bsmith2322

Yep, I'm definitely interested in how the connection to the watch can help while playing.

I'm thinking of adding the new Garmin Z30 rangefinder to the bag. It seems like it would be a great addition with how it syncs with the Garmin watches. Maybe @GolfSpy_APH will throw some our way to test out...

I'm thinking of adding the new Garmin Z30 rangefinder to the bag. It seems like it would be a great addition with how it syncs with the Garmin watches. Maybe @GolfSpy_APH will throw some our way to test out...

Battle of the Sensors: Garmin CT10 vs. Arccos with Link Tracker
As a golf enthusiast constantly striving to improve my game, I've had the opportunity to play with the Arccos sensors with the Link Tracker before starting to test the Garmin CT10 sensors. Here’s my firsthand experience with these two leading shot-tracking systems.
Ease of Use and Setup
Let's start with the setup. The difference here is minimal. The Garmin CT10 sensors are slightly bulkier and more noticeable, but they’re still lightweight enough to forget about during a round. However, I’ve had some trouble with the sensors staying in place on a couple of my irons. I already lost one CT10 sensors on my 7i... On the other hand, the Arccos sensors fit more snugly and haven’t given me any such issues. Some of us already noticed that but the absence of dedicated putter’s sensor is a big issue for Garmin… 
Note, Arccos requires an annual subscription for its use which increases the total price of the system a little. It can appears as an inconvenience for some of you.
Result: +1 Arccos

Accuracy of Shot Tracking
Both systems offer comparable accuracy when it comes to the sensors themselves. The real difference lies in how they record shots. Garmin relies on the movement to register a shot, which can be less precise and sometimes requires manual adjustments during a game. Arccos, with its Link Tracker, uses sound to detect shots. This makes Arccos much more precise and enjoyable to use, especially in the heat of the game. While the Garmin CT10 combined with the S70 watch demands a bit more effort to manage on the course, the Arccos system feels more seamless.
Result: +1 Arccos
Actionable Insights
When it comes to actionable insights, both systems are on par. The distinction comes in how you access this information: through the watch for Garmin or the phone for Arccos. Your preference will depend on whether you like to play with your phone or not. In addition, Arccos released some months ago an Apple Watch app for their system making them is real competition with the Garmin S70.
Result: Even
Impact on Game Strategy and Course Management
Both systems significantly enhance your understanding of the course layout, including bunkers, water hazards, and other obstacles. But if we focus on the sensors themselves, they helped me to know accurately my distances with each club. It results in better club choices, allowing me to swing with more confidence. 
Result: Even
Connectivity
I’ve experienced no connectivity issues with either system. Both are intuitive and maintain a reliable connection throughout the round. 
Result: Even
Battery Life and Durability
Garmin shines in this department. My Garmin watch lasts almost a week, even with multiple rounds of golf. While the Arccos Link Pro boasts an advertised battery life of 8 rounds, the increased usage of my phone does affect the overall experience. Garmin’s system seems more robust and less demanding on auxiliary devices.
Result:: +1 Garmin
Improvements in My Game
Two stats stand out since I started using these systems: the number of fairways hit and my percentage of greens in regulation. Both systems have provided me with the data needed to make informed decisions and adjust my strategy accordingly.
Result: Even

Sensors recommendation
Based on my experience and the price points, I find Arccos to be the more compelling choice despite the price and the subscription. Even if you prefer not to use your phone on the course, Arccos offers an app for the Apple Watch. This flexibility, combined with the precision of the Link Tracker, makes it a standout option for golfers looking to elevate their game. However, if you are not an Apple fan, Garmin is a top solution to improve your game for decades now.
In the end, both systems have their merits, sensors are pretty similar, and the best choice will depend on your personal preferences and play style. Whether you go with Garmin or Arccos, both will undoubtedly provide valuable insights to help you improve your performance on the course.

If it does it wouldn't be till 2025. This season is booked 🙂

The battery has a lot to do with diet as well. If I eat fried food for dinner, or eat too late, sleep score may not be affected too much but battery will be lower than usual. 
 
The biggest difference I see is in Recovery after workouts. Sometimes my strenuous workouts where I feel I really pushed myself have a quick recovery time (10-15 hours). Sometimes when I have a lighter intensity workout, maybe some strength training, the recovery time will be 5-10 hours. Other times it will tell me my recovery is 30+ hours but I don’t feel that fatigued after the workout. I feel like I know my body better than the watch but there could be more factors (diet/sleep/stress) that I’m not factoring in to the recovery. 
 
The numbers are pretty similar to that of my old Whoop band so not too much to complain about in the general scheme but there are some questionable readings that I have noticed. 

Yes, I've had incorrect sleep data when my sleep is interrupted during the night. It seems like it saves one part of the info- the part before or the part after the time that I was awake during the night. You can edit this info in the Connect app by adjusting the sleep and wake times. After editing, it will show a large block of time as awake, which seems to be fairly accurate. I'm not sure if this will change the sleep score, though.

Feedback on Using the Garmin S70: The Good and the Bad
These last two weeks have been busy, despite my silence on the forum. Aside from dealing with some personal issues, I’ve been hosting a friend from France for a 10-day golf trip. We’ve already played 10 rounds on 9 different courses here in Quebec.
Here is a picture during our round at CGIM - Irish Course (Montreal, QC, Canada)

As you can imagine, the Garmin S70 watch has been under constant testing and has proven to be very useful. Here is a list of the good and bad points so far.
Good Points:
Accurate Yardage
The yardage provided by the Garmin S70 is very precise. I never have doubts about the distances given, and the performance of my clubs aligns well with the distances indicated. I compared it with Arccos, GolfShot, and a friend’s rangefinder. The distances vary by +/- 2 yards, which is very acceptable for a player of my level. Plays Like" Functionality
The "plays like" feature is highly appreciated. I wasn’t used to having this information, so my choices are now more informed than before. This functionality takes into account elevation changes and weather conditions, providing more accurate shot recommendations. Score Ring
The "score ring" feature is super easy for tracking the performance of previous holes at a glance. Of course, you need to be familiar with the associated colors, but once you are, it’s a great tool. Virtual Caddie
The virtual caddie functionality is very practical, with distance visualizations directly on the course layout based on the chosen club. This helps in making strategic decisions during the game.
Health Data
The health data tracking is really useful. As mentioned by @GolfSpy_APH, it becomes an integral part of my daily life monitoring my sleep, stress, steps, recovery, HRV, calories, and Body Battery. The end-of-day notifications encourage me to adopt good habits. Performance of the OS
The watch’s operating system is efficient. The GPS is quick, the notification system is pleasant, and the alarm, reminders, night/dark mode, and other functionalities are well thought out and easy to use. Comfortable Wear
The watch is super comfortable to wear regardless of the outfit, activity, or context. It feels invisible on the wrist and integrates seamlessly into my daily life. Multi-Sport Use
The watch is useful for a variety of sports. I’ve used it for weightlifting, cycling, running, and even on the elliptical. The data collected is accurate and complements the use of the watch. Bad Points:
Disappointing Sensors
The CT10 sensors are a real disappointment. They aren’t comfortable and often register swings without reason, as @cburins mentioned. The putter sensor is unattractive and even annoying when gripping. Additionally, the sensors can fall off without any shock. I officially lost the sensor on my 7-iron yesterday (👋 @revkev). I’ll reassign the putter sensor to the 7-iron for the remainder of the test period. I won’t keep these sensors on my clubs and will reinstall the Arccos sensors afterward. Overly Cautious Virtual Caddie
The virtual caddie is, in my opinion, too cautious. It suggests lay-ups on 80% of the shots. Just yesterday, on a risk-free par-5 (no water hazards, bunkers, etc.) with a wide fairway, it suggested teeing off with my 7-iron instead of the driver. I didn’t follow the advice; otherwise, I would never have been able to attack the green in two shots. On another par-5, it suggested a lay-up 130 yards before the river on shot 3, whereas I could easily carry the river at 155 yards try tohit the green in regulation. Pretty weird advice... Poor Tree Management
The watch doesn’t properly account for trees on the course. For example, it might suggest playing towards the flag even though there’s no angle of attack due to trees, or it might recommend a lay-up when I could attack over the trees on a dogleg. Non-Intuitive Mobile App
The mobile app is neither intuitive nor ergonomic. Although the displayed data is interesting and useful, the app’s design is quite awful, and its usability is very limited. Body Battery Glitch
The Body Battery score doesn’t drop below 5/100. After several tests, the score remains at 5 even after a round of golf. This is strange and likely a glitch. Outdated Watch OS
The watch’s operating system feels a bit outdated. Although it’s very functional, the UI/UX of the watch’s built-in app lags behind what Apple offers with the Apple Watch, for example. Conclusion:
These points still need confirmation, but I can already say that I am very satisfied and pleasantly surprised by the Garmin S70. It far exceeds my expectations. However, the CT10 sensors are significantly behind the competition and are a real disappointment.
On a personal note I hit my BEST SCORE (84) during a golf round at La Tempête. One of the best (or the best) golf course in Quebec, Canada. Based on the Garmin S70, I'm now a 14.7 HCP!



Stay tuned for further updates!

I'd like to mention one thing about charging the watch. It's best if you don't charge the watch until it really needs to be charged. Keeping a battery at 100 too often will decrease it's life/capacity. It's best to let the battery completely cycle- get close to 0 before charging it again. (I personally wait until the battery is showing 2 days or even 1 day of life left.) A friend had a Garmin Venu and the battery died after only having it for about a year. I was asking about his charging habits. He said he put it on the charger every night before he went to sleep and left it there all night. I asked why and he said "because that's what I had to do with my apple watch." So, yeah, don't be that guy. 🙂 

I’ve had mine for 11 months and the battery is as strong as it was when I first got it. 

Kearney Hills in Lexington. Great public track. Say hi to Whitney, the pro, if you go there. She’s fantastic!

Thanks gents!  Got a 1300 tee time at Kearney!

I’ve had mine for 11 months and the battery is as strong as it was when I first got it. 

I second this course. Played it a few years back and it was very good. 

Kearney Hills in Lexington. Great public track. Say hi to Whitney, the pro, if you go there. She’s fantastic!

Kearney Hills Golf Links in Lexington and just off of 75 was a great links style course a few years back when I lived there. A Champions PGA event, the Bank One Classic was played there for a few years from 1990 -1997 before moving elsewhere. 
It is my understanding that it is still a great course. Not sure of cost or availability of tee times but it is worth checking out.

I do not use the sensors but edit all my rounds on my phone afterwards with clubs. Its very simple and easy to do while going through my round. 

The biggest downside to the tempo training is that the data doesn't get stored. After your session, it just goes away so you cannot go back to see how you've been doing.

Wow - I’m going to try that tempo training on Monday - played today and playing Sunday - start a vacation on Monday 🙂
Heres the good and not so good of today in regards to the watch:
Good

I find getting yardages to lay up and landing areas as well as hazards and carry distances over them incredibly accurate and easy to access - in this case I ultimately decided to hit 5 wood T that trap rather them attempting to squeeze a driver past it - I couldn’t carry it - that carry was 250 into a breeze at sea level. Not happening for me. In fact while I hit 3 drives over 235 today none were into that breeze 🙂
Here’s one though :
I love that the watch tells you the distance the shot went. 235 may not impress anyone - this was cross breeze right down the gut of a tight fairway on a par 5 - not bad for a 67 year old again at sea level. When I moved here from Wisconsin 19 years ago my 255 yard average drives instantly shrunk to 245 in the Florida rainy season which we are currently in. 
 
We played 9, the watch was spot on accurate all day - my partner has a different brand watch - our yardages differed all day - the Garmin was right on my Bushnell range finder - far more accurate than the fairway markers at my club on doglegs - for example I hit mY drive on 1 to the left of the 150 marker in the fairway - if you went by the marker you had 151 middle, 165 back - however it’s a sharp dogleg right - pin was back - my garmin watch had the middle at 161, 178 back - pin was back and I shot it at 175 - I should have brought my 9 wood. 😢 Did get my 6 hybrid just right of the green about 10 yards short of the pin 
 
The bad:
I’m completely done with these sensors 
“Here’s that thing from your club again”has become a part of my groups vocabulary. It’s annoying, they look terrible to my eye and rattle around when you set clubs down or sometimes even when we take them out of bag. 
 
Back to the good - 
On a side note I had my annual physical today. Results were great, I’ve lost 8 lbs of my 15 lbs goal for this year - blood pressure was 120/74, bloodwork like a 40 year old, just a really good appointment. My doc loved the watch - we looked at my sleep issues and he had some suggestions based on the watch data - that’s huge.
 
 

I would second this opinion. I have had the S70 for almost a year and I can't see myself using anything else. I used to wear an Apple Watch for the smartwatch features and a Whoop band for the workout/recovery aspect. The S70 provides both and the battery life is so good. The Apple Watch I would have to charge every night and would sometimes not make it through 36 holes. The S70 I only have to charge every 5-6 days, even using the golf GPS and workout features. The Apple Watch has more daily functionality in regards to apps and being able to respond to texts and calls, but for what I need, the S70 is much better. 

Hello, all. Long time follower, first time poster here. Excited to engage with the community. 
1. I've been playing golf since I was 12 but never took it seriously until about 10 years ago. I played college football and then coached at the high school level for 6-7 years out of college so never had time for golf. I'm a 5 handicap and consistently shoot between 74-84. 
2. I love the challenge every time I step out on the course. I enjoy the mental challenge of having to overcome bad breaks or tough situations. 
3. The content. You can't find honest reviews of nearly every product anywhere else online. 
4. Louisville, Ky Persimmon Ridge Golf Club
5. We can play golf for almost 10-11 months out the year. It's fun being able to play in all 4 seasons and different kinds of weather. Weather can be categorized as the best/worst thing about Kentucky.
6. Final Mile Logistics
7. Nickname I've always used. 
My Bag:
Driver- TSR4 Tensei 1K Black 65 TX
3W- Callaway Mavrik 15 degree
2iron- Taylormade UDI
4-PW- Apex Pro 19 KBS Tour V
Wedges- 50, 54, 58 Vokey SM7
Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour X

Testers,
I've had my watch for almost a year now and have never tried the Tempo Training provided. I would be interested in some feedback. If I have a chance to do my own, I will also provide. Tempo Training is listed under the workout glances. 

I do not use the sensors but edit all my rounds on my phone afterwards with clubs. Its very simple and easy to do while going through my round. 

I would second this opinion. I have had the S70 for almost a year and I can't see myself using anything else. I used to wear an Apple Watch for the smartwatch features and a Whoop band for the workout/recovery aspect. The S70 provides both and the battery life is so good. The Apple Watch I would have to charge every night and would sometimes not make it through 36 holes. The S70 I only have to charge every 5-6 days, even using the golf GPS and workout features. The Apple Watch has more daily functionality in regards to apps and being able to respond to texts and calls, but for what I need, the S70 is much better. 

Very nice! Every time I've thought about using the feature I've been away from the course and then forgot it about when I get there lol. 
Seems like a very good feature for us ams that struggle to put two of the same swings together.