Garmin Approach S44 and Approach S50 GPS Watches

Garmin are upping the ante by releasing not one, but two new Approach GPS golf watches in 2025.

The new Garmin Approach S44, which will replace the S42, is joined by a new model, the Garmin Approach S50. Both provide the reliable GPS distances and impressive functionality that has made Garmin a giant in the wearable tech space.

But that’s not even the best bit…

The new watches both feature a 1.2” AMOLED touchscreen, the same one used on Garmin’s top-of-the-line Approach S70 watch.

Although it’s still early in 2025, to say Garmin have put the new screen to good use would a contender for understatement of the year.

NEW AMOLED TOUCHSCREEN

Introducing the new AMOLED touchscreen is a gamechanger for the new Garmin Approach S44 and Approach S50.

Not only is the display easier to read in direct sunlight, it also provides the two new watches with full-colour, course-view mapping for over 43,000 golf courses around the world.

While new mapping on the S44 and S50 aren’t as detailed and don’t offer the clarity seen on the top-of-the-line Approach S70 watch, it’s a significant upgrade and gives users a birds-eye view of their distances in relation to the hole.

However, if S44 and S50 users pay for a Garmin Golf membership, their watches can be upgraded to receive the same detailed course mapping seen on the Approach S70. Go figure…

GARMIN APPROACH S44

The Approach S44 slots into the Garmin Approach line-up between the entry level S12 and S50 and offers all the basics you’d expect from a Garmin golf watch.

Preloaded with 43,000 course maps from around the world, the Approach S44 delivers accurate yardages to the back, front and middle of the green as well as the distance to bunkers, water hazards and key layup zones.

And it also boasts a Green View feature, which shows the shape of the green you’re hitting into and allows users to manually position the pin, for more accurate distances.

Garmin’s Pinpointer feature has also been included, which is handy to see which direction the pin is when facing a blind shot into the green.

The Approach S44 also features Garmin’s AutoShot detection. It keeps track of your score automatically and can also sync with Garmin’s new CT1 club tracking tags — or the previous CT10 model — to compile a comprehensive analysis via the Garmin Golf app.

On the non-golf front, the S44 can relay text messages, emails and notifications when paired to a smartphone. It also offers a limited range of activity trackers, with a calorie counter, step tracker, move bar and vibration alert included.

The Approach S44, offered in black or grey, is fitted with a silicone wrist strap and will last for 15 hours in GPS mode and up to 10 days as a smartwatch.

GARMIN APPROACH S50

The Approach S50 is a new offering from Garmin. Squeezed in between the new S44 and the premium Approach S70, the S50 features the same basic functionality as the S44 which was previously mentioned.

But the new Approach S50, which is available in black or beige, also comes with some significant on-course upgrades and some interesting off-course inclusions.

On the course, the S50 provides a PlaysLike Distance, which adjusts yardages to account for elevation changes. It’s not as precise as the Garmin Approach S70’s PlaysLike calculation, which considers environmental conditions and atmospheric pressure, but it’ll help golfers know exactly how far a shot is playing.

Off the course, the Approach S50 includes 52 health and wellness applications and activity trackers. The extensive list is headlined by wrist-based heart tracking, stress, sleep and energy monitoring, and Garmin’s signature Body Battery tracker. The S50 also offers new activity profiles for running, yoga and strength training, to help you get the most out of your golf game while hitting the gym.

The S50 is also Garmin Pay-enabled to make contactless payments and can also play downloaded music and playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer (although we should point out the Deezer streaming service is not currenlty available in Australia).

The Approach S50 is the lightest watch in the line-up (S44 is 29g; the 42mm S70 is 44g and the 47mm S70 is 56g) and is fitted with Garmin’s ComfortFit lightweight nylon strap. The S50 has the same battery life as the S44 (15 hours GPS, 10 days smartwatch only).

UPGRADING THE APPROACH S44 and S50

Signing up for Garmin Golf membership ($14.49 a month/ $149.99 a year) will unlock premium features for both the S44 and S50.

Enhanced course mapping — the same as what the Approach S70 offers — is a notable upgrade. Providing far more topographical detail, the course map is also enabled for touch targeting, to provide distances to anywhere on the map.

Green contour heat maps also come with a Garmin Golf membership, giving players the opportunity to see every break on the greens. The subscription also adds a PlaysLike Distance function to the Approach S44 watch.

WHAT ABOUT THE APPROACH S70?

With the exception of enhanced course mapping, the S50 has many of the same features as the premium S70. However, there are a few differentiators: there’s no wind speed and direction data, the PlaysLike Distance isn’t as comprehensive and there is no Garmin Virtual Caddie feature.

 The new Garmin Approach S44 and S50 are available now.

GARMIN APPROACH S44 AND APPROACH S50 SPECIFICATIONS

Australian Release Date: January 22, 2025
Size: 1.2 inch, 30.4mm diameter
Display: AMOLED touchscreen
Resolution: 390 x 390 pixels
Battery Life: 15 hours GPS, up to 10 days in smartwatch mode
Strap: S44: silicone. S50: ComfortFit nylon