Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
The Garmin Approach S42 is the company's mid range golf watch with GPS yet it offers some very premium specs and features. This represents decades of work in this field and is a very well distilled example of that tech in a compact, efficient and easy to use device which does its job very well.
The key here is that everything works automatically, meaning you can focus on your game while this takes the work of tracking out of it for you. Extra data helps empower your game to make sure every shot is well informed. The only downside is that it's one less excuse when you play a poor game.
Who’s it for?
The Approach S42 is for anyone that enjoys golf. While it's going to serve regular players best, it'll be a useful addition to even beginners who can see a course clearer and play an informed game.
In that way this is also ideal for anyone that plays different courses. This helps them to have some foresight of what the holes are like ahead, so they can play their best game without any blind spots.
Should I buy it?
If you want a powerful and automated golf tracker that also offers smartphone notifications, step tracking and a premium build quality, this is ideal.
You could go for the cheaper S12, if that touchscreen isn't an essential for you. Or, if you want to go top-end, then the flagship S62 might be more for you. More on that below.
Competition
The major competition comes from the same brand. Garmin is leading the way here. That said, for Apple Watch and Wear OS users, an app based alternative might be enough to save some money but still get smart tracking on the device already in use.
Garmin Approach S62
The Garmin Approach S62 is the company's top-end golf watch. This offers a virtual caddie that takes in data like wind speed and direction too as well as smart contactless payments, bloody oxygen with pulse and other sports tracking – all with a longer battery life.
This lasts for 14 days in standby and manages 20 hours in GPS mode all while offering a slightly larger 1.3-inch display. So this is a larger watch in general, which isn't for everyone so that's worth keeping in mind.
Hole 19 + Apple Watch / Wear OS
Hole 19 is a free app, available on both Apple Watch and Wear OS devices which helps to track your game. This won't automatically track shots, and it requires a phone to offer hole maps, but it's a step up from pencil and paper to digitise your game.
This uses GPS to track distances off the tee and to the pin, without the need for a phone. But for strokes, putts and fairway shots you'll need to input that manually. This then syncs to the connected phone so you can analyse your game afterwards.
- The best golf watches you can buy today
