Garmin Approach S42 review

Tracking and features

• AutoShot detection
• Step counting
• Shot distances

Using the Garmin Approach S42 is super simple. Get onto the course and tap the big red side button to select start a round. This will then quickly acquire GPS and offer you a list of potential courses you might be at. Unless they're overlapping you'll find the course you're on top of the list. Tap to select and then pick the tee you're playing off to get started. It's that simple to use.

The menus couldn't be easier to navigate. Unlike some of Garmin's other watches, which has lots of tracking and can take some tracking through, this is refined and built to get going after a single button and screen tap. Anything more complex you might want to personalise can be done in app super easily.

The watch will then track your game automatically. Using a combination of movement and GPS sensors, the watch will know when you've taken a shot and can track the distance as you go. That means, technically, you don't even need to look at the watch. It'll just keep score and update as you move to the next hole.

This AutoShot, as it's called, works best when worn on the lead wrist and only works for fairway shots as they have such big movements. Putts are not tracked in this way and chip shots rarely work accurately. But this is more for seeing how far you have to walk to from your tee off and it works surprisingly well.

In reality there can be the odd glitch here where you need to adjust data using the touchscreen, making sure you have the correct stroke count listed. This is rare and more for very small shots, like putts, which might not be detected. We're not saying this is a deal-breaker, just something we hope Garmin will work on in future generations.

A really useful feature is the ability to look over the hole ahead, this shows features on the hole like water and bunkers, listed in order as you tap up and down through the menu. This lists your distance to that feature and even allows you to see how long you need to hit your shot to make an ideal layup.

Play a shot and then you can use the Green View screen on the app to see where the pin is placed and adjust as needed. This is great on the Approach S42 as you can move it around using the touchscreen for really accurate placement. It also means you can work out the distances across the green so your shot is perfectly informed.

The key here is that the GPS is super accurate, able to pinpoint you as you move. As such you don't need to worry about adjustments much, making it a breeze to use. While this can, potentially vary, in areas near buildings or tall trees, we didn't have any issues with GPS on the course or while acquiring satellites, which was done very quickly.

The watch has quick menus that you can access by simply swiping up. These screens include your step count and calories burned and, very usefully, a sunset and sunrise readout with at a glance edging colors to show how close you are to either. As standard you also have calendar, messages, your scorecard and weather all one screens in this swipe through.

One feature that's lacking here, but is found on the Approach S62, is Garmin Pay. You may already have contactless payment on your phone so the lack of this on the watch isn't a massive issue. We'd like it, to pay for that drink at the end of a round, but in reality it's more of a novelty feature that we can live without.

Sleep tracking is a feature that is on this watch. If you're wearing this to bed, which you can as it's that comfortable, it'll track your sleep. This is based on when you set regular sleep times, so it won't track naps. It's not a dedicated sleep tracker so don't expect the accuracy of one of these, but it does the job well enough and gives you the various levels of sleep too. We liked the Garmin app layout which is colourful and clear at a glance for longer term analysis. Basically, this doubles as a health tracker for steps and sleep, so you don't need another wearable – adding to the value of that price.

Garmin Golf App

• Notifications sent to your wrist
• Clear layout of history in the app

The Garmin Golf app is a dedicated app made purely for the Garmin golf tech. As such it's layout is clear and minimal with an easy to use interface. This allows you to see the game you're playing, with clear hole maps, but is also good for checking over your game history afterwards.

After game use is most likely but that doesn't stop this app working in the background as you play. Pop your phone away in your golf bag and you won't need to touch it again as the watch tracks your game but also notifies you of phone calls, messages and more. These can be adjusted as you need so you're only notified with what you need and not prestered to the point of distraction. A great way to let go of the world and focus on your game without being totally cut off.

The Garmin Golf app allows you to pair clubs with smart sensors for deeper metrics but also lets you participate in leaderboards. This is a great way to keep even your solo game competitive with others in your group, without having to actually be playing together.