Garmin has just unveiled two new additions to its popular Approach series of smart golf watches: the Approach S44 and the Approach S50. Both watches are rich in features but available at a very affordable price point. Equipped with a 1.2-inch colour AMOLED display, each watch comes preloaded with over 43,000 golf course maps, and essential golf features like hazard view and distance to the front, middle and back of the green. As if that wasn’t enough, each watch has a battery life of 15 hours in GPS golf mode, capable of lasting several rounds.
About the Garmin Approach S44

The Garmin Approach S44 will likely appeal to golfers looking for a smartwatch that doubles as a golf watch, providing them with access to the essential information they need on the golf course.
The Approach S44’s key features include:
- Hazard View: Easily navigate bunkers, water hazards, and layups.
- Distance Measurements: Get accurate distances to the front, middle, and back of the green.
- Smart Notifications: Receive important alerts, emails, and texts directly to the watch when paired with an iPhone or Android device.
- 43,000+ Preloaded Courses: Play a huge amount of golf courses worldwide.
- Lightweight Design: Comfortable to wear both on and off the golf course.
About the Garmin Approach S50

The Garmin Approach S50 builds upon the S44, providing the essential golf features as well as PlaysLike distance, which adjusts for elevation changes. It also benefits from a heart rate sensor and a full suite of health, wellness and fitness, making it the perfect choice for golfers looking for a smartwatch that can be used on and off the golf course.
The additional key features found on the Approach S50 include:
- Wrist-based heart rate monitoring
- Sleep tracking and stress tracking
- Body Battery energy monitoring
- Fitness age
- Women’s health tracking
- Pre-loaded activity profiles for strength training, yoga, cardio, and more.
- Smart notifications
- Garmin Pay
- Music streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer).
Save 5% on the Gamrin Approach S44/S50 at Hot Golf
If you’re interested in buying either the Garmin Approach S44 or S50, you can save 5% by visiting the Hot Golf store using my exclusive link below and entering the code ‘HOT5‘ at checkout.
With this affiliate link, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases but at no extra cost to you. This code can be used on a range or products, and worldwide.
Approach CT1 Shot-tracking
As well as all of the above amazing features, both the Approach S44 and S50 are also compatible with the Garmin CT1 tracking tags, allowing users to track each shot and access a wealth of performance statistics to help them improve their golf game. The CT1 tracking tags are not included as standard and a monthly subscription is required.
Connectivity to other Garmin golf products
What’s really neat about these golf watches is how they seamlessly connect to other golf devices in the Garmin golf lineup, allowing golfers to:
- Sync their watches with the Approach Z30 laser rangefinder for enhanced distance accuracy.
- Connect to the Garmin Golf app to easily keep score and upload rounds for advanced stat tracking and handicap calculation.
- Access enhanced features like Enhanced CourseView Maps, Green Contours, Touch Targeting, and PlaysLike Distance through a paid Garmin Golf membership.
Pricing and availability (UK/Europe/USA)
The Garmin Approach S44 and Approach S50 smart golf watches are both available to order worldwide now. The Approach S44 retails at £299/$299 and the Approach S50 retails at £379/$399. I’ve included links to both a UK-based retailer and US-based retailed where you’ll find both watches at the best price. If buying through Hot Golf, you can enter the discount code ‘HOT5‘ to get an extra 5% off of your order.
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on these golf watches and putting them through their paces. In particular, I’m interested to see how they compare with the Shot Scope V5 GPS and shot-tracking golf watch, which offers many of the golf features but without the monthly subscription and at around £100 cheaper.
Let me know your initial thoughts on these new Garmin smart golf watches in the Comments area below.