After the round, you can select “Scorecard” from the menu and go through each of the holes, editing as necessary. One nice feature was being able to set different pin locations to get more accurate distances. It’s a little time-consuming, but if a pin sheet is available taking a couple minutes to set the pins ahead of time will make your round even more frictionless on the course. The Garmin Approach G12 does so many things right that it is hard to know where to begin singing its praises. The Green View feature gives you each green’s true shape from wherever you are on the course, and it allows you to drag-and-drop the pin for greater accuracy.

Yep. Absolutely. It works as advertised, and is exactly what you’d expect from a company like Garmin. In addition to the Garmin Connect app, you need the Garmin Golf application on your iPhone or Android smartphone to pair the Garmin Approach G12. You can choose courses and start a new round of golf right from the application on your phone. Golf GPS devices come in many shapes and varieties. No matter which you prefer though, the goal should be the same: improve your game and shave strokes off your score. To do that, you may not need all the bells and whistles of more expensive watches or GPS devices that double up as launch monitors. At the end of nine holes, a menu pops up asking if you want to continue the round. That makes it easy to “just play nine.” Every experiment needs a control so we put the Garmin Approach G12 up against the older but still relevant Approach G10.

50 Words or Less

The G12 isn't a watch and it isn't smart. It's all about golf, nothing else. Unlike GPS watches, this is a device you keep in your golf bag and it only comes out when you're playing. It's waterproof too so there's no need to worry about it when you're playing in a downpour. As you can see, the Approach G12 is tiny. It’s barely 2″ tall and less than 1/2″ wide, even with the belt clip. There are four buttons around the edge, and each one’s function is clearly labeled. The size is a mixed bag. It’s barely noticeable on your hip, which is great. The downside is that those with larger hands may find the buttons tough to operate. The buttons are solid and have a good, clear press, but getting your fingers situated on the device can be a challenge. Take the Garmin Approach G12 for example. It’s a simple, affordable, reliable GPS device that has what you really need to play better rounds. So in today’s review, we wanted to shed some light on this oft overlooked golf GPS device from Garmin. Finally, it’s for anyone that doesn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a golf GPS device with features that have nothing to do with golf.

Since those humble beginnings, our endeavour has blossomed into a robust and trusted online retailer, representing the leading brands in the golf industry. We take immense pride in being your go-to destination for all things golf! An extra feature of the G12 that I appreciate is the ability to measure a shot. From your starting location, press the OK button, scroll down to “Measure Shot” and select OK again. The distance updates as you walk and when you arrive at the ball’s new location, it will tell you how far it travelled from the point where you selected “Measure Shot.” Finally, the Approach G12 boasts an amazing battery life of up to 30 hours. This is nearly double the nearest competitor that I’m aware of. For players who leave their clubs in the car or just forget to charge their devices, this will be a life saver. One charge might get you through seven rounds or more! You can’t pair it with any apps and you can’t connect it to your smartphone in any way (like Bluetooth). Whether or not you choose the G12, remember that any golf GPS device you buy should be able to improve your performance on a wide variety of courses.Also: Garmin Approach S62 announced: Bigger display and virtual caddie help improve your golf game Device software If you’re in the market for this type of device? It’s accurate, easy to use, and does exactly what you’d expect it to do.

That said, I do feel like the G12 hits a pretty narrow niche, and we’ll talk about the pros and cons of that in this Garmin Approach G12 review. First Impressions of the Garmin Approach G12 If you don’t like the idea of wearing a watch while you play, the G12 provides a nice alternative for you as well. It comes with a clip and a lanyard so you can use it in a wide variety of ways without disrupting your stroke. All of this data can be automatically sent via Bluetooth to the Garmin Golf App on your phone. There, you can review your scores and stats (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit). The app also will keep a handicap for you (unofficial). You can use it to manually input the exact location of the pin and to keep score. Like the G12, you can use the S12 to see the exact shape of each green you play. Pros: GREEN VIEW- gives you each green’s true shape from wherever you are on the course, and it allows you to drag-and-drop the pin for greater accuracy.I am not a very experienced golfer so I appreciate the virtual caddie functionality offered by other Garmin watches with golf support so this is one function I really missed while I was golfing with the G12. The virtual caddie feature will factor in wind speed and direction to then recommend a club based on the distance you typically swing with that club. The Approach G12 does not support the virtual caddie functionality. I also miss the pinpointer feature that shows you the direction of the pin when you are in a location where you cannot visually spot the pin. The Garmin Approach G12 is also water rated as IPX7 which, means that you can use it safely in the rain. Don’t submerge it in water or anything but also don’t be afraid to use it in a downpour. You can also use the G12 with Garmin club sensors for more robust club and swing data.