While we’ve not been lucky enough to get our hands on the awesome, new Garmin R50 launch monitor, there are quite a few indoor golf-related YouTubers that have taken it for a spin. And after each of them has tried it out, the resulting consensus seems clear: the Garmin R50 is legit, accurate, and a bit of a game changer for the right person.
We talked about it already in our original post when the R50 launched, but this device is cut from a different cloth. Sure, at its core, it is a 3-camera optical launch monitor in the same way as the Bushnell Launch Pro. But in a very different way, the Garmin R50 brings potential users a massive upgrade in terms of simplicity, full-sim portability, and user interface.
With a massive, 10-inch screen up top, the R50 is far bigger than your average launch monitor, but it also holds all you need inside to get full simulation and practice wherever you are. Simply plop it down, select your play mode, and use the touchscreen to navigate the interface. Baked right in is the driving range and Home Tee Hero – remastered just for the Garmin R50. And with it you can play over 43,000 courses directly on the device itself.
At $5000, it needs to be accurate, and it seems to be
But all of that is for naught if it’s inaccurate, right? Thankfully, the R50 seems to be dead-on when compared with other, trusted launch monitors, so there’s no issue when it comes to actually getting in some training with this device.
So, when you combine that accuracy with the fact that you can queue up nearly any golf course you can imagine without needing a phone, tablet or computer, the value proposition gets very clear, very fast. With the included HDMI port around back, you can use the R50 on the go or plug it into a screen or projector to let it be the centerpiece of your indoor simulator setup.
Now you get the accuracy and reliability of a $3000 launch monitor with no need for a computer, monitor, mouse, and keyboard. And if you are happy with sticking with Garmin’s own Home Tee Hero software, you only need to pay $9.99/month to access all those courses and occasional online tournaments.
The only real problem I can see with this device at this point is the fact that it needs to be moved for left-handed players. Normally not a huge issue, the Garmin R50 really gets tripped up if you are running HDMI to a projector in a simulator setup. In this case, you’d simply have to have an extra-long HDMI cable and do your best to keep it out of the way as you swap back and forth. Not ideal to say the least.
But that seems to be one of the only real flaws I can find with this one. Again, we’ve not tried it out here at Proof Golf Club, but I hope to be able to soon. From what I’ve seen of Home Tee Hero, I think there’s a chance that what Garmin has put together here could be the standalone, all-in-one unit many people would love to have at their disposal. There’s no doubt its a wildly intriguing launch monitor for the right person.
