Introduction: The Approach S70 Is Garmin’s Best GPS Golf Watch
Are you searching for the perfect GPS golf watch to elevate your game? Look no further than Garmin’s Approach S70, the premium and feature-packed timepiece that every golfer needs.
With an incredible AMOLED display, comprehensive course mapping, advanced golf features, fitness tracking capabilities, and more – this innovative device is designed to give each swing the precision it deserves.
This is the best golf watch available on the market. Even better, it doesn’t need a subscription! (well, except for the Green Contour data—we cover that below).
Let’s take an in-depth look at the best GPS golf watch in this Garmin Approach S70 Review!
Key Takeaways
- The Garmin Approach S70 is a premium GPS golf watch with a sleek design, durable build quality, great battery life, and an incredible AMOLED display.
- It offers advanced features such as PlaysLike Distance, virtual caddie, and Green View for precise shot planning on over 43,000 preloaded courses worldwide.
- The watch also includes wrist-based heart rate tracking, activity monitoring, and smartwatch features to keep you connected.
- It does not need a subscription and can be paired with the Approach CT10 club sensors for automatic shot tracking.
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What’s New in the Garmin S70 Golf Watch
The Garmin Approach S70 has exciting updates, including an AMOLED display for better visibility, an improved Virtual Caddie, and an enhanced PlaysLike Distance feature.
I am a huge fan of Garmin’s golf watches and have been very impressed with their functionality and performance. It is exciting that released a new high-end golf watch.
AMOLED Display
One of the standout features of the Garmin Approach S70 is its impressive 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display. This offers crisp, vibrant colors and exceptional clarity that makes it easy to see all the essential information when out on the course.
Improved Virtual Caddie
Garmin improved its virtual caddie, which takes your golf game to new heights. This advanced system provides club recommendations based on shot dispersion data and elevation, ensuring every swing has greatest potential for success.
The virtual caddie is not only practical but also incredibly user-friendly. For instance, during a challenging par-5 with many hazards along the fairway, the virtual caddie will suggest clubs that optimize your chances of avoiding bunkers or water hazards while maximizing distance off the tee.
As a result, you’ll gain valuable insights into your gameplay and be able to fine-tune various aspects of your swing.
Enhanced PlaysLike Distance Feature
The Garmin Approach S70 boasts an enhanced PlaysLike Distance feature that significantly elevates your golfing experience. This innovative technology adjusts yardage calculations based on elevation changes and environmental conditions, providing you with accurate distance measurements tailored to each unique shot.
Not only does this intelligent tool minimize guesswork on the course, but it also allows for better strategy planning throughout your game.
For example, if you face a challenging hole with strong crosswinds and severe elevation differences, the Garmin Approach S70 will expertly factor in these variables to provide precise club recommendations and course mapping—ultimately enhancing your performance.
Design And Build Of The Garmin Approach S70 Golf Watch
The Garmin Approach S70 boasts a sleek and stylish design, featuring a black ceramic bezel and a comfortable silicone band that is perfect for extended use on the golf course.
Premium Quality Materials
The Approach S70 is a premium GPS golf watch that comes with the best quality materials for durability and longevity. The 47mm black ceramic bezel exudes sophistication, while the black silicone band ensures comfort throughout your game.
You don’t have to worry about wear and tear because this watch is built to withstand tough conditions on the golf course. Plus, it’s water-resistant up to 50 meters!
Large, Easy-to-read Touchscreen Display
As mentioned above, the S70 boasts a 1.4″ AMOLED touchscreen display that provides clear and easy-to-read information on the course. AMOLED displays are very bright and have excellent contrast and are used in the best devices.
With its excellent visibility even in direct sunlight, you’ll appreciate how easily readable this screen is at a glance. Also, the large display makes it easy to see yardage, green contours, and other vital information for planning your shots.
The screen is also very responsive, allowing you to quickly navigate through menus and select options with ease.
What’s more impressive is that the watch features customizable watch faces making this device unique from all its peers.
Garmin’s S70 touchscreen also allows golfers to interact with their scorecards during rounds of golf. With its help recording scores becomes effortless; all you need do is add your strokes when you leave each hole or at any time within one round of play.
It takes 5 seconds and it super helpful.
Key Golf Features Of The Garmin Approach S70
The Garmin Approach S70 GPS golf watch comes with a sleek design, durable build quality, great battery life, and an incredible AMOLED display. It offers advanced features such as PlaysLike Distance, Virtual Caddie, and Green View for precise shot planning on over 43,000 preloaded courses worldwide.
The Approach S70 boasts a range of features to enhance your game, including precise yardage measurements, advanced Green View for accurate shot planning, course mapping, and shot tracking to improve your game – read on to discover more about this ultimate GPS golf watch.
Preloaded Course Maps For Over 43,000 Golf Courses Worldwide
The Garmin Approach S70 GPS golf watch boasts preloaded course maps for over 43,000 golf courses worldwide. This means that you can easily find and access your favorite golf courses without having to manually search or download them.
The watch also updates itself automatically with the latest map data via Wi-Fi, so you don’t have to worry about new courses not being available. With this feature, all you need to do is choose the course you want to play from a list of preloaded ones on the device, and it will show you precise distance measurements and hazards throughout the course.
Quick Reference To The Front, Middle, And Back Of The Green
The Garmin Approach S70 is a game-changing GPS golf watch that provides accurate yardage and course mapping, including quick reference to the front, middle, and back of each green.
With this feature, you can effortlessly plan your shots with greater precision and accuracy.
Pinpointer Feature
Additionally, the Pinpointer function guides you in knowing the direction of the pin even on blind spots giving you better decision-making power. You’ll never have to guess where the hole is located again with this handy tool.
As a golfer who wants to improve your game strategy, having access to accurate green distance data is essential. It helps boost confidence by providing vital info at a glance which reduces guesswork associated with traditional handheld rangefinders.
Accurate Yardage And Course Mapping
One of the standout features of the Approach S70 is its accurate yardage and course mapping capabilities. Garmin is well-known for the accuracy of their GPS chipsets and this watch is no exception.
The Approach S70 also has a Green View feature that provides detailed contour data for each green so you can plan your approach shots accordingly.
Advanced Green View Feature For Accurate Shot Planning*
The Advanced Green View feature provides green contour data, helping you understand the slopes and contours of the greens accurately. This allows you to plan your approach shots precisely, making sure that they land where you want them to be.
*This feature requires a subscription to Garmin Golf to use it.
Shot Tracking And Analysis To Improve Your Game
One of the most innovative aspects included is shot tracking and analysis, which helps you identify areas for improvement in your performance.
With an automatic round analyzer feature, this smartwatch records distances from every shot you make on the course.
Moreover, with access to data about greens hit in regulation and fairways hit percentage, all visible through the Garmin Golf app interface upon connecting it with the watch, it’s easy to know precisely where they are struggling.
Compatible with The Garmin Approach CT10 Club Tracking Sensors
The Garmin Approach CT10 is a set of sensors that connects to almost any Garmin watch, automatically tracks all of your golf shots, and enables post-round analysis.
No subscription is required
The Garmin Approach S70 is compatible with Garmin’s own club tracking system, the Approach CT10.
The Garmin Approach CT10 is a set of sensors that connect to almost any Garmin watch.
It is the same as the Arccos system in which small sensors screw into the grip on each club. The sensors then connect to a Garmin watch that has the golf app (and functionality built-in).
When you swing, the sensor transmits data about the shot back to the Garmin watch. The Garmin watch then syncs with the Garmin Golf app on your phone and you get all your shot data.
This is a completely hands-free system for automatically tracking all your shots. I highly recommend it if you have a Garmin watch.
Garmin Golf Subscription
With a Garmin Golf membership, customers can access premium golf app features. For the Approach S70 watch, a membership gives you access to Green Contours.
To be honest, this is a bit disappointing that Garmin charges for this feature. It is $9.99 /mo which I personally do not think is worth it.
But, you may love this feature so it could be worth it to you.
Garmin Golf App
The Garmin Golf app is how the S70 watch delivers shot data to Garmin. Inside the app, you can update your shot data from rounds, view performance metrics and analytics, and view all your scorecards.
It is free to use. This is a great option to analyze your rounds to see where you need to improve.
- Upload scorecards from a compatible device
- Review shot history from a compatible device
- Review performance stats
- Take part in weekly leaderboards
- Create tournaments
Fitness Features Of The Garmin Approach S70
With the ability to track sleep quality, stress levels, hydration, women’s health tracking as well as running features like GPS-based distance tracking and workout creation with over 1,600 exercises available on the device – it’s clear that the Approach S70 is more than just a golf watch.
Wrist-based Heart Rate And Heart Rate Variability Tracking
The Garmin Approach S70 is not just any ordinary golf GPS watch. It offers a range of fitness features to improve your health and wellness, including wrist-based heart rate and heart rate variability tracking.
With 24/7 heart rate monitoring, you can easily track your workouts and get insights into your cardiovascular health.
The watch includes a respiration rate monitor and Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen saturation tracking, providing even more detailed information about your body’s performance.
Fitness Tracking Like Step Counting And Workout Plans
Fitness tracking capabilities like step counting and workout plans are included that can help you stay on top of your health goals while improving your game.
In addition to keeping track of your steps and workouts throughout the day, the watch provides wrist-based heart rate monitoring during exercise as well as alerts for abnormal heart rate.
It even has a respiration rate monitor and Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen saturation tracking.
Activity Tracking And Step Counting
The Garmin Approach S70 Golf GPS Smartwatch provides more than just golf features; it also offers activity tracking and step counting for a well-rounded fitness experience.
With 24/7 health monitoring, the watch tracks your steps taken, calories burned, and distance traveled so you can keep track of your daily physical activity level. It includes preloaded workout plans for a range of activities such as running, strength training, yoga, and more with over 1,600 exercises to choose from.
Or, follow training plans using Garmin Coach to improve running performance with GPS-based distance tracking in real-time.
The respiration rate monitoring and pulse ox sensor give you insights into your blood oxygen saturation levels during exercise or at rest. Plus, the fitness age estimation feature uses data like resting heart rate to provide an estimate of how old your body is compared to your actual age.
Sleep Tracking
Additionally, the watch has advanced sleep tracking features built-in to track sleep score, sleep stages, and provides insights for improved sleep quality.
Training Plans And Workouts To Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals
When it comes to golf, fitness is a crucial element that could make or break your game. That’s why the Garmin Approach S70 Golf GPS Smartwatch offers training plans and workouts to help you reach your fitness goals.
You can get deeper insights into how your body is responding to exercise and better tailor your fitness routine accordingly.
Smartwatch Features Of The Garmin Approach S70
The Garmin Approach S70 GPS golf watch comes with a sleek design, durable build quality, great battery life, and an incredible AMOLED display. It offers advanced features such as PlaysLike Distance, Virtual Caddie, and Green View for precise shot planning on over 43,000 preloaded courses worldwide.
The Garmin Approach S70 is not just a GPS golf watch, but also a smartwatch with features like notifications, music, and mobile payments – making it an all-in-one device for athletes on the go.
Notifications And Alerts For Incoming Calls And Texts
The Garmin Approach S70 provides notifications and alerts for incoming calls, texts, and other smartphone alerts.
With this feature, you can stay connected to your mobile device even while on the course without having to constantly check your phone. The watch has a user-friendly interface that allows you to view and respond to notifications quickly and easily.
In addition to call and text notifications, the smartwatch feature also supports other smartphone features such as email alerts, social media updates, and calendar reminders.
This means you can receive all sorts of updates directly on your watch without having to reach for your phone every time it vibrates in your pocket. And with compatibility with both Android and iOS smartphones, the Garmin Approach S70 is versatile enough for everyone.
Music And Payment Options For Added Convenience
The Garmin Approach S70 smartwatch offers golfers more than just accurate yardage and course information. With the ability to store music on the watch and control playback from your wrist, you can enjoy your favorite tunes while playing a round of golf.
Additionally, this watch supports Garmin Pay for contactless payments, adding convenience for users who don’t want to carry cash or cards while out on the course.
This feature is especially useful when making purchases at golf courses that accept contactless payment methods. No need to dig into your bag to find your wallet when you need food at the turn.
User Interface And Navigation Of Garmin Approach S70
The Garmin Approach S70 features a user-friendly interface with customizable settings and watch faces, making it easy to navigate while on the course.
User-friendly Interface With Customizable Settings And Watch Faces
You can customize the data fields on each screen according to your preference or activity profile. For instance, you could place vital golfing statistics such as greens in regulation (GIR) or putting average front-and-center while exercising metrics fade away into the background.
Whether adjusting settings or changing activities mode between golfing tracking mode and workout planning features for other sports offered by this smartwatch will be stress-free.
Compatible With Android And iOS Smartphones
The Garmin Approach S70 is a smartwatch that takes your golf game to the next level, and one of its great features is compatibility with both Android and iOS smartphones.
This means you can easily sync up your watch to receive notifications and alerts for incoming calls and texts right on your wrist while playing a round of golf. Additionally, you can download the Garmin Golf app on your smartphone to access even more features such as live scoring, automatic scorecard uploads, and review of past rounds played.
Omit, the ability to connect with both Android and iOS smartphones adds another layer of convenience to an already impressive GPS golf watch.
Long Battery Life For All-day Use On The Course
With a long battery life of up to 20 hours in GPS mode and up to 16 days in smartwatch mode, the Garmin Approach S70 Golf GPS Smartwatch is perfect for all-day use on the greens.
No need to worry about the watch dying out mid-round as it offers reliable battery performance even with consistent usage on account of its superior power management system.
The Approach S70’s battery lasts longer than most other golf watches available in the market, ensuring that it will last you multiple rounds before requiring charging.
Alternatives to the Garmin Approach S70
When comparing the Garmin Approach S70 to its competitors in the golf GPS watch market, it’s essential to consider features, performance, and value for money. This comparison will help you make an informed decision on which golf GPS watch best suits your needs.
If the S70 isn’t the right fit for you, consider these alternatives.
Garmin epix Gen 2
A stunning AMOLED display and up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode with smart features. The epix Gen 2 smartwatch includes Garmin Golf functionality, more than 41,000 preloaded courses, PlaysLike Distances, club tracking, stat tracking and more.
Stay connected with smart features, music storage and get even more functionality on the wrist with Garmin Pay contactless payments. Understand your body with 24/7 health and wellness monitoring features that track Pulse Ox, heart rate, respiration and more.
What Makes this Watch Unique?
- AMOLED display
- 1.3″ display size
- Sapphire crystal
- 16 days battery life
- Ski, surf, & bike modes
- (28) Swappable bands in different colors
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- Music storage & playback
WHo Is This For?
The golfer who wants the ultimate golf & multisport activity watch but does not need the military-grade features included with the Garmin tactix 7.
Top Features
30+ built-in sports apps, with performance metrics and Garmin Coach training plans. You can download TopoActive mapping via Wi-Fi connectivity. Sapphire editions support multi-band GNSS technology for stronger, better, more accurate positioning in challenging environments and more.
Garmin Approach S62
Features new virtual caddie, golf performance stats, full-color mapping, green contours, slope-calculated distances, and a battery life of up to 20 hours.
What Makes this Watch Unique?
- Greens contour data
- PlaysLike distance (using slope)
- Wind & direction
- Larger watch face (47 mm)
- 1.3″ display size
- Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display
- Touchscreen & buttons
- 14 days battery life
- Customizable watch faces
- (29) Swappable bands in different colors
WHo Is This For?
The golfer who wants the best dedicated Garmin golf GPS watch loaded with golf technology that can learn how you swing your clubs and provide a virtual caddie, but does not need the advanced activity & health features of the more advanced Garmin watches.
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Top Features
Virtual Caddie that learns how far you hit your clubs, wind speed and direction, PlaysLike distance that takes into account slope, green contour data with arrows depicting slope, smart notifications, sleep tracking, activity tracking. heart rate and more!
Final Thoughts
The Garmin Approach S70 GPS golf watch comes with a sleek design, durable build quality, great battery life, and an incredible AMOLED display. It offers advanced features such as PlaysLike Distance, Virtual Caddie, and Green View for precise shot planning on over 43,000 preloaded courses worldwide.
The Garmin Approach S70 is the ultimate GPS golf watch for serious golfers who want to improve their game and stay on top of their fitness. It is an exceptional value for its features and performance.
With its premium design, intuitive user interface, and advanced features like Green View, PlaysLike Distance, and shot tracking analysis, this watch offers everything a golfer needs to succeed.
Its health monitoring features make it perfect for those looking to track their progress off the course as well.
While the price point may be steep compared to other golf watches on the market, we believe that the range of capabilities offered by the Garmin Approach S70 makes it worth every penny.
Frequently asked questions
I am an avid golfer with a single-digit handicap with over 20 years of experience playing golf. I use my analytics education from Georgia Tech to help me research and write the best articles on luxury & premium golf products! I love how analytics has seeped into every aspect of golf and how it can be used to provide incredible insights into your game. In my time, I’m either writing about golf, watching golf, or playing golf!
