As Father’s Day approached this summer, I narrowed down my search for gifts in my dad’s favorite category: golf accessories. Four years later, the beloved Garmin Approach S2 Golf Watch was recently discontinued, making its replacement an obvious choice for his father’s icon this year.
I landed on a Bluetooth-enabled Garmin Approach S20, a $199 golf watch and a successor to the Approach S2. Not only was it affordable, but it also matched my father’s core: No frills, dependable and ready to get the job done, which is why it’s one of the Best GPS Watches for golfers.
We’ve since done a Garmin Approach S62 review and a Garmin Approach S42 review and found that these newer watches are the ultimate accessories for enthusiastic gamers, but both are more expensive than the S2. Read our Garmin Approach S20 review to find out why it’s the best entry-level golf watch at under $200.
Garmin Approach S20 review: Click on links
For our Garmin Approach S20 review, I played a few rounds with my dad, Jeff, who has been golfing for over 30 years. In that time, watch every evolution of each tool targeting the game. Aside from T-shirts and golf gloves, my dad thinks a golf watch is the most important accessory when playing.
But he hasn’t owned a new golf watch in several years. In that time, golf wearables have evolved to include features like expanded fitness tracking, smartphone notifications, and even sleep monitoring.
When Jeff hooked up the S20, he already knew the basics of how to play it on the course due to his knowledge of the S2. But with practice and patience, learn the modern functions that make the Approach S20 as everyday wearable as it is a golf watch.
Garmin Approach S20 review: Design
Garmin Approach S20 doesn’t attract curious eyes to links like TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition. Instead, the S20 blends in with the average golfer, as if it didn’t want to be noticed.
And I don’t blame it. The S20 isn’t ugly, but it’s unfashionable. The basic perforated silicone straps and square flat case speak more to their functionality than their looks.
My dad liked this about the S20. The tang buckle lets it slip on and off with ease, while the compact sleeve doesn’t hamper its swing. Weighing in at 1.5 ounces, the S20 is incredibly light, as if it barely even existed.
An outdated 128 x 128 monochrome LCD display appears next to any Apple Watch face. But Jeff suffers from color blindness, so he appreciates the high contrast and clipped screen. “It’s retro. I dig it,” he said.
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Another “retro” aspect of the Approach S20’s design is its lack of touchscreen control. It took a bit of practice to get the S20 working, especially after using the TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition single-screen button.
One of the main advantages of the lack of touch controls is the lack of fingerprints. Even in the bright summer afternoon sun, the S20’s screen remained clean, clear, and legible.
Garmin Approach S20 Review: Golf Features
The Garmin Approach S20 comes loaded with more than 40,000 golf courses around the world. When you’re ready to start a tour, GPS identifies the course(s) closest to you and lets you select the correct location. In each hole, the clock tells you how far away you are from the front, back, and center of the green.
The course map and hazard warnings look rudimentary, but any average golfer will have no trouble deciphering the codes. If you are on a course for the first time, you may want to open the Garmin Golf app (available for Android And the iOS (Opens in a new tab)) for a more advanced view of the hole layout. Instead of marking the locations of the danger with letters on the watch, the app’s map shows the nature of those hazards. This is useful for determining if you are dealing with a lake or sand trap.
This watch also has Garmin’s AutoShot technology, which relies on the movement of your wrist to launch a shot and tracks the distance of the shot. After you make your first hit, the clock starts recording your location. When you reach your ball and take your next shot, the watch notes the distance traveled between the two shots to calculate your shot distance. If you open the Garmin Golf app, you can match your shot distance to the club you used and how fast you swing. Jeff finds this data useful in finding the distance he hits the ball with each of his batons.
Even though AutoShot doesn’t record hits, you can still record shorter shots and track results right from your wrist. As an above average racket, my dad didn’t hesitate to flaunt his shot percentage using his S20 tally as a guide.
Garmin Approach S20 Review: Fitness and Health Features
In addition to the Garmin Golf app, the Garmin Approach S20 is also compatible with the Garmin Connect fitness tracker software. The odometer, heart rate monitor, and timer are all useful features that elevate the S20 from a basic golf watch to a formidable wearable fitness watch.
The Garmin Approach S20 is also rated at 5 atm for water resistance, or is able to withstand submersion in up to 50 meters of water. So my dad can go for a swim or shower at the golf club after a round without having to remove his watch.
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Another health feature of the Garmin S20 comes in its sleep tracking capabilities. My dad wasn’t too keen on using these himself, but nonetheless they are a great addition to knowing how well you rest on your early morning runs – and how much coffee you’ll need beforehand.
Garmin Approach S20 review: Battery life
Garmin advertises up to 15 hours of battery life for the S20 in GPS mode and up to eight weeks without GPS.
GPS static tracking can be a battery zapper. In its final days, my father’s S2 approach couldn’t survive 18 holes (or about 4 hours). So when the S20 still had half its charge left after two consecutive days of rounds, he was very happy. Have I submitted my case yet for Daughter of the Year award?
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When my dad wasn’t out playing golf, the Garmin Approach S20 battery lasted. Even as it tracked steps, reversed phone notifications and monitored a night’s sleep, the S20 showed no signs of needing to charge.
Garmin Approach S20 Review: Price and Value
At $199, the Garmin Approach S20 is one of the most affordable branded golf watches on the market. For the cost of two cans (or less, depending on the prestige of your course), you can have a wearable golf course with the useful features of a fitness tracker.
The $1,850 TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition offers identical golf features for more than nine times the cost of the S20. The $400 Garmin Approach S60 offers significant improvements in style and display, though, like the color touch screen.
But the Approach S20 is still the best golf watch you can get for under $200.
Garmin Approach S20 Review: Verdict
The Garmin Approach S20 is the golf watch to have if you don’t care about the bells and whistles of modern-looking wearables. Someone who golfs often will appreciate the device’s long battery life and AutoShot data. Those who play less frequently and don’t overspend on a device will be happy to have it on the occasions they hit the links.
While my dad looks to the Garmin Approach S60 for a future holiday gift, it’s fulfilled by the S20 variant for now. And because he learned how to integrate his smartphone with the watch, his satisfaction increased. He never wore the Garmin S2 off the track, but now he wears the S20 regularly.
Between the Garmin Approach S20 Golf’s extensive features and fitness tracker features, it’s the best wearable for the green and the price.
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