It may not be the most physically active sport around, but when it comes to activity tracking, the game of golf has quite a bit of technology on its side. Especially now that Garmin has unveiled its new Approach X40, a golf band that combines daily activity tracking and Garmin ElevateTM wrist heart rate technology with golf data for more than 40,000 international courses.While there certainly exist other golf watches on the market, the X40 promises to be fit for the most exacting of golfers, with data including precise distances to the front, middle, and back of each green, as well as hazards. And because the watch is compatible with all other Garmin technology (like the TruSwingTM club sensor), you’ll know everything you need to know about your game on your wrist.
“We’re thrilled to combine our golf technology and activity tracking into one sleek device,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “The Approach X40 is the perfect all-in-one solution for golfers who want to know distances on the course and track wellness data without the hassle of switching between multiple devices.”
As one of the smallest activity trackers that features GPS functionality, the slim and lightweight device is much more than a golf tool — rather, it’s a full-blown activity tracker. The wearable records daily steps, calories burned, distance, time of day, hours of sleep, and even has move alerts to reminds users to stay active throughout the day. But when you’re on the green, the Approach X40 does even more. With features like Green View, which displays the shape of the green on each hole and allows golfers to manually place the pin for more accurate yardages, Garmin believes it’s created a solution for active golfers everywhere.
When you’re playing a round, the X40 can be used as a digital scorecard, tracking key data like fairways hit, greens in regulation, and putts per round to help improve your game. There’s also the AutoShot feature, which tells wearers about the average distance for each club, longest drive per round, and overall. And to better understand their own game, users can overlay their shots onto a single map to see personal trends and tendencies, becoming their own coach for the next round.
But don’t worry — you won’t get totally lost in your game and forget about everything else. The X40 will also keep wearers connected (for better or for worse), allowing them to view incoming calls, texts, emails, calendar reminders, and more when paired with a compatible smartphone.
Garmin plans to begin shipments in the second quarter of 2016, and will offer the wearable in black, white, and frost blue for the suggested retail price of $249.99.