Garmin Approach G8 Handheld GPS

All in all I think Garmin has got it cracked with the Approach G8. It does everything you want from a GPS, plus the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity make updating the device and uploading scores simple, quick and easy. The speed it starts up and finds your golf course is fantastic and everything else it does quickly with clarity in one of the best looking handheld GPS device around. So go locate yours now.

We are fans of the Garmin Approach G8’s form factor, lack of additional fees, and ability to easily determine distances, though have some concern around ease of use and the relatively small number of pre-mapped hazards displayed. The device and Garmin Connect online portal could both use some polish, but all in all, it is a good device. The additional cost for features such as PlaysLike or Wi-Fi aren’t really worth the price to us, but the value of these will undoubtedly depend on the player.

Overall, I found it to be one of the more accurate GPS units on the market and it was actually fairly close to my laser rangefinder and other markers on the course. I’ve tested a few other devices that were quite a bit off, so it was awesome to see the G8 be almost bang on. There were occasions when it was a bit off but it’s been quite solid the majority of the time. It was really easy to use as well which was a big plus and the online scoring analysis on the app was great as well. Overall, the performance was better than I expected.