Garmin wants to improve your golf game with virtual tournaments, allowing you to play against people nowhere near a course. The company is launching an Approach G80 Golf GPS that includes new game modes, including a Virtual Tournament option that pits you against players at the driving range and at home using famous courses.
While the virtual tournaments won’t have a fantastic display like, for example, a video game on its 3.5-inch touchscreen, it could however feel more like the real thing. If you’re looking for simpler contests, a one- or two-player Target Practice mode can help you improve your accuracy.
The Approach G80 is useful when you’re on the real green, of course. It adds launch monitoring capabilities that can track the speeds of your club head and the ball, the estimated distance, swing tempo and even the “smash factor.” You can touch specific points on the screen to get accurate yardage and help you make better club choices.
Green View lets you adjust the day’s pin location or move the flag to where you see it, and a PlaysLike Distance feature automatically tweaks yardages to targets based on your elevation. You’ll even have a compass of sorts, called the PinPointer feature, to find the green when shooting blind, and a divot on the back can even rest the GPS unit on a golf ball.
The Garmin Approach G80 is not cheap. Expect to pay $500 for this premium device, but it’s targeted to the serious enthusiasts who are determined to refine their skills, even when they can’t tee off on a real course.