Garmin Approach S40 Smartwatch: A GPS golf watch that costs less than US$300

Garmin prices the Approach S40 at US$299.99, which is significantly cheaper than its bigger sibling the Approach S60 and other golfing smartwatches like the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Golf Edition Garmin stresses that the S40 is also suitable as a general smartwatch too that can track daily activities like sleep and steps.

The Approach S40 is water resistant up to 5 atmospheres (ATM) or generally up to 50 metres (165 feet) of water. Garmin claims that this rating makes the Approach S40 suitable for activities like diving into water, showering, swimming or snorkelling, but not scuba diving. The watch weighs 43 g (1.5 oz) and has a 240 x 240 1.2-inch touchscreen display, which should be big enough to glance at upcoming obstacles when playing. Garmin promises that the Approach S40 will last up to 15 hours "in GPS mode" between charges and 10 days when being used as a smartwatch.

Garmin has preloaded the Approach S40 with over 41,000 golf courses so that you can use the smartwatch wherever in the world you are playing and be kept aware of any layups or doglegs along with the yardage to the front, middle and back of the green. Please see the Garmin website to see which courses the Approach S40 supports. The company has also included fitness tracking functionality and a sport profile designed for cycling, running or walking too.

The Approach S40 comes in silver, black or gold, the latter of which has a white band. All three colours have metal bezels and a silicone band, although the gold version is designed for people who have wrists with a circumference of between 106 mm and 176 mm. All colours cost US$299.99, but Garmin is also selling the smartwatch with three Approach CT10's for US$369.99 The Approach CT10 is an automatic club tracking system that tracks distances, scores and can help you analyse your strokes. The Approach S40 will be available from mid-April.