Garmin Approach G12 Golf Range Finder

Product Information

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. Golf is a popular activity that serves as a competitive sport, business meeting space, social gathering place, and relaxing outdoor activity for millions of people. There is a large market for golf gear and I've been very pleased with the Garmin CT10 club sensors and a connected watch or another device as I play for pleasure and to escape work for a few hours. 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. Even though the G12 is small, the numbers on its screen are large and easy to read. The screen is 23mm x 23mm, with a resolution of 176×176 pixels. I can easily see my yardages without resorting to my reading glasses (which is more than I can say about a couple of other GPS units I own).

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 Approach G12 really has all the information you should need to accurately play most courses. I can, however, envision being on an unfamiliar and difficult course where you might want an aerial image of a fairway that some much more expensive golf GPS units offer. Top of the line golf GPS units have become truly amazing with high definition screens and loads of course info. However, with all those features comes a steep price. For golfers aiming to save money for green fees and golf balls, Garmin offers the Approach G12, an affordable golf GPS that doesn’t skimp on the important features that will help you score better.

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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: 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. 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.

After you setup your preferences and paired your smartphone, press to start a game of golf. The Approach G12 GPS will be activated and then look for courses in your vicinity. Select your course and respond to the questions about keeping score and what color tee you are driving from. There are more than 41,000 courses around the world preloaded on the G12 so your local courses should be on the device. Since I often golf by myself to practice my game, I prefer to use Garmin devices that keep score. I find they are very accurate at keeping score, more so than even myself trying to remember how many shots I took. After the round, you can select “Scorecard” from the menu and go through each of the holes, editing as necessary.The Garmin Approach G12 is a nice accessory that is affordable and automatically captures your gameplay. It is very light and small so it doesn't get in the way of your game at all, but still provides some key information as you walk the course. You can also have the display flipped upside down so that you can keep the G12 mounted on your belt and view the numbers without removing it. This is a thoughtful small touch that helps you stay focused on the game.