New free software helps golfers track more stats on Approach G5

In keeping with the intuitive interface of Garmin’s golf products, the new stat-tracking software is simple to use. After every tee shot, Approach simply asks if you hit the fairway, keeping you honest while helping you improve your iron play along the way. And whether you’re tracking your improvement or just want bragging rights, you also have the option of measuring how far you hit every shot. When you tell Approach which club you used, it will automatically calculate your average distance for that specific club. You can then quickly view the updated averages for each club that you’ve tracked, with the option to reset the averages for individual clubs at any time. Finally, once you enter your score for a hole, the new stat-tracking software gives you the option to tally your putts per round and the number of greens you hit in regulation. This advanced scoring simply requires answering two additional questions each hole and can easily be done for one or multiple players in the foursome. All of this information is stored in each round’s scorecard, which you can view on the Approach or on your computer back home via USB.

Preloaded with a database of more than 12,000 course maps (and growing), and powered by two AA batteries, the waterproof Approach G5 is ready for a round just minutes after being taken out of the box. There are no subscriptions or annual fees that are common in golf technology.

   Once powered on, two simple options appear on the glove-friendly 3” color display: 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 G5 uses its high-sensitivity GPS receiver to continuously update your position and distances to each target. By dragging your finger on the map, you can find the precise distance needed to set up your perfect shot into the green. And by simply touching the corner of the screen, you can zoom in on the green and reposition the flag to correspond with that day’s placement of the pin.

Even when you can’t make it to the course – or want to follow along during televised coverage – you can use Approach to preview any of the more than 12,000 preloaded courses in the United States and Canada, complete with detailed vector mapping unlike anything used before on a golf course. Golfers can go to www.garmin.com/golfcourses to check if their course is among those available for the Approach G5 or Approach G3. As Garmin builds its database of American and Canadian courses – and expands into Europe in early 2010 – additional courses will be available at www.garmin.com. Approach G5 and Approach G3 conform with the rules of the R&A and USGA.
To watch step-by-step tutorial videos for Approach and other products, visit the online learning center at www.garmin.com/learningcenter.

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