Village Connect
For many golfers, the game is ruled by weather, schedules, and daylight. A rainy morning cancels a tee time. A busy week pushes practice aside. But with Garmin’s new Approach R50, golf no longer waits for perfect conditions—it shows up whenever you’re ready.
The Approach R50 is a portable launch monitor and simulator built for players who want more time with their game. Instead of driving to the course and hoping the skies cooperate, golfers can now step into a garage, basement, or range and play a full round indoors. On its large 10-inch color touchscreen, more than 43,000 courses from around the world are already loaded, letting players tee off in famous fairways without leaving home.
What makes the R50 special is how closely it watches every shot. Three high-speed cameras track the ball and club through impact, measuring more than 15 key metrics. From ball speed and launch angle to spin rate and face-to-path, each swing becomes a lesson. The system even records slow-motion impact videos, allowing players to study exactly how the club meets the ball.
This is not only about playing—it’s about improving. Training mode saves data for every club, from driver to putter, so golfers can see how their game changes over time. A beginner can learn what good contact looks like. A serious player can fine-tune distance gaps and shot shape. Progress becomes visible, not just something you “feel” on the course.
The R50 is flexible in how it fits into a space. It can work alone as a self-contained simulator, or connect through HDMI to a projector or monitor for a big-screen experience. Some players might project the course on a wall while keeping stats on the R50 screen. Others might keep it simple and just use the built-in display.
Through Garmin’s Home Tee Hero, up to four players can play together, join weekly tournaments, and see scores on a global leaderboard. With Wi-Fi, it also supports popular third-party simulators like GSPro, E6 Connect, and Awesome Golf.
Portable, easy to set up, and with up to four hours of battery life, the Approach R50 is built to travel. It moves from home to driving range to indoor studio without fuss.
With the R50, golf no longer depends on sunshine. It depends on you—your swing, your goals, and the time you choose to step up and play.
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