Are you trying to decide between the Garmin S70 vs. Fenix 7 Pro watch?
If so, this review will help you decide as we’ll break down everything you need to know about these two premium watches. Garmin makes some of the best equipment for outdoor enthusiasts and are sure to help your golf game and overall fitness.
Garmin S70 vs. Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Review
Garmin has no shortage of wearables for golfers, triathletes, swimming, and other outdoor recreation. The S70 is a big improvement from the S60 which is made for golfers and sure to take your game to new heights.
Let’s get into it…
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Garmin Approach S70 Golf Watch
If you’re committed to golf the Garmin S70 is one of the best options for you.
I think that most everyday players would benefit greatly from swapping a rangefinder to a GPS watch like this one. They provide so much more data about the golf course, weather, and track your shots to better understand and analyze your game.
The S70 is a premium watch that costs $649 – $699 depending on size/color. This watch is the same size or slightly smaller than the S70 with a 42 mm or 47 mm available. It also comes in black, white or gray bands… but you can always grab a custom color for an extra $49.
This premium GPS golf smartwatch has a huge touchscreen display (1.2 to 1.4 inches) and amazing graphics. This watch comes with 43,000 preloaded courses, yardages to front/middle/back of the green, and a digital scorecard.
Let’s get into some of the more advanced features to see how this golf watch can help you shoot lower scores.
Virtual Caddie
There is no need to hire a caddy when you have this smartwatch.
The virtual caddie feature acts like your best friend on the golf course by using shot data from previous rounds to provide recommendations. It also factors in wind, elevation, and the layout to help you pick the right club for the shot.
No more guessing and hoping for the best. The more you play golf with the watch, the more it will learn your game and provide even better recommendations… just like a real caddy.
Paired with the Playslike Distance – which adjusts the flat yardage on if the hole is uphill or downhill – it’s never been easier to pick the right club. Not to mention this feature now factors in humidity, temperature, and air pressure to give you a more accurate measurement.
Tempo Training
One huge benefit over the Fenix 7 Pro is the tempo training.
This feature makes it easy to measure your backswing and downswing times and create tempo ratio. Great players all have a 3-1 tempo, but this isn’t easy to measure… until now.
The Tempo Trainer helps you with audible tones or vibrations to train a more efficient tempo so you can get closer to 3:1 timing. When you do, it should have a huge impact on ball striking, rhythm, and distance.
Garmin Golf App
The Garmin Golf app is one of the best apps to help your game. The free plan has tons of perks including the ability to review performance stats, shot history, and save driving range sessions.
But the paid membership ($9.99/month or $99 per year) also has some advantages.
The best part of the paid plan is the green contours feature with heat maps on some golf courses. This makes it easy to understand the slope of the greens to improve your short game.
Overall, it’s a great high-end golf smartwatch that will help you shoot lower scores.
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Watch Golf Review
The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro is their second most expensive watch with only the Epix Gen 2 costing more. Depending on the model you choose, it’s either $799 or $899. It’s more than just a golf watch but one that is built for outdoor enthusiasts.
With the Fenix 7 Pro you can choose three case sizes; 42 MM, 47 MM, and 51 MM. It has five different editions including standard, solar, sapphire solar, pro solar, and pro sapphire solar.
This watch has so many features including a built-in LED flashlight and rugged design. In fact, it’s even tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, water, and shock resistance. Needless to say, this is an expensive watch but it can take pretty much anything you throw at it.
Golf wise it has nearly everything from the Approach S70. The only features not included are the tempo training and it’s not Truswing compatible, otherwise it has it all.
Here are some other non-golf features that make it one of the most popular Garmin watches.
Advanced Health and Activity Features
While the Garmin S70 has a lot of health features, the Fenix 7 Pro has even more. If you’re ready to not only improve your golf game but fitness levels, this watch can help including:
- Race features including a visual race predictor, pacepro technology, and other hiking features.
- Performance metrics to better understand your overall health including VO2 max, training load and more.
- Track your activities – from soccer, football, surfing, HIIT workouts, and more. Plus it has animated workouts to help you with at home cardio, yoga, and Pilates workouts.
- Advanced sleep monitor and sleep score to better understand stress, recovery, and training schedule.
Solar Edition
There are several solar editions of this watch too which is extremely impressive as it’s not featured in many watches.
As Garmin said on their website, “Get up to 14 days in smartwatch mode with solar charging in 3 hours of direct sunlight (50,000 lux) per day and up to 46 hours in GPS mode with solar charging (assumes continuous use for entire period in 50,000 lux conditions).”
That’s incredibly impressive and shouldn’t be an issue if you’re playing golf in the summer or other outdoor activities.
Closing Thoughts
Both of these Garmin watches are extremely durable and helpful for golf and other outdoor activities.
The Fenix 7 Pro costs more but also has more features outside of golf, including several solar models. If you need a more comprehensive watch to help both on and off the golf course, this is likely the one for you.
If you’re focused more on golf than other outdoor activities, the S70 is a top choice for avid golfers. While it’s not cheap, it’s 10X more useful than a rangefinder – even a high end one like Bushnell.
Both of these Garmin watches have endless golf features to help you make better decisions on the course. More information about hazards, greens, and targets makes it easier to pick clubs and swing with confidence.
