I’ve been reviewing golf equipment for over 10 years now but I struggle to recall a buzz around the launch of a new product as sizeable as what engulfed the unveiling of the Garmin Approach R50. The hype was justified – this was the first (pretty much) launch monitor to also include built-in golf simulator capabilities. Not only did it promise to solve existing issues like expensive subscription add ons and the need for gaming laptops, it also came in at a very appealing price point (under $5,000). But was all the euphoria justified? Well I finally got my hands on the Approach R50 and gave it a thorough test at the indoor studio at Peterborough Milton golf club – here are my findings.
My first impression, having tested a lot of the best golf launch monitors, is that the Approach R50 is a pretty sizeable unit. This works in its favor in one sense when it comes to the screen (more on this soon) but to its detriment in others. While it’s bulky, it’s not heavy or cumbersome, tipping the scales at just over 4kg and is easily portable thanks to the ergonomic design (you can lift up with one hand) as well as the robust case with shoulder strap included, which means you can carry it with you without fear of the unit getting damaged.
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The Approach R50 comes to life through the 10-inch full color touchscreen, which is bright, crystal clear and very responsive. Enter your settings and pair it with your Garmin Golf account (if you want to sync your clubs and session data for review at a later time) and you’re then greeted with the three modes to choose from: Practice, Play and Connect.
Practice is the place where golfers can work on their game at one of four simulated driving ranges, depending on how many targets and other visual stimuli you want to look at. The R50 uses three cameras to track 15 club and ball data points, it also uses the cameras to adjust your alignment – which is worth doing at the start of the session by lining up two balls. To get club data, you need to apply a sticker to the top of the clubface, which is a little annoying but doesn’t take long to do and the case includes a pack of 250 stickers, so you won’t run out for a while.
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What I really liked about the R50 was how customizable the view of the data was. I could drag up the metrics I…
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