What They Have in Common
Both are AMOLED touchscreen GPS watches with full-color hole maps, hazard views, heart rate monitors, digital scoring, and tournament modes. Both sit at the same tier in the market — mid-to-upper range, aimed at golfers who want a real golf watch, not just a basic yardage device. Neither offers green contours without an additional cost or upgrade, and neither has Virtual Caddie or wind data.
Where They Differ
The Screen — Size vs Everything Else
The LX5C has the bigger display: 1.39 inches, and SkyCaddie claims it's the largest color touchscreen in a golf wearable. That's not nothing. A bigger screen means you can actually zoom and pan around HoleVue HD imagery mid-round without squinting, and the green view is laid out from your angle of approach — so you're not mentally rotating a generic oval before you pull a club. If you've used a GPS device where the green looked like a green blob regardless of where you were standing, you'll appreciate that.
The S50 runs a 1.2-inch screen at 390×390 resolution. Smaller, but still sharp. More importantly, it's 11.4mm thin and 29 grams with the nylon band — so light it disappears on your wrist during the round. No idea how much the LX5C weighs (SkyCaddie doesn't publish that), but described as "lightweight" without numbers isn't the same as 29 grams confirmed.
Course Data — Volume vs Quality
Garmin loads 43,000 courses, SkyCaddie loads 35,000. If you travel internationally, Garmin's coverage is probably broader. But SkyCaddie's selling point isn't the number — it's that their maps are ground-verified by people who actually walked the courses. Generic course databases often get green shapes, bunker positions, and hazard lines wrong by 5-10 yards. SkyCaddie's accuracy reputation is the reason their platform has survived in a crowded market. If you play courses where precision matters (and you play courses you don't know well), that verification matters more than the raw count.
The catch: SkyCaddie's maps require a live membership to update. After the included 3-year Eagle plan runs out, you're paying to keep your maps current. Garmin's basic distances — front, center, back — are free forever; you only need Garmin Golf ($99/yr) for green contours and enhanced features.
Shot Tracking and Golf Intelligence
This is where the gap widens. The S50 has AutoShot built-in — it automatically detects and logs your shots, marks distances, and feeds into strokes gained stats. No tags, no extra hardware, no subscription. PlaysLike distance (adjusting for elevation) is also built-in on the S50, though Garmin notes it uses GPS elevation rather than a barometer, so it's approximate rather than precise.
The LX5C has no automatic shot tracking. You get a digital scorecard and stats via SkyGolf 360 Cloud, but you're entering data manually. If you're someone who wants your round analyzed afterward — where you lost strokes, how far your actual shots went, what your driving accuracy looks like — the S50 gives you that without any additional work or hardware. The LX5C doesn't.
Smartwatch Features and Ongoing Costs
The S50 is also a real smartwatch: 4GB music storage, Garmin Pay contactless payments, sleep tracking, fitness profiles, smart notifications. The LX5C has a heart rate monitor and a step counter. That's the full list of non-golf features. There's no music, no payments, no sleep data, no third-party fitness integration. If you're wearing this 24 hours a day, the S50 fits into your life beyond golf in a way the LX5C doesn't.
On costs: The LX5C at $299.95 includes a 3-year Eagle membership, which is genuinely good value if you were going to subscribe anyway. But we don't know SkyCaddie's renewal pricing (their site lists it separately and it wasn't confirmed in the product data — worth checking at skygolf.com/memberships before you buy). The S50 at $399.99 has no required subscription. Green contours via Garmin Golf are optional at $99/yr, but skipping them doesn't break the watch's core functionality.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the Garmin Approach S50 if:
- You want automatic shot tracking and strokes gained without tagging clubs or subscribing to anything
- You're wearing one watch for golf and daily life — commute, gym, sleep
- You need music on the course without bringing your phone
- You travel internationally and want the broadest possible course library
- You'd rather pay more once upfront than manage a recurring membership after the first three years
Buy the SkyCaddie LX5C if:
- You specifically play unfamiliar courses where course map accuracy — verified by someone who walked the layout — is worth more than raw feature count
- You want the largest possible screen on a golf watch and find 1.2-inch displays frustrating to read
- You're fine with manual scoring and don't care about automatic shot tracking
- The 3-year Eagle membership makes the math work for you ($299 watch + 3 years of maps is a real bundle)
- Course map precision is your top priority and you'll add a separate fitness tracker for everything else
The Bottom Line
Both watches show up to the tee with a strong screen and solid course data. But the S50 does more — AutoShot, PlaysLike, music, payments, fitness tracking — without requiring anything additional. The LX5C's ground-verified maps and that big display are legitimately good, and the bundled 3-year membership softens the subscription model. If you're a purist who just wants the most accurate course maps available and doesn't need a smartwatch, SkyCaddie has a case. For everyone else, the S50 earns its $100 premium.
Get the Garmin Approach S50.
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