the world.

And in addition to providing yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, it will also give you layup and dogleg distances as well.

You can even use it for automatic shot tracking and club tracking as well.

And when you get back home from your round of golf, you can carry out a post round analysis by syncing your data to your Garmin connect account.

It’s not quite a perfect golf GPS watch, though, as it doesn’t feature slope compensation or advanced swing training metrics, like some of the other golf GPS watches do.It’s also quite a good fitness tracker, too.

It will monitor your heart rate right on your wrist, so you don’t need to shell out for a chest heart monitor. Provided you wear it snug and above the wrist bone, you should get very accurate readings.

The watch also displays your heart rate in beats per minute, and it can give you your seven-day average resting heart rate. It can also bring up a graph of your heart rate over the previous 4-hour period.

The Approach X40 also functions great as a step counter. I know because I have tried it out for myself. And you can have it monitor your sleep for you.

It also works well as a running workout tracker, because it can see your distance covered thanks to the GPS functionality. And because it’s tracking your heart rate at the same time, it can also work out your calories burned as you run.

It’s also a smartwatch, and you can pair it with your smartphone to receive notifications of calls, text messages, emails and more.

When I tested out the battery life in GPS mode, I wasn’t particularly impressed, it lasted about 5 and half hours, but since then I’ve come to understand that this is because I was testing a renewed, preowned version of the watch and not a brand new one.

And anyway, 5 and a half hours in GPS mode is more than long enough for an entire round of golf.

It’s a great watch for fans of Fitbits, because it has that same, minimalist, streamline aesthetic, it’s pretty similar to the Sense 2 or Versa 4 in this case. The band has a width of 21.1 mm, which is just under an inch, and the display has a long rectangular shape that fits inside this width.

It may not be a full color display, but on the flip side it’s still very easy to read. I tried it out on the golf course, and even found it easy to read under direct sunlight.

I was also impressed at the accuracy of the yardages given (I compared it with a handheld GPS unit).

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• Provides yardages and auto shot tracking
• Features accurate 24/7 heart rate monitoring
• Also an excellent watch for running workouts
• Smart, sleek appearance with easy to read display
• Can be paired with your phone for smart notifications

Cons:

• No bird’s eye view of the courses or holes
• No advanced swing training metrics
• Display is in black and white, not color
• No slope or elevation compensation
• Doesn’t come with several preloaded activity profiles, only running

Best Golf GPS Watch With Fitness Tracker / Heart Rate Monitor Buying Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide. Let’s walk you through some of the key things to consider when buying a golf GPS watch with heart rate monitoring.

Aesthetic & Display

You’re more likely to enjoy the watch if you like the look of it and it goes well with your outfits. But what’s more important than that is whether you can actually read the watch.

To that end, you need a large display that measures at least an inch in diameter, or an inch diagonally if it’s a square or rectangular display.

You also need the watch to feature bold numbering and lettering, so you can see the yardages etc. at a glance without having to squint.

You will also need to be able to see the display under direct sunlight, without any glare.You may be happy with a purely black and white display, or you may prefer full color maps.

Preloaded Golf Courses

If you like to go touring with your golf, then you need a golf GPS watch that features preloaded golf course maps from all over the world.

Garmin is the key brand here, as you can see, most of their watches comes preloaded with over 40,000 courses.

Smartwatch Functionality

Did you know that you can get golf GPS watches that not only double as fitness trackers but are also smartwatches as well?

This means that they can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and give your notifications directly on your watch for calls, emails, text messages, and even some social media notifications too.

Some people see this as a great feature to have, but others say that they find it a distraction while they’re on the golf course. So each to their own on that.

Fitness Tracking

All of the watches that made my shortlist feature fitness tracking, but only some of them offer heart rate monitoring directly on the wrist.

If this is important to you, be sure to check this feature before you buy.

Battery Life

GPS usage has long been known to put quite a severe strain on GPS devices.

However, the battery life of most GPS watches on the market will last for at least 6 hours on a full charge, which is more than enough for a full round of golf. I made a point of testing the battery life of every watch in the shortlist.

Water Resistance

Many golfers like to continue with their game even in light rain. And why not? Don’t let the weather get in the way of your fun if you can help it.

For this reason, you should check whether the watch you like has water resistance.

Brand

I think brand is important when it comes to high-tech products like GPS watches that double as fitness trackers.

This is why our shortlist includes the likes of GPS tracking specialist Garmin, and cutting edge tech from Samsung.

Value For Money

Now, it’s important to note that I don’t include prices in my text in the reviews. This is because they are subject to change. However, you can click on “Check price” to check prices as you go along.

Be sure to be on the lookout for any great deals on special occasions like Black Friday or Cyber Monday!

The post Best Golf GPS Watch With Fitness Tracker & Heart Rate Monitor appeared first on Golftlink.

They use satellite imagery to help you map out your current golf course so you can tactfully plan out your distances per shot to help reduce your number of strokes per game.

This is why golf GPS watches have been picked up by so many golfers over the years. They are incredibly popular thanks to their high accuracy and have been helping golfers all around the world improve their scores.

You definitely do not want to end up spending your hard earned money on a golf GPS watch that is inaccurate or the battery dies in an hour.

In this review, we are going to be comparing the Garmin Approach S62 and S60 – two golf GPS watches from a very acclaimed brand.

We are going to go into each one individually before comparing them to see which of the two comes out on top.

Garmin Approach S60

The S60 overview

Garmin Approach S60

$299.90

Look good on and off the course. The Approach S60 golf watch gives you the critical information you need for your round — displayed on a large, 1.2-inch sunlight readable color touchscreen — so you can master your game. And with convenient QuickFit bands, you can change your style without tools to match your activity, so you’re always in fashion.

Pros:

• Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide
• 1.2 inch diameter, full color touchscreen display
• Provides yardages, auto shot tracking and more
• It can give you a bird’s eye view of the green
• Can be paired with your phone for smart notifications
• Fitness tracker with several preloaded activity profiles
• Reasonably good battery life, even in GPS mode

Cons:

• Poor fitness tracker due to lack of heart rate monitoring
• Not a budget golf GPS watch

Check Price

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02/05/2024 01:41 pm GMT

Let’s start with the older model – the Garmin Approach S60. First released in 2017, the Garmin Approach S60 is quite a few years old now yet is still beloved by golf enthusiasts everywhere.

The price tag, however, is way more affordable than the Approach S62 – but this is understandable considering that the S60 is 3 years older.

But this difference in price can still be a big contributing factor when it comes to golfers going for the S60 or the newer S62.

Those who golf less or are on a budget might not want to sink so much money into the Approach S62, so they choose to save a bit by picking the S60 instead.

This might also be something for you to consider but if price is really not an issue, you will want to focus on other areas of the watch – like it’s design or features, for example.

Design And Quality

It’s important to note that while most golf GPS watches are not designed to be flash or fancy, the Approach S60 still sports a very sleek and sophisticated overall design.

Although I am sure you don’t expect your golf GPS watch to look like a Rolex, you probably expect it to look nice and be made from some fine materials that make it durable and high quality to justify the price tag.

Well, I am glad to say that the Approach S60 is just that. Available in two colors (black or white), the Approach S60 is a beautiful watch made with either a polymer or ceramic bezel.

It uses sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for its lens, meaning that it features native damage resistant technology to make this lens tougher and more scratch resistant. 

This makes the Approach S60 quite durable and sturdy, so you can use it freely knowing that it won’t break easily. The Approach S60 comes with a Quickfit watch band that is easy to fit on and off your watch with just a snap.

Secure yet easy to switch, you can change up your strap’s material from silicone to leather to fit your style and aesthetics.

As for your watch’s display, the Approach S60 features a reasonably good display size with a 1.2 inch screen diameter that includes color display and an easy to use touch screen.

You will also clearly be able to see the map of your golf course thanks to the 240 x 240 pixel screen resolution.

It also gestures a sunlight-visible, transflective memory in pixel (MIP) display type which means that you can still clearly see your watch’s screen even in harsh sunlight.

As for battery life, it is important for you to consider just how long you spend out on the course in a single game.

The last thing you want is your golf GPS watch to die suddenly while out on the green. Luckily, the Approach S60 has a battery life of up to 10 hours in golf mode so you can definitely enjoy a fair amount of time outside playing golf with the aid of your golf GPS watch.

It also has a 10 day battery life if you just use it as a regular watch – just remember to top its battery up before you switch it to golf mode.

So, overall, we are impressed with the Approach S60’s design and quality. It definitely feels like a sturdy golf GPS watch plus you have the ability to swap out the strap or choose a color that best suits your personal taste. 

Also, its design features like its MIP display type and fair sized display screen makes it easy for everyone to use. It weighs in at 1.8 ounces, making it light and comfortable to wear. The Approach S60 is off to a good start!

Golfing Features And Use

When it comes to trying out your Approach S60 out on the golf course, you will be impressed with all the options at your fingertips.

Thanks to Garmin’s years of research, the Approach S60 has access to preloaded maps for more than 41,000 golf courses all around the world.

This means that you have the ability to take and use your Approach S60 at any golf course you like, whether you are at home or on holiday abroad.

It even offers automatic downloads of updates when you sync to Garmin Connect, the company’s own online app that features tools for tracking and analyzing your health and fitness.

So, you are pretty much guaranteed to be able to use the Approach S60 anywhere and be able to use accurate maps at any golf course you play at.

Also, these maps help you get precise distances from every location on the course. It even adjusts yardages to account for slopes and gradients so you can play with the best club even if you are going uphill or downhill.

Not a lot of golf GPS watches in the past accounted for gradients, but now thanks to Garmin’s technological research, its Approach series now includes sensors that take gradients into consideration when calculating distances, helping you to choose the right club to get to where you desire.

So how do you find out the distance to the spot you are aiming for? Just use the touchscreen which features Garmin’s Touch Targeting technology. Touch any point on the map and it will give you a measurement of the distance from your location to your desired pinpoint. 

It really is as simple as that, making this golf GPS watch very easy to use. The Approach S60 also includes a lot of other features that help improve your golfing experience.

You can use your S60 as a digital scorecard and track your statistics such as strokes, putts per round, and even green and fairways hit.

If you choose to sync your Approach S60 to your compatible smartphone (iPhone or Android) then you can even receive incoming calls, texts, and alerts on your Approach S60.

This way, you don’t have to be constantly checking your phone for alerts and you can concentrate purely on your game. Connecting to the Garmin Golf app will also allow you to compete on leaderboard with other Garmin golfers.

This is a great way for you to keep in touch and compete with other likewise golf players on any of the 41,000 courses available on your Approach S60.

Regular Features

Of course, the Approach S60 is more than just a golf GPS watch. It features a watch mode that requires less energy so you can use it just like a regular smart watch without draining its battery.

This means that you can also use your Approach S60 not only as a clock up as a timer, alarm, calendar and stopwatch. It is also able to stay fit and healthy by connecting to the Garmin Connect app, allowing you to monitor your sleep and hydration.

You can also use it for other activities other than golf including running, rowing, swimming and cycling. With a water rating of 5 ATM, this golf GPS watch can also withstand rain or snow, swimming and diving, and even snorkeling.

So, if you are also a sport enthusiast who enjoys water-based activities, you can even wear the Approach S60 as a regular fitness watch and put yourself to the test in the swimming pool.

Garmin Approach S62

The S62 overview

Garmin Approach S62

$448.99

We’ve got your game with Approach S62, a premium GPS golf watch that puts critical information from more than 41, 000 full-color course maps worldwide on your wrist.

Large 1.3” easy-to-read color touchscreen display (18% larger than Approach S60) with scratch-resistant ceramic bezel and interchangeable QuickFit bands

Virtual Caddie suggests club based on typical distance the golfer hits that club, factors in wind speed and direction, and indicates where the golfer should aim on the map.

Pros:

• Sleek smartwatch with a wide range of helpful features for golfers
• Provides slope adjusted distances
• Tells you the wind speed and direction
• The large display makes this watch easier to use

Cons:

• Tracking system sold separately

Check Price

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02/05/2024 02:21 pm GMT

The Garmin Approach S62 is the most recent addition to Garmin’s Approach range of golf GPS watches. It was first released in 2020, making it 3 whole years younger than the Approach S60.

Garmin announced that the Approach S62 was meant to be an improvement of the popular S60 model and advertised it as the upgrade all golfers needed.

This would lead us to expect that the Garmin Approach S62 is better than the S60 in many ways – perhaps it’s more durable, contains more features or has a sleeker design.

However, not all ‘upgrades’ are for the better – and we have been stung by products who fall flat when compared to their predecessors.

So, is the Garmin Approach S62 really the superior model? Let’s take a look at this watch before comparing it to the Approach S60.

Design And Quality

When it comes to appearance and quality, it is easily noticeable that the Approach S62 is one of the best golf GPS watches out there. It features a simple yet sporty design that, it looks and feels like a sturdy fitness watch.

Its bezel material is ceramic and it uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for a scratch resistant and durable lens that is difficult to damage.

This means you can wear your Approach S62 with the confidence knowing that it won’t break or damage easily.

It comes with a flexible silicone wristband that fits comfortably around wrists with a circumference of 125-208mm.

The strap is also Quickfit compatible so you have the ability to swap it out for a different material to suit your own personal style and taste.

Customization does not stop there as you can also choose between two color schemes (white or black) for your Approach S62.

As for display, this golf GPS watch boasts an impressive 1.3 diameter touchscreen with a very clear display resolution of 260 x 260 pixels.

This means that those who hate small and fiddly accessories and gadgets can feel more at ease when using the Approach S62.

It is also very clear to read even in strong sunlight thanks to the MIP technology used in it’s design.

With a strong color display and such a large screen size, it is very easy for everyone to be able to use and enjoy this golf GPS watch.

The Approach S62 also includes a built in lithium ion battery that is rechargeable and can be used for up to 14 days in smartwatch mode.

When you are using it out on the greens, it switches to its golf mode and can be used for up to 20 hours – that is plenty of time to fit in more than a few rounds of golf!

So overall, the Approach S62 is a very well designed golf GPS watch. It is also very high in quality and uses materials like Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and silicone to make for a durable watch.

Although it is a little on the heavy side, weighing in at 2.2 ounces, it is still very comfortable to wear. Now – how does it do when it comes to features?

Golfing Features And Use

The whole point of buying a golf GPS watch is to use it to help you improve your game. That is why the features that come with the Approach S62 are so vital and important to consider when looking into buying your very own golf GPS watch.

How does the Approach S62 help improve your golfing experience? Well, first it has access to the 41,000 worldwide golf course maps that are preloaded into the Approach S62 from purchase.

This means that you can take your Approach S62 anywhere and use it on pretty much any course worldwide. It automatically updates and offers you a full vector map of the area with clearly marked hazards and targets.

You can even make your own custom targets with just your finger tip thanks to Garmin’s Touch-Targeting technology implemented in this golfing gadget.

This means that not only do you have access to many accurate course maps, you can also personalize it to your game. Just touch your screen, set your targets and allow the Approach S62 to tell you the precise distance measures to your target from your exact location.

This will help influence you to choose the right club for the swing so you can improve your game and take less swings to reduce your score.

It also takes into consideration gradients for uphill and downhill shots, adjusting yardages so you can continue playing with accurate distances.

While this is a massive help when it comes to improving your score, there are other features that come with the Approach S62 that you can also benefit from.

When you connect your Approach S62 to a compatible smartphone (iPhone or Android) and sync it to the Garmin Golf app, you will have access to the virtual caddie feature.

Although most golf GPS watches act like virtual caddies anyway, the Approach S62 takes it one step further by also factoring in wind speed and direction.

The virtual caddie feature helps factor in wind speed and direction when calculating distances on your map and also helps give suggestions on which club you should use.

It does this by looking at your statistics, recognizing which club you are best with when aiming for a certain distance and will advise you to use that club – a huge help when it comes to improving your golf score! It also advises you on which direction to swing your club so your golf ball won’t be blown off course.

While this feature may be inconsistent when the wind either picks up or suddenly dies mid swing, it is still a huge feature that can really help you stay on track. Connecting to the Garmin Golf app also offers you more features than just the virtual caddie.

You can use your Approach S62 as a digital scorecard, track your statistics like strokes and putts per round, and also help you compete with other Garmin golfers for that course on a digital scoreboard.

This means you can compete in tournament-like competitions and prove your skill to other golfers!

The Approach S62 offers an abundance of golfing features like the virtual caddie and the impressive course map database.

All of these can really help improve your score by warning you of hazards like water and sandbanks that may be obscured from view.

Plus, the virtual caddie offers very useful advice that can help you out in tricky situations.

Regular Features

Although the Approach S62 is designed specifically for golfers, it is more than just a golf GPS watch.

It offers a range of other features that can help you with outdoor recreation, indoor swimming, and maximize your health.

This means that you can also use your Approach S62 like a fitness watch as well as a golf GPS watch, making it incredibly versatile and useful to those who do more than just golf.

Monitor your health by using your Approach S62’s sensors to measure your daily resting heart rate and receive alerts for when your heart rate becomes abnormal.

You can also receive alerts to remind you to relax or do breathing exercises to help you stay calm and stress free all day.

The Approach S62 is capable of recording your activity history as well as monitoring your steps, distance traveled and calories burned while doing gym activities like cardio or treadmill.

You can also take it in the pool with your as it has a water rating of 5 ATM and measures pool swim metrics like lengths, pace, stroke count and swim efficiency.

But, of course, if you are not into fitness and just like a calm game of golf, then you also have the option to use your Approach S62 as a regular watch. Switch the Approach S62 to smartwatch mode and you can use it as a calendar, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch and even use Garmin’s new feature – Garmin Pay!

Now, you can pay for things using your golf GPS watch by syncing it to the app on your phone, making payment transactions quick and simple.

The Approach S60 Is More Durable And Sturdy

When compared side by side, the Approach S60 and the S62 are very similarly designed. They also use very similar high quality materials, such as the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 used for the lens material.

However, there is one minor difference when it comes to the bezel material. The Approach S60 offers you the choice between ceramic and polymer, while the Approach S62 only offers ceramic material. Ceramic material is far more brittle than polymer and breaks a lot easier, but this is a relatively minor difference.

However, ceramic is virtually scratch proof so your golf GPS watch will look as good as new even after many rounds of golf. You won’t notice a thing – until it breaks. Despite this difference, the two watches are on par with each other when it comes to durability.

However, the difference between ceramic and polymer is still something to consider if you know you are bound to be a bit heavy handed with your golf GPS watch.

The Approach S62 Is Bigger

We are not saying that size matters, but if you are someone with large hands or struggle to see screens up close, then you may be more inclined to go with the Approach S62.

Its screen measures as 1.3 inch in diameter compared to the 1.2 diameter of the Approach S60’s screen, meaning that it is easier to map and read the Approach S62.

It still retains a sharp resolution despite its size increase from its previous model so you can use your golf GPS watch with ease.

On the other hand, this increase in size does make the S62 heavier. It weighs in at around 2.2 ounces compared to the lighter alternative of 1.8 ounces with the Approach S60 so if you don’t mind the smaller screen and prefer less weight on your wrist while golfing, you might prefer the Approach S60.

The Approach S62 Has A Longer Battery Life

This is definitely a dealbreaker for some. A long battery life requires less time charging and you are less likely to be caught out on the greens with a dead golf GPS watch.

Imagine the annoyance you would feel if your watch died and you saw your score steadily increase without its help.

A good, long battery life helps you to avoid this and while both watches offer a fair amount of usage time both in golf and smartwatch mode, the Approach S62 easily wins out here. Its battery life in both golf and smartwatch mode is twice as long as the S60.

While the S60’s golf mode battery life of 10 hours might last you a full day of golfing, the S62’s 20 hour golf mode battery life will definitely see you through.

So if you want to avoid any unfortunate setbacks in the middle of your game, you will be better off choosing the Approach S62 for it’s far longer battery life.

The Approach S62 Features the Virtual Golf Caddy

We have to be fair and say that the Approach S60 still works great as a golf GPS watch. It is very accurate when it comes to measuring distances between your location and your target.

Plus, both watches use the same databases for their maps and receive updates so you know that with both watches, you will be getting a very accurate look at your golf course.

But the Approach S62 also features the virtual caddy, which accounts for wind speeds and directions where the Approach S60 does not.

Wind is a huge influence when it comes to golf as it can blow your golf ball at a slant or work against your ball and slow it down. 

The Approach S62 will take this into consideration when calculating the distances and even advise you on which club to use to really maximize your swing’s potential.

While the Approach S60 does consider gradients and hazards, it just does not have this additional feature that can really make a difference.

The golf caddy feature enhances the Approach S62’s accuracy and makes it the better golf GPS watch for helping reduce your golf scores.

The Approach S62 Works Better As A Fitness Watch

Versatility is also another important factor to consider when choosing your golf GPS watch. Are you only going to use it on the greens? Or do you want to use it as a smartwatch too?

If this is the case, then both the Approach S60 and S62 work as great smart and fitness watches. However, the Approach S62 has additional health and fitness features like the daily resting heart rate monitor with abnormal heart rate alerts.

This is thanks to how the S62 features additional sensors to make more precise and sensitive heart rate measurements, allowing it to measure your heart rate without needing to exercise.

The Approach S62 can also monitor your exercise and fitness while you do various gym activities such as cardio, strength, treadmill and yoga.

The Approach S60, however, is only effective when doing indoor rowing. So if you are a fitness enthusiast and are thinking of doubling your golf GPS watch as a fitness watch, you will have more versatility with the Approach S62 as it has more features and can analyze your performance during more exercises.

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