Garmin Approach S60 Golf Watch Reviewed In Detail

Garmin is one of the giants in golf technology and the Approach S60 a flagship product. Would it live up to expectations?

The Garmin Approach S60 Golf Watch

Does The S60 Knock All Others Into The Bunker?

As someone new to the game of golf, I was slow at picking up the game’s simple basics. I have to confess, I did find it hard early on and judging the right shot, distance, angle, power and so on had me doubting whether I should continue. I had to resolve the issue because it was interfering with my playing experience. Fortunately, a family friend introduced me to Garmin rangefinder products so I was very keen to look at the S60 watch. It lived up to my expectations!

Important Features Of A Golf Watch

A golf watch is a good choice for golfers who want to measure the distance to the front, middle, and back of the green. Without carrying around a hand-held device. The Garmin S60 watch is an excellent choice because it’s lightweight and comfortable. This allows you to conveniently carry it anywhere you want.

Before getting any golf watch, there are a few things you need to remember. Firstly,  the watch should deliver its key function of measuring the distance to the hole or landing zone accurately. Secondly, it should not be accessible and easy to use (at least the most important functions). In addition, it’s important to keep the following in mind.

Quality

The quality of the device should matter to you as it usually reflects the durability and the reliability of the watch. A quality watch will give you exact data that you can take action on easily.

Price

When it comes to the price, find a watch that suits your current and next level of play. Paying a fortune for a device like this will not make you a brilliant golfer overnight. However, slow and steady applies here and with a good watch at an attractive price you will progress. Purchase a watch that is worth your time and money.

Ease of use

Getting a watch that is too complicated for you to handle at any level of play will waste your time. Settle on one that doesn’t demand a lot of your time as you try to figure out how it works.

Waterproofing

I like to find a water-resistant watch to ensure I can keep on laying if wanted in rain. Equally, I’m keen to avoid sweat damage, especially during the summer season.

Battery life

Very important as you don’t want to become a slave to recharging your device. Worse, you don’t want to run out of power during your round.

Comfort

Before buying any golf watch, ensure that the watch is comfortable on your wrist and allows you to swing appropriately. Also, check the weight of the watch. A light device will enable you to move around comfortably – if your watch is constantly on your mind you’ve got the wrong device.

Overview of the Garmin Approach S60 Golf Watch

The Garmin S60 golf watch is a product of the Garmin company and is the gold standard of golf tech. At first glance, the design is attractive in a sleek black with a comfortable black silicone wristband. The company promotes comfort in wearing their device along with the range of superb functions it offers.

Although the Garmin S62 was recently released, the S60 still standouts as a very good golf watch in the market. It has overall better features compared to the previous Garmin S10 and S20 models. The question you will face is whether paying more for te S62 is a good move at your leve of play.

Main Features

The Garmin S60 has been around for quite some time and is loved by most golfers. This is because of the incredible features and benefits it comes with. Let’s take a look.

Distance Measurement

The Garmin S60 allows users to see the hazards and the layup spots on the course. The device gives you details of the hole maps, including the yardage to the green, the front, middle, and back. This information is crucial as it allows you, after practice and device familiarisation, to make more accurate shots.

Some GPS watches only show you a digit readout but don’t give you more specific details. A good thing about this watch is that it comes with over 40,000 courses pre-programmed and free lifetime updates. 

Another great feature in relation to measurement is that the device helps you see the distance to doglegs. It is crucial because once you make a wrong shot into a dogleg, you could have a tough second shot.

Autoshot Feature

This is an awesome feature that Garmin S60 users enjoy. It automatically tracks every shot you make on the golf course and transfers the data to the Garmin Connect app Here you can access the information and analytics to review your game. It is essential to know the stats of your game so that you know if you are improving.
The automatic sensor in the device keeps track of your accurate shots and shows you where the misses were. Hence, you can make a judgment about where you need to focus developmentally. As a nice addition,  the watch shows you the entire shape of the green.

The Pinpointer

This is yet another great feature that the Garman S60 has and earlier models don’t. This feature helps a lot, especially when you have no clear idea of where to aim at on the green. Since the device captures the whole shape of the green, it will show you the pin’s exact location. 

Playslike Feature

Playslike provides you with a distance based on elevation (like Slope). It adjusts the distance for you, giving you an accurate distance when you are making a shot downhill. For example, if you want to hit a 150-yard downhill shot, you will need to compensate for the downhill speed element. Playslike assists golfers in adjusting their shot for such occasions.

Swing Tempo Feature

This feature offers a huge benefit to most golfers. Initially, I wasn’t sure about the value of this feature. However, having taken time to become familiar with it I can vouch for its value. 

This capability tracks the tempo of each swing. Over time you will find that your swing tempos are either decreasing or increasing during the round. This feature helps you make sure you are maintaining a steady tempo as you make your swings for the best results.

For many golfers, the tempo is around 3.0, while the backswing becomes three times longer than the downswing. In short, the general rule in golf is that the downswing should be faster than the backswing by about 3 times. This feature can help you improve in this area.

Sharp Display

The Garmin S60 watch provides a high-resolution screen that you can easily read regardless of the weather conditions. The device also has a touchscreen feature. Text is displayed well, even when the sun is especially bright.

Battery Life

A reliable golf watch should have a long battery life that will last you several rounds before recharging it. It allows you to enjoy the game without pausing halfway round.

The Garmin S60 can last you for two rounds and that was our experience. That is approximately 8-10 hours of playing time. Different features and whether on or off can affect that so if you do buy the S60 spend time looking at what you really need and can otherwise turn off or dim in the case of the screen.

Ergonomic Design

As mentioned earlier, the Garmin S60 is a comfortable watch to wear because of the two interchangeable straps.  Leather or a silicon strap can be used.

The screen size is 1.2 inches, while its dimensions are 46 x 46 x 14.5mm. That is a good size should comfortably fit your wrist (though it is not exactly compact). The device also has a clock that shows you the time so can be stylishly worn away from the course. 

Trustworthiness

Garmin S60 can be trusted by customers as they are warranted to be free from any mechanical defects. They offer a one-year warranty and, within this period, they will repair the device if it fails under normal use or offer you a refund instead. You can find out more about the Garmin warranty process here if interested.

Non-Golf Features

If you plan to do other sports activities apart from golfing, the Garmin S60 watch is also useful. The golf watch can also fill the role of a fitness tracker. Interestingly, the manufacturer notes you can also use it during swimming as it is waterproof (we didn’t test this!).

Social Comments

Looking around the web you find many positive comments posted about the device. Although there is an occasional bad experience there is no common thread and the product is clearly popular with players. 

Alternative Watches

Although the Garmin S60 is one of the best golf watches in its price range on the market, it is costly. Not all golfers can afford to buy it. We have also looked at some alternatives that may offer a cheaper if less well-specified, option.

Canmore TW-410G GPS Golf Watch

This Canmore golf watch is yet another GPS device that you can try if the S60 feels to expensive or overly-featured. A good all-round alternative, it has a nice feature of switching holes automatically.  It also feels comfortable to wear as it comes with a soft wrist band. It is similar to the Garmin S60 in terms of weight but not features. However, for a new golfer or a player with a few years experience, this could be a reasonable option.

G1 GPS Golf Watch

When it comes to the G1 golf GPS watch you first notice a very affordable price for the features it offers. This watch offers an automatic scorecard plus an automatic slope recognition that helps you recognize the hole distance in downhill or uphill places during the course. Apart from that, this device offers you a customizable pin placement that shows you where exactly to hit onto the green. It is also waterproof, and you can comfortably wear it even when it’s raining. 

Conclusion

The Approach S60 watch is a great product to use to improve your golfing skills. It offers a broad range of advanced features (some players may not need all of them) but is costly. if you have the budget then, although the watch is expensive, it is worth purchasing the product as you will never outgrow it.

The golf watch has been around for some time now and has found favour with the golfing fraternity. Although the S62 has now been released, this watch still holds it’s own in terms of features and useability. A great product, see it as an investment. Take the time to learn how to use all the features and it will repay you handsomely.