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Having a GPS on the golf course is one of the best ways to improve your game. Garmin has also been known to make the best devices on the market. In this post, I’m going to be comparing the Garmin Approach S10 watch to the Garmin S20, S60, and X40. I’ll also be talking about the cheapest place to pick them up.
In short, all 4 are great golf watches. If you’re tight on a budget we’d recommend going with the Garmin Approach S10. If you prefer a thinner and more compact watch we’d recommend the Garmin Approach X40. If you want a more advanced watch with more features we’d recommend the Gamin S60.
That being said, I don’t really think you can go wrong with any of the GPS watches. Some of these watches might be a little outdated now, and if you want to see our favorites, you can see the best golf GPS here.
The Garmin Approach S10
The S10 is an entry-level golf watch from Garmin that’s currently priced around $120 and comes loaded with over 41,000 worldwide courses.
It’s a pretty simple and basic watch that’ll show you the distance to the front, middle, and back of the green as well as the distance to hazards and doglegs.
Garmin is my favorite golf watch because I find them more comfortable and also better quality than others on the market.
Read review: Garmin Approach S10
Who Is The S10 For?
The S10 will be perfect for someone who’s just getting into golf or someone who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on a device like this.
It’s not the most advanced watch and it does take a little bit longer to lock in on your location, but it is one of the more accurate watches in this price range.
If you do prefer thinner and more compact watches (like me) I’d go for the Garmin X40.
The Garmin Approach S20
The S20 is the older version of the S10 (and doesn’t seem to be available anymore) but it has a few more features and is currently priced around $140.
The first additional feature is that it’ll keep track of your shots, locations, and distances (which is useful).
The second is that it comes with an odometer (same as s10) but it also has a pedometer and sleep tracker.
The last thing is that it connects to your phone so you can get notifications and it also connects to Garmin TruSwing.
Read review: Garmin Approach S20
Who Is The S20 For?
In my opinion, the S20 is better than the S10 and that’s why I’d recommend it to someone who’s tighter on a budget or is just getting started with golf.
It’s not that much more money and you get quite a few more advanced features which I use quite often.
It still doesn’t have the most features (the S60 does) and it’s not as thin and compact as the X40, but overall, it’s the best option in this price range.
The Garmin Approach X40
The X40 is a middle of the range watch from Garmin and is currently priced around $200.
I found the X40 to be the most comfortable watch of the 4 and is somewhat similar to the Fitbit watch.
The first addition to the X40 is that it comes with a wrist heart rate monitor (the S10 and S20 don’t).
The second is that it comes with a touchscreen display and also vibrating notification alerts.
Read review: Garmin Approach X40
Who Is The X40 For?
If you’re someone like me and don’t really like the bigger watches, this will be perfect for you.
I found it to be a lot more comfortable than the rest and is the lightest of the group.
It’s not that much more than the S20, it has pretty much all the same features, and it does have a couple of extra options that make it more advanced.
The Garmin Approach S60
The S60 is an advanced golf watch from Garmin that’s currently priced around $350.
The first difference between the S60 and the rest is that the S60 has the best display resolution.
The second is that it has a full-color overhead display of the course you’re on (which is really helpful).
The third is that it has Touch Targeting (gives the distance to any point) and PlaysLike (takes into account elevation).
Read review: Garmin Approach S60
Who Is The S60 For?
If you’re someone who golfs a lot, could use the most information possible, and has the spare cash lying around, this could be a great option for you.
The S60 has the most features of the 4 watches and it’s probably my favorite high-end watch.
Also, if you’re someone who does other activities (running, swimming, skiing) this offers more fitness tracking (calories burned, steps, etc).
Pros Of These Devices
- Knowing the distance to greens and hazards can really help with distance control.
- They’ll also help you figure out how far you hit each club which will help you hit more greens (a big help for me).
Cons Of These Devices
- They’re a little bit expensive.
- They aren’t 100% accurate all the time (generally within 4-5 yards of course markers).
- Not all courses are on them yet (80% of the courses I go to were on them).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do they act as an everyday watch too?
A. Yes, you can just use them for the time.
Q. Are there subscriptions or annual fees?
A. No.
Q. Can you play music through them?
A. Not these models.
Are These Devices Worth It?
Overall, I’d definitely say these devices are worth picking up and would recommend everyone have some sort of yardage finder. All of them are pretty well built, have a bunch of courses on them already, and are all quite accurate. Garmin makes my favorite golf GPS units and these are some of the best.
If you’re tight on a budget, go with the Garmin S10. If you want a thinner watch, go with the Garmin X40. If you want the most information possible and have the spare cash, go for the Garmin S60.
That being said, there might be a better choice for you. We have an updated list of our favorite golf GPS, and you can check that out here.
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