Golf watches are a valuable tool for golfers looking to better understand how they play and what they can do to improve their game. The Garmin Approach S40, S60 and S62 are options for any golfer looking to improve their score and help them better understand their overall game.
They can record and store a ton of player data such stat tracking, shot distances and even swing tempo. They also can help you better manage a course showing you yardages, yardages adjusted for elevation changes and hazards.
All three models are compatible with the Garmin Golf app.
Garmin S40 Features
Some of the most notable features of the Garmin Approach S40 are as follows:
- Clock features
- Health features
- 42,000 courses loaded onto the watch
- Distance
- Custom target
- Stat tracking
- Autoshot
Garmin S40 Golf Features
Clock: This watch features a stopwatch, an alarm and a timer.
Health: It will also track exercise, sleep and hydration to help prepare golfers for the next time they hit the course.
Loaded courses: Garmin has the largest selection of courses, and the S40 has 42,000 courses worldwide. Chances are the golfers' preferred courses will be accessible to them via the watch. Garmin is always adding new courses.
Distance: It will provide golfers with their distance to layup and dogleg spots and will also tell them how far they are from the 100 to the 150-yard mark. It will also calculate how far the ball was hit, which is useful for dialing in distance control.
Custom target: The Garmin Approach S40 lets golfers select any spot on the course and will save the distance for the next time they play. If you routinely play a course this can be a very helpful feature.
Stat tracking: Once a round has been played, it will collect and deliver the players' stats so they can understand where they should improve their game.
Autoshot: This feature helps golfers figure out which club they should use based on the distance. It will record each club distance so you can get an average distance on the hits.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Responsive touch screen |
Expensive |
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Fitness tracking for other sports |
More complex than other models |
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Waterproof up to 50 metres |
No heart rate monitor |
Garmin S40 Battery Life
The battery life on the Garmin Approach S40 can keep you going for 15 hours. Alternatively, in smartwatch mode, this model can have up to 10-days of battery life.
Garmin S40 Price
The Garmin Approach S40 is around $419.99 CAD.
Garmin S40 Size & Weight
The total size of the S40 is 43.4 x 43.4 x 11.7 millimetres. The screen on this watch is 1.2" and weighs 1.5 ounces or 43 grams. This watch will fit the wrists of those with a circumference of 125 to 202 millimetres.
Garmin S60 Features
The features of the Garmin Approach S60 include:
- 41,000 courses loaded
- Detailed hole maps
- Distance
- Stats
- Autoshot
- Pinpointer
- Playslike
- Swing Tempo
- Non-golf features
Garmin S60 Golf Features
Loaded courses: There are 41,000 courses worldwide loaded onto the watch, and it has free lifetime updates! New courses are always being added.
Detailed hole maps: As opposed to just showing numbers or the shape of the green, this feature will show the entire hole and where everything around it is located.
Distance: Players will be able to see the distance to doglegs and how far they must hit to get to the 100 to 150-yard layup. It will also tell the player how far their last shot traveled.
Stats: The S60 will track important stats like fairways hits, strokes, greens in regulation and where the most common misses were in order to help analyze where the player can improve their game.
Autoshot: Autoshot will automatically track your shots and save them for future reference in the Garmin Golf app.
Pinpointer: This will help tell you exactly where the green is and where the pin is located.
Playslike: Will help give an accurate distance reading based on elevation.
SwingTempo: This will measure the players' upswing and downswing tempo.
Non-golf features: These include:
- Stopwatch, time, alarm, calendar, weather
- Sleep, calories burned, hydration, distance, heart rate zone, heart rate max
- Workout profiles
- Sport profiles: ski, snowboard, rowing, swimming
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Pros |
Cons |
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Great accuracy |
Expensive |
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Looks great and is comfortable to wear |
Could be considered to have too many features, which can make it complicated to use |
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Provides all the necessary information that golfers would want on the course |
The battery life could be better |
Garmin S60 Battery Life
This model has a 10-hour battery life when golfing or up to 10 days in watch mode.
Garmin S60 Price
The Garmin Approach S60 is $359.99+ CAD.
Garmin S60 Size & Weight
The S60 has a screen size of 1.2". This model comes in either standard or premium. The only difference is that the premium is made from leather. The standard version weighs 1.8 ounces or 52 grams, while the premium version is 2.2 ounces or 61 grams. The complete size of the watch is 46 x 46 x 14.5 millimetres.
Garmin S62 Features
The features that come with the Garmin S62 are:
- Hazard views
- 41,000 courses loaded
- Detailed hole maps
- Distance
- Stats
- Autoshot
- Pinpointer
- Virtual caddy
- Distance
- Playslike
- Health stats
- Windspeed
- Green Contour Data
Garmin S62 Golf Features
Hazard views: Better presented compared to its predecessors.
Virtual caddy: This will provide information on the best club to use based on your selection and data.
Playslike: Will help with distance measurement based on elevation.
Health stats: This includes a heart rate monitor, alarm, stopwatch, timer, and sports/workout
Windspeed and Direction: Allowing you make more informed decisions about your next shot.
Green Contour Data: Helps to analyze green slope and break.
Garmin S62 Battery Life
This model provides up to 14 days of battery life in golf mode. In smartwatch mode, this model carries a battery life of 20 hours.
Garmin S62 Price
The Garmin Approach S62 is $679.99 CAD.
Garmin S62 Size & Weight
The S62 is 47 x 47 x 14.8 millimetres and fits wrists with a circumference of 125 to 208 millimetres. It weighs 2.2 ounces or 61 grams. The screen for this model is larger than its predecessors at 1.3".
Summarizing the Differences Between the S40, S60 and S62
From a performance standpoint, the S40 and S60 are pretty much the same. The main difference being the S40 has a somewhat better battery life than the S60. The S60 allows for wristband swapping in case golfers want an easy way to customize their watch. The only model that doesn't feature a heart rate monitor is the S40. It’s also worth noting that the S40 does not have a playslike feature which is very useful when trying to factor elevation into your shot.
The S62 comes out on top with respect to performance. It's got a bigger face, more new features and has fixed some issues that were present with the previous models.
As you would expect as the price point increases, the number of features also increases.