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Today, we’re going to be reviewing the Garmin Approach S10 watch and I’ll be sharing my honest thoughts after testing out this GPS device. I’ve tried and tested quite a few of these devices so that being said, how did it stack up to the rest?
The S10 is a great entry-level golf watch and is easy to set up and use. It’ll show you the distances to everything on the course like the green (front, back, center), bunkers, creeks, and doglegs.
The Garmin S10 is not super expensive like a lot of the other watches on the market, and that’s why it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles. That being said, I found it to be just as accurate as some of the expensive watches, which was awesome.
The S10 does 1 thing and 1 thing really well. Overall, I really like the S10 watch and that’s why I’d recommend it. If you want to know what our favorite golf GPS is, you can see the best golf GPS here.
Garmin Approach S10 First Impressions
I’m not the biggest fan of wearing watches on the course (feels awkward for me) but I thought I’d go out and give it a try so I can share my opinion of it. I was glad to see that it wasn’t very expensive (compared to others) and it still had over 42,000 courses already programmed in. All the courses I normally go to were on it.
It’s super small and compact actually so I didn’t really know what to expect. It has a sunlight-readable display so there wasn’t any glare in the sun. It’s pretty cool because it’ll show you the distance to the green (front, back, center), bunkers, doglegs, and water. It’ll also show the shape of the green so you can get a clear picture which will definitely help.
You can also keep your own score right on the watch itself so there’s no reason to carry a scorecard around.
It was actually really simple to set up and use which was nice. Some are way too complicated and take a 100-page manual to function. That being said, how did it perform?
How Did The GPS Perform?
I wanted to take this watch and compare it to more expensive ones to see how it stacked up. After testing it out we were pretty surprised with how similar they were. Yeah, the S10 isn’t quite as advanced as the Shot Scope V3 or Garmin S42, but in terms of accuracy, it does its job well.
It was nice knowing how far each of your shots went which was one of the big reasons I wanted a device like this. It didn’t factor in elevation or anything like that, but it was a lot better than having nothing.
I hesitated to get something like this to dial in my distance, but I’m really glad I ended up giving in. Overall, the S10 was just as accurate as the high-end versions so that was awesome. Here’s a demo video:
Who’s It Best For/Not For?
I’d say this watch would be perfect for someone who’s never used a GPS before. It was super simple to use, didn’t break the bank, and was super accurate. It’s not going to cost a fortune and it’ll give you 80% of what you’d want out on the course.
If you golf a lot and want something that has more features, I’d probably go with one of these. They probably aren’t worth it if you don’t golf much but if you want more specific yardages, they’ll be the right choice for you.
Garmin Approach S10 Specs
| Garmin Approach S10 | |
| Size | 36 x 41 x 11 mm |
| Quick Release Bands | No |
| Touchscreen | No |
| Strap Material | Silicone |
| Screen Size | 23 x 23 mm |
| Weight | 35 Grams |
| Battery Life | 12 Hours GPS Mode |
| Water Rating | 5 ATM |
| Golf Courses | 41,000+ |
| Preloaded | Yes |
| Distance To Front, Middle, Back | Yes |
| Distance To Hazards/Doglegs/Layup | Yes |
| Shot Distance | Yes (Manual) |
| Scorecard | Yes |
| Stat Tracking | No |
| AutoShot | No |
| Manual Pin Placement | No |
| Pinpointer | No |
| Club Tracking | No |
Pros
- It’s a great entry-level watch that’s easy to use.
- It’s just as accurate as other high-end watches.
- The price is really reasonable.
Cons
- It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like some other watches.
- It’s not the most comfortable watch.
The Breakdown
- Performance score: 10
- Price score: 9
- Durability score: 9
- Personal score: 9
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does the Garmin S10 have a backlight?
A. Yes, the Garmin S10 does come with a backlight.
Q. Does the Garmin S10 tell time?
A. Yes, the Garmin S10 does tell time.
Q. Does the Garmin S10 count steps?
A. Yes, the Garmin S10 will count your steps.
My Final Thoughts
Overall, I really liked both the price and the performance of the Garmin S10. It didn’t have everything the more expensive devices have but it does 1 job and 1 job really well.
It had all the courses I normally go to and that’s why I’d give it a thumbs up and recommend it. If you want a couple more features and are fine paying a little bit more, you might want to check out our favorite golf GPS units here.
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