Garmin Approach S62

The S62 is Garmin's flagship golf watch, and it is, in my opinion, the greatest golf watch on the market in terms of performance. The S62 replaced the extremely popular S60, which is a wonderful watch in its own right and worth considering if your budget doesn't allow for an S62 (you can still acquire an S60 for approximately £300 while supplies last). The latest model has a larger screen, higher definition graphics, a longer battery life (twice the duration when in GPS mode), and additional functions including a pulse oximeter, mobile payment, and virtual caddie.

The S62 isn't just a golf watch; it also contains a number of smart watch features, with a focus on health and fitness. There's a heart rate sensor, a step counter, and a variety of apps for cycling, running, and swimming. You receive notifications, but you can't respond to them like you can on an Apple Watch. Although it is a smart watch, it isn't all that smart!

On the golf course, though, it performs like no other. The S62 comes with a slew of intriguing extras in addition to all of the usual features. Shot tracking is available for those who enjoy the analytical side of things, and the touchscreen makes it simple to check distances for hazards and find the ideal spot on the fairway for layups. It also automatically records the distance of every shot (which makes finding balls that have strayed from the fairway a whole lot easier). What sets the S62 apart from the competition is that after five rounds with the watch, you'll be able to use the 'virtual caddy' feature, which provides club recommendations based on how far you hit each club in the club, as well as other external elements like wind and elevation. The MARQ Golfer is presently the only other Garmin watch that has this feature.

The S62 does not require pairing with a smartphone and performs very well on its own, but if you do couple it with the phone during the round, the "plays like" feature will provide you with access to wind and slope statistics. So, while a conventional GPS watch would say you have 150 yards to the pin, the reality could be quite different if you're playing uphill and into a 10mph breeze. The S62 takes this into account while calculating your score.

SPECIFICATIONS

• RRP: £479.99 / $499.99
• Courses: Over 42,000
• Battery life: 20 hours (GPS mode)
• Screen Size: 3.3cm
• Weight: 61g

REASONS TO BUY

• Clear colour display makes it easy to view
• Plays like’ distance feature factors in wind and slope
• Offers a raft of smartwatch features

REASONS TO AVOID

• Expensive (but certainly not over priced)

BUY NOW: amazon.com/dp/B083BJSYZ9