Garmin Approach S44 Review: A Huge Upgrade Over Outgoing S42

If you’re in the market for a good-looking golf watch that fits great, has a beautiful display, includes all of the basic golf features, but sacrifices off-the-course extras in favor of a competitive price, this Garmin Approach S44 review is a must-read.

Nowadays, all of the “best” golf watches go well beyond golf. The category, especially in the case of Garmin, has jumped to include smartwatch features, fitness and lifestyle metrics, and generally a lot of functionality that has nothing to do with golf.

But you know who doesn’t care about a lot of those expensive extras?

A lot of golfers!

Some people just want a golf watch. Something that gives them reliable yardages, is comfortable to wear when they swing, and is simple to use.

One of the problems is that we’ve been stuck in this period where if you wanted “basic,” your only choice was “very basic.” In the Garmin line, that has been the S12. It’s, well, pretty bare bones.

Garmin tried to introduce a more advanced entry-level option with the S42, but the MIP display and the cumbersome map features left a lot to be desired. I personally found it kind of a weird middle ground, and gravitated either towards more basic or the higher end S62/S70.

So, now, with the introduction of the Garmin Approach S44, we’ve got something to study. It’s the replacement to the S42. It’s what the S42 should have been but never really was. It’s the “basic” but also “nice” Garmin golf watch.

So, did Garmin get it right this time?

What’s new and better about the S44 compared to the S42? And is it worth upgrading from the S12?

While we’re at it, how does the S44 compare to Garmin’s other new golf watch, the S50?

Most importantly, is the Garmin Approach S44 worth $299.99, and should you consider buying one?

That’s what we’re covering today. If this is where you’re at in your golf watch shopping, this S44 review is for you!

First Impressions of the S44: Garmin Golf’s Most Affordable AMOLED Display

The packaging for the S44 is very typical Garmin.

Which is to say that, while it’s solid and certainly does the job of protecting the contents, it’s nothing awe-inspiring.

Same Garmin grey box as with all of their golf tech products. Same branding. Same everything.

Again, solid, but not necessarily inspiring.

But it’s Garmin. They’ve got the name and the established reputation. They don’t need to do anything fancy with their packaging.

Now, the S44 watch itself, well, that’s a different story. It’s not the Garmin same-ol, same-ol.

And that’s because the S44 includes Garmin’s gorgeous AMOLED display. At $299.99, it’s now Garmin’s least-expensive golf watch with this big-time selling point.

This was one of my biggest beefs with the Garmin S42. For the same $300, it’s MIP screen, well, it kind of sucked compared to other golf watch options. Especially in direct sunlight, it was often dim and difficult to read and compared to an Apple Watch or an OLED-based competitor, it felt outdated.

The S44 fixes that in a huge way. With its vibrant, high-contrast AMOLED display, yardages, hole maps, and hazard details pop off the screen, making it much easier on the eyes in any lighting condition.

So, to now get Garmin’s beautiful AMOLED display without a price increase makes the S44 a very compelling product right out of the box. It immediately renders the outgoing S42 obsolete. That is, assuming the S44 doesn’t lag behind the S42 features-wise.

Garmin Approach S44 vs. S42: Meaningful Upgrade or More of the Same?

I was never a big fan of Garmin’s older golf watch MIP displays, including with the S42. And I always found it a little cumbersome to use the S42 map features.

Really, with the S42, I’ve always felt that you were probably better off just going with the very basic and less-expensive S12 or jumping up to the performance-worth-owning and much more expensive S70.

That’s why I’m intrigued by the S44. It’s the same price as the S42. And, as I’ve mentioned, it’s already far better in my eyes just because of the display. So, what about the rest of it?

As for appearance, beyond the major screen upgrade, the new S44 is quite similar to the S42. It includes the same 1.2-inch watch face, the same silicone band, the same 1.5-ounce weight, and the same 43 x 43 x 11.4 mm dimensions.

Battery life is the same for both the S44 and S42 (up to 10 days in smartwatch mode) as is the water rating (5 ATM).

The S44 features a silver aluminum bezel compared to the black metal bezel on the S42. And I love the 1 through 18 numbers around the bezel that denote what hole you’re on while you’re using the golf feature.

There’s one thing that really jumped out to me in comparing the S44 and S42 physically, and that is the buttons. The 42 has one button. The S44 has two.

As you may know, I’m a button guy. I prefer button navigation to touchscreen navigation. So twice as many buttons is twice as good, as far as I’m concerned.

Both of these watches are definitely designed for the touchscreen to factor heavily into the navigation, but the extra button on the S44 means that watch allows you more options to work through the menus and features via button pushes as opposed to touchscreen taps and swipes. For me, that’s a plus.

Generally, the more expensive the Garmin golf watch, the more buttons it will have. The five buttons on the fenix 8 is one of the features I love enough to make it my daily driver. But that’s also a $1,099.99 watch.

Even the S70 which features 3 buttons, is enough to make a noticeable improvement in usability.

What I’m saying is that to get a second button with the S44 without having to pay anything more than the one-button S42 is a win in my Garmin golf watch comparison book.

Remember, my big complaints with the S42 were mostly about the display and the navigation. So, with the S44, both of those things are upgraded.

Another significant improvement with the S44 is much better hole maps. The maps on the S42 were super basic. As I’ll talk about in a minute, the new maps on the S44 don’t quite touch Garmin’s highest-end options, but they are much better than on the S42.

Let’s look at how the S44 performs on the golf course.

Playing Golf with the Garmin Approach S44

Golf features-wise, the S44 is still in that “good not great” category. Actually, aside from the improved hole maps, it’s pretty much identical to what you got with the S42.

And for golfers who are looking for a really solid, well-built golf watch that’s not trying to offer every last frill, what’s so bad about that? Remember, it’s not any more expensive than the S42. And we’ve already established that it’s an upgrade.

Here are some of the key golf features:

• Preloaded with 43,000 courses worldwide
• Front/Middle/Back yardages
• Yardages to layups and doglegs
• Measures shot distances (if you manually prompt the watch after each shot)
• Digital scorecard
• Stat tracking in the Garmin Golf app
• A green view on each hole with the option to manually move the pin location
• Hazards
• PinPointer (a feature that allows you to see in which direction the green is on blind shots)
• Swing Tempo
• Compatibility with Garmin’s CT10 and CT1 shot-tracking tags

Notice that it doesn’t include all of the top-end golf features you’re going to find further up the line in something like Garmin’s flagship S70. Things like plays-like distances, a virtual caddie, and wind speed and direction.

Score keeping works great, and exactly how you’d expect it to. It reliably prompts you to enter your score as you walk off each hole (assuming you want it to).

I also love the 18 hole bezel that shows different colors based on what you shot for each hole. This is my favorite feature that’s missing when you use one of Garmin’s more fitness focused watches for golf, like the Fenix 8 or Epix Gen 2.

I haven’t tested with CT10 or CT1 sensors yet, so will link to a review when I do that.

Another big difference between the S44 and something like the S70 is the golf hole map quality. As I mentioned, the S44 map layouts are much improved over the S44, but they still lag well behind what you get with the S70.

The bunkers for instance, aren’t typically the exact layout of the hole. They’re more shown in general locations relative to the hole – as opposed to the S70 where it feels much more exact.

This isn’t a huge deal in practice, but if you’re playing a course you aren’t as familiar with, there may be times you need to do a double take to make sure you’re looking at the correct hazard distances.

The S70 gives you a much more lifelike representation of how the golf hole looks, with far more hazard and tree details to go along with all of those other advanced golf features.

But Garmin is actually giving you an opportunity to upgrade your S44 hole maps all the way up to the same maps you get on the top-of-the-line S70. But is that a good deal? Let’s find out.

S44 Upgrade Options with the Garmin Subscription: Is It Worth It?

At the 2025 PGA Show, Garmin announced upgrade opportunities for their new S44 and S50 golf watches.

Here’s my Show recap if interested:

Golfers can now pay the $9.99 per month or $99 per year Garmin Golf subscription to essentially turn their S44 or S50 into a souped-up model.

In the case of the S44, here’s what the subscription unlocks:

• Playslike Distances (adjusting for elevation changes)
• Enhanced CourseView maps (those detail-rich maps we were talking about)
• Green Contour Maps
• Touch Targeting (meaning you can tap on specific spots on a hole map to get precise yardages)

So, are those features worth $9.99 per month or $99 per year?

Well, I do think those are very significant upgrades. I mentioned how much better the Enhanced CourseView maps are. And any golfer who’s played with a rangefinder knows the advantages of having slope-adjusted yardages. Also, even for someone who’s not a touchscreen guy, the Touch Targeting does give you some advantages. It’s nice to be able to zero in on a specific yardage to a place where you want to aim. The Green Contour Maps are nice to have, but mostly only for approach shots into greens you haven’t yet played.

But the S50, for $100 more, already comes with Playslike Distances. Plus, as I’ll cover in a minute, the S50 gives you a lot of additional off-the-course advantages.

So, to me, I think the upgrade option is interesting with the S50. You do have to pay the subscription for the upgrades beyond the already-included Playslike Distances, but once you do, it allows you to basically turn that watch into an S70 and be money ahead for a few years.

But for the S44, the subscription opportunity is a little less compelling. I think with this watch; you might be better off going all-in on your stance of saving money by choosing the S44. If you’re going to pay for the subscription, I might just bite the bullet and go for the S50 from the start. But that’s me. You’ll have to work through how that math works with the features you value for yourself.

S44’s Off-Course Limitations Plus How It Compares to the S50

To put it simply, the S44 is a golf watch and not too much more than a golf watch.

And as I said at the beginning, for a lot of golfers, that’s exactly what they want.

The fact that you can now get an AMOLED display on a $300 Garmin golf watch that also features better navigation and better hole maps, makes the S44 a golf watch win.

But it’s probably not the right fit if you’re looking for a smartwatch that encompasses all of your life’s activities.

Yes, you can get texts and emails and calendar updates and weather forecasts with the S44. You can even control your smartphone music. It’s definitely not a dumb watch.

But relative to Garmin’s full suite of fitness and lifestyle features, the S44 is pretty stripped down.

You’ve got a step counter and a calories-burned tracker. And the activity profiles include running and cycling. But the S44 does not include a built-in heart rate monitor, which very much limits what it can track. That means no sleep tracking, no stress monitoring, no abnormal heart rate alerts, no relaxation reminders, no hydration tracking, no breathwork or meditation exercises.

But here’s the thing: Garmin just rolled out their new Approach S50. It’s pretty much the same golf watch as the S44 but it goes far beyond the S44 when it comes to fitness and lifestyle tracking.

All of those things you don’t get in the S44? All of them and a bunch more are included in the S50.

And because the S50, at $399.99, is only $100 more than the S44, I actually think the S50 is likely the best golf watch for most people.

But you might not be most people. And $100 is $100. Why pay anything extra if you don’t need more than the basic golf functionality that the S44 delivers?

Who Should Buy the Garmin Approach S44?

I think the S44 fits very nicely in Garmin’s newly narrowed down golf watch line. To me, it offers excellent value for the price.

If you want all of the benefits that come with owning a Garmin product—things like reliability, build quality, compatibility with the extensive Garmin ecosystem, brand reputation, and guaranteed tech support—I think the S44 is the perfect entry point.

I also think it’s worth the extra hundred dollars to go beyond the $199.99 Garmin S12. That watch’s black-and-white MIP display just looks dated in comparison to the modern AMOLED screen of the S44. To me, that aesthetic upgrade is worth the price increase.

This says a lot considering, I wouldn’t have recommended you upgrade to the S42. But the S44 truly is a modern golf watch at a great price.

The $299.99 S44 price is about right. You’re getting that AMOLED display that leaves the S12 and S42 in the dust. And you’re getting the better maps and navigation than the S42 can deliver.

Beyond that, the S44 is a comfortable, nice-looking golf watch that you know is going to perform consistently.

Who Shouldn’t Buy the S44?

I do think that there are some shoppers who might be at risk of being a little short-sighted in choosing the S44. Not all shoppers, mind you. But some.

You might not be into the whole fitness tracking thing now, but think carefully about what you envision for your next few years.

These Garmin watches are built to last. And with the new AMOLED displays, which is also a feature in the S50, it’s even more likely that if you buy one of today’s Garmin golf watches, you’re going to own it for at least a few years.

If, in that time, you think you might like to tap into some of the fitness and lifestyle tracking benefits that are still relatively new to all of us, you might want to reconsider your choice of the S44. 

I’ve got to say, from personal experience, that having things like sleep tracking and heart rate monitoring can be pretty powerful. And that’s to say nothing about the activity profiles that allow you to keep track of how you’re doing on all of your different outdoor adventures.

So, again, I think the S44 is right if you just want a golf watch. 

Want some better health and fitness features? Consider the S50.

Final Thoughts on the Garmin Approach S44

The Garmin S44 is night-and-day better than the S42. And for the same price.

It’s worth $100 more than the very basic S12.

That means, to me, it’s the perfect entry-level Garmin golf watch.

I think everybody should be excited about the fact that we can now get Garmin’s AMOLED display at the $300 price point.

I think most people should be excited about the navigation and course map upgrades in the S44.

But I think some people should think carefully about whether or not they want to limit themselves to just a golf watch.

Because that’s how I see the Garmin Approach S44. It might not be an overly fancy golf watch. But it’s also an excellent golf watch for the basics and well worth the asking price. If that’s what you’re looking for, look no further.

Recent Updates:

February 20th, 2025: Added photos of the S44 on the course. Added commentary on scoring, 18 hole bezel, and map quality.

If you're looking for a golf watch that doesn't include all the extra off-course features (or extra cost), the S44 might be the right choice.

8.2 Solid

The S44 is a fairly basic golf watch relative to the more feature-rich options available. While it does have a stunning AMOLED display, it doesn't include all of the advanced fitness and lifestyle metrics you'll find elsewhere. But that means you don't have to pay for things you might not want or need.

The Good

1. AMOLED display
2. Improved navigation with two buttons
3. Accurate yardages
4. Sleek and comfortable
5. No price increase over the outgoing S42

The Bad

1. No Playslike distances without subscription
2. Limited smartwatch features
3. Improved but still basic course maps
4. Subscription upgrade option might not make sense
5. Not a great option for fitness users

• Presentation 8.5
• Performance 8
• Features and Quality 8
• Price 8
• Personal Affinity 8.5