Garmin S20 GPS Watch

[halliedog]

Is there any way to force a sync through garmin connect or does it just do it randomly? I couldn't find any way to force a sync

 

EXPRESS and CONNECT are 2 separate programs, and you need to use them both. You need to sync through Garmin EXPRESS, then go into CONNECT afterwards to see scorecards.

[mjc1859]

Is there any way to force a sync through garmin connect or does it just do it randomly? I couldn't find any way to force a sync

 

EXPRESS and CONNECT are 2 separate programs, and you need to use them both. You need to sync through Garmin EXPRESS, then go into CONNECT afterwards to see scorecards.

This is exactly what I have been doing. My activity stats are showing in both express and connect but nothing golf related, and the watch is freezing up frequently.

[rpearlberg]

If I want full GPS but don't really care about the shot tracking which Garmin would be best?

[manuparis]

The S20 is nice because also the battery is great.

[Jn76]

I've had my finger hovering over the order button for a week now, but this thread is certainly keeping me from pulling the trigger. It seems that the product is not even close to delivering what's advertised.

 

Bummer, as I was looking for a way to combine activity tracking and golf with one device and the s20 seemed perfect for that.

[Jmay1268]

Hi all,

I have been looking for a product that can tell me distance to the hole as well as information on how far I am hitting each club. I thought I found the perfect solution with the S20, but after reading this post, seems to be too glitchy. Is there anything else on the market that can provide what I'm looking for without having to pair two different products? (range finder with something like Game Golf)?

Thanks in advance

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I've had my finger hovering over the order button for a week now, but this thread is certainly keeping me from pulling the trigger. It seems that the product is not even close to delivering what's advertised.

 

Bummer, as I was looking for a way to combine activity tracking and golf with one device and the s20 seemed perfect for that.

Hi all,

I have been looking for a product that can tell me distance to the hole as well as information on how far I am hitting each club. I thought I found the perfect solution with the S20, but after reading this post, seems to be too glitchy. Is there anything else on the market that can provide what I'm looking for without having to pair two different products? (range finder with something like Game Golf)?

Thanks in advance

 

Even though Auto Shot is glitchy, you can still Measure your shots with the "Measuring a Shot" feature. To me the BIG advantage of the S20 over its peers is that it gives hazard detail. It also gives true near, center, far green distances, green shape and moveable pin-- all with no annual fee. Other pluses are score keeping and stats tracking. Combine that with an activity tracker, long battery life, stylish and it seems like a good product that is priced well regardless of Auto Shot.

 

I really don't know why I'd need Autoshot and why I'd want to look back shot by shot on a screen? Maybe I'm missing something about the importance of that. It kind of reminds me of other apps I use while skiing, hiking or running-- it's brief novelty to see your tracks superimposed on google earth, but all I really end up caring about is; how far I traveled, my top speed, average speed, calories burned etc.

 

If my Neo-X dies this year I'll probably jump on the S20 regardless of Autoshot working well or not.

[joergensen]

I really don't know why I'd need Autoshot and why I'd want to look back shot by shot on a screen? Maybe I'm missing something about the importance of that.

 

Companies like Game Golf and Arccos are successfully basing their business models on that kind of functionality, so yeah, maybe you are missing something.

[Jn76]

I was mostly hoping for a device that would keep score for me. Distances and such are nice and all, but given my skill level... Not that essential for me.

[joergensen]

I was mostly hoping for a device that would keep score for me. Distances and such are nice and all, but given my skill level... Not that essential for me.

 

Have you looked at Microsoft Band 2?

[Jn76]

Have you looked at Microsoft Band 2?

 

Yes, but the battery life is not very good and after reading reviews like the one below, I didn't feel like I wanted one.

 

"The automatic shot tracking? Forget about it. It's not even close to working. We've tested it loads, using many different band to wrist positions and it just doesn't play ball.

After a round, the Health app will give you a nice scorecard and stats like calories burned and heart rate data. None of the golf data will be correct but that's by the by. If you sync up with TaylorMade's myRoundpro platform, you'll also get detailed maps of your shots, and an analysis on your performance. Which would be awesome, if the aforementioned golf data wasn't absolute nonsense.

All in all, just forget the Golf tile exists and definitely do not by the Band 2 instead of a proper golfing wearable."

 

(source: http://www.wareable.com/microsoft/microsoft-band-2-review-1996)

[joergensen]

Interesting, and quite a contrast to other reviews, such as this: https://www.youtube....h?v=mK0RGJvCMQQ where he concludes that he thinks he will be using it rather than Game Golf, which he normally used before.

If only Garmin and/or Microsoft actually delivered what they promised life would be so much easier. Shot tracking and thus automatic scoring is not that difficult. I mean how many shots do you normally have from one position?

[pitchinwedge]

Is there any way to force a sync through garmin connect or does it just do it randomly? I couldn't find any way to force a sync

 

EXPRESS and CONNECT are 2 separate programs, and you need to use them both. You need to sync through Garmin EXPRESS, then go into CONNECT afterwards to see scorecards.

 

I think when the Connect app on my iPhone "syncs" with the S20, it totally loses the scorecard data. I made sure I didn't open up the app before I synced via Express and finally got a full scorecard to show on Connect. Too bad there were so many shots missing and no way to correct.

 

 

I really don't know why I'd need Autoshot and why I'd want to look back shot by shot on a screen? Maybe I'm missing something about the importance of that.

 

Companies like Game Golf and Arccos are successfully basing their business models on that kind of functionality, so yeah, maybe you are missing something.

 

I was also interested in Game and Arccos but didn't like having to put sensors on the clubs and/or wearing a device. So, the possibility of looking at every shot after a round of golf just by wearing a GPS watch was really really exciting.

[mjc1859]

This is the response I got from garmin:

 

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I would be happy to assist you with your Approach S20.

 

An issue has been discovered where the Scorecard for previous rounds have been deleted after syncing through Garmin Connect Mobile. The workaround is to turn the bluetooh on the watch off, and sync your data on the computer via Garmin Express as this does not happen when loading through Garmin Express. When loading through Garmin Express all rounds will be in the scorecards folder.

 

 

Our Engineers are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience, and sorry for the inconvenience. Please respond with any further questions or concerns. "

[Leftymoose]

I started this thread and read every post regarding feedback on the the S20...decided to stick with a rangefinder

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I really don't know why I'd need Autoshot and why I'd want to look back shot by shot on a screen? Maybe I'm missing something about the importance of that.

 

Companies like Game Golf and Arccos are successfully basing their business models on that kind of functionality, so yeah, maybe you are missing something.

 

I get that and there is obviously great value in knowing club distances, but it doesn't seem like someone would need to know how many yards they hit each club every time it's hit it, which it seems is the basic premise of AutoShot, Arcos etc. I don't need to record every shot to know. There are fairly easy and inexpensive ways to figure that out, like simply using the Mark feature on a GPS. Recording fairways hit, miss right/left, GIR, putts etc on a score card. That's what I'm getting at.

 

But what I don't get is there are all kinds of other external factors that would impact the distance of each club: fairway v rough, length of rough, elevation change, wind speed/direction, firmness/softness of course, cold vs warm day, full vs partial swing etc. So when I get home and review the round and compare that round with a previous round, I have all those previously mentioned factors that would confound data between rounds. Is there a way to capture those other factors? It would seem that in order to be useful the answer would need to be yes, but I don't know.

 

Hell I'm a gadget guy and love excuses to use them, but just can't figure this one out.

[halliedog]

I really don't know why I'd need Autoshot and why I'd want to look back shot by shot on a screen? Maybe I'm missing something about the importance of that.

 

Companies like Game Golf and Arccos are successfully basing their business models on that kind of functionality, so yeah, maybe you are missing something.

 

I get that and there is obviously great value in knowing club distances, but it doesn't seem like someone would need to know how many yards they hit each club every time it's hit it, which it seems is the basic premise of AutoShot, Arcos etc. I don't need to record every shot to know. There are fairly easy and inexpensive ways to figure that out, like simply using the Mark feature on a GPS. Recording fairways hit, miss right/left, GIR, putts etc on a score card. That's what I'm getting at.

 

But what I don't get is there are all kinds of other external factors that would impact the distance of each club: fairway v rough, length of rough, elevation change, wind speed/direction, firmness/softness of course, cold vs warm day, full vs partial swing etc. So when I get home and review the round and compare that round with a previous round, I have all those previously mentioned factors that would confound data between rounds. Is there a way to capture those other factors? It would seem that in order to be useful the answer would need to be yes, but I don't know.

 

Hell I'm a gadget guy and love excuses to use them, but just can't figure this one out.

 

I will agree with Andy.

 

IF, and only IF Garmin gets this Autoshot issue tracked down soon, this may be the best golf/fitness/watch on the market. If not, still does extremely accurate F/M/B yardages, has the best battery life on the market, and gives you notifications of texts/calls. And still has some basic Fitness tracking built in.

[Jn76]

I get that and there is obviously great value in knowing club distances, but it doesn't seem like someone would need to know how many yards they hit each club every time it's hit it, which it seems is the basic premise of AutoShot,

 

No, but I'm after a device automagically keeping score for me so I could ditch the "old stubby pen and cardboard scorecard" method.

[jrc16]

what about using my android phone usb/outlet charger for the s20. I saw a Garmin "expert" say they only recommend their charger. is there any technical validity to this or is it simply a sales thing?

[thechief16]

No, it's a proprietary charger (not lighting or micro USB).

 

I agree on the above-listed improvements over other GPS watches on the market and would add the sleeker/lighter form factor.

[CactusGolf]

Looking into watches again because I feel like I play better just knowing the front/middle/back distances and the hazards (fairway bunkers, waters, etc.).

 

Currently have a Garmin S2.

 

Is the S20 an upgrade to the S2 or not worth the additional cost. Can't seem to find a ton of information out there yet.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

No, it's a proprietary charger (not lighting or micro USB).

 

I agree on the above-listed improvements over other GPS watches on the market and would add the sleeker/lighter form factor.

The charging cord is a proprietary clip so the watch can stay sealed. Bushnell does it the same way. However you should be able to plug that cord into any USB power supply, computer or phone usb charger unless I'm missing something.

[Tink]

I got the same response from Garmin, going to try this this weekend.

 

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I can see that we have had a previous phone conversation regarding the Sync issue. Our Engineers have discovered that when you sync the S20 through your phone after a round of golf, the rounds will be erased. They are currently working on a permanent resolution. Our temporary work-around is to have Bluetooth turned off on your S20 during a round of golf and do not turn it back on until you can sync the data through Garmin Express on your Computer. The following is a direct link to Garmin Express if you don’t have it installed on your Computer – http://software.garmin.com/en-US/express.html "

 

HOWEVER, with the few scorecards that have uploaded I've had no issue with autoshot picking up my shots, however I dont track the clubs I use during the round, I edit after. And I don't think you'll find a wearable with a better battery life w/gps.

[tbell1961]

I got the same response from Garmin, going to try this this weekend.

 

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I can see that we have had a previous phone conversation regarding the Sync issue. Our Engineers have discovered that when you sync the S20 through your phone after a round of golf, the rounds will be erased. They are currently working on a permanent resolution. Our temporary work-around is to have Bluetooth turned off on your S20 during a round of golf and do not turn it back on until you can sync the data through Garmin Express on your Computer. The following is a direct link to Garmin Express if you don’t have it installed on your Computer – http://software.garm...US/express.html "

 

HOWEVER, with the few scorecards that have uploaded I've had no issue with autoshot picking up my shots, however I dont track the clubs I use during the round, I edit after. And I don't think you'll find a wearable with a better battery life w/gps.

 

 

Maybe someone who has the watch can answer this. If you turn the bluetooth off as suggested by Garmin, will that also stop you from getting messages to the watch?

 

Thanks

[halliedog]

I got the same response from Garmin, going to try this this weekend.

 

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I can see that we have had a previous phone conversation regarding the Sync issue. Our Engineers have discovered that when you sync the S20 through your phone after a round of golf, the rounds will be erased. They are currently working on a permanent resolution. Our temporary work-around is to have Bluetooth turned off on your S20 during a round of golf and do not turn it back on until you can sync the data through Garmin Express on your Computer. The following is a direct link to Garmin Express if you don’t have it installed on your Computer – http://software.garm...US/express.html "

 

HOWEVER, with the few scorecards that have uploaded I've had no issue with autoshot picking up my shots, however I dont track the clubs I use during the round, I edit after. And I don't think you'll find a wearable with a better battery life w/gps.

 

 

Maybe someone who has the watch can answer this. If you turn the bluetooth off as suggested by Garmin, will that also stop you from getting messages to the watch?

 

Thanks

 

Yes. the watch communicates with the phone via bluetooth, so that would kill notifications.

[CactusGolf]

Looking into watches again because I feel like I play better just knowing the front/middle/back distances and the hazards (fairway bunkers, waters, etc.).

 

Currently have a Garmin S2.

 

Is the S20 an upgrade to the S2 or not worth the additional cost. Can't seem to find a ton of information out there yet.

Looks like the S20 will give distances to hazards and not just layups like the S2 does. Very tempting to go pick one up at Golfsmith right now.

 

The phone notifications are a non-issue to me. I don't want to be connected.

[gaetano]

I came across this thread searching for information about S20.

There are may negative reviews about S20.

Would it be too early to buy S20 at this time? Or wouldn't it be an option to purchase and wait for the bugs to be fixed?

Had S6 have similar issues at release?

Many thanks in advance for replies!!

[Jmay1268]

I too was very interested in purchasing an S20 before seeing all the negative posts on this thread. Would it make sense to purchase it now and only use it for GPS and wait to use Autoshot until they update the software for bug fixes?

[Mash1109]

Hello all, i am a noobie but have been using the S20 since middle of Feb and this is what i found, in regards to the style it is unobtrusive, light and stylish, F M B, layups and hazards all work without issue and adding the battery life is the best on the market, in regards to the activity, score card, shot tracker it is lumpy and in my experience initially lost courses and score cards but has uploaded to connect on phone and web over the last 5 rounds.

after reading some of the posts on here i have tested the turning off of the club tracker and found the shots still get tracked but with no club as several of you have said missing a few shots per round, when i had it on i found if you didn't check after every hit you got out of sync which could cause aching cahunas.

turning blue-tooth off so it didn't delete games before uploading may have worked as i did this on the last round but as i said earlier the last 5 have recorded

the course graphics on the web are the most basic which could easily be done on aerial view to give a clearer picture and better information but its no biggie to me.

messaging is great for me as i have won stuff on the bay while playing which would have been missed.

score card is good but because of the syncing issues cant be trusted at this time.

i could go on and on, in summary yes Garmin have some work to do but in regards to the F M B, hazards, watch, blue-tooth messaging, steps and potential this is the best Golf GPS watch out there with out a touch screen which have there own issues

The forum is GREAT with a wealth of knowledge thanks for letting me share:)

[pitchinwedge]

after reading some of the posts on here i have tested the turning off of the club tracker and found the shots still get tracked but with no club as several of you have said missing a few shots per round, when i had it on i found if you didn't check after every hit you got out of sync which could cause aching cahunas.

 

for clarification, when you had club tracking OFF it stopped missing shots? afterwards, when you're reviewing your scorecard (on Connect) does it just show all your shots labeled with an "unknown" club? still knows the difference between putts and swings?