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2022 Garmin Approach Golf Watch | Buyer's Guide

Learn, Compare, Buy, Explore.

Find the Best Garmin Golf GPS Watch for Your Game in 2022. Garmin Approach S12, S42 & S62—Reviews, Bundles & More!

Buy Garmin Approach S62 (47 MM)

Shop the Garmin Approach S62 – largest size with the most golfing features.

Buy Garmin Approach S42
(43.4 MM)

Shop Garmin Approach S42 – medium sized smartwatch with loads of features and style!

Buy Garmin Approach S12
(43.7 MM)

Shop the Garmin Approach S12 – the smallest of the models; a straight-forward golf GPS watch.

Garmin Golf Watches In-Depth Review!

Now Showing: The entire Garmin Approach golf watch lineup from our partner, Gabe, at Let's Play Thru.

Filter Garmin Golf GPS Watches by Model or Attribute

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APPROACH S12 BUNDLES APPROACH S42 BUNDLES APPROACH S62 BUNDLES
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Approach S12 Approach S42 Approach S62

Garmin Approach Golf GPS Watches

Garmin Approach S12 Golf GPS Watch

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Garmin Approach S42 Golf GPS Watch

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Garmin Approach S62 Golf GPS Watch

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GARMIN APPROACH GOLF WATCH BUNDLES

Garmin Approach S12 Power Bundle

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Garmin Approach S42 Gift Bundle

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Garmin Approach S62 CT10 Bundle

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Watch This Garmin Golf Watch Comparison
from Our Partner Let's Play Thru

Best Garmin Golf Watch 2022 — Approach S62

Get a 1.3” sunlight-readable easy-to-view display on the Approach S62 for accurate front, middle, and back GPS distances to the green plus hazards and dogleg location.

Plus, wear 42,000 worldwide courses right on your wrist. AutoShot game tracking and Green View allow you to keep better track of your game and manually drag and drop the pin to increase your accuracy. Furthermore, the PlaysLike Distance feature adjusts basic front-middle-back yardages for uphill, flat, and downhill shots. And even on blind shots, the PinPointer feature shows you on the screen which direction to swing.

Top it all off with Virtual Caddie that factors in wind and suggests clubs for you based on the distance you normally swing for that club.

Garmin Approach S42 Golf GPS Smartwatch

Enhance everything from your style to your shot accuracy with the Approach S42.

Access 42,000 maps of golf courses worldwide and get accurate distances to the green plus hazards and dogleg detection. 

Additionally, the Approach S42 has most of S62’s shot-maximizing features. You get AutoShot game tracking and Green View for manual pin drag and drop. The PlaysLike Distance feature adjusts yardages for uphill, flat, and downhill shots. And the PinPointer keeps you direction-oriented, even in a blind spot.

How to Update a Garmin Golf Watch

Garmin Express is the software used to download and install the latest golf course maps and software updates for your Garmin Approach golf GPS watch. The golf course mapping, CourseView, offers over 41,000 golf courses worldwide and growing. Garmin releases new CourseView updates periodically each year. These updates will add new courses and revisions to existing courses as Garmin is notified. New device software is released periodically to enhance device performance.

Updating Your Approach With Garmin Express

  • Before updating your device, you will need to have Garmin Express installed on your computer. If you already have Express installed, skip this step.
  • Connect your Approach device to your computer with the appropriate USB Cable.
  • Launch Garmin Express by selecting the icon.
    NOTE: Garmin Express will be launched during the installation process. If you already have Garmin Express installed, open Garmin Express from computer's applications.
    • Windows: Either double-click the Express icon (pictured) in the system tray (next to your time), double-click the shortcut on the desktop, or search for Garmin Express in your Start Menu.
    • Mac: Garmin Express can be found in the Applications folder in Finder.
  • Select the desired device or click Add a Device.
  • Once the device is recognized, follow on-screen prompts for Garmin Connect sign in and user settings.
  • Garmin Express will display the available updates for the device. Click Install All.
  • Follow on-screen prompts for license agreement and selecting course regions if applicable.
  • Once Garmin Express gives the Updates Complete message, safely eject the device from your computer before disconnecting it.
    • Windows: Press the Windows key + E, right-click the Garmin device and choose Eject (if the device is not listed it does not need to be ejected). Once the device disappears, disconnect it from the computer.
    • Mac: Drag the device to the Trash or select the Finder and choose the Eject symbol next to the Garmin device. Once the device disappears, disconnect it from the Mac.

      NOTE: The Approach S62 is a Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) device that does not appear as a disk on the Mac. It does not need to be safely ejected.

  • If a device software update was sent to your device, it will finish the installation on the display of the device itself once disconnected. Once completed, it will restart automatically and return to the normal device screens.

Garmin Approach S12 Golf GPS Watch

Keep it simple with the fast, user-friendly, lightweight Approach S12 GPS golf watch.

In this latest model, you can expect a sunlight-readable screen, over 41,000 preloaded courses from around the world, features for referencing basic front-middle-back yardages to the green, hazard detection and avoidance features, scorekeeping on your screen (with the Garmin Golf app), stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit),the option to pair with Approach CT10 club tracking sensors, and a battery life up to 30 hours in GPS mode and up to 10 weeks in watch mode!

Garmin Golf Watch Reviews

Looking for Garmin Approach Golf watch reviews? Our partner, Gabe, at Let's Play Thru creates fun and informative video reviews of our favorite Garmin Golf devices!

Watch him review each Garmin golf watch on the course, in depth! Plus, check out his video on how Virtual Caddie works!

 

What Is the Garmin Golf App?

With the free Garmin Golf app, you can upload scorecards, review shot history, review performance stats, participate in weekly leaderboards, create tournaments, and save driving range sessions.

Even if you don’t have a Garmin golf device, you can still use the app to participate in weekly leaderboards and tournaments, and enter your scores and stats into the app manually.

Check out weekly leaderboards on any of our 42,000+ courses, with live scoring, automatic scorecard uploads and the ability to review stats in real time during play or after your round.

You can use the included features for free or get a membership for extras:

INCLUDED FEATURES

  • Upload scorecards from a compatible device
  • Review shot history from a compatible device
  • Review performance stats
  • Participate in weekly leaderboards
  • Create tournaments
  • Save driving range sessions from a compatible device
  • 30-day Garmin Golf membership trial

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION

Monthly: $9.99
Annually: $99.99
All included features:

  • Plan your best approach shot, and sink your putt with Green Contour data
  • Home Tee Hero virtual rounds on 42,000+ courses (Approach R10 device only)
  • Store video clips of your shots in the cloud (Approach R10 device only)

 

Quick Garmin Golf Watch Comparison Table

Garmin Approach S62 Garmin Approach S42 Garmin Approach S12

Price

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Release

2020

2021

2021

Screen

Round, Color 1.3" Touchscreen
Sunlight Readable

Round, Color 1.2" Touchscreen
Sunlight Readable

Round, B/W Hi-Res Screen
Sunlight Readable

Advanced
Features

Virtual Caddie
All S42, S12, S10 features

Pin Placement, PlaysLike
All S12, S10 features

30-Hour Battery

Shared
Features

  • 42,000+ Worldwide Courses
  • Accurate Back, Middle, Front
    green distances + hazards
  • Scorekeeping on Garmin Golf
  • 1-Year Garmin Warranty
  • 42,000+ Worldwide Courses
  • Accurate Back, Middle, Front
    green distances + hazards
  • Scorekeeping on Garmin Golf
  • 1-Year Garmin Warranty
  • 42,000+ Worldwide Courses
  • Accurate Back, Middle, Front
    green distances + hazards
  • Scorekeeping on Garmin Golf
  • 1-Year Garmin Warranty

PlayBetter
Offers

  • Free 2-Day Shipping
  • Free 60-Day Returns
  • PlayBetter Customer Service
  • Free 2-Day Shipping
  • Free 60-Day Returns
  • PlayBetter Customer Service
  • Free 2-Day Shipping
  • Free 60-Day Returns
  • PlayBetter Customer Service

Garmin Ladies' Golf Watch

When it comes to golf watches for women, golfing features, size, style, color, and smart notifications are often key factors.

While all the watches in the Garmin Approach lineup are great options for women and men golfers alike, the Approach S42 has the style and functionality to be the best ladies' Garmin golf watch.

The S42 is loaded with Garmin golf features like 42,000 maps of golf courses worldwide, distances to the green plus hazards and dogleg detection, AutoShot game tracking, Green View for manual pin drag and drop, PlaysLike Distance, and PinPointer.

Not only does it have smart notifications, sleep, hydration, and women's health features—the display is a 1.2" sunlight-readable color touchscreen and this GPS watch only weighs 1.5 oz. Plus, it comes in 3 gorgeous color palettes: Rose Gold/Light Sand, Polished Silver/White, and Gunmetal/Black.

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