Garmin S3 Review

[Wolfman]

Tried out the Garmin S3 watch today on 9 practice holes

Very impressed and an improvement over the S1

Touch screen / with gloves on too and side buttons

Display is sharper the Par is shown in numbers instead of dots on the S1
The main display is the same as the S1 but it also shows layup yardages and green view and score card

The big bonus is you can add hazards and save them to your course

If you come up against a bunker, tree or water you can save that hazard ( gives you choice of hazard words, water, tree, bunker etc )

The watch has a backlight as well, better charging clip compared to the S1

Yardages as you would expect are spot on

Superb bit of kit and as they have dropped in price a bit even better

Changed from the G3 as i found the detail misleading in G3 whereas the S3 is easier to understand

 

[Midnight]

Tried out the Garmin S3 watch today on 9 practice holes

Changed from the G3 as i found the detail misleading in G3 whereas the S3 is easier to understand

Hi mate, in what way was the G3 misleading ? Only asking as my friend is thinking of getting one ?

Cheers

Midnight...

 

[Wolfman]

Hi mate, in what way was the G3 misleading ? Only asking as my friend is thinking of getting one ?

Cheers

Midnight...

For me the G3 and its small screen has alot of detail but trying to work it out as you stand on the fairway is harder for me

The images on the G3 and distances are very small so i found myself wasting time trying to make sense of it and in the end i used it for distance to pin only.

The new G6 is equally small, so i would say think hard before buying

The simple idea of the information on your wrist is a good one and the S3 keeps the information simple and easy to read

The add a location ( hazard, water, tree, bunkers ) is excellent and so easy to see with a quick glance at the watch

In bright daylight the S3 is easier to read than the G3. alot easier as the screen resolution is excellent


If you would prefer quick easy to understand info with the bonus of additional features get the S3, or S1 if you want really basic

If you have good eyesight and can make out the features shown on the tiny screen then the G3 is good but for i found the detail on the G3 confusing which is the last thing you want from a GPS

 

[G1BB0]

I have found the info on the g3 really good. Horses for courses I guess. Mark Crossfield done a mini review on course of the s3 and liked it a lot.

The winner is... us golfers as theres plenty of choice to suit all tastes and wallets :thup:

 

[Curls]

Hi Wolfman, Thanks for the review, I've been swinging towards the S3 of late, mind answering a couple of quick questions please? I assume if you plot a hazard thats the third bit of info under the 100 yard and 150 yard lay ups, so my questions are these: Can you change the 100 and 150 yard layups to be any distance you want (75 and 125 for instance)? Also if my first assumption is true then can you only plot one "extra hazard" per hole? What happens if you plot a tree and then walk 100 yards down the fairway and plot a bunker, have you over-written the first one? Thanks Wolfman!

 

[Wolfman]

Hi i believe you can add up to 5 locations per hole and save them using the list of hazards.


You cannot delete the layup distances set for the course, but as above you can add more hazard locations

I didnt know this feature until i tried it on the course yesterday and it allows you to add anything you personally feel as an important distance to know per hole.

This may mean a new layup distance, distance to a nasty hazard or something else.

I also agree with Gibbo the G3 is great but when playing i found it took me longer to figure out locations / hazards as the tiny map has far more info.

The S3 just tells you yardages and with a quick glance at the wrist you are ready to play the shot.

 

[Curls]

Hi i believe you can add up to 5 locations per hole and save them using the list of hazards.


.

Wow, that is impressive I like the sound of that, also watched the Crossfield video thanks G1bbo, looks like a great piece of kit and at my level I dont think I need to know to the yard where the pin is, front - middle - back is more than enough! Thanks chaps

 

[CMAC]

sounds good to me, as a glasses wearer how big can the info be to make it easier to read.

Still quite expensive though at £218 I believe....or is it cheaper somewhere

 

[Curls]

sounds good to me, as a glasses wearer how big can the info be to make it easier to read.

Still quite expensive though at £218 I believe....or is it cheaper somewhere

Thats the cheapest Ive seen it, my only fear would be theyll bring out the S5 the day after I buy this one, but thats the risk you take buying any of this stuff... Not playing much golf at the mo so might wait til January and see if a bit more comes off it.