Garmin Approach Z30 Review: The GPS Device I Didn’t Know I Needed

Just when I thought I had a handle on the rangefinder market, Garmin comes out of nowhere and releases the Approach Z30.

Over the last two years, rangefinders were starting to feel like a commodity. It didn’t seem like there was a whole lot coming out that was new.

Over the last few months, everything has been changing.

Some products have seen drastic price cuts. The excellent Voice Caddie TL1 dropped from $450 down to $280 – making it the best value on the market.

They also rolled out the Laser Fit, which has a surprisingly good triangulation feature.

Precision Pro released the Titan Elite which has fantastic build quality, and GPS distances right in the unit itself.

As golfers, we’re the ones that win when companies start competing more heavily with each other.

So this month out of nowhere, Garmin released the Approach Z30 – their first new rangefinder in over 4 years.

And it’s a product that only Garmin could make.

It gets GPS data by connecting to your smartphone, and then has direct integration with Garmin smartwatches.

This is a device no Garmin user probably ever said “I need this.” But now that it’s out, you just might be saying exactly those words.

In this Garmin Approach Z30 review I’ll go over all the pros, cons, and party tricks the Z30 has up its sleeve, and help you decide if it’s worth spending $399 on it, in what’s become a very crowded product category.

First Impressions of the Garmin Approach Z30

The packaging on the Z30 is pretty much identical to every other Garmin product I’ve used. Nothing over the top, nothing fancy, just a grey box with all the essentials inside.

The unit itself feels fantastic. It’s very similar in build quality to the more expensive Approach Z82, although this go around there’s a built-in magnet, which many people will appreciate.

I was kind of surprised to see that the device uses a traditional battery. Every other GPS or smart rangefinder on the market uses USB charging, and honestly? I love the fact it has the battery. I’ve never been a fan of having to charge a rangefinder, so I’d rather replace the battery every than forget to charge it every few rounds.

That may just be me though. Oddly though, the battery on my unit only had half a charge when I put it in. Oh well.

Worth noting, the battery life on this is only rated for about a year. So expect to switch it out more frequently than you would a non-GPS rangefinder.

To turn the slope on or off you simply hold the mode button on the top of the device. It works great this way, and minimizes the chance of accidentally turning it back on.

Overall, build quality is very representative of its price point, and feels as good as any other $400 rangefinder on the market. The fact it’s waterproof with an IPX7 rating, only adds to that.

What Makes the Approach Z30 Special?

Alright, so what makes this unit so unique?

On the surface, it’s very similar to the Precision Pro Titan Elite. You pair it with the Garmin Golf App, and you’ll be able to get GPS data sent directly to your device.

Implementation is a little bit different between the two devices though.

With the Titan Elite, you just get basic distances to the front and back of the green. When you shoot the flag with the laser, that has no bearing on the rest of the data.

With the Garmin however, instead of showing you actual yardages to the front and back, it will show you the exact number of yards from the pin.

So you shoot the flag, and then it will show you an actual distance (and slope adjusted number if you have slope turned on).

Then a second later on the left hand side, it will show you something that might look like a 4 on top and a 16 on bottom. This shows the pin is currently 4 yards from the back and 16 yards from the front.

That on its own is cool – but it’s only half of the magic of the Z30.

Using the Z30 Rangefinder with a Garmin Smart Watch

Along with pairing the Garmin Golf app, the Z30 can also pair with a compatible Garmin Smart Watch like the S70, S62, S42 or even the Epix Gen 2, which is what I personally tested this with.

What does that look like?

Well for starters, you can shoot the pin, and then look down at your watch and see the exact pin location on an aerial view of the green.

So let’s say the green is slightly elevated, and you can’t tell if the pin is in the front or the back.

When using the Z30, you’ll be able to get yardages from the front and back in the unit, but then your watch will show you exactly where on the green the flag is.

It’s even cooler in practice than it sounds on paper.

Your watch will also remember the data.

So if you shoot the flag from 245 out and decide to lay up to 100 yards.

When you get to the ball, your watch will still give you the distance to the pin itself, rather than a generic center of the green distance.

Super cool.

If you use it on the tee box and shoot say a fairway bunker, your watch will then give you a range arc across the aerial view of the hole to show you everything that’s in play.

The implementation is all super seamless and works better than I expected.

Setup was a breeze both when pairing to the Garmin app and my Epix Gen 2 watch.

How are the Optics on the Z30?

The 6x magnification on the Garmin looks very good. It’s similar in quality to the Bushnell V6 Shift which sits at the same price point, but is a notch behind the Cobalt Q-6, which is slightly more expensive.

The always-on red LED display looks very good as well. Although, I do wish I had the option to toggle between red and black.

Everything about the Approach Z30 optically is great, and my only knock is that I’d have loved to see 7x magnification. 

How Accurate is the Garmin Approach Z30?

When it comes to feature performance, Garmin has nailed it. What I thought might be a cumbersome and annoying process was not at all. I could see myself using this rangefinder with its full capabilities on every round I play, and not get in the way of enjoying golf.

But when it comes to speed and accuracy, things are a little bit more of a mixed bag.

Overall, the Z30 has given me accurate numbers the vast majority of the time. However, it did occasionally pick up something behind the flag, even in instances, where I wouldn’t have expected it to.

While it would give an initial distance instantaneously (and 90% of the time that was dead on accurate), it would often take a few extra seconds to give the accompanying slope distance.

And then a second or two after that to give the GPS green data.

In practice, it really isn’t that big of a deal and I didn’t find it interfering with my round much, but it will occasionally take you a couple of shots to get a confident distance.

I also rarely got a true flag lock vibration on the device. Over 18 holes, I probably only got it 5 or 6 times. I still always got great numbers, but I didn’t get the confirmation vibration of the flag lock all that often. 

I’ve had this with other devices, even the top-of-the-line Bushnell Pro X3. So it’s not too big of a deal, but I expected a little more reliability there.

The accuracy of the pin location on the green was also a little off at times.

I’m sure this has to do with GPS limitations, but about half of the time I’d shoot pins, they wouldn’t be in the exact place on the green that the pin actually was.

It was always close enough to still be useful, and should you want to, you can take that position on your watch and easily drag to the exact location of the flag.

But I do wish this were a little bit more consistently spot on.

All that to say, these issues, which may sound like big complaints are in reality more minor quibbles.

I’ve found using the Garmin Z30 to be very enjoyable, and to be able to get the yardages I need quickly and easily.

And I’ve enjoyed the smartwatch compatibility far more than I expected to. They nailed the execution there.

Find My Garmin

It’s nice to see Garmin include the magnetic mount on the device. And it’s even nicer that they leverage the GPS capability to include a “Find My Garmin” feature.

Just like “Find My iPhone,” the app will notify you if you’ve left the rangefinder somewhere, and then tell you where it is so you can go find it.

I know so many people who have lost rangefinders due to putting them on a cart and forgetting, that this GPS feature will legitimately at some point save you the cost of buying a new device.

Precision Pro also does this with the Titan Elite, and it’s a very welcome feature.

Should You Buy the Garmin Z30?

So the big question is, should you buy the Garmin Z30?

The big answer? Maybe.

Garmin has done a better job than any other brand of building a golf tech ecosystem. They have one app, and whether you use the Approach R10 launch monitor, CT10 sensors, any of their golf watches, or one of their rangefinders – it all runs through the same app.

The amount of data about your golf game you can collect in one place is fantastic.

So if you’re already in that ecosystem? This makes a lot of sense.

Especially if you use a Garmin Smartwatch. Personally, I think that’s who this device is for – Garmin watch users.

While just using this with the app would certainly be useful, it’s using it in tandem with that watch that truly makes the Z30  a next-level experience for me.

Build quality is among the best at the price point. But overall accuracy is just “good” rather than best in class.

So I think there are arguably better options for the price if you’re not already, and don’t want to, get in the Garmin ecosystem.

However, if you have a Garmin Smart Watch, using the Z30 significantly improves an already great experience. 

In fact, it might make for the best one-two punch out there when it comes to getting course yardages.

So, let’s sum this up.

Right now, if you don’t care about GPS and just want a great reliable rangefinder? Go buy the Voice Caddie TL1 for $280 – it’s the best value currently available.

If you like the idea of GPS, but don’t have or want a GPS watch? I’d probably grab the Precision Pro Titan Elite. I found speed and distance to be a touch better, despite the fact it doesn’t have the red LED display. The build quality on both are great.

But if you use a Garmin watch and want a new rangefinder? Get the Approach Z30. Using them together kinda feels like magic, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using mine.

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This is the Garmin product I didn't know I needed, and now don't want to live without it.

8.8 Great

If you use a Garmin smart watch, this is the very best rangefinder for you. The way the two pair together to get yardages and data is nothing short of magic, and it elevates the rangefinding experience in a way no other brand can do.

The Good

1. Fantastic build quality with IPX7 rating
2. Crystal clear display and great implementation of red LED display
3. Integration with Garmin smart watches is excellent, and elevates the experience of both

The Bad

1. Flag lock isn't necessarily super consistent
2. Some of the GPS flag locations weren't spot on.

• Presentation 9
• Performance 8
• Quality and Features 10
• Price 8
• Personal Affinity 9