Garmin’s New $800 Golf Watch Tracks More Than Just Your Score

Garmin introduced its latest premium golf-oriented smartwatch, the Approach S72, priced at $799.99. The watch will ship starting October 9 and comes in 43mm and 47mm case sizes. Both versions showcase a titanium bezel, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens, and Garmin's ComfortFit fabric band. The 43mm version features a 1.3-inch AMOLED display weighing 41 grams. Garmin integrated a built-in LED flashlight into the design.

The Approach S72 preloads maps for over 43,000 golf courses. It measures hand speed, backswing length, and wrist rotation directly from the wrist, displaying additional data on post-round summaries alongside heart-rate information. The watch also revisits existing golf-centric features such as Virtual Caddie, PlaysLike distance, aerial course imagery, and green contour information for reading putts. PlaysLike adjusts distance calculations based on elevation and wind.

Beyond golf, the S72 includes health features found on Garmin's Venu and Fenix watches. It features a built-in microphone and speaker for answering calls and using voice assistants, Garmin's ECG app for atrial fibrillation detection, HRV status, blood oxygen monitoring, and sleep tracking. Everyday use sees the S72 supporting offline music storage, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and multi-band GPS for tracking outdoor activities.

Battery life extends up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, but drops to approximately 15 hours when actively using GPS during a round of golf. The Garmin Approach S72 is available for $799.99, with pre-orders opening on October 9.