Garmin Golf Approach S1 Watch 

It's July 15, 2020 and we're in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. I charged and updated my Garmin S1 last night and it's still in great shape. Highly recommend. Can't wait to play in a couple weeks.

Have had the garmin S2 for a few years now and its been amazing. I sometimes use as a regular watch as well, will upgrade when it craps out.

Thanks for the review. I've played with the S1 for a year and found it to really help me get shots closer to the pin. It's simple to use and takes less time than a laser rangefinder.

Had the S1 for around 2 years, Like the easy access to yardages without having to get a range finder from it's pouch, lazer, walk back to golf bag to put away etc. Comfortable, every course I've played recently, including a Portugal golf holiday, has been on the watch, however... strap has now broken and as it's integrated into the watch body I can't just buy a replacement. Also the battery life on a full charge has reduced to around 4-5 hours. Loved it initially but will now buy a rangefinder.

I bought one last year and it's made a big difference to my game. Before I was prone to under clubbing probably because I think I'm better than I actually am! With the S1 I've started to get a good idea of how far I hit the ball with each iron and trust the yardage the watch shows. Agree that it is not much use of the tee especially when playing an unfamiliar course, but on home course it's not a problem. Good product - really like it.

This one may not show the dogleg distance, however the Garmin S3 does, and is a massive upgrade to the S1. Have had the S3 since July and love it.

Have had my S1 for a couple of years now and it's been brilliant! Needs a charge after every round though but you need to factor that in to your routine of getting ready. Its generally very accurate.

Hi mark! You can move the green pin by touchscreen for more precise shots with the Garmin S3.

Great videos Mark! Could you please do a course vlog so we could hear your thought process as you play the course?

Good video again Mark but the common theme seems to be that you need a gps for off the tee to identify hazards and a rangefinder for approach play to get a precise flag yardage. That said local knowledge always helps as the 10th at my home course you always are looking to land near the front as the green runs away quite steeply

Absolutely correct. Phone apps cannot be used in competition, but can be used in general play.

These on-course videos are excellent.

That's why on many courses in the US they have pin positions at one of the predetermined places marked by a number on the scorecard. This way you know roughly where the pin is that day; not only front or back, but also side to side.

Really love these on course vids Mark! Doing a great job with these, they're really useful. Thanks.

It would very interesting with a video comparing the S1 and the S3 to find out if the extra functions on the latter are any good, and more importantly if they are worth the price difference.

On my course we just split the green into 3 sections, A,B an C, then just have a sign out on the 1st with what section they're in. It shows you in the strokesaver where each section is on each green. Simples :)

Love the on-course videos Mark. Would also like to hear a short commentary on your thought process prior to the shot. I'm curious as to what you consider before pulling the trigger. I do have a handheld Garmin and my next will be the watch style. I prefer Garmin over SkyCaddie as I believe it offers more value for the money. I often play new courses I am not familiar with, some which do not have yardage marked on sprinkler heads or elsewhere. These devices help speed up the game.

I use the Garmin S1. I cant play with out it. It updates as you walk the course. So when you get to your ball there is no waiting, just take a look at it and it has updatede as you walked toward your ball. When you get to the next tee, it has figured out you are at the next hole and is ready to give you the information you need. Super super easy to use. The downside: Cant show hazards and precise pin distance.

have this watch and love it. My course has colour coded flags so i know if its at the front , middle or back

Great vid as usual. Can you do a 'what's in the bag' for your clubs?

Most people play the same course week in and week out and don't need full details of each hole and therefore a front, middle and back yardage is ideal. Also as a 6 handicapper I am going to estimate/work out the yardage to the green/pin anyway by finding yardage markers and walking it out. Even better to know f, m, and back when you are off the beaten track!

Mark the keyword is approach lol hence it helps with your approach distances when hitting your approach shots.

Thanks....best golf instruction and reviews on the web. Just bought one. BTW you need to get your putter fitted to a flatter lie ;)!

Most courses here in Western Australia have a marker ball on the flag. The marker indicates pin position, if the maker is at the top the pins position is back of the green, middle = middle, bottom = front of green. This GPS is brilliant and simple to use, buy one!!!!

I thought you could use the watches for comps - just not the smartphones as they can have other apps such as wind speed and direction indicators? I have the S3 and you can add yardages onto it to indicate distances to bunkers, doglegs etc plus it has yardage to 200 from the green 150 from the green and and 100 from the green as an option for laying up on par fives.

nice video on how to use the Garmin s1 in golfing real time.

England should have what I have back home in Belgium where we use 3 color of flaggs for front middle or back of the green.. It's easy and really really helpful..

Thought about getting one of these but like my Bushnell Laser too much. Maybe in the future.

i have one and i dont mind that it doesnt give me all the hazards, dog legs, and pin locations. i mean i feel like there should be a little bit of guess work in golf as with any game and i find that off the tee i really dont need to use the gps to much. The reason i like it is because its simple, its fast, all i have to do is check my wrist and hit my shot i dont have to fuss around with buttons or anything.

I love my s1, even with the fancier ones all i care about is front middle back, plus on blind shots my rangefinder is useless. I can get 36 holes out of my s1 also. Plus the yardage is right there on my wrist, I dont have to fumble around with my phone or rangefinder.

Neat Video Mark! Loving on the course videos please more!

Nice vid Mark. I just got this. I have another Garmin for running and forgot to notice the S1 has the watchband type that is built into the watch which can't be easily replaced. Another commenter stated it broke...how had your band stood up?

Mark, Do a review on the Bushnell Rangefinders, theyare so much better than GPS systems. LASER all the way.

You can get an app for any smartphone for free that will tell you all this, and more. You can just click where you want to land the ball and it tells you the yardage to your target, and from your target to green in one click.

I agree, I would like to see that as well.

Mark could you do a video using a rangefinder on the course please? Enjoying the videos but agree with you that the Garmin telling you that you have 380 yards to go off the tee isn't that helpful.

Nice Vr Pro Limited!! Mark, dont you fing its very similar to the d3 shape wise, btw im going with some kind of a bushnell!!

Lipped out for a bogey :P Great video. Love the on course stuff.

Mark, could you do a review of the Swing By Swing Golf GPS iPhone app. Be great to hear your opinion

Went through 3 of these, but they all steamed up on cold days. As they are supposed to be waterproof, this must have been air trapped inside or something.. Switched to the S3, which is fine in the same conditions. The touch screen is a little fiddly though and its £100 more.

It still blows my mind when someone hits their driver exactly where they're aiming, but that's more of a reflection on my poor golf than anyone else ha. By the way, these watches are awesome for approach shots, especially on courses you don't know very well.

That would be ok if the course only changed the pin positions once a week. Or if the course never got particularly busy. But on a championship course that changes positions every 2 days with golf off from the start it's to much work for the greens staff to stay ahead

Thanks for the video. I can't play while wearing a watch or a ring... just feels terrible to me. Has the trusty Nike taken a back seat to the new Mizuno?

Don't think you can use a smartphone for competitions though, so if you play with a club an app is no good. For casual play though, I love mine

Hey Mark , how long does the battery last , how to replace, and cost???

Yeah thats true. But for casual play its more effective. I think people using this most likely arent playing in competition.

Played about 40 different Courses in the UK over the last 2 years and there was only 1 of these Courses that wasn't loaded on the Garmin.

hi mark,im an 11 handicap and currently use this watch,do you thing a laser rangefinder would benefit me more,or is it for elite players?

You don't comment on what courses are held within the unit or how these are updated or different courses added.

Watch is good for basic info. Iphone apps are all well and good apart from the fact that they don't comply with the rules of golf and are illegal due to the iPhone having a built in compass

for competition, you are not even allowed any sort of garmin, smart phone type of yardage calculator. All you are allowed to use us a range finder.

who is - sorry :) - what do you use for the slow mov videos? Im considering getting a camara for swing-videos, how many frames per second do you recommend?

Nice videos Mark makes but why are people obsessed with "what's in the bag"? I mean, are people going to go buy the same clubs that Mark uses because he's a teaching pro? I just don't get it. If you really wanted to know "what's in a pros bag?" you can google any top golfer in the world and find out what's in their bag.

hi mark, could you do a review on the bushnell neo+ gps?

Lots of people are on about flag positions and coloured flags etc. The flag in the video has a small flag lower down; when it's on the bottom the flag is at the front; in the middle the flag is in the middle; at the top...ah you get it!

I walk, so yardage is a pain to know. I don't trust my eyes and leave shots short. I need a gps to be certain! I hate feeling uncertain and it screws up my swing. Nothing worst than being unsure and hesitating on the swing.

What's your thoughts on the latest tech from Garmin Mark?

The Garmin website states that the S1 on up can measure your hits. Anybody have experience with this feature?

can u do a review on the motoactv please

you cant use apps on telephones for any comps in the UK.

"So here I am, hardest hole on the course. Bang, bang, and I'm on the green with a birdie chance" It's almost unfair when someone makes it look so simple. Re: the feature - might be better to play the hole as if you didn't have the watch as well. So when you get to your drive, don't look at what the watch says, have a guess using any on course markers, play a shot, then replace your ball and have a look at the watch and see if you change your mind on what shot you should play.

How did I miss this video?

what irons are they?? seriously need a witb

Please try garmin S3

swingbyte vs trackman pleaseeee!

hey mark, why dont you use the other intro music anymore?

ya but were still waiting for in the bag.

hows your camaraman? - the crows went "noouuhghh" at the put :)

Cool gadget!

thats the what my local course does too

what watch is that?

I think the watch is terrible and a con. Tells you nothing that the course and score card tells you. What do you think of Iphone apps etc. These tell you loads more and you can actually pin point distances. May not help in comps but helps to gauge distances and even better on new courses that you have not played before. I think your videos etc are great and when I meet new people who are Golfers I tell them to look you up on line as the way you explain things is easy to understand. Gitesh

i really like whats going on here..

Aren't they like $300? Pretty pointless with as little info as it provides. I do like following along as you play actual golf, keep it up even when not GPS related.

does anyone know how to set the time on the garmin s2

These gps systems are pretty good. I would never buy one, however and I really don't understand why anybody would. Reason: The Laser Rangefinders are soooooooooo much better. You can messure anything with those bad boys. There is nothing these GPS systems can, that a proper laser rangefinder can't. But there are plenty the rangefinder can, but the GPS lacks. GET A RANGEFINDER. It's not even close.

I want one

AMEN

don't a decent scorecard tell the golfer yardages?

not getting stucked in again?

Wow, that green looked super slow.

anyone for a Viennese Whirl?

I don`t use these gizmos, I feel it`s a bit like cheating. Just my opinion ;-)

No. Can a GPS? No. What's your point?

I wouldnt buy that... I think that an app would be more effective. You can see the entire hole and where you tap your finger it gives you the exact yardage. The less guessing the better

vrs driver at 1:16

You can buy a whole lot of course guides for this kind of money.

S1 is an old GPS. It's clunky and battery life is terrible. PLUS it's too expensive for what it has to offer. My GPS watch is versitile, full color, can do music, has different graphics, maps, etc... for $50 less.

Come on Mark you gotta sink those putts :-)

Putt that out, no gimmes!!

These are a load of crap, better down loading something from an apps store to your phone they are just the same and about 65p only . . garmin you have. . one round per full charge on the battery. . for 250.00 quid spend your money more wisely

one round . not worth the money

OOOOOOMMMMMGGGGGG he didn't say let's get stuck in

It's NEVER a par until you tap it in !!!