What They Have in Common
Both are GPS watches with full-color hole maps, hazard distances, automatic shot tracking, strokes gained, and no required subscription. Both cover 36,000+ courses (S50 covers 43,000), both are tournament-legal, and both live in the same general price tier. The differences come down to display tech, what "automatic" actually means, smartwatch features, and a $150 price gap.
Where They Differ
Display and wearability
This is probably the starkest hardware gap. The S50 runs AMOLED — 390x390, touchscreen, full color, vibrant enough that you'll actually glance at your wrist and read it immediately. It weighs 29g with the nylon ComfortFit band, which Garmin claims is the lightest golf watch they make. I'd believe it. 29g is roughly the weight of a USB stick.
The V5 uses MIP (memory-in-pixel) — 240x240, button-only navigation, 64 colors. MIP gets a bad reputation but doesn't deserve it entirely: it excels in direct sunlight where AMOLED can wash out slightly, and the always-on readability means you're not waking the screen mid-round. The tradeoff is it looks noticeably less crisp indoors. At 50g, it's not heavy, but it's 70% heavier than the S50 — something you might notice on a follow-through over 18 holes.
Worth flagging: the V5 notes in Shot Scope's own documentation say the button navigation actually works better in rain than the X5's touchscreen. If you're playing Scotland in November, that's a real consideration.
Shot tracking — same concept, different execution
Both do automatic shot tracking, but they work differently. The S50 uses Garmin's AutoShot radar built into the watch — no tags needed. The V5 uses 16 physical tags that screw into your grip butt. AutoShot is more convenient (nothing extra to install); the tags approach is generally considered more accurate because the system knows exactly which club you hit, not just that you swung.
If you're already a CT10 user or interested in Garmin's club tracking accessories, the S50 is compatible. But those cost extra. The V5 includes all 16 tags at $249.99. For a golfer who wants club-by-club stats out of the box — no accessories, no add-on costs — the V5 has a meaningful head start.
Smartwatch features and ongoing costs
The S50 is a full smartwatch. Heart rate, sleep tracking, music storage (4GB), contactless payments via Garmin Pay, smart notifications. You can wear it all week and it earns its keep off the course.
The V5 has none of that. No heart rate, no notifications, no payments. It's a golf device that happens to strap to your wrist.
The S50's green contours and enhanced maps are membership-locked at $99.99/yr through Garmin Golf. The basic yardages, AutoShot, and PlaysLike distances are all free — so you're not forced into a subscription. But if you want green contours, that's $300 over three years. The V5 has no membership tier at all. What you buy is what you get, permanently.
PlaysLike distance (plays-like yardage adjusting for elevation) is built into the S50 at no cost — good feature for hilly courses. The V5 doesn't have it.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the Garmin Approach S50 if:
- You want one watch for golf and daily life — the health tracking, music, and payments make it genuinely useful all week
- AMOLED and touchscreen matter to you; you find yourself checking a display frequently and want it to be fast
- You're already in the Garmin ecosystem or interested in CT10 club tags
- The $150 price gap is less of a factor than the overall product experience
Get the Shot Scope V5 if:
- You want shot tracking with club-level accuracy and you're not interested in paying extra for accessories or annual memberships
- You're skeptical that green contours, heart rate, or music storage will change how you play golf — and you're probably right
- You play in wet conditions often and button navigation sounds more reliable to you than a touchscreen in the rain
- The $249.99 price point matters; saving $150 upfront plus $0/yr in subscriptions adds up
The Bottom Line
Three-year cost of ownership: S50 runs $399.99 upfront, and $299 total if you want Garmin Golf membership for green contours — call it ~$700 all-in over three years at the full tier. The V5 is $249.99, full stop. That's a meaningful difference.
The S50 is the better product in most objective measures — brighter display, lighter weight, more features, more courses. But it's also the product that costs more and offers more things you might not use. The V5 is deliberately narrow: it tracks your shots with included tags, gives you tour-level stats for free, and doesn't try to be your fitness tracker. If shot analytics are why you're buying a GPS watch in the first place, the V5's approach is honest in a way I appreciate.
Get the Shot Scope V5.
See Also