Why The Garmin Approach S72 Is The Undisputed King Of GPS Watches

Golf watches have gone from giving you basic yardages to becoming a vital part of your everyday routine. Few brands deliver wearable tech with all the bells and whistles better than Garmin, so when it released the Approach S72 at the beginning of October, I was very keen get my hands on it.

After testing the Approach S72 for four weeks now, I can comfortably say this is one of the best golf watches, if not the best, I’ve ever tested. But is it right for you?

The Garmin Approach S72 is the brand's most advanced golf watch to date. Replacing the highly impressive Approach S70, it had big shoes to fill, but has done so in style.

This is a true all-encompassing golf watch, delivering market-leading course features alongside improved smartwatch and fitness tracking capabilities. Preloaded with over 43,000 full-color maps, the S72 sharpens your on-course strategy with features like PlaysLike Distance, Virtual Caddie, PinPointer, and Hazard View.

It also tracks detailed swing metrics, biometrics, range practice, and putting data, while a vibrant AMOLED display, premium build, and 24/7 health tracking make it an ideal everyday watch.

First Impressions

Available in 43mm and 47mm sizes, both the black/red and grey/green colorways look superb. It also comes with a new ‘ComfortFit’ fabric band, which is unquestionably the most comfortable watch strap I’ve ever worn. It allows you to dial in the exact fit without sacrificing breathability, something I greatly appreciate as someone with fairly skinny wrists.

While not every aesthetic touch feels fully reflective of the $700 price tag, the beautifully crisp sapphire crystal screen certainly does. You also get up to 16 days of battery life in regular smartwatch mode, as well as an improved Gen 5 heart-rate sensor that delivers remarkably detailed health data.

Features

I’ll try to describe the golf and health features briefly; otherwise, this review could easily top 10,000 words. You get standard front, middle, and back yardages, available both in raw distance and Garmin’s ‘PlaysLike’ metric, which accounts for slope and environmental conditions when paired with the Garmin app.

You also get club recommendations, hazard views, blind-shot assistance, Green View, and manual pin positioning. You can take that on-green experience even further with green contours and green-reading features via a Garmin Golf Membership - more on that in a moment.

These features massively helped my strategy on the golf course, particularly the 'plays like' yardages and the weather updates, notably wind direction and strength.

For example, going long over the green at my home club of Royal County Down is a cardinal sin on nearly every hole, whereas being short is almost always fine. Therefore, I was particularly reliant on the 'plays like' distance to the back of the green. This was the first number I'd look for when I reach my ball, telling myself I simply cannot hit a shot longer than this. Doing so kept me out of trouble long of each green and helped me keep big numbers off the scorecard.

The biggest golf-specific upgrade is the new on-wrist swing metrics, turning every swing into measurable data. The S72 tracks hand speed, backswing length, and wrist rotation, allowing golfers to identify mechanical habits that may be costing them strokes. This objective feedback is particularly valuable on the range, allowing players to measure swings against hard data rather than relying purely on feel.

It’s like having a mini HackMotion training aid on your wrist, a device that earned a glowing review from our Sam De’Ath last year. While you won’t receive active coaching drills based on the metrics, having access to these data points adds substantial structure and purpose to practice sessions.

Additional Garmin Golf Membership Features

One feature I found particularly helpful is the new aerial GPS mapping, which adds an extra layer of clarity when tackling an unfamiliar layout. This feature does sit behind the Garmin Golf Membership paywall, though at $99 a year, it represents fair value.

That membership also unlocks green heat maps for over 13,000 courses worldwide. The watch can even read your putts - yes, you read that correctly. However, this is the one feature I found somewhat gimmicky; it wasn’t as reliable as the watch’s other tools, and trying to use it on every hole noticeably slowed down pace of play. Consider yourself warned.

If you’re a stats nerd, you’ll appreciate Garmin’s expanded putting metrics, although they do require some manual input. If you’re disciplined enough to manually mark the pin location on each green, you’ll receive an insightful post-round short-game breakdown. This workflow is seamless if you pair the watch with Garmin CT10 club sensors, but otherwise demands manual tapping between holes.

S72 vs S70 - Is It Worth It?

I was a massive fan of the S70, so I was genuinely curious to see how Garmin could improve upon it with the S72. They’ve done so admirably. Not only is this the most complete golf watch I’ve tested, but it has also slotted seamlessly into my daily routine and fitness regimen.

At $700, however, the features come with a serious financial commitment. Is it worth it? That depends entirely on your habits. Speaking personally: I play golf twice a week, hit the gym three or four times, play football, and regularly monitor my sleep scores, resting heart rate, and Body Battery. At that level of usage, the price is justified because it complements virtually everything I do on and off the course.

If you aren't interested in fitness tracking and only play golf once a week, a mid-tier option like the Approach S44 or S50 may make far more financial sense - be sure to check out our buyer’s guides on the best Garmin golf watches and the best value golf watches for alternatives.

Verdict

To conclude, the S72 is more than just a golf watch, it’s an game-improvement tool and an elite everyday smartwatch rolled into one. While the $700 asking price might give casual players pause, the sheer depth of on-course data, flawless sapphire AMOLED display and week-long battery life firmly cement this as the new gold standard in golf tech.

For the dedicated player who lives an active lifestyle, obsesses over performance data, and wants a watch that transitions effortlessly from the course to the gym, the Approach S72 stands in a league of its own.