Premium golf GPS with caddie smarts, but only for committed players

Is the Garmin Approach S62 worth buying? Yes — if you want a premium golf GPS watch with serious on-course data, the Approach S62 is a strong buy at £461.31, especially because that is the all-time lowest price in the data provided. It is not a cheap impulse purchase, and the value depends on how much you will use the Virtual Caddie, full-colour mapping and shot-planning features rather than just basic yardages.

First impressions

The S62 looks and feels like a premium piece of kit. The 1.3-inch colour touchscreen is 18% larger than the Approach S60, which matters more on the course than on a spec sheet: bigger text, clearer maps and less time squinting between shots. The scratch-resistant ceramic bezel and QuickFit strap system also suggest a watch built for regular use rather than occasional rounds.

What does the Garmin Approach S62 actually do well?

The headline feature is Virtual Caddie, which suggests a club based on the distance you typically hit that club, then factors in wind speed and direction and indicates where the golfer should aim. That is more useful than simple front/middle/back yardages because it pushes you toward better decisions, not just faster ones. For golfers trying to lower scores, that kind of decision support can be more valuable than another basic GPS watch with a course map.

Garmin also includes Hazard View, which lets you scroll through each hazard on the map, PlaysLike Distance for uphill and downhill shots, and Green View with manual pin positioning. Those features matter when you are trying to turn a vague number into an actual plan: carry the bunker, take enough club into the wind, or play to a safer part of the green. The watch gives access to more than 41,000 full-colour course maps worldwide, so course coverage is clearly a major strength for travelling golfers and anyone who plays a mix of UK and overseas courses.

How accurate and useful is it on the course?

For a GPS watch, usefulness is less about raw “accuracy” claims and more about how well the data helps you make better decisions. The S62’s mapping, hazard navigation and PlaysLike calculation are exactly the kind of features that help golfers manage dispersion and avoid bad misses. The Virtual Caddie is the standout if you already know your typical distances and want the watch to turn that into a smarter target recommendation.

That said, this is not a launch monitor, so it will not give you radar-style club speed, ball speed, spin rate or carry validation. If your goal is club fitting or deep practice analysis, you still need dedicated launch monitor hardware. The S62 is best understood as a course-management tool, not a swing lab.

Build quality and battery life

Battery life is one of the S62’s best practical strengths: up to 20 hours in GPS mode and 14 days in smartwatch mode. That is enough for several rounds without constant charging, and it makes the watch easier to live with than a device that needs daily top-ups after a few rounds.

The ceramic bezel should help it stand up to regular knocks, and the touchscreen format is more intuitive than button-only watches when you are moving around a course map. The trade-off is that premium materials and a feature-rich interface help explain the high price.

Is it good value for money?

At £461.31, the S62 is expensive. The competitive set shows why that matters: the Garmin Approach S12 is £169.00 with a 4.6★ rating and 42,000+ courses, while the Garmin Approach S62 in black is listed at £324.99 with a 4.4★ rating. The Bushnell Tour V5 Patriot Pack Jolt rangefinder is £260.07 and also rated 4.6★. So the S62 is not the budget option, and it is not the cheapest Garmin either.

The case for the S62 is that it bundles more premium on-course intelligence than the S12 and gives you GPS-watch convenience instead of a handheld rangefinder. If you will actually use Virtual Caddie, Hazard View and PlaysLike Distance, the extra spend can make sense. If you only want distances to the front and middle of greens, the cheaper S12 is much better value.

How does the Garmin Approach S62 compare to alternatives?

Compared with the Approach S12, the S62 is the smarter watch: larger touchscreen, Virtual Caddie, Hazards, PlaysLike and Green View. The S12 wins on price by a huge margin at £169.00, and it even has a longer claimed GPS battery life of up to 30 hours. Compared with the Bushnell Tour V5 rangefinder, the S62 gives you watch-based convenience and mapping, while Bushnell offers a lower price and a strong 4.6★ rating for players who prefer a laser-style distance check.

Final assessment

The Garmin Approach S62 is a premium golf GPS watch for golfers who want more than yardages. Its strength is turning course data into decision-making help, and the all-time-low price makes the timing particularly good if you have been waiting for a discount. The downside is simple: if you do not need the Virtual Caddie and course-management tools, cheaper alternatives will cover the basics for far less money.