5 Reasons Not to Buy the New Garmin Approach S44

I'm guessing you’ve heard plenty of reasons to buy Garmin’s new S44 golf watch.

And I’ll admit, a lot of those reasons are legit.

The S44 is an excellent watch. I mean, it’s a Garmin. And for $300, the AMOLED screen alone might make the S44 a good value. It’s a beautiful display, no question.

But I gotta say, for a lot of golfers, I don’t think the S44 is the right fit. I think many of you would be better off with a different Garmin golf watch.

I’m going to share with you the five reasons I think you want something other than the Garmin Approach S44.

This could be the article that stops you from making your next golf purchasing mistake.

Or, this list might help you confirm that the S44 is your best choice. After all, some of what it gives up, it more than makes up for with an attractive price.

So, let’s sort it all out and see if these 5 Reasons Not to buy the Garmin Approach S44 can help you make the best decision.
I bet you've heard all about why you should buy Garmin's new S44 golf watch.
And yeah, many of those reasons make sense.

The S44 is a fantastic watch - I mean, it's a Garmin after all. At $300, just the AMOLED screen might be worth the price. It's got a gorgeous display, that's for sure.

But here's the thing - I don't think the S44 is right for a lot of golfers. You might actually be better off with a different Garmin golf watch.

I'll explain to you five reasons why you might want to skip the S44 and go with something else.

This could save you from making a mistake with your next golf purchase.

Or, it might help you confirm that the S44 is perfect for you. Sure, it has some trade-offs, but that attractive price tag might make up for them.

Let's break it down and see if these 5 reasons not to buy the S44 help you make the right choice.

I’m just gonna say it: The S44 isn’t much more than a golf watch.

And that’s cool.

Maybe you don’t need anything more than a golf watch.

But I’m telling you right now that if you’re buying the S44 hoping to do all of the advanced fitness tracking that you’re accustomed to seeing with the Garmin watches, you’re going to be very disappointed.

With the S44, you’re getting very basic activity tracking. Things like a step counter and a calories burned tracker. Not a whole lot more.

If you want things like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, a Body Battery that measures your energy levels, a pulse oxygen sensor, hydration tracking, guided meditation, and breathwork… I mean the list of lifestyle metrics available in the Garmin watches goes on and on. But none of those are available in the S44.

And that’s the first reason that I think a lot of people are better off just buying Garmin’s other new golf watch, the S50. At $400, it’s $100 more than the S44. But it’s such a superior watch. And the biggest reason that it’s better is that it includes as many lifestyle tracking features as even Garmin’s top-of-the-line golf watch, the S70.

No watch is perfect. And I’ve got reasons why the S50 isn’t the right choice for some people, so check out that video if you’re interested.

But this much I know for sure, if you want health and wellness tracking, don’t buy the S44. Buy the S50 instead.

Remember how I said the S44 wasn’t much more than a golf watch?

That’s true. But here’s the other thing. If you don’t pay Garmin’s $99 per year subscription, this isn’t even that advanced of a golf watch.

You have to pay the subscription to unlock features like detailed hole maps, slope-adjusted yardages, green contour maps, and touch targeting.

In other words, if you don’t pay that $99 a year, the S44 isn’t that much better of a golf watch than Garmin’s most basic option, the S12, which retails for just $199.99.

Yes, the OLED screen on the S44 is far better than the S12’s screen. But is it $100 better? That’s what you’ll have to decide because that’s how much more you’ll have to pay for the S44 over the S12.

I think that with or without the subscription, the S44 lands in this weird Garmin middle ground.

I think some people might be better off just going all-in on basic and getting the S12.

Or, spending just $100 more, and getting a much better watch in the S50. Yes, you’ll also have to pay the subscription to get advanced golf features with the S50. But you’ll also have so many more lifestyle tracking options than you’d get with the S44.

Both the S44 and S50 are fairly small, with a 1.2-inch watch face and a size of only 43 x 43 x 11 millimeters.

I think on small or average-sized arms or wrists, these watches look nice.

But if you have larger wrists, or if you just like bulkier watches, I think these options are going to look and feel a little dainty.

My recommendation if you’re looking for a larger watch that still looks sleek and classy is the Garmin Approach S70.

The S70 is a phenomenal watch for reasons well beyond its size. It’s packed with features, making it the undisputed best golf watch available in 2025. It’s my personal favorite, and it’s not even close.

The S70 is available as a 42-millimeter or 47-millimeter version. So, if you want something a little bigger, the 47-millimeter option is probably perfect.

Now, on the other hand, if you like a smaller watch something that kind of disappears on your wrist—then I think you’ll love either the S44 or S50.

I can tell you that when I’m playing golf with the S44, I barely even notice it. I don’t feel it at all when I’m swinging, and it just never gets in the way. A lot of times, I forget I even have it on.

So if you’re the kind of golfer who’s worried that a golf watch is going to hinder your swing or comfort on the course, then I think the S44 might be perfect.

But if you’re looking for something a little more substantial, I’d look at the S70.

Look, when I was at the PGA Show and saw the AMOLED display on Garmin’s new S44, I was very impressed. And when they told me that it was going to retail for $300 with that AMOLED screen… Well, I was pretty excited.

That’s because, before the S44 and the new S50, you had to go all the way up to the S70 to get an AMOLED screen on a Garmin golf watch. And the lowest retail price for the S70 is $650!

So to now have that kind of screen in a golf watch that costs only $300? Yeah, that’s pretty cool!

But here’s the problem with the S44. Yeah, the screen is beautiful. But what good is that if the information on it is so plain?

This gets back to a bit of what we’ve already talked about. Unless you pay that annual subscription, the hole maps that you get out on the golf course with the S44 are super basic. There’s no detail. There’s nothing lifelike. It’s just really generic and plain.

Without the subscription, I think you’re going to be paying $300 just to get front/middle/back distances on an AMOLED display. That seems like it might be overkill.

And if you do pay the subscription to get the better hole maps and enhanced information, you probably would have been better off just buying the S50 to start with. That watch also includes an AMOLED screen.

Also, as I mentioned, you’re not getting much in the way of off-the-course benefits with the S44. For a lot of people, I’m not sure they’re even going to wear this watch when they aren’t playing golf. So once again, do you need that nice screen if you’re not even going to wear this watch throughout the day?

Now I don’t know about you, but if I pay $300 for a golf watch in the year 2025, I’m expecting it to factor in slope when it gives me my distances.

But that’s not the case with the Garmin S44.

Once again, we’re back to our favorite topic: Subscriptions. If you don’t pony up the $ 100-a-year ransom (I mean, subscription), you can’t get slope-adjusted yardages with your S44.

I don’t know. That one stings a bit to me.

I mean I get that I’m not going to get things like wind data and club recommendations. I’m cool with that. And it makes me appreciate how special those features are in the S70.

But plays-like distances? For $300? Come on!

It all comes back to the fact that, without the subscription, the S44 is a bit too basic. And Garmin already has a basic golf watch. It’s called the S12, and it costs $100 less than the S44.

Absolutely, while the Garmin Approach S44 Golf Watch is a great product, there are a few pros and cons that you need to be aware of:

Pros:

• Stylish Design: The watch features a sleek aluminum bezel and a comfortable silicone strap.
  
  
• Excellent Display: It has a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen that remains visible in bright sunlight.
  
  
• Comprehensive Course Coverage: Preloaded with over 43,000 courses worldwide.

Cons: 

• GPS Glitches: Sometimes fails to advance to the next hole automatically.
  
  
• Limited Shot Tracking: Misses shots and lacks ease in adding missed shots post-round.
  
  
• Premium Price for Full Features: Requires an annual subscription for full hole mapping.

So, those are five reasons NOT to buy the Garmin S44.

Listen, guys, do I think the S44 is a good golf watch?

Absolutely! I know that it is. Garmin makes incredible products, and the S44 is yet another in a long line of really well-done golf watches.

So I’m not saying the S44 isn’t good.

All I’m saying is that there might be other Garmin golf watches that are better. Granted, most of them cost more than the S44. But the S12 is an example of a watch that costs $100 less and might be the smarter choice for some.

Here’s how I see it:

If you’re cool with a basic golf watch that doesn’t include many off-the-course features and you like the idea of having a nice AMOLED screen, buy the S44. As long as you accept its limitations, I’m sure you’ll be very happy.

But if you want a LOT more off-course features, I’d spend $100 more and get the S50. Even if I was going to pay $100 a year for the Garmin subscription and the golf feature upgrades, I think doing so with the S50 would be the smarter choice in the long run.

And if you just want the best right from the start, don’t mess around. Just get the S70. I promise you you’ll love it.

Finally, there’s the S12. That watch is dated at this point. And of course, it doesn’t have the nice AMOLED screen that these other options have. But, at $199.99, it’s $100 less than even the S44. And for golfers who just want the bare bones minimums but want the Garmin build quality and GPS accuracy, the S12 is still a perfectly good choice.

So there you have it. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got other reasons why the Garmin Approach S44 IS or ISN’T the right golf watch to buy.

Or, if you own one of these Garmin watches, tell us about your experience with it.