If you\u2019re someone who wants a higher-end watch and like to go diving and also play some golf, the Descent Mk1 could be right for you. In this post, I\u2019m going to be reviewing the Garmin Descent Mk1, talking about its golf features, and showing you the cheapest place to pick one up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, the Mk1 is an awesome watch but I\u2019d only recommend it if you\u2019ll be using it for diving as well as golf. If you\u2019re not going to be using the diving features, you could get the same benefit from something cheaper. That being said, it\u2019s a comfortable watch that\u2019s built well, it has a bunch of different features (other than diving & golf), and it has most of the golf-specific features you\u2019d be looking for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If that\u2019s all you were looking for then great. If you want to find out more about the watch and all the features it offers or to pick one up for yourself, continue reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yAXnSjC1Y6E<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll start off by saying, I\u2019m not that much into diving (hopefully in the future) so I\u2019m not going to be talking much about those features. I\u2019m going to be talking about this watch from a golfer\u2019s point of view<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It does have a pretty steep price tag so I did have a lot of expectations going in. I knew it wouldn\u2019t be the most advanced golf watch on the market but it had to have all the essentials and be built really well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not really the biggest fan of wearing watches but it was quite a bit more comfortable<\/strong> than other watches I\u2019ve tried in the past. It comes with a standard black band or you can also upgrade to a titanium band (I tried the standard). Here\u2019s a quick video that goes over the design and some of the features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rVAmNJVkPEg<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Just so you\u2019re aware, the Mk1 isn\u2019t going to be as advanced as a high-end golf-specific watch like the Garmin S60<\/a>. It\u2019s a multi-sport watch<\/strong> (the S60 is just for golf and basic fitness) so it\u2019s for people who do other activities as well. It does have all the essential golf features you\u2019d want though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first feature it comes with is the distance to the front, center, and back of the green<\/strong>. You can move the pin around as well to get the exact distance to a point on the green. It\u2019ll also tell you what hole you\u2019re on and what par is for the hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next thing the watch will show you is the distance to different hazards<\/strong>. It\u2019ll tell you what hazards are in the fairway, the distance to the front and back of each hazard, and where the hazard is in relation to the green. It\u2019ll also show you the distance to doglegs and a few layup spots on each hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The watch is also going to tell you how far you hit each shot<\/strong>. It has automatic shot detection so it\u2019ll show you how far you hit each shot and will record the info so you can review afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do want to track more swing stats then you can always get the Garmin Truswing<\/a>. It attaches to your clubs and will connect to your watch and tell you your swing speed, ball speed, smash factor, and a bunch of other stats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And obviously, the Mk1 is going to keep track of your score<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mk1 is a multi-sport watch so it does have a bunch of different features. It\u2019s called the Descent though so obviously it\u2019s designed mainly as a diving watch<\/strong>. If you don\u2019t dive but you still want a multi-sport watch, you might as well go with something like the Vivoactive 4<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I\u2019m not a diver I\u2019m not going to get into all the diving features because I don\u2019t really know what they mean. All I know is that the watch has pretty much everything you\u2019d need<\/strong> to have a successful dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also comes with all your fitness<\/strong> tracking<\/strong> features and you can plan all of your workouts. I don\u2019t think the heart rate monitor was as accurate as a chest strap but it was fairly good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also has navigation<\/strong> maps<\/strong> which I found really useful if you\u2019re out hiking or in the outdoors. It\u2019s way better having that info on a watch compared to one of those bulky handheld GPS units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It comes with tracking for climbing, swimming, cycling, skiing<\/strong>, and a number of other sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The design of the Mk1 is pretty slick and it comes with a 1.2-inch color display<\/strong>. It\u2019s a pretty standard size and it\u2019s not as big as some of the other multi-sport watches on the market (you can still wear it every day). It is a little bit thick though and some people might not like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The standard band is a black<\/strong> silicone<\/strong> material and that\u2019s the one I tried. For around $300 you can upgrade to a titanium<\/strong> strap<\/strong> which should be more heavy-duty and durable. You can also buy new bands if you want a different color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re able to control the watch with the buttons<\/strong> on the side of the watch. I actually prefer that over the touchscreen watches out there. A lot of people have thicker fingers and the buttons will be a lot easier to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to performance, the main thing I\u2019m going to be talking about is how accurate<\/strong> the golf features were and how long<\/strong> the battery lasted. If those two features aren\u2019t that good, there\u2019s no point in having the watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to the accuracy of the golf GPS<\/strong>, it was pretty identical to the other multi-sport golf watches. It was very close to the Vivoactive 3, Forerunner, and Fenix 5. All of those are generally within 5 yards of the course markers. I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s as good as the Garmin S60 but it was good enough for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to battery<\/strong> life<\/strong>, it was pretty impressive as well. If you\u2019re using it as a regular watch (not using it for golf or diving) it should easily last 1-2 weeks. In golf mode, the watch would easily last 2 full rounds. That was a lot better than other watches on the market so I was pleased to see that.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGarmin Descent Mk1 First Impressions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Garmin Descent Mk1 Golf Features<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Garmin Descent Mk1 Non-Golf Features<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Garmin Descent Mk1 Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Garmin Descent Mk1 Performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Garmin Descent MK1 Specs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n