Garmin Approach S10 Golf GPS Watch Review

by Simon Daniels

Garmin S10

Description & Review

Golf GPS watches are immensely popular at the moment. Does the Garmin Approach S10 bring it’s A-Game to the course?

Rating Stars 4.5
  • Design 90% 90%
  • Technology 88% 88%
  • Performance 90% 90%
  • Battery Life 90% 90%
  • Price 82% 82%
  • Wear Comfort 92% 92%
  • Mobile App 84% 84%

Does The Garmin Approach S10 Help Your Drive?

In my early golf playing days I found gauging the distance of a shot to the pin quite difficult. This was what drove me to investigate how technology could help. This introduction lead me to the concept of a GPS golf watch that enabled me to see every section of the green. This is was invaluable in assessing where the best lies were and what shot to make to avoid traps.

This GPS Watch Review outlines how the watch can help you improve your golfing skills and decision making.

Let’s look into things more by looking at the S10’s pros and cons.

Pros

  • It’s pretty easy to use.
  • It has excellent battery life. 
  • It’s well water-proofed.

Cons

  • It can be slow picking up course details.
  • It lacks Bluetooth connectivity for Garmin Express score upload.
  • It lacks a touch screen.

Some Considerations When Buying A Golf GPS Watch

 

What’s a better way to get an accurate and faster distance measurement than using the Garmin Approach S10 GPS Golf Watch? is there one?

It’s an affordable option that will provide you with precise yardage, measure the correct length and track the overall score to help you plan your perfect playing strategy.

I like the fact that the device suits people of all ages. You can use the device whether you are an amateur or a professional golfer.

There are numerous brands of GPS golf watches on the market today and choosing the right one can be challenging. So, how do you select an ideal watch that will suit your needs?

Let me guide you through some of the vital features that you need to look out for to help you make an informed decision.

Quality

You need to consider the build quality of any golf watch before purchase. Check the display resolution quality, the wrist band’s durability and the watch face to ensure usability and longevity.

GPS Accuracy

Ensure that the GPS technology provides accurate data. The right data will help determine your golf club distances and yardage to your target.
Comfort
The wrong fit of device is irritating and can impact your performance negatively. You need to purchase a comfortable to wear GPS watch where comfort lasts during the game.

Water Resistance

Choose a liquid-resistant model to avoid rain, water splashes and even excessive sweat during hot weather.

Scorecard

Pick a watch with a digital scorecard feature that tracks and stores your scores to help you analyze your on-course performance for areas to improve.

Battery Life

Choose a model that guarantees a substantial battery life to last you multiple rounds.

Ease Of Use

Based on your preference and experience, you can choose a watch that guarantees easy navigation.

Green Mapping

Ensure that your device shows the actual shape and topology of the green so that you can see where to aim.

Overview Of The Garmin Approach S10

First up, this is a product from Garmin, a dominant force in GPS golf watch manufacturing. The S10 model is quite similar to the Garmin approach S20, due to the square display. Compared to the Garmin Approach X40, whose battery only lasts for 5 hours when on GPS, it can last up to 12 hours.

Besides the above, the S10 has other features, including higher resolution, yardage, and score tracker among many. The box contains the Approach S10, Charging/data cable and quick start manual.

Features & Benefits

I am a cautious buyer and I like to look around for truly helpful features before making a purchase.

Well, does that sound familiar? Look at the following features of the Garmin Approach S10 GPS Golf Watch to help you make an informed purchase.

Design

I like this watch’s intuitive design. It’s lightweight, sleek and comfortable to wear. I feel like it resembles the Apple watch though it isn’t heavy or flashy. Sometimes I include it as part of my every day wear thanks to the classy and uncomplicated appearance.

It also features a soft and super comfortable silicon strap that stays put while playing. Still, you can adjust it to fit most hand sizes.

It has a pleasant and straightforward physical design with four buttons marked

Ok’’, ‘’Back’’, ‘’Up’’ and ‘’Down.’’

With this device you don’t have to fear water holes. It can survive up to 50 meters of deep water due to it’s waterproof feature. It gives you the chance to thoroughly enjoy the game without having to worry about damage due to rain or water splashes.

Sunlight Readable Screen

You will also like the high-resolution display that allows you to scan readings easily. Besides this, it is also sunlight-readable, making it a perfect golf watch that you can use in almost all weather conditions. It means that you can effortlessly read all the information on the screen – even on a very sunny day.

As golf enthusiasts, we all understand that hard to read watches can be very frustrating. The good news is that with the Garmin Approach S10 GPS Golf Watch, at no time will you find the screen scattered with confusing or non-descriptive text. 

Battery Life

The battery is a big issue when it comes to golfing devices – any device!

The Garmin S10 watch boasts an excellent battery life and you can play at least three rounds before recharging.

The battery lasts up to 12 hours while on GPS mode and, surprisingly, when I am not playing golf it lasts up to 14 weeks on the standard watch mode. I find this pretty impressive. 

Technology

What exclusive technological benefits could make you go for this Garmin Approach instead of any other GPS watch? Well, the fact that it tells time and its capability to give the distance to hazards and dodges impressed me. It also offers a bird’s eye view of the green from the top which is a key feature for this type of technical aid.

It features a digital scorecard that keeps your scores throughout the rounds, eliminating the need for a paper scorecard.

Once you enable the feature you can show your data in the Garmin golf app. You can, therefore, participate in tournaments and leader boards using the Garmin golf app along with the watch.

It also tracks the overall score, gives a summary of the total walked distance, rounds, and round time.

You can connect the auto-hole advance feature to help you automatically identify your course. It shows you the next hole position. It will thus enable you to move to the next hole as you walk from the green to the next tee. 

Performance

We already know that the Garmin Approach S10 GPS Golf Watch features impressive technology. But does it perform satisfactorily? Well, let’s dig into it.

I appreciate the S10’s reliability in terms of accuracy and usability. You will enjoy the ease of use and simplicity mechanism. Besides, it perfectly fits on your wrist in a way that doesn’t affect your swing.

Also, logically and clearly labelled buttons on the side of the watch will help you efficiently navigate the menu and options. You can quickly start your round and enter scores.

Moreover, the S10 measures an accurate distance to every hole, including inter-spaces to hazards or bunkers, making it easier for any golfer to traverse the course. 

Yardage And Course Coverage

The watch helps to precisely measure the distance from the front, middle, and back of the golf course. It features 41,000 pre-loaded courses worldwide and automatically locates a golf course when connected to a satellite.

Once connected, the watch will show you all the yardage information. It further indicates various hazards, layups, and dodges that you may find in the course. The courses have free lifetime updates with no hidden fees or extra charges. It’s 1+/ – yard precise, which helps you keep track of the fairway hit and putts per round.

Maintenance

It’s a waterproof design that is so easy to maintain. Sometimes I find myself swimming or showering while wearing it with no malfunctioning.

Price

I found it to be an affordable option that gives you access to high technology features without breaking the bank.

Garmin S10 Video Overview

Social Proof

With it’s great blend of price and good functionality, the Garmin S10 has become one of the most popular GPS watches on the market today. It’s priced at a competitive price point with a great range of useful features.

For this review, I looked on the Internet and found some user reviews that seemed pretty positive. This gels with my own experience and there were no recurring themes from negative comments.

Alternative Watch Options

This watch has a few similar specified competitors that you may also like to look at.

Canmore TW-353 GPS Golf Watch

This is another very good option and, just like the S10, it’s comfortable to wear with a soft and durable wristband. It also features a high contrast display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight. However, it’s a little bit heavier that the S10.

It switches holes automatically, giving you easy to access distance measurements with minimum interaction – a nice feature. It comes with a one-year warranty cover.

Comparison

  • It’s cheaper than the Garmin S10

POSMA GM2 Golf GPS Watch

The POSMA watch not only tracks the distance covered but also your heart rate and calories burnt during your game. It comes with fewer preloaded golf courses of over 31,900 compared to the S10. It also offers a wireless connection to a smartphone, allowing you to store and view your golf records from the phone. You can find out more using the button below.

Comparison

  • It’s more affordable
  • It supports Bluetooth connectivity.

Conclusion

The Garmin Approach S10 GPS Golf Watch is a good example of it’s product type. It delivers accurate yardage and allows you to keep scores on the watch by summarizing your performance. It’s a good, affordable fit for most players at most levels of the game.

It’s remarkably comfortable to wear, it has a better than average battery life and is also waterproof. This Garmin Approach S10 Lightweight GPS Golf Watch review aims to help you make a potential buying decision based on an assessment of the key features on offer. 

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