Get the Garmin Approach S50.
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| Garmin Approach S50 | Shot Scope H50 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $399.99 | $199.99Winner |
Get the Garmin Approach S50.
These two don't compete the way you'd expect. The S50 is a $400 golf watch that sits on your wrist all day. The H50 is a $200 handheld with a 4.3-inch screen that mounts to your cart. If you walk and want health tracking, the S50 wins. If you ride and want a big-screen GPS with free green contours and don't want to pay Garmin's annual membership, the H50 makes a strong case — especially at half the price. The S50 is better overall, but the H50 punches well above its price tag.
Both pack AMOLED touchscreens, full-color hole maps, hazard views, PlaysLike distances, AutoShot-style GPS data, strokes gained, free course updates from roughly 42,000-43,000 preloaded courses, USB-C charging, 15 hours of GPS battery life, and tournament-legal modes. Solid GPS foundation on both ends.
The S50 weighs 29 grams with its nylon ComfortFit band — Garmin's lightest golf watch. You forget it's there. The H50 weighs 270 grams and lives on your cart magnet. These are fundamentally different experiences: one you wear all day, one you glance at while riding. If you walk 18 holes and don't want to carry anything extra, the S50 is the only option between these two. If you ride, the H50's 4.3-inch screen versus the S50's 1.2-inch screen is a meaningful difference when you're reading hole maps mid-round.
This is the sharpest differentiator. The H50 includes green contour maps — elevation changes, slope, the full picture — at no additional cost. The S50 does not. To unlock green contours on the S50, you need Garmin Golf membership at $99.99 per year. If you plan to use green contours regularly and keep the device for three years, that's ~$300 in membership fees on top of the $400 watch price. The H50 is $200, no subscription, green contours included. That's a $500 gap in three-year cost of ownership for golfers who care about that feature.
To be fair: PlaysLike distances on the S50 are built-in without membership. It adjusts for elevation but lacks a barometer, so it's less precise than the S70. The H50 uses digital elevation maps for PlaysLike. Both give you the functionality; neither requires a subscription for it.
The S50 uses AutoShot to detect shots automatically. It's not perfect — it needs clear sky behind the ball and won't mark a shot if you're under a cart canopy — but it runs in the background without any input from you. The H50 tracks shots manually: you tap to mark each one. That's a different workflow. Neither is objectively better, but automatic is more convenient for golfers who want stats without the friction of remembering to track. Manual gives you more control over what gets marked.
Both support strokes gained analysis through their respective apps. Shot Scope's app reportedly goes deep on stats — 100+ metrics — which seems like from what I've seen, the app-side data is a legitimate strength.
The S50 is a full smartwatch. Heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, fitness profiles, smart notifications, contactless payments via Garmin Pay, 4GB music storage. It replaces your everyday watch. The H50 has none of that — it's GPS and nothing else. If you want one device that handles your round and your daily life, the S50 is the obvious choice. If you already wear a watch and just want a dedicated on-course device, the H50 doesn't saddle you with features you won't use.
Buy the Garmin Approach S50 if:
Buy the Shot Scope H50 if:
The S50 is the better device if you're looking at it as a complete package — smartwatch features, AutoShot, lighter form factor, more refined ecosystem. But "better device" isn't always "better value," and if I had to bet, a lot of riders who care about green contours are going to have a hard time justifying the S50's three-year cost compared to the H50's flat $200. The S50 wins on form and features. The H50 wins on price, screen size, and not having a subscription standing between you and green contours.
Pick based on how you play and what you value. Rider who wants a clean GPS? H50. Walker who wants everything on their wrist? S50.
Get the Garmin Approach S50.