Garmin announced the first touchscreen handheld designed exclusively for the golf course, the Approach G5.
“The Approach G5 shows golfers the precise distance to the center of green or other key course features, which can eliminate the guesswork and make club selection easier – key factors in improving any golfer’s score,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “There’s no other existing golf device that combines the ease of use, large color touchscreen and preloaded information featured in the Approach, all with no annual fees. Within minutes of opening the box, you can be ready to tee off.”
The waterproof Approach will feature a touchscreen 3" color display, which offers two simple options once powered on: Play and Preview. While playing, golfers will see detailed course maps with precise distance information from their current location to fairways, hazards and greens. As you move about the course, the Approach continuously updates your position and distances to each target. During the course of play, the touchscreen interface helps you decide the best tactic in many situations. Worried about that fairway bunker? A single tap on the map will show you how much club you need to carry it – or how little if you decide to play it safe. Perfected your 90-yard wedge shot? By dragging your finger on the map, you can find the precise distance needed to lay up for your perfect shot into the green. Is the pin placed in the back today? By simply touching the corner of the screen, you can focus on the green and reposition the flag to correspond with that day’s placement of the pin. Whether you’re tracking your improvement or simply want bragging rights, the Approach makes it easy to measure the distance of your last shot. Also, you can easily keep the scores for your entire foursome using the intuitive touchscreen digital scorecard.

Even when you can’t make it to the course, you can use the Approach G5 to preview any of the thousands of preloaded courses in the United States. Having preloaded courses, complete with detailed vector mapping unlike anything used before on a golf course, saves time while eliminating setup complications and computer frustrations.

Weighing only 6.8 ounces and powered by two AA batteries, the Approach G5 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and conforms with the rules of the R&A and USGA.
No pricing and shipping information is available yet for the Approach G5.
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