PLAYING WITH … GARMIN APPROACH S60 GPS WATCH

Cost: $579. Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)

Golf Australia writer Jimmy Emanuel was impressed with this new GPS offering from Garmin.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: My instant reaction to the Approach S60 was amazement as to how light the watch was, despite its relatively large face size.

The Approach S60 fit comfortably and the display was easy to see in any light, while the accompanying Garmin Apps were simple to use and provided in-depth information for golf and general activity. HOW IT PERFORMED: The first real test came on the 1st tee of my first game wearing the S60. Having never worn a watch while playing golf I was concerned the odd feeling might somehow harm my game. After taking a few practices swings alternating the watch between each wrist I settled on the left, an important step to take before setting out on course, as the S60 requires you to nominate which wrist you are wearing it on. You also need to identify metric measurements in the Gamin Connect App settings to ensure your distances are in metres not yards.

My preconceived thoughts were quickly dispelled as I only noticed the watch when referring to it for distances and entering my scores. The scoring function is optional, but the simplicity of touchscreen entering and handy prompts at the conclusion of each hole had me leaving traditional scorecards in the bag, which was especially useful in wind and rain.

The S60’s main function is distance measuring and as one would expect from a product made by a company of Garmin’s standing it is exceptional. The colour screen is easy to read and the option to enlarge the numbers is helpful. Distances are quickly calculated as you move and I wasn’t able to find any of my usual haunts missing from over 40,000 preloaded courses.

The standard view of distances to the green and the general hole shape give a great overview but the ability to use the touchscreen to zero in on the distance to a specific hazard or have a closer look at the shape of the green ahead proved most valuable, helping me to avoid numerous bunkers and rarely be far off the mark with my club choice.

Combining the Approach S60 with the Garmin Golf App allows golfers to review scores and statistics in great detail after the round. The App is easy to use with a clear display, although the statistics can potentially be a little startling if not on your game. In addition to keeping fairways, greens and putts the AutoShot game tracking technology records each shot on an outstanding image of each hole, so you can review the distances you hit each club and hopefully improve your game and remove any ego through technologically driven feedback enhanced by the watch’s swing tempo measurements.

Overall I was impressed with the easy to use golf specific features and touch screen of the S60, particularly the ability to review my game.

The feel and impressive battery life meant I was comfortable wearing the S60 from home to the course and back again, while the ability to link with my smartphone to display messages, phone calls and emails on the watch face was a great addition when out on course knowing I wasn’t going to miss anything important at home or in the office.