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How does the Garmin Approach S70 GPS Golf Watch measure up? Read on to find out
The Garmin Approach S70 GPS golf watch is badged as Garmin’s premium product with some novel features for those hitting the golf course – so let’s check it out.
Golf distance measuring devices (or DMDs) were first used in 1995 with the introduction of laser technology. GPS devices arrived about five years later. And one of the companies at the forefront of this technology is Garmin.
Garmin was founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min H. Kao and, from the outset, has specialised in GPS technology for automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor and sports activities. Their first customer was the U.S. Army back in 1991.
So, with that sort of pedigree, you can rest assured that you will be getting quality kit if you purchase a Garmin device.
The Garmin Approach S70 GPS Golf Watch is a delight to use. It has all the features you would expect in a golf watch in a smart package and offers so much more besides. It can be paired with a compatible Garmin rangefinder to offer even more information.
There’s a small logo on the S70 box which simply states “Engineered on the inside for life on the outside” which I rather liked. The box contains the smartwatch, a fast charger and a small page of instructions. There is no indication at this stage of the wealth of features offered by the Approach S70. It is only when you click on the QR code or head to the website that you get an appreciation of the multitude of information provided by this device.
I tested the 47mm model. It also comes in a 42mm size. Each model is available in a choice of 3 colours-black, white and grey. The black version looked smart with some orange detailing around the face. The 47mm size was also just right in that it is large enough to see the information provided on the screen but the watch was light in weight and didn’t dominate my wrist.
The strap is robust, comfortable and flexible so, all in all, the S70 is a pleasure to wear, and certainly could be your all-day watch if you wish.
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There are 3 buttons on the right side of the watch. The larger top button accesses the various activity modes – in my case almost invariably ‘Golf’, but there are also, if you’re feeling energetic, running, walking, cycling and swimming modes. The middle button sends you to settings, and the bottom button is a ‘back’ feature.
The AMOLED display screen is crystal clear. I haven’t seen more easy to read graphics in any smartwatch I have tested. And the touchscreen is quick and responsive. It’s also easy to download the Garmin app onto your smartphone to make the most of the features offered by the S70.
So, how did the S70 perform on the course?
On course testing
The first thing to say is that, once you’ve pressed the top button and selected ‘Golf’ on the touchscreen, the GPS kicks into action and finds out where you are quickly and accurately. There are over 43,000 courses preloaded on the watch. You are offered your tees of choice and, hey presto, off you go. You are also asked if you want to keep your score. It’s so easy to do that I tend to always press in the affirmative.
The standard screen has the usual 3 numbers on the left for ‘back’, ‘middle’ and ‘front’ with a helpful map of the hole on the right. That information is generally all you need in most circumstances, particularly if you’re playing on a familiar course.
But there’s more, much more! If you have entered your driver distance in the settings section, then you see an arc on the screen, indicating if there are hazards at your drive distance. You can also touch any point on the map, and you will see the precise distance to that spot. Scrolling through the screen will also enable you to get accurate distances both to the front and the back of hazards such as bunkers.
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And we haven’t finished yet! It’s easy to access wind speed and direction, as long as you have downloaded the Garmin app to your smartphone. The wind velocity, along with other parameters such as change in elevation, temperature and humidity combine to give you a ‘Plays Like’ figure.
Now I do love information but there is a limit to the amount of information I can compute. There is also the small matter of hitting the ball out of the middle of the club. Suffice it to say, the more standard front, middle and back yardages are fine for me.
I would reiterate that keeping score on the watch is very simple and straightforward. There’s also a nice distance measuring feature on the watch which I tend to use when I’ve hit a drive out of the middle on a downwind, downhill hole, to make me feel better about my game. It’s also quite useful to narrow the search area when trying to locate a ball buried in the rough.
I could go on and on. You can purchase sensors for each club which will give you data to analyse distances with each club on your Garmin. You can pair it with a compatible Garmin rangefinder such as the Approach Z30 to give detailed information about pin positions on the greens.
But essentially, for me, this is a golf watch that is a delight to wear and use on the course. It does everything I want it to, and more besides. I haven’t touched on the non-golf features of the watch but there are plenty
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Garmin Approach S70 GPS Golf Watch review: The 19th Hole
This is a premium GPS golf watch. I haven’t yet tested a watch that offers all the important information with such clarity and simplicity. The battery life is also outstanding with up to 21 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 20 hours in GPS mode. I certainly had over 60% of juice left after 36 holes in a day on a recent trip to Devon.
This is a watch that I can wholeheartedly recommend, and it works well as a standalone distance measuring device. To make the best use of the watch, you will probably want to use some of the extra features, such as health monitoring and other activities, as the retail price is a fairly hefty at £599.
It also pairs seamlessly with the Garmin Approach Z30 rangefinder, and I do rather love that combination of watch and rangefinder.
Prior to reviewing this watch, I’d known a bit about Garmin but I hadn’t realised that you could spend anything from £180 to over ten times that figure for a Garmin golf watch.
So, you’re sure to find something in your price bracket, secure in the knowledge that your device is designed with the most advanced and up to date technology.
