The 120th US Open Championship hits New York’s Winged Foot Golf Club this week (Sept. 17) and for many golf fans that could be the inspiration they need to dust off their clubs and hit the course themselves. Fortunately, whether you're a novice, a little rusty or a veteran who simply wants to improve their handicap, things might have gotten a little easier on the green thanks to the new Marq Golfer watch from Garmin, which is basically a caddy on your wrist.
Following on from the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, which included a battery that lasted weeks, Garmin have been impressing us lately and this latest offering is no different. TAG Heuer have been dominating the golf smartwatch market for a while now, with the benchmark-setting Connected Golf Watch, but in Garmin’s Marq Golfer they now have a challenger to the throne.
First off, before we get to the fancy hi-tech stuff, as a part of Garmin’s Marq Collection, the watch was built to look the part, and while it’s primary function might be designated to help you avoid the bunker and bag a few more birdies, it’s a stylish timepiece regardless of where you want to wear it, whether that’s on the ninth hole or the nineteenth.
Now for the good stuff. You’ll have the ability to input the clubs you used for every shot and the watch will work out how far you hit the ball and how it was impacted by the weather and the lie. Incorporating a PlaysLike Distance feature, the watch will give you advice on how to reach the green, taking into account shot power and changes in elevation. There’s also a Garmin app, which allows you to assess your performance when you’re back in the clubhouse,
The best feature in this golfing Swiss army knife has to be the Virtual Caddie which, get this, after you’ve played five rounds on a specific course, will actually begin to give you advice on which clubs to pick, how fast you should hit it, and will even tell you when you set your longest drives. On top of all that, you’ll have packed onto your wrist 41,000 golf courses pre-loaded in full colour
Available for £1,699.99, you can find the Garmin Marq Golfer and the rest of the Marq collection at garmin.com/marq.
