Garmin MARQ Golfer In-depth Smartwatch Review

The most recent instalment to the popular Garmin MARQ smartwatch collection is the MARQ Golfer, a multi-tool wearable that brings a remarkable selection of apps and features to the wrist to help you on the green. From a virtual caddie feature to club tracking, hazard view and access to over 41,000 preloaded golf courses, this golfing smartwatch might just be the best of its kind.

Similarly to the Garmin MARQ Captain American Magic which was designed in collaboration with the one of the world’s greatest sailing teams, the Garmin MARQ Golfer watch has been carefully engineered alongside a professional to ensure functionality and aesthetic is exactly what every sophisticated golfer is looking for. Greg Norman, Australian professional golfer, has been a Garmin brand ambassador since August 2019 and is famed for winning 91 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and The Open Championships in 1986 and 1993. He also spent 331 weeks ranked top of the Official World Golf Rankings and was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame with the highest percentage of votes of any golfer to date.

For 2020, Greg Norman has partnered up with Garmin to create a new generation golf smartwatch, and with his experience on the course and Garmin’s unbeatable technical prowess, we have high expectations for the MARQ Golfer. Let’s take a look at some of its incredible functionality in more detail including its golfing features, battery life and overall aesthetic.

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GOLFING FEATURES

As well as boasting new features, some of the golfing elements found within the Garmin MARQ Golfer smartwatch have been seen before, in both the Approach collection and other Garmin MARQ models. These include preloaded golfing activity profiles, access to full-colour CourseView maps for more than 41,000 golf courses around the world and a PlaysLike Distance feature which allows you to adjust yardages to account for uphill and downhill shots. The Virtual Caddie is also a familiar function but remains one of the brand’s greatest innovations for men on the green. It uses your shot data from previous rounds along with elevation, wind, and the layout of the hole to determine which club you should use and where you should aim on your next shot.

For the first time, we are introduced to a new feature called Club Tracking which allows you to pair the Garmin MARQ Golfer to the included Approach CT10 club tracking sensors. This gives you even more advanced tracking capabilities including locations, distances and club type. You can also pair the watch with the new Garmin Golf app for strokes gained analysis, to participate in leader boards and tournaments and to gain more data about your game. For planning ahead, the Hazard View feature allows you to quickly scroll through each hazard on the map and get critical distance information, so you know what to avoid.

The Garmin MARQ Golfer also boasts a Go Green function which gives you quick reference to the front, middle and back of the green so you can make the shot you want while the Pin Pointer feature will tell you the direction of the pin so you can make the most of each swing. The Green View feature also gives you access to the green’s true shape from wherever you are standing on the course and allows you to move the pin for greater accuracy.

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CASE & STRAP

The incredible range of golfing features doesn’t stop there but instead continues throughout the case design of the Garmin MARQ Golfer. The stunning green ceramic bezel is a first for the brand with its unique 18 custom-etched hold markings which allows you to display your last round’s score so you can relive the excitement long after the 18th hole. The 46mm lightweight titanium case is also fitted with seamless tritone green jacquard-weave strap which pairs perfectly with the green bezel. The strap is inspired by the colours of the course and is made using traditional French techniques to reflect both Garmin’s and the wearer’s constant pursuit to perform the best.

The Garmin MARQ Golfer smartwatch continues to impress with sapphire crystal glass to protect the 240 x 240 pixels resolution display and anti-reflective treatment for optimal legibility even when the sun is glaring on the green. The case is also water resistant to a handy 100 metres and weighs only 88g on the wrist with the textile strap or 95g if you choose to replace it with one of Garmin’s QuickFit rubber straps.

BATTERY LIFE

Garmin are no amateurs when it comes to battery life and the Garmin MARQ Golfer watch is no exception.  The golfing watch has your back for days on the green with up to 12 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, 28 hours in GPS mode, 9 hours with GPS and music and 48 hours in UltraTrac mode. For days when battery life becomes essential, the Power Manager feature will offer suggestions to save your battery such as turning off certain apps like music or maps.

FITNESS & GPS FEATURES

Like all models in the Garmin MARQ collection, the MARQ Golfer is fully equipped with all the fitness and GPS features you need for exploring and working out. Whether you’re into running, swimming, biking, hiking, rowing, skiing or more, there are a huge range of preloaded apps and activity profiles to use while the wrist based heart rate monitor is one of the first by Garmin to work underwater. The Garmin MARQ is one of the first collection’s by Garmin to also feature their new PacePro function. The useful training feature allows users to enter custom start and finish points and a target competition times. This means that the watch will tell you exactly how fast you should be aiming to run to complete each mile and ultimately reach your goal.

For explorers, the Garmin MARQ Golfer comes with topographic maps, GPS, GLONASS and Galileo sensors and ABC navigation sensors. The altimeter scale depicts the summits achieved and the valleys crossed, the barometer trendline alerts you of any coming weather that might stand in your way and while the 3-axis compass will point you in the right direction. The ClimbPro ascent planner also assists in providing real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs, including gradient, distance and elevation gain. For those challenged by some of our world’s largest summits, the Pulse Ox navigation sensor will also help you monitor your body’s oxygen levels.

SOCIAL & WELLBEING FEATURES

The Garmin MARQ Golfer watch also includes some incredible social and wellness features like the unique Stress Score feature. This uses the wrist based heart rate monitor and your heart rate variability to calculate your stress score and lets you know if your body is ready for a tough training run or a more relaxing day golfing. Respiration tracking similarly monitors your breathing throughout the day, during sleep and during breathwork and yoga activities. The Hydration Tracker similarly lets you log your daily water intake, so you can stay hydrated and monitor your consistency from day to day.

For keeping in touch with the rest of the world when you are on the green, the Garmin golfing smartwatch comes with classic smart notifications so you can receive emails, texts and alerts straight to your wrist alongside access to music storage for up to 2,000 songs and streaming apps like Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music. The Garmin Pay contactless system makes shopping for your next set of clubs all even easier with an effortless and contactless swipe at checkout.

The Garmin MARQ Golfer smartwatch is available to order today at Jura Watches with free next day delivery and interest free finance options available. Get in touch with our team on 01335 453453 or at help@jurawatches.co.uk for any assistance with your next luxury smartwatch purchase.