Three really popular Garmin Approach watches are the Garmin Approach s6, Garmin S20 and s4. They come with all of the features that a golfer would expect from a Garmin golf GPS watch including accurate distances to the back, middle and front of the green as well as layups and hazards, green view, auto hole recognition and advance, odometer, free updated course maps, and clock features. However, none of these watches come with slope compensation.
The Garmin Approach S62 is the newest Garmin golf GPS watch (released in January 2020).
If you compare the battery life of the Garmin S60 to the S62 ((Garmin S62 vs S60), the Garmin S62 comes out ahead, with a 2X longer battery life than the Garmin S60. Both the Garmin Approach S62 and S60 come with slope compensation and overhead views of each hole. Unfortunately, the Garmin S60 does not have a heart rate monitor but the Garmin S62 does as well as wind speed and direction and club recommendation feature.
There are two different versions of the Garmin S60: Premium and Standard. The Garmin S60 Standard is almost the same size as the S60 Premium. The main differences between the Garmin S60 Premium and S60 Standard are that the S60 Premium has a leather watch band while the S60 Standard has a silicone band and the Premium has a ceramic bezel while the Standard has an easier to scratch polymer bezel.
The Garmin S40 is a cheaper alternative to the S60. The Garmin S40 has the same features as the S60 except for slope and overhead views of each hole but the Garmin S40 has a 15 hour battery life in GPS mode while the S60 has a 50% shorter 10 hour battery life.
Garmin S6 vs S4 vs S20 – Differences between Garmin S6, S4 and S20
Full Color Course Maps – features full-color course views for more than 41,000 golf courses around the world
Hazard distances – touch the hazards on the course maps to view the layup and carry distances
Dedicated CourseView button (with Green View for manual pin placement) – Gets you to the second shot aerial view quickly which will allow you to preview doglegs, traps and water hazards and pin positioning from wherever you are on the course, or clubhouse
PinPointer blind shot assistance feature – displays a directional arrow that will tell you where the pin is, even if you can’t see it
SwingTempo – measures the relationship between upswing and downswing and expresses it as a ratio. In studies of successful golf swings, an ideal ratio of 3:1 has emerged, even with individual variations of speed.
TempoTraining – uses the 3:1 ratio and gives you audible tones to synchronize your swing mechanics and fine-tune swing tempo.
More reasons why the Garmin S6 is better than the S4
Better Display Resolution: 180 x 180 pixels (S6) vs 128 x 128 pixels (S4)
S6 has longer battery life than the S4: Watch Mode – up to 20 weeks (S6) vs up to 6 weeks (S4), GPS Mode – up to 10 hours (S6) vs up to 10 hours (S4)
Bigger Memory/history: 512MB (S6) vs 32MB (S4)
S6 weighs less than the S4: 1.6 ounces (46.6 grams) (S6) vs 3.37 ounces (S4)
Thinner: 0.56 inches (S6) inches vs 0.58 inches (S4)
Smaller Product Dimension: 45 x 45 x 14.2 mm (s6) vs 46 x 61 x 14.8 mm (S4)
Reasons why the Garmin S20 is better than the S6 and S4
Garmin S20 has fitness tracking features – The S20 comes with a step counter (pedometer), sleep monitor and calories burned counter. The S6 has no fitness tracking features
Garmin S20 will display a list of layup and carry distances for the hazards on the course
Garmin S20 is much cheaper than the S6
Garmin S20 is easier to use – The S20 has no touchscreen but all of the relevant information is easy to access using the side buttons
S20 has a longer battery life – The S20 will give you 15 hours or 3 rounds per charge. The battery life of the S6 and S4 is much shorter.
Missing features in the Garmin S20
No color course maps or aerial views of each hole
No advanced swing training metrics
Important Note: The Garmin S6 and S4 have been discontinued so it is difficult to find one that is brand new and affordable. If you find it brand new, then it will most likely be really expensive. The only Garmin S6 and S4 watches that are affordably priced are either used or certified refurbished. The best choice is the Garmin S20 because of the fitness tracking features, hazard distances and longer battery life.
Comparison Chart – Garmin S6 vs S4 vs S20 Golf GPS Watch Comparisons
| Features and Specifications |  Learn More |  Learn More |  Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Touchscreen | No | Yes | Yes |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) | No | Yes | No |
| Hazard distances - view distances to water hazards and bunkers | Yes | Yes | No |
| Layup and Dogleg Distances - View a list of the distances you need with yardages to layups and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter (Pedometer) | Yes | No | No |
| Sleep Monitor | Yes | No | No |
| Calories burned counter | Yes | No | No |
| Move bar inactivity alert | Yes | No | No |
| PinPointer blind shot assistance - Gives you a directional arrow to the green. Now you can know where to line up your shot, even if you are in the woods or deep in a trap. | Feature Not Available in Garmin Approach S20 | Yes | Feature Not Available in Garmin Approach S4 |
| SwingStrength - Allows you to compare how hard you swing with your normal full swing. This can be used on the driving range to practice consistency or on the course if you’re preparing to take a little off your shot. | Yes | Yes | Feature Not Available in Garmin Approach S4 |
| TempoTraining - Conveys the ideal 3:1 upswing to downswing times with audible tones to which you can synchronize your swing. Re-synch your tempo on the driving range and even on the tee box. | Yes | Yes | Feature Not Available in Garmin Approach S4 |
| Digital Scorecard (Stat Tracking) - Input strokes, putts per round, GIR and fairways hit while it’s still fresh on your mind. Then later,when you finish your round, access your Garmin Connecdt Mobile to check your scores and round statistics. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Handicap scoring options for individual holes, player’s local handicap or index/slope method | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Current hole number; Distance to the back, middle and front of the green; Par for the hole | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Green View - Green View shows you the true shape and layout of greens so even if you have an obstructed view, you’ll know where to aim. Also you can touch and drag the pin or flag to position it to the days’ location where you see it for even more accurate yardage. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CourseView - Get full-color hole-by-hole details for more than 40,000 courses around the world. Preview doglegs, hazards and green shapes from wherever you are on the course, or even from the clubhouse. | Feature Not Available in Garmin Approach S20 | Yes | Feature Not Available in Garmin Approach S4 |
| Smartphone Notifications - view texts, emails, etc from your phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| More than 40,000 courses; free lifetime course updates; no annual membership fees | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer - Displays distance traveled and elapsed time. The odometers automatically starts and stops when you start or end a round. However, you can start and stop it manually. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Display Size | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | 1.0" (25.4 mm) diameter | 1.0" (25.4 mm) diameter |
| Display resolution | 128 x 128 pixels | 180 x 180 pixels | 128 x 128 pixels |
| Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Product Dimensions (in inches) | 37.4 x 47.6 x 11.3 mm | 45 x 45 x 14.2 mm | 46 x 61 x 14.8 mm |
| Weight (in ounces) | 1.5 oz (42.2 g) | 1.6 oz (46.6 g) | 3.37 oz |
| Color display | No | Yes | No |
| Yardage to front, middle and back of green | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital scorecard (scoring options include Stroke Play and Stableford for a single player) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Computer scorecard review (save and review scores on computer) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Save locations (mark course points of interest for future reference) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Club suggestion | No | No | No |
| Preloaded Golf Course Maps | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses |
| Course preview (see detailed, hole-by-hole preview) | No | Yes | No |
| Memory/history | 64 MB | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Free Lifetime Course Updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annual Fees Or Subscriptions | None | None | None |
| Battery Life | Watch mode: up to 6 weeks GPS mode: up to 10 hours | Watch mode: Up to 20 weeks GPS mode: Up to 10 hours | Watch mode: up to 6 weeks GPS mode: up to 10 hours |
| High-sensitivity GPS Receiver | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin S4 vs S3
Major Differences between Garmin S4 and S3
Features only found in the Garmin S4 (and not in the S3)
-Smart Notifications – Receive texts, emails or RSS alerts from your compatible smartphone, displaying whatever your phone does, right on your watch. Now you can read that email or text you’ve been waiting for wirelessly — even in the middle of the fairway.
-TruSwing compatible
-Detailed stat tracking for better analysis of your game (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit)
-Dedicated Green View Button – S4 features a dedicated Green View button, which will take you to the Green View screen quickly — no more scrolling through a menu like you did with the S3. Green View gives you the true shape from wherever you are on the course, even if you are behind it.
Other improvements of the Garmin S4 over the S3
– Longer Battery Life
Watch Mode: up to 6 weeks (S4) vs up to 4 weeks (S3)
GPS Mode: up to 10 hours (S4) vs up to 8 hours (S3)
-Lighter Weight: 2.06 oz (58.4 g) (S4) vs 2.06 oz (58.5 g) with batteries (S3)
-Smaller Product Dimension: 46 x 61 x 14.8 mm (s4) vs 1.8″ x 2.7″ x 0.6″ (4.5 x 6.9 x 1.4 cm) (S3)
-Display type: sunlight readable, high-resolution Monochrome LCD (S3) vs sunlight-visible, sunlight readable, high-resolution, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) (S4)
Garmin Approach S4 – available in 2 colors: black or white
Garmin Approach S3 – available in 2 sharp color combinations — white with red trim and black with gray trim
Garmin S3 vs S2
Major Differences between Garmin Approach S3 and S2
Features only found in the Garmin Approach S3 (and not in the S2)
-Green View provides the true shape and layout of the green
-Customize yardage distances (mark traps and hazards) – The Approach S3 gives you distances to the front, back and center of the green, as well as distances to doglegs. It also allows you to input and save customizable yardage points — such as water hazards or bunkers — from anywhere on the golf course.
-High-resolution Display (S2 comes with a low resolution display)
-Touchscreen: S3 comes with a touchscreen that will let you manually move the pin to the day’s location. This is especially helpful on par 3s where you’ll be able to dial in the distance you need and fire away with confidence.
Garmin S2 vs S1
Major Differences between Garmin S2 and S1
Features only found in the Garmin Approach S2 (and not in the S1)
-layup and dogleg distances
-digital scorecard
Which one has the longest battery life?
The Garmin Approach S6 has the longest battery life.
Watch Mode: up to 20 weeks (S6) vs up to 6 weeks (S4)
GPS Mode: up to 10 hours (S6) vs up to 10 hours (S4)
Best Features of the Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch
Swing Metrics
Use S6 to train your swing with swing metrics, featuring SwingTempo, TempoTraining and SwingStrength
SwingTempo measures the relationship between upswing and downswing and expresses it as a ratio. In studies of successful golf swings, an ideal ratio of 3:1 has emerged, even with individual variations of speed. The Approach S6 measures your backswing and downswing times and expresses this in a ratio. According to studies of successful golf swings this ratio should be 3:1 – your personal swing tempo shows you where you stand compared to the “optimal ratio.”
TempoTraining conveys the ideal 3:1 upswing to downswing times with audible tones to which you can synchronize your swing. Re-synch your tempo on the driving range and even on the tee box. TempoTraining uses the 3:1 ratio and gives you audible tones to synchronize your swing mechanics and fine-tune swing tempo. Which makes S6 as valuable on the driving range as it is on the course.
SwingStrength allows you to compare how hard you swing with your normal full swing. This can be used on the driving range to practice consistency or on the course if you’re preparing to take a little off your shot.
Full Color Course Maps
S6 features full-color course views for more than 40,000 golf courses around the world and a dedicated CourseView button to get you to the second shot view quickly. Preview doglegs, traps and water hazards and pin positioning from wherever you are on the course, or clubhouse.
PinPointer
The PinPointer blind shot assistance feature — previously only available in our top-of-the-line handhelds — gives you a directional arrow to the green. Now you can know where to line up your shot, even if you are in the woods or deep in a trap.
Touch and Move the Pin
Green View shows you the true shape and layout of the green even if you are behind it. Use the color touchscreen to manually drag-and-drop the pin to the day’s location. As you move the pin, your distance-to-the-pin numbers will change respectively. This is especially helpful on par 3’s where you’ll be able to dial in the distance you need to fire away with confidence.
Instant, Simple and Precise
Rugged and water rated to 5 ATM (50 meters), it displays yardages to the front, back and middle of greens on a high-resolution, glove-friendly color touchscreen.
And, it lets you manually position pins, get distances to doglegs and layups, customize yardage points (mark traps and hazards) and print digital scorecards for Stroke play and Stableford.
Smartphone Notifications
Never miss another text, email or alert just because your smartphone is deep in your bag. S6 acts as a wireless extension of your Android™ smartphone, iPad® or iPhone® 4s or later, displaying whatever your device does, right on your watch. Now you can read that email or text you’ve been waiting for, via Bluetooth®, even in the middle of the fairway.
Longer Life Battery
S6 features more battery life for longer play or more rounds. Easily get in a weekend of GPS golf with up to 10 hours in full GPS and up to 20 weeks, depending on mode, before the lithium-ion battery needs to be recharged.
Preloaded Courses and Free Updates
The S6 is the lightest, thinnest golf watch and it is also preloaded it with more than 40,000 golf courses around the world — without extra fees or paid subscriptions. In addition, you’ll be able to download free course updates whenever they become available.
Save Customizable yardage Distances
S6 gives you distances to the front, back and center of the green, as well as distances to layups and doglegs for par 4 and 5 holes.
You can save up to 5 locations for each hole. You can use this feature to record objects or obstacles that are not shown on the map. You can view the distance to these locations from the layup and dogleg screen.
It also allows you to input and save customizable yardage points — such as water hazards or bunkers — from anywhere on the course.
Measure Shot feature
The Measure Shot feature will tell you how far you hit a ball. It will measure your shot distance and calculate exact yardage for shots from anywhere on the golf course.
Keep Handicaps, Scores
S6 has handicap scoring options for individual holes, player’s local handicap or index/slope method. Scoring options include Stroke play and Stableford, and you can save, review, share and print scorecards from your computer
Garmin Connect Golf
Garmin Connect is the online golf community that lets you play, then share and compare. Download your round and contrast it to your last round, track improvements to your handicap for every course you play. Garmin Connect Golf can even assemble your ideal round combining your best score for each hole to get your ideal 18 for that course.
An Everyday Watch With Style
Before you start playing golf, the watch has to take between 30 to 60 seconds to locate satellites to download a list of nearby courses.
By the way, the S6 even tells you the time.
The day and time are set automatically when you go outdoors and the watch locates satellites.
Features found in all of the Garmin Approach Golf GPS Watches (including S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6)
Auto Hole Recognition and Advance
When you move to the next hole, the watch will automatically display the information for the next hole.
Odometer
It comes with an odometer that will show you how far you walked and the time it took you. It automatically starts and stops when you start or end a round. You can also start and stop it manually.
Round Timer
A round timer also is included to keep track of how long it takes you to play 18 holes.
