Garmin Approach G20 Solar Review: Ultimate Convenience for Golfers Who Forget to Charge

I can’t go so far as to say anyone really needs a Garmin Approach G20 Solar. But, after using it a bunch, I’m quite certain there are plenty of golfers who are going to want one of these new solar-powered handheld GPS devices.

The problems with the G20, as I see it, are price, competition, and possibly size.

But, for the right user, all of those issues are more than counterbalanced with one single feature: unlimited battery life!

That’s right: The G20 Solar is the only handheld GPS device that you’ll never, ever have to charge.

So, is the Garmin G20 really worth $300?

More interestingly, is it worth twice as much as the $150 Garmin Approach G12 and Bushnell Phantom 3 that do most of the same things?

And, for good measure, is the G20 too big and bulky? Or, maybe it’s not quite big enough.

Really, what we’re asking is, how cool is a solar-powered GPS handheld? Cool enough to overcome some fairly formidable obstacles?

Let’s find out. I’ve had the pleasure (that’s right, I have enjoyed using the G20 and I’ll share why) of testing the Garmin Approach G20 Solar out on the golf course. And while I certainly do like it, I wonder if enough golfers are going to love it.

Let the Sunshine In: A Golf GPS That Never Needs Charging

Before I get into how this device works, how it’s built, what I like and don’t like, and all of the other details that will comprise this Garmin Approach G20 Solar review, let me just start with the main event: the sun. Turns out, it’s a pretty big deal.

The G20 is undeniably cool if for no other reason than it continuously charges whenever sunshine hits its built-in solar panel.

It even shows you how well it’s doing. It will report the “Solar Intensity.” If it’s sunny out, you’ll see a number that’s well above 100 percent (meaning the solar intensity is redlining). If you move it into the shadows or put your hand over the device, you’ll see it drop immediately to something like 2 percent or even 0.

I played with the G20 on a cloudy morning, and I was getting a solar intensity oscillating between 3 and 5 percent. I’ve also tested it during a sunny late afternoon round, and it was showing solar intensity of well over 150 percent.

It works impressively well—and fast! The G20 will show you how much solar-powered battery life you’ve picked up during a round of golf, or over a period of time. In my experience, it seemed like it was picking up about one hour of battery life for every one hour I was out on the golf course when the conditions were reasonably sunny. That’s factoring in all of the times I was in and out of the sun throughout the round.

When I set the G20 on my back deck in direct sunlight for about two hours, it gained almost four hours of battery life.

The G20 has a USB-C charging port and even comes with a charging cable. But you’ll never need it. Seriously, even if you let the device sit dormant in a dark place for so long that it ran out of juice, as soon as you exposed it to sunlight, it would immediately begin to recharge itself.

So, do I think this feature is cool? Definitely!

Do I think it’s useful? Unquestionably!

Do I think it’s worth $300? Well… Keep reading.

Garmin Approach G20 Design, Build Quality, and How to Navigate

Packaging and presentation with the G20 is entirely straightforward and exactly the same as with all other Garmin Approach devices. The box is sturdy, if somewhat plain. And it includes everything you’ll need and nothing that you won’t need.

Inside the box, you’ve got the G20 itself, a USB-C charging cable (that you’ll probably never use), a belt clip, and some quick-start instructions.

You probably also will never need those instructions, as getting started with the G20 couldn’t be simpler.

This is a button-operated device. There is no touchscreen functionality. You’ve got four buttons, two on each side. On the left are “up” and “down” buttons that you’ll use to scroll through menu options. The “up” button also doubles as the power button. On the right, you’ve got an “OK” button on the top, which you use to select menu items. And then there’s a “back” button on the bottom.

I’ve talked before when reviewing golf watches about how some people really love button navigation while others prefer touchscreen. So, if you’re a button person, the G20 is your kind of device. If you’re in the touchscreen camp, this is one reason why the Bushnell Phantom 3 competitor might be a better choice. We’ll cover other possible reasons below.

The build quality of the G20 is exceptional. It looks and feels high-quality, exactly as you’d expect from a Garmin product. It’s an all-black design with splotches of red that just pop in all the right ways. It’s definitely a looker.

My first impression of the size is that it’s a tad bulky. It’s not huge, mind you. But, when I compare it to the look and feel of the Phantom 3, the G20 strikes me as being a bit on the large side. I suppose there has to be enough room to allow for the solar panel.

Again, it’s not like it’s oversized. It’s 3.5 inches tall, just over 2 inches wide, and less than an inch thick. With the belt clip it weighs 5 ounces. Without it, it’s just over 4 ounces.

Like I said, nothing extreme. But when I play with this device in my pocket, I notice it more than I do with the Phantom 3.

On the plus side, if you’re not keeping it in your pocket—if you’re sticking it to the cart, or clipping it to your bag—bigger is better. The 2.2-inch display is easy to see and read even from a moderate distance.

Also, I’m not a belt-clip kind of guy (I do have kids and I do own a minivan, but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere), but I wouldn’t think it’d be too noticeable during your swing if you wore the G20 that way.

As for the clip, while I didn’t use it with my belt, I did use it on a walking round to clip to my bag. Worked great. And I love how the G20 seats in the clip via a strong magnet. Makes it super simple to quickly install and remove.

For water resistance, the G20 is rated at IPX7, so I guess you can bring it in the bathtub with you if you’d like. As for rain on the course, you won’t have anything to worry about.

GPS Performance and Features

Beyond the solar charging, my favorite feature on the Garmin G20 is the sunlight-readable, high-resolution, monochrome display. This thing is awesome. Like with an iPhone, the brighter the sun is, the easier it is to read the G20 screen. It works great.

You never have to worry about glare or having to shield the screen with your hand so that you can make out the information. It’s all totally visible and obvious at all times. And, because of the solar-powering, the screen never goes to sleep out on the course. It’s always at the ready with the yardages whenever you want to give it a glance. 

One thing to note: There is no color in the display. It’s strictly monochrome. And while it’s fairly basic, the information just pops. There’s even a Big Numbers feature if you want the information to be even more readable.

The G20 includes pretty much all of the basic functionality that you get in Garmin’s golf watches. That means things like:

• More than 43,000 preloaded golf courses
• Green View (you can see the shape of each green and manually place the pin)
• Wind speed and direction (when paired with the app)
• A scorecard
• Compatibility with Garmin’s shot-tracking sensors
• Compatibility with the Garmin Z30 rangefinder

It also includes the Find My Garmin feature, which means that via the Garmin app, you can keep track of your G20’s location. I think this is going to come in handy for a lot of people.

The G20 is black, the same color as most cart posts. And, yes, the G20 does include a strong magnet that makes it perfect for attaching to a golf cart. Put those two things together, and what do you get? Eventually, you’re going to leave your G20 stuck to the cart when you leave the golf course. I don’t think it’s a matter of “if,” I think it’s just a matter of “when” you’re going to be thankful for that Find My Garmin feature.

Playing Golf with the Garmin G20 Solar

Let’s talk yardages. Exactly as you’d expect with a Garmin, they were spot on in my rounds using the G20. I confirmed yardages to the green, hazards, layups, and other random targets using my Garmin Approach S70, the Bushnell Phantom 3, and the Voice Caddie Laser Fit rangefinder. I never had discrepancies of more than a couple of yards. I have absolutely no reason not to 100 percent trust the data from the Garmin Approach G20.

As I mentioned, navigation with the Garmin is via buttons. And it’s super intuitive. It didn’t take me longer than a minute to understand what to push to find where I wanted to go. Part of the reason for that is that everything is very straightforward. In the end, this is a pretty simple device.

As you’re playing, the default display will always have the hole number and the Par value at the top of the screen. Then you’ll get a shape of the green on the right side of the screen, and on the left, you’ll see your back, middle, and front of the green yardages.

From there, you can use the “up” or “down” arrows to scroll to get more information. If you hit the down arrow once, you’ll see all of the hazards on that hole. You can scroll through to see the distance to the front and back of each hazard.

Click down again and you’ll get a series of layup distances, showing you the distance to that spot on the hole as well as how many yards you would have remaining from there to the center of the green.

Then, if you click the “OK” button, you’ll get several more choices, including for changing the hole that you’re on, getting a closeup view of the green where you can click through to multiple pre-set pin location choices, the option to measure your previous shot, a scorecard, wind information, sunrise and sunset times, and some other settings.

As for the hole maps that you get with the G20, they are very, very basic. In fact, I wouldn’t really call them maps. With the exception of the accurate shape of each green, the hole “maps” are just a straight line that you can scroll through to see various features (hazards, layup options) on each hole. It’s the same feature as you’d get on Garmin’s entry-level S12 golf watch or their G12 GPS device. Very rudimentary.

The whole experience of playing golf with the G20 is very intuitive, fast, and easy.

Then, when you end your round, it will give you a report showing you how much battery life you gained via the sun. Pretty cool.

Garmin G20 Solar vs G12 vs G80 vs Bushnell Phantom 3

The new G20 Solar lands in the middle of Garmin’s GPS device line.

At the top, for $499.99, you’ve got the Approach G80. This is a far more sophisticated device than the G20 (except for the solar functionality, of course). With the G80, you get full color maps with great detail of every hole. The G80 can also be used as a very basic golf launch monitor. And it’s got several other features, including plays-like distances, that the G20 can’t compete with.

Another interesting thing to note about the G80 is that its display is almost a half-inch wider and nearly 1.5 inches taller than that of the G20. So, while the G20 might be on the bulky side for some, it might not be large enough for others.

In any case, because the G80 includes those full-color maps and additional functionality, and because it’s $200 more than the G20, it’s kind of in a separate grouping of products.

For more of an apples-to-apples comparison, we need to look at how the Garmin G20 compares to the Garmin G12 and Bushnell Phantom 3.

The Garmin G12 is a small little device that weighs less than an ounce, has a circular screen, and is meant to be put in your pocket, clipped to your belt, or worn on a lanyard. It has the same sunlight-readable display and the same basic hole maps as with the G20. But the G12 costs $150, which is half of what the G20 costs.

That $150 mark is the same price as the Bushnell Phantom 3, which is another leading handheld GPS candidate. The Phantom 3 is a bit smaller than the G20, which I think some people will prefer. It also includes touchscreen functionality, another feature some golfers will like better than the all-button G20. But the big kicker is that the Phantom 3 includes slope-adjusted yardages. That’s a big one-up on the G20, and for half the price!

Other than those differences, the Phantom 3 and G20 are similar to use on the course, although I will say that in my experiences, the Garmin G20 locks onto a satellite signal and finds the golf course much faster than the Phantom 3.

So here’s what you need to decide: How much do you value unlimited battery life? Because only the G20 Solar has that.

But is that worth twice as much as what you’d pay for a similar-performing Garmin G12 or Bushnell Phantom 3? I think it takes the right kind of golfer and use case to see the G20 as a great value.

Making the Case for Handheld Golf GPS

One thing I wanted to note is how much I’ve enjoyed playing golf with a device that’s as simple as the Garmin Approach G20.

When I say simple, I certainly don’t mean unsophisticated. The G20, especially when you pair it with the Garmin app, is capable of delivering plenty of technology.

But it’s not overkill, which can sometimes feel like the case with some of the products we have available in 2025. Don’t get me wrong: I love golf technology, and I genuinely believe that it can not only help people play better golf, but when used appropriately, it can help them play faster golf.

But golf technology can also feel like a bit much at times. Especially when you’re playing the same golf course on a daily basis. Do you really need all of the advanced information the highest-end golf watches can deliver? Or do you really need your club data in the viewfinder of your rangefinder, the way the latest and greatest lasers are able to deliver?

Again, sometimes the answer to those questions is yes. But I also think that oftentimes, it’s a resounding no. Oftentimes, all you really need is a number to the middle of the green. And for those times, I think the simplicity of a GPS device is brilliant.

It’s faster than pulling out a rangefinder before every shot. And it can be more comfortable than having to wear a golf watch.

All that to say that while it can feel like GPS units don’t do much in the grand scheme of how advanced golf technology has become, I think that they still have their time and place. For me, especially when I’m playing a familiar course, I really enjoy the simplicity of a GPS device.

And for all of those reasons, I’ve loved using the Garmin Approach G20. It makes getting the important information very fast and easy. And when you want to drill down to some finer details like wind speed and direction, or pin placement, it doesn’t add any more than a couple of seconds.

So from the standpoint of using the G20 as a daily driver, I could see where it would be worth something to never have to worry about charging it. You could just keep this in your bag, or clipped to your bag, and you’d know that it’d be there and ready to perform whenever you needed without ever having to worry about running out of juice. That does sound attractive.

Pros and Cons of the Garmin Approach G20 Solar

Let’s summarize all that the G20 has going for it and maybe the areas where it’s coming up short.

Pros

• Never needs charging. This is the biggie with the G20. The built-in solar panel means that it’s actually gaining battery life even as you’re using it.
• Accurate and fast GPS. It’s a Garmin. Totally reliable.
• Sunlight-readable display. I love how easy it is to see the information on the screen, even in the brightest sunlight.
• Water-resistant (IPX7). Nothing to worry about if you're caught out in the rain.
• Big, high-contrast numbers. Even the normal-sized numbers are fairly big. But if they’re not big enough, you can switch to a mode that’s actually called “Big Numbers.”

Cons

• It’s twice the price of the Garmin G12 and Bushnell Phantom 3. Solar charging is nice and all, but…
• Size might be slightly large for some. It’s not like this is a huge device, but it’s a bit larger than other GPS options.
• Basic, outdated hole maps. Compared to some of the full-color, detail-rich maps that are available, what you get with the G20 is pretty spartan.
• No touchscreen. Some people will love all-button functionality. Others may long for a touchscreen.
• No slope-adjusted yardages. For a $300 handheld GPS, some people are going to expect this feature.

The Final Verdict: Is the Garmin Approach G20 Solar Worth $300?

Nobody should be surprised that Garmin introduced another really well-built, super-well-thought-out golf product. That’s what they do, and that’s what the G20 is.

But with this golf product, I think the pool of potential customers is pretty specific.

I think the Garmin G20 is right for the golfer who habitually forgets to charge their distance-measuring device.

Whether that’s a handheld, a watch, a rangefinder, a speaker. Whatever it is, there are so many great ways to get accurate yardages on the golf course, and it’s foolish at this point not to be employing at least one of them.

But the problem with all of those distance-gathering gadgets (except for this one) is that they require batteries that need to be recharged or replaced. And any regular golfer will tell you of the times they’ve arrived at the golf course with a dead watch or rangefinder or whatever it may be.

Some of us tend to suffer that bummed-out fate more than others.

Some of us are habitual charges or battery replacers. We’ve got it built into our OCD-like golf routines.

Others of us forget so frequently that we’re barely taking advantage of the technology we’ve paid for because the battery is always dead.

If you’re in the latter camp, buy the Garmin Approach G20. It’s well-built. It’s simple to navigate. It’s easy to read the information. It avoids the over complexities of too much technology. And you’ll never, ever have to charge it.

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc "Shef" Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he's not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.