Bring the Golf Course Home

Take your golf game to the next level with the Garmin Approach R50, an all-in-one launch monitor and golf simulator designed to deliver detailed performance data, realistic virtual play, and convenient portability. Whether you're practicing your swing, analyzing your ball flight, or playing a full round at home, the Approach R50 gives you the tools to make every shot count.

At a Glance

• A launch monitor and simulator in one unit, with a built-in 10-inch touchscreen. No computer or phone needed.
• Three high-speed cameras, 14 ball and club metrics, and impact video on every shot.
• Sits beside the ball, so the device needs no extra room behind you.
• 43,000+ courses with a Garmin Golf membership, plus support for GSPro, E6 and Awesome Golf.
• HDMI output for a projector or TV, and up to 4 hours on battery.

10" Built-In Color Touchscreen

The Approach R50 features a large 10-inch color touchscreen that puts your golf data and simulator experience right at your fingertips. Review shot information, watch impact videos, practice on the driving range, or access virtual golf directly from the device.

Detailed Ball & Club Data

Get a deeper understanding of every shot with accurate launch monitor measurements. The Approach R50 tracks key ball and club metrics, including:

• Ball Speed
• Launch Angle
• Launch Direction
• Spin Rate
• Spin Axis
• Carry Distance
• Total Distance
• Club Head Speed
• Club Face Angle
• Club Path Angle
• Angle of Attack
• Apex Height
• Smash Factor
• Deviation Distance

Club Stickers

Ball data needs nothing on the ball or the club. To capture club data, place one of the included stickers at the top-center of each club face. You get 250 in the box. Your putter doesn't need one. Replace a sticker when it gets worn or dirty, and keep it away from white markings on the face.

Three High-Speed Cameras

Three integrated high-speed cameras capture your swing and impact with detailed visual feedback. Review your impact videos to better understand how you're contacting the ball and identify opportunities to improve your swing.

Practice & Training Modes

Use the Approach R50 as your personal golf training station. Track performance across your clubs, analyze shot patterns, and view dispersion data generated using an advanced ball-flight model. Compare sessions over time to monitor your progress and make smarter adjustments to your game.

Play More Than 43,000 Golf Courses

Turn your home setup into a virtual golf experience with Home Tee Hero. Play virtual rounds on more than 43,000 courses, with support for up to four players. Take on familiar courses, challenge friends and family, and enjoy golf regardless of the weather or time of year. Home Tee Hero requires a Garmin Golf membership, explained below.

What's Included and What Needs a Membership

The Garmin Golf membership is sold separately by Garmin, and you can buy it right on the device.

Space and Setup

• Placement: set the R50 about 1.5 ft (0.5 m) to the side of the ball, facing it, at the same level as your hitting mat. It doesn't need to be perfectly level.
• No space behind the ball: the cameras read the shot from the side, so you don't need the extra room behind the tee that radar units need.
• Room guide: plan for about 10 ft of width, a 9 ft ceiling (10 ft if you're tall), and roughly 10 ft from ball to screen, plus room to swing behind you.
• Quick test: swing your driver slowly in the space. If nothing feels close, the room works.
• Left-handed golfers: move the unit to the other side of the ball.
• Hitting area: the screen shows where to place the ball, and you can shift it within that area as your mat wears.

Play on a Projector or TV

Run an HDMI cable from the R50 to your projector or TV for full-screen play at up to 1080p. You can mirror the R50's display or choose what the big screen shows, then adjust the aspect ratio and center line to fit your impact screen. Pair a Bluetooth speaker for sound. The HDMI cable isn't included.

Simulator Software

Third-party software connects to the R50 over Wi-Fi. For PC software, plan on a gaming-capable computer: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), an Intel i5, 8 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1070-class graphics card or better. Need one? See our golf simulator computers.

Indoors and Outdoors

The R50 works in both. A few habits keep the readings clean:

• Keep direct sun off the front of the unit and off the club face. Low sun shining into the unit can cause misreads.
• Avoid shiny or reflective surfaces in the camera's view.
• Turn the ball's logo toward the unit, especially with matte balls. No special marked balls are needed.
• It handles light spray (IPX3), not rain, and operates from 14°F to 131°F.

Putting

Putt out in virtual rounds, with settings for green speed and gimme distance. Prefer to skip it? Turn putting off and the R50 adds strokes based on how close your approach finished. Club data isn't recorded on putts, and putting is switched off in weekly tournaments.

Designed for Practice or Play

The Approach R50 is built to go wherever your golf game takes you. With an internal rechargeable battery providing up to 4 hours of use, you can practice at home or take the launch monitor to the range. The included carrying case makes transportation and storage simple.

Additional features include:

• Impact Videos: Review high-speed footage of your club and ball impact.
• Built-In Barometer: Helps improve carry-distance calculations by accounting for your current location.
• Session Comparison: Track your performance and compare previous sessions.
• Global Leaderboards: Compete in weekly tournaments and compare your scores with golfers worldwide.
• Garmin Golf App: Access compatible metrics and activities through the Garmin Golf app.
• USB-C & HDMI: Connect the device to compatible displays and accessories.
• Bluetooth & Wi-Fi: Stay connected to compatible devices and services.
• Driving Range: Practice with detailed performance feedback.
• Putting Simulation: Practice putting as part of your simulator experience.
• Club Tracking: Save and review statistics for individual clubs.

Power

The battery lasts up to 4 hours. For longer sessions, leave the AC adapter plugged in and keep playing. The R50 charges only through its AC adapter; the USB-C port is for software updates. It goes into standby after 20 minutes idle.

R50 or R10?

Choose the R50 if you want a self-contained home simulator with club data and impact video. Choose the Approach R10 if you want an affordable, pocketable monitor for the range.

What's Included

• Garmin Approach R50 Launch Monitor & Simulator
• Carrying Case
• AC Adapter & Power Cord
• 250 Club Tracking Stickers
• Documentation

Not included: an HDMI cable, a Garmin Golf membership, and third-party software.

Specifications

Questions Golfers Ask

Do I need a computer or phone?
No. Everything runs on the built-in touchscreen. A PC, iPhone or iPad is only needed for third-party software.

Is there a subscription?
Not for launch monitor data, the driving range, training mode or impact video. Virtual rounds and tournaments need a Garmin Golf membership.

Do I have to use the stickers?
Only for club data. Ball data works without them.

How much room do I need?
About 10 ft of width and a 9 ft ceiling, plus your screen distance. The unit itself needs no space behind the ball.

Can I use it outside?
Yes. Keep direct sun off the unit and the club face.

Does it work with GSPro?
Yes, over Wi-Fi with a Windows PC.

Can I play while it's charging?
Yes, with the AC adapter plugged in.

Complete Your Setup

• Golf simulator enclosures and impact screens
• Hitting mats
• Short throw projectors
• Golf simulator computers and monitors

A Complete Golf Simulator in a Portable Package

From detailed swing analysis to virtual rounds on thousands of golf courses, the Garmin Approach R50 combines launch-monitor technology, practice tools, and golf simulation into one powerful portable system.