Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Three holes into my first round with the new watch (a Christmas present to myself), it dawned on me that this is cooler than I had imagined. I predict two years from now, this is the new rangefinder technology.
For the past several years, I have been a big proponent of the laser rangefinder, arguing with my gps rangefinder friends that the laser is more accurate to the pin. After my round today, I am not sure I will ever pull my laser out again. The convenience is unbelievable. I just look down at my wrist, and I have my distance to the front middle and back. I look in the cart at the pin sheet, and subtract or add for a perfect distance. No reaching in the glove box of the cart or fumbling around for a device.
Even cooler, and more used than I anticipated, is the function that lets me measure the distance of my shot. You just hold a button and select "measure my shot" then drive or walk to the ball, and it gives the distance. I started doing it with all my shots just to get a feel for how long I was hitting the ball with each club. Pretty cool.
Less cool, but neat -- you can also measure with an odometer how far you actually walk on the course. And other things, like how far away your mother in law's house is on Christmas day, important things like that.
The watch is very comfortable and readable with large, clean numbers. I am going to start wearing it as my regular watch.
The only con that I can tell is that there are no distances to hazards, etc. I suspect that will be in the next generation.
Only one round in, but I can tell this is going to be a keeper.
Update:
After about 4 months of pretty heavy usage, there are my thoughts.
I still think it is a great product, but I use my laser in conjunction to get precise yardage. I find myself looking at the watch as I pull up to the ball for club selection, grab the right club, then shoot it with the laser to confirm and get the exact distance to the pin. The distances were not perfect when I first used it. A few holes were off by as much as 10 yards. I wrote to Garmin about my course, and my guess is that they remapped the course using google earth or something like it. The distances are much better with the latest update. On the Garmin web page, look around, there is a link to send them comments about yardages on a particular course.
The battery charger is kind of a pain. It clips onto the watch, and with mine you have to jigger it to get it to start charging. It is not that I am not getting the leads in the right place -- that is easy to see. You have to wiggle it to get the charging bars to start. The charger definitely needs improvement, or I got a bad charger.
Also, the battery charge life is not great. I played 36 holes the other day, and it did not finish the day. I don't often play 36 so it is not a big deal, but be aware that it is really just a one round charge.
But I still love it. It is comfortable to wear, very easy to read, and fun to show off to other players. I would still buy it given what I know now.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin Approach S1 Waterproof Golf GPS Watch
Approach S1 is unlike any other golf GPS. Combining a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with a lightweight, flexible sport watch, S1 gives you distance information to the front, back and middle of greens. You can measure individual shot distances, track how far you walk on the course, and then use the alarm to get you up in the morning. Approach S1 is golf's first full-featured sports watch and golf GPS in one.
Lock In Yardages and Measure Distances
Approach S1 will have you dialed in like a pro by providing yardages to the front, back and middle of the green. The sunlight viewable screen features large numbering for at-a-glance visibility.
S1 also measures precise yardages for shots played from anywhere on the course. And for those that like to walk, there's the S1 odometer to tell you how far you traveled--on the course, or off.
No Downloads, No Subscriptions
Unlike many golf GPS devices on the market, S1 comes preloaded with more than 14,000 U.S. and Canadian courses--and Garmin's adding more all the time. There's no need for subscriptions, downloads or additional set up--S1 is ready to tee off out of the box. Instantly ain access to thousands of new and updated golf course maps.
Sleek Everyday Watch
S1's cool look belies the tough, rugged, waterproof design. Fitted for course playability, S1 also functions as an every day watch. There's an alarm, rechargeable lithium ion battery and S1 sets its time and time zone automatically.
What's in the Box
Approach S1, Charging/Data Clip, AC Charging Adapter, Owner's Manual
Click here for more information about Garmin Approach S1 Waterproof Golf GPS Watch
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