I'll admit it – when Garmin initially announced they were cramming a launch monitor into their GPS handheld, I thought they'd lost their minds. I mean, how could a device small enough to clip on your belt possibly compete with dedicated launch monitors that cost twice as much? But after three months of testing the Approach G80 on courses and driving ranges across the Northeast, I'm eating my words. This thing is legitimately impressive, though it's definitely not without its quirks.
Opening the box, the G80 immediately felt more substantial than I expected. At 4.2 ounces, it's heavier than your typical GPS handheld, but not uncomfortably so. The 3.5-inch touchscreen dominates the front, and while 282 x 470 pixels doesn't sound impressive in 2024, the transflective display is ridiculously readable in direct sunlight – something my phone can't claim. The rubberized edges give it a reassuring grip, and the dedicated launch monitor button on the side tells you this isn't just another GPS unit pretending to do more.
What really caught my attention was the build quality. This doesn't feel like a gadget that'll crack if you drop it once (and yes, I've dropped it twice). Garmin claims it's water-resistant, though it won't commit to an IPX rating, which is a bit annoying. Still, it survived a surprise downpour during my round at Bethpage Black without skipping a beat.
Let's start with what Garmin does best – GPS guidance. With over 41,000 courses preloaded, I haven't found a course yet that wasn't already on there, including that quirky 9-hole executive course my father-in-law insists on playing every Sunday. The vector maps are crisp and detailed, showing not just the basic layout but actual course contours and hazard shapes. You're getting distances to the front, middle, and back of greens, plus every hazard, dogleg, and layup spot you could want. The CourseView mapping displays each hole in full color, making it easy to visualize your strategy before stepping up to the tee. The Green View feature takes this a step further by showing the true shape and contours of each green, allowing you to position the pin exactly where it is that day.
But here's where it gets interesting – the PlaysLike Distance feature. Playing a mountain course in Vermont last month, I watched my playing partner hit what looked like a perfect 7-iron to a raised green. It came up 15 yards short. The G80 had already factored in the 20-foot elevation change and suggested a 6-iron for me. I stripped it to within 10 feet. (Missed the putt, naturally, but that's not Garmin's fault.)
The touch targeting is brilliant. See a tree you want to carry? Touch it on the screen, and you instantly get the distance. Want to know how far it is to clear that bunker complex? Same deal. It's intuitive enough that my 68-year-old dad figured it out in about three minutes.
The PinPointer feature has saved my bacon more times than I can count on blind shots. When you can't see the flag, it shows you exactly which direction to aim and how far you've got. Playing the back nine at Torrey Pines South, where half the approach shots are blind, this feature alone justified the purchase price.
This is where I expected the G80 to fall flat. A $500 device competing with dedicated launch monitors? Please. But I brought it to my local range alongside my buddy's FlightScope Mevo Plus (which costs $2,000), and the results were shocking. Club head speed readings were within 1-2 mph consistently. Ball speed? Within 2-3 mph. Carry distances were typically within 1-3 yards of the FlightScope's readings.
The G80 measures five key metrics: club head speed, ball speed, smash factor, swing tempo, and estimated carry distance. It doesn't give you spin rates or launch angles – if you need those, you're looking at the wrong device. But for understanding how far you actually hit each club and whether you're making solid contact, it's more than adequate. The device uses radar technology to track your ball flight, providing consistent measurements regardless of lighting conditions at the range.
Setting it up is dead simple. Press the launch monitor button, place it 6-8 feet behind your ball (it has alignment guides on screen), and start swinging. The radar picks up your shots automatically, no need to tell it which club you're using. After each shot, you get instant feedback on the display, and it stores your session data for later review.
The tempo training feature has genuinely improved my swing consistency. It measures your backswing-to-downswing ratio and helps you find your best tempo. Mine was all over the place – anywhere from 2.8:1 to 3.5:1. After a month of focused practice with the tempo trainer, I've settled into a consistent 3:1 ratio, and my ball striking has never been better.
The digital scorecard handles up to four players with full handicap support, which means no more arguing about who gets strokes where. You can play Stroke Play, Stableford, Skins, or Match Play, and it automatically calculates everything. During a recent buddies trip, we used the Skins game feature, and it added a whole new level of trash talk when everyone could see the money on the line for each hole.
But the real value is in the stat tracking. The G80 tracks strokes, putts per round, greens in regulation, and fairways hit. After logging 20 rounds, I discovered something painful – I'm only hitting 38% of fairways with my driver. That's terrible. But I'm hitting 67% with my 3-wood. Guess what stays in the bag more often now?
The round timer keeps you honest about the pace of play (my average is 3 hours 52 minutes for 18 holes), and the odometer told me I walked 5.8 miles during my last round. Small features, but they illustrate a complete view of your golf experience.
Syncing with the Garmin Golf app alters the G80 from a good device into a great one. All your round data, launch monitor sessions, and stats upload automatically when you connect to your phone. The app breaks down your performance trends over time, showing which parts of your game are improving and which need work.
The virtual rounds feature lets you play famous courses from your local range. Last week, I "played" Pebble Beach during my lunch break at the driving range. Sure, it's not the same as being there, but it's a fun way to make practice more engaging. You can also compete in weekly tournaments against other Garmin users, which adds a competitive element to your practice sessions.
What really impressed me was the AutoCourseView updates. Courses I play regularly get automatic updates whenever Garmin refreshes its database. The muni near my house renovated three greens last year, and the new layouts appeared on my device without me doing anything.
Garmin claims 15 hours of battery life, and in my experience, that's actually conservative. I've gotten through 36 holes in a day with GPS running constantly and still had 20% battery remaining. Even with heavy launch monitor use at the range (which drains battery faster), I'm getting 8-10 hours easily.
The USB charging is straightforward, though I wish they'd moved to USB-C by now. A full charge takes about 3 hours from dead, but I typically just plug it in after each round, and it's always ready to go. The device does get warm during extended launch monitor sessions, but never uncomfortably so.
One minor annoyance: the screen timeout is aggressive to save battery. You can adjust it, but finding the right balance between battery life and not having to constantly wake the screen takes some trial and error.
Yes, you can use the Garmin Approach G80 as a left-handed golfer. You'll need to change the handedness setting through the TruSwing app interface to guarantee accurate swing tracking. While you might experience occasional issues like premature backswing triggers or inconsistent readings, firmware updates through Garmin Express can improve performance. The GPS features, course maps, and practice modes work perfectly regardless of your dominant hand once properly configured.
You'll be glad to know the Garmin Approach G80 is water-resistant with an IPX7 rating, meaning it can handle rain and wet conditions during your rounds. It'll withstand immersion in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes, so don't worry about playing in drizzle or accidental splashes. However, it's not fully waterproof, so you shouldn't intentionally submerge it or expose it to heavy downpours for extended periods.
You'll get up to 15 hours of battery life on a single charge when using GPS mode. This typically covers about three full rounds of golf before you need to recharge. Even with extended practice sessions combined with course play, you'll have plenty of power remaining. The device's battery performance surpasses many competitors that only deliver around two rounds per charge, making it reliable for long golf sessions.
You'll get accurate data only with regular golf balls - the G80's radar technology is fine-tuned for standard ball flight characteristics. While limited flight or foam practice balls might register shots, they'll give you unrealistic metrics with greatly distorted distances, ball speeds, and launch angles. For reliable performance tracking and training feedback, you should stick to real golf balls. The device simply isn't designed to provide precise measurements with reduced flight balls.
No, you can't save multiple user profiles on the Garmin Approach G80 itself. While you can enter scores for multiple players during a round, the device doesn't support separate stored profiles with individual swing data. You'll need to use different Garmin Connect accounts and manually switch syncing between them if sharing the device. For truly separate profiles, it's best if each user has their own device and account.
The Garmin Approach G80 is for the serious recreational golfer who wants both GPS and launch monitor capabilities without carrying two devices. If you're someone who practices regularly and plays at least once a week, this device will pay for itself in improved course management and better understanding of your distances. It's not for the casual golfer who plays five times a year – that's overkill. And it's not for the data junkie who needs every possible metric from their launch monitor.
But if you're like me – someone who plays 50+ rounds a year, hits the range weekly, and wants to actually improve rather than just hope for the best – the G80 is the best all-in-one golf device I've tested. Yes, you could buy a separate GPS and launch monitor for potentially less money, but the integration and convenience of having everything in one device that fits in your pocket is worth the premium. After three months, I can't imagine playing without it.
