Garmin Brings GPS To The Golf Course With New Watch
Garmin may not be competing in the smartphone business much longer, but the company still has plenty of new products up its sleeve. Today, Garmin announced the Approach S1, the company's first golf GPS watch. The Approach S1 comes preloaded with 14,000-plus courses. It can display information about distance to the front, back and middle of greens as well as measure shot distances. It's rugged and waterproof so you won't have to worry about destroying it on the course. The Approach S1 also has an alarm and automatic time and time zone detection.
Garmin launches Approach S1, first golf GPS watch, with preloaded courses
October 27, 2010 - Garmin has already put the most important information on a golf course at your fingertips. Now we're giving you that data while keeping your hands free. Today Garmin announced Approach S1, the first GPS wristwatch designed specifically for golf. At a glance, Approach S1 displays precise yardages to the front, back and middle of greens and comes preloaded with 14,000-plus courses.
Constantly updating based on a golfer’s actual real-time location, Approach S1 can also measure individual shot distances – all while functioning as a high-quality, everyday watch. Approach S1 comes preloaded with 14,000-plus U.S and Canadian courses so there’s no need for subscriptions or downloads – simply select “Start Round,” choose your course and you’re ready to tee off. Rugged and waterproof, Approach S1 weighs only 1.8 ounces, has an ultra-thin backlit display, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts up to eight hours in GPS mode and up to three weeks in watch mode – making it perfect for the boardroom, the bunkers and all points in between. In addition to the wide range of preloaded courses, Approach S1 features an easy-to-set alarm and automatic time and time zone detection, making it the perfect companion for travelers.
“With the Approach S1 golf GPS watch, Garmin has once again created an entirely new category for fitness and outdoor recreation,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Golfers who want their data and their device as streamlined as possible will find Approach S1 to be a sleek and simple hands-free solution to taking the guesswork out of their game.”
Once in golf mode, Approach S1 quickly acquires satellites and displays a list of nearby courses. Once a course is selected, three distances to each hole will always be provided – front, middle and back of the green – with those details being updated automatically and adjusted depending on the angle of approach. During the course of play, Approach S1 displays the hole number and par, and it automatically transitions from one hole to the next. Once golfers begin a round in golf mode, they can easily transition between time of day and distances to green, and they can access the menu to measure the distance of their last shot to improve their game or shore up bragging rights. Acting as a GPS-enabled odometer, Approach S1 helps golfers track the total ground they’ve covered on foot during each round (or even on a walk over lunch) so that they can see the true health benefits of leaving the cart in the clubhouse.
Golfers can go to www.garmin.com/golfcourses to check if their course is among those available for the Approach S1. At www.garmin.com/golf, golfers can also learn more about Garmin’s Approach G5 and Approach G3 touchscreen handhelds that feature preloaded course coverage and detailed vector mapping unlike anything used before on a golf course.
Approach S1 represents the latest breakthrough from Garmin, which has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries. For more about pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin’s other products and services, go to www.garmin.com, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.
