| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
| Type | Golf GPS watch |
| Series | Approach |
| Released | 21 January 2025 |
| Price at launch | GBP 259.99 / USD 299.99 |
| Predecessor | Approach S42 |
| Successor | Not yet announced. See Release Radar. |
| Sizes | 43mm (small) |
| Colours | Silver aluminium bezel with black silicone band, silver aluminium bezel with twilight silicone band |
Specifications and features as at launch.
Jump to: Expert opinion | What’s new | Specifications | Battery life | Features | Activity profiles | Quick answers | Further reading
Expert opinion
The S44 is the cheapest way onto Garmin’s AMOLED golf platform, and it is a golf device rather than a watch that also plays golf. It shares the 43mm case and the 1.2 inch 390 by 390 screen with the S50, and it leaves out the heart rate sensor, the wellness suite, music storage and Garmin Pay.
The part that decides whether it suits a given golfer is the Garmin Golf membership. On this model the full vector hole map, PlaysLike distance and touch targeting all sit behind the subscription, where the S50 includes PlaysLike in the price. What the S44 gives without a membership is yardages to the front, middle and back, layups and doglegs, hazards, Green View with a manual pin, PinPointer, AutoShot and the scorecard. It is also the heavier of the two at 42g on silicone, against 29g on the S50’s nylon band, and it connects over Bluetooth alone, so there is no Wi-Fi course updating and no ANT+ sensor pairing.
Garmin Approach S44
Essential course yardages on a bright AMOLED screen for golfers who want the numbers and nothing else.
RRP $299.99
£259.00, €278.49
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S44 Also sold direct byWhat’s new versus the Approach S42
Hardware
- 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen at 390 x 390 pixels, replacing the colour memory-in-pixel display
- Anodised aluminium bezel with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens
- 43 x 43 x 11.4mm case at 42g, on a 20mm industry-standard quick release strap
- 4GB of storage
Software
- Approach CT1 club tag compatibility, alongside the existing CT10 sensors
- Garmin AutoShot automatic shot detection
- PinPointer direction to the pin on blind shots
- Activity tracking with step counting, intensity minutes, Move IQ and TrueUp
Specifications
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Size | 1.2 inch (30.4mm) |
| Type | AMOLED, optional always-on |
| Resolution | 390 x 390 pixels |
| Lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Physical | |
| Case size | 43mm (small) |
| Dimensions | 43 x 43 x 11.4mm |
| Weight | 42g |
| Bezel material | Anodised aluminium |
| Strap material | Silicone, 20mm industry-standard quick release |
| Wrist fit | 125 to 202mm circumference |
| Water rating | 5 ATM |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
| Sensors and positioning | |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| Heart rate | None |
| Other sensors | Compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light |
| Connectivity and storage | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth LE |
| Storage | 4GB |
| Music | Controls music on the phone |
| Maps | 43,000 preloaded golf courses. Full vector CourseView maps need a Garmin Golf membership |
Battery life
Garmin rates the S44 on default display settings, which means gesture wake-up in smartwatch mode and an always-on screen while golfing.
| Mode | Battery life |
|---|---|
| Smartwatch | Up to 10 days |
| GPS | Up to 15 hours |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
Features
Feature explanations are covered in the relevant the5krunner Garmin features hub.
Prepare
- Step counting with auto goal and move alerts
- Calories burned, distance travelled and intensity minutes
- Move IQ and TrueUp
Perform
- 43,000 preloaded courses with automatic CourseView updates
- Yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, and to layups and doglegs
- Hazards and course targets, and custom targets
- Green View with manual pin position and PinPointer
- Garmin AutoShot, with Approach CT1 and CT10 club tracking through accessories
- Digital scorecard with handicap scoring and stat tracking for strokes, putts, greens and fairways
- Swing tempo and a round timer
- Tournament Mode for sanctioned events and handicap rounds
- Full vector maps, PlaysLike distance, touch targeting and green contours with a Garmin Golf membership
- GPS speed and distance, with Auto Pause and Auto Lap
Connect
- Smart notifications, calendar and weather
- Incident detection and assistance
- Controls music playing on the phone
- Find My Phone and Find My Garmin
- Device passcode
Activity profiles
| Category | Profiles |
|---|---|
| Golf | Golfing |
| Running | Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking |
Garmin Approach S44
Essential course yardages on a bright AMOLED screen for golfers who want the numbers and nothing else.
RRP $299.99
£259.00, €278.49
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S44 Also sold direct byQuick answers
When was the Garmin Approach S44 released?
Garmin released the Approach S44 on 21 January 2025. The launch price was GBP 259.99 or USD 299.99.
Is the Approach S44 waterproof?
Approach S44 has a water rating of 5 ATM.
Does the Approach S44 need a Garmin Golf membership?
Full vector CourseView maps, PlaysLike distance, touch targeting and green contours on the Approach S44 require a Garmin Golf membership. Without one, it gives yardages to the front, middle and back, layups, doglegs, hazards, Green View, PinPointer, AutoShot and the scorecard.
Does the Approach S44 have heart rate, music or Garmin Pay?
No, Approach S44 has no heart rate sensor, no music storage and no Garmin Pay. It can control music playing on a phone.
What size and weight is the Approach S44?
Approach S44 comes in a single 43mm size, is 11.4mm thick and weighs 42g. It takes a 20mm silicone strap and has a 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen.
How long does the Approach S44 battery last?
Garmin rates Approach S44 for up to 10 days as a smartwatch and up to 15 hours in GPS mode.
Further reading
- Garmin Approach S50 specifications
- Garmin Approach S72 specifications
- Garmin watch specifications
- Release Radar: upcoming Garmin watches
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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