Garmin (News - Alert) International, a unit of Garmin Ltd, today unveiled a new addition to its golf-specific Approach product line: the Approach S2 GPS golf watch. Available in March 2013, the Approach S2 comes preloaded with over 30,000 golf courses from around the world and doesn't require any subscription of additional fees, due to its included lifetime course updates.

Building on its predecessor, the Approach S1, the S2 brings a lot of the same functionality to the table – measuring distances from the front, back and middle of the green — as well as some brand new additions, such as display layup and dogleg distances at a glance. The S2 also features individual shot measuring and an odometer that tells the wearer how far he or she has walked.

"The Approach S2 is the perfect companion for the recreational golfer," said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales, in a statement. “With over 30,000 courses across the world available out of the box, matched with the extensive measurement features and digital scorecard, this device will instantly give golfers a competitive edge."

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The Approach S2 sports a design grounded in function, but that is still stylish enough for everyday wear and is available in multiple color options — namely white/grey, black/red and purple/white. Weighing in at only 1.8 ounces, the S2 boasts a sleek profile that is comfortable for long-term use, while still rugged with waterproofing up to 10 meters.

Lastly, the Approach S2 wouldn't be a golf watch without a built-in scorecard feature, which allows for scores to be recorded and saved for later viewing via Garmin's Web-based program.

Although Garmin is best known for its dedicated GPS devices, its GPS watches have been receiving attention, namely the Forerunner 610 which was rated the best GPS watch for the second consecutive year recently by the Heart Rate Watch Company. Garmin also announced the quatix marine watch earlier this month, which specializes in providing location functionality out at sea.