Approach R50 - Recent Threads

Saved practice session not appearing in golf app

Country Gentleman — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:18:32 GMT

Yesterday I saved a practice session on the R50. Its still there. Since then I have connected the R50 to the same wifi network as my phone and verified it has internet and I have tethered it to my phone. All while the gamin connect and golf app are open on my phone with the same internet connection. The R50 and the phone are signed into the same garmin account. The R50 is running the lates softwear.

The practice session does not appear on the garmin golf app.

Today I did another practice session while connected to the internet and it has uploaded to the Garmin Golf app, but yesterday's session it still not.

I need to get the session data spreadsheet onto my computer.

Low wedge spin numbers

3124356 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:01:28 GMT

I can't seem to get any wedge below pitching wedge to read the proper spin number. Or it just starts reading under 4000 for all of the wedges. I have tried to raise a unit, put a line in my ball, move it back in the hitting zone. I'm not sure what else I should do. It reads every other Club fine, and even reads all the other numbers right when I hit a wedge minus the spin number. I have updated it and everything as well so I don't really know what the issue is.

Feature Request – Driving Range Statistics Table

9389239 — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 16:21:14 GMT

The Driving Range statistics table would be much more useful if:

The “Customize Table” column order could be saved as the default for all future practice sessions instead of resetting for every new activity.
The column header row does not remain frozen while scrolling through shots. Currently, after scrolling down and horizontally, there is no way to tell which statistic is being viewed because the headers have scrolled off the screen.

allocating 4 players to same members tees

GTFa — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:43:46 GMT

Garmin Approach R50: When I try and play Augusta National on HTH with 4 players I cannot allocate all 4 to the members tees. It seems that the last name to be added is always left on the Masters tees. This is not very helpful.

has anyone been able to do this?

CSV export missing targets (range), no targets in standard range sessions, on-course practice not exported + surface data request

3788189 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:11:29 GMT

Hi all,

I’ve been using my Approach R50 heavily for structured range practice and exporting the session CSVs from the Garmin Golf app to do my own analysis. A few things I’ve run into that I think would make the R50 significantly more useful — a mix of what looks like a bug and some feature requests.

1. Target distance isn’t exported for range sessions (looks like a bug)

When I set a target for a range session, the target never makes it into the exported CSV. The export has the columns for it — in my locale they’re Målcarry (target carry) and Mål för totalt avstånd (target total distance) — but they’re empty on every single shot, even in sessions where I definitely had a target set.

I checked two full sessions:

• Driver session, 20 shots — target columns empty on all 20

• 8-iron session, 30 shots — target columns empty on all 30

Since the columns already exist in the export schema, it feels like the value just isn’t being written. It’d be great to have this fixed so the target I practiced to is actually recorded.

2. Can’t set a target on standard range sessions at all

Related to the above: as far as I can tell, you can only attach a target in certain modes, not on a plain/standard range session. I’d love to be able to set a target distance on any range session so I can practice to a number and have it scored/recorded. Even if #1 is fixed, it doesn’t help if I can’t set the target in the first place.

3. On-course practice doesn’t export

Shots I hit in on-course / practice-round contexts don’t come out in the CSV export at all. I’d really like these included in the export like range shots are — it’s some of the most valuable data (real targets, real lies) and right now it’s stuck on the device/app.

4. Feature request: record the surface

Two surface fields would make on-course and range data far richer:

• Surface the shot was hit from (tee / fairway / rough / bunker / mat, etc.)

• Surface the ball came to rest / landed on (green / fairway / rough / etc.)

This is exactly the kind of context that turns raw launch data into strokes-gained-style insight, and the R50 already knows a lot about the shot — capturing lie/landing surface (even as a manual tag) would be a big step up.

For context, I’m building my own analytics on top of the exports, so anything that makes the CSV more complete directly helps. Happy to share sample files or more detail if it’s useful.

Thanks!

Feature request: measurable practice modes on the R50 — or an SDK so we can build them ourselves

3788189 — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 07:43:14 GMT

Hi all (and hopefully some Garmin folks),

I've been using my Approach R50 a lot, and the hardware is genuinely excellent — the data quality is there. What I keep wishing for is a way to make practice measurable, the way the on-course numbers are. Right now the range/practice side feels like hitting balls rather than training with feedback.

Feature request — structured practice / challenge modes:

- Closest to Pin — random target distances, scored by proximity, tracked over time.

- Strokes Gained practice — hit to targets and see strokes-gained-style feedback vs. a baseline, so you know whether your wedges or mid-irons are actually costing you shots.

- Distance ladder / gapping — climb through targets and confirm your real carry gaps between clubs.

- Dispersion tests — a fixed number of shots, then carry/side spread stats, so you can see consistency improve session to session.

Modes like these would turn the R50 from a great measuring device into a great training device.

The alternative I'd love even more — a developer SDK / local API:

I understand dedicated software features have to be prioritized and may not be near-term. So as an alternative (or in addition), would Garmin consider an official developer SDK or documented local API for the R50 — a way for third-party/community apps to receive shot data locally, similar to how the existing GSPro/E6/Awesome Golf integrations work?

I'm a software developer and I've already prototyped a phone-friendly practice app with exactly these drills; the only thing blocking me from using it with real R50 data is the lack of a supported local data feed. Even a GSPro OpenConnect–style output, or access under a developer program/NDA, would let the community build the training features many of us are asking for — without Garmin having to build them all in-house.

Is there any existing developer/partner path for the R50, or interest in one? Happy to work within whatever official channels or agreements are required.

Thanks for reading — curious whether other R50 owners want the same thing.

The Approach R50 displays data from golf clubs without requiring stickers attached to the clubs./ software version 4.90 app version 4.20

5485341 — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:17:38 GMT

Plase comfirm me.

Best Regards,drive.google.com/.../view

Multi-player Play

1446638 — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:10:21 GMT

Please add scramble and best best play options. Thank you!!

#garmin4life

“This Weeks Tournament” error message: “something went wrong” is denying access even after restarting device

1114493 — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 02:08:02 GMT

Is anyone else experiencing “Something went wrong” error message for weekly tournament mode?

steps I took:

restarted three times
shutdown and restarted

Outcome:

”Something went wrong” message with “please try again later”

Disable standby mode when using GSPRO connector

4671348 — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 22:31:55 GMT

This was not resolved. i've updated and the same issue persists. please let me know how you have come to the conclusion that this issue has been resolved.

Disable standby mode when using GSPRO connector

46713484 months ago

whenever GarminR5 sends the message entering standby mode to gspro we instantly lose connection to the gs pro connector and have to restart the connection process which is pretty inconvenient especially during rounds. could you guys please disable the standby message when leveraging the gs pro connector app? thanks.

R50 - split screen amount of metrics visible

7885095 — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:09:49 GMT

Since the update of today, when on the range I only see 6 metrics instead of 12 in the past. How do I change it back to 12?

My garmin r50 won’t connect to GSPro

6498018 — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:03:16 GMT

So I have turned off my firewall and all automatic connections. I successfully connect to the garmin hotspots shown on my PC then boot Gspro. I select my garminr50 in the screen then it goes to the ball metric page where it says looking for garmin in the bottoms left corner, I’m never reads anything else and never successfully connects. Starting to think I bought a broken r50 and am super bummed.

Approach R50 - GLM Version 4.2.0

Garmin-Jim — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:49:26 GMT

Hello R50 Users,

We are now 100% live with GLM version 4.2.0 for the Approach R50 but the System Software version will still be on 4.90.

Change Log:

Added new experience for taking a drop from a water hazard.
Fixed issue causing handedness to display incorrectly on external display.
Fixed issues related to shots displayed (like Current Club, Current shot, last 5, last 10, all).
Fixed some issues where Names disappear on the Add Player Screen.
Fixed issue with name vs email populated on Sign-in email.
Fixed issue with blank screen on home screen.
Fixed issue causing searching for courses to become inconsistent.
Bug fixes and performance improvements.

New Garmin Golf Club Types on App not showing up on R50

GarGarGolf — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 02:36:40 GMT

I just saw that the Garmin Golf app has been updated to include different types of clubs, including the long requested "Approach Wedge". (THANKS!)

I've added two approach wedges in the golf app, but those are not showing up on the R50 in the club selection feature.

Future Direction

shaungab — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:21:58 GMT

The launch monitor market is moving incredibly quickly at the moment. Since the R50 was released, we've seen a number of new products enter the market, many offering similar feature sets at lower price points.

Over the last few years I've owned several launch monitors including a SkyTrak, Garmin R10, and a FlightScope Mevo+ with the Pro Package. Each has strengths and weaknesses depending on how you use it.

I bought the R50 very early because I saw it as a platform with huge potential and expected Garmin to continue developing the software and feature set over time. While there have been some improvements since launch, progress feels slower than I had anticipated, particularly when compared to the pace of innovation elsewhere in the market.

Reading through this forum, there are numerous feature requests that users have suggested which, in my view, would add significant value to the product.

Looking at the market, it feels as though there are two broad groups of users:

Simulator golfers who primarily want to play virtual golf using platforms such as GSPro.
Practice-focused golfers who use a launch monitor primarily for game improvement, skill development and structured practice.

When the R50 launched, I felt it was well positioned to serve both groups. For me, the practice side was always the primary attraction, while Home Tee Hero and simulator play were useful additions. I already had GSPro available, but I spend far more time practising than playing simulator rounds.

This leads to my question for Garmin's future direction.

Since release, Garmin appears to have focused much of its development effort on the all-in-one simulator experience. Do people think Garmin intends to significantly expand the practice and game-improvement side of the product as well?

Features such as randomisers, combines, more detailed practice modes, additional performance metrics, historical analysis and structured training tools feel like areas where the platform could become much stronger. Much of this appears to be software-driven rather than requiring new hardware.

SkyTrak, for example, does a good job of serving both simulator and practice users, while FlightScope has traditionally been very strong on the data and improvement side. At the moment, the R50 feels to me as though it is leaning increasingly towards the simulator market.

I'm genuinely interested in hearing other owners' views. Do you think Garmin sees the R50 primarily as a simulator product, or do you expect significant investment in the game-improvement and practice experience over the next 12-24 months?

The answer will probably influence whether I stay with the Garmin ecosystem or eventually move to a platform that is more focused on player development.

Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

uofi1998 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:51:47 GMT

Team Garmin,

I've been on this forum for over a year, and use the R50 just about every day. Generally speaking, it's a solid 8.5/10.

However, it seems as though this forum isn't moderated like it used to be. It used to be there was a guy named Cody that would interact and respond to questions, and it at least seemed like our product requests would find their way into the next iterations of software.

Now when we make a request, we get directed to another site where you put in a product suggestion, and it goes into what appears to be a black hole.

A lot of what folks have requested - especially things like Scrambles and beefed up range features - don't seem like crazy requests when taken in totality with what the unit can do. The problem is nobody knows what is being reviewed and attempted to be implemented so we just keep asking for the same things and don't really get any kind of response.

It wasn't this way previously, but now it is...

Would somebody from Garmin please offer us some kind of insight into what will be added next, and when?

Thank you.

-DP

What does my R50 shut down in practice mode?

3471128 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:41:01 GMT

My unit began to shut down in practice mode after I align and prepare to hit the first shot??

Low point measurement

jjzunc — Sat, 30 May 2026 18:17:31 GMT

Low point measurement would be incredibly useful in addition to the other metrics the Approach R50 is already measuring. Is this something Garmin is working on rolling out in a near term software update? Thanks!

Left Handed Golfers Order of Play

troymosley — Fri, 29 May 2026 18:24:03 GMT

Hello Team Garmin!

First off, thank you for the updates and continued support for the unit. I am very happy with it.

Recently an update allowed for the change in order of play so that players can play an entire hole and not have to switch back and forth to accommodate left handed players.

Can we take this one step further and when a left handed player finishes a hole, can they also just play first on the next tee regardless of the score? This will also reduce the need to switch back and forth. It would require left handed players to either be first or last in the order but would greatly increase speed of play.

The flag direction is often wrong. Blows in the wrong direction.

rtottley — Fri, 29 May 2026 18:17:24 GMT

The flag on the greens doesn't blow according to the wind direction. Often it is opposite to the wind direction.

wrong spin direction in garmin golf app

Fvdw — Tue, 19 May 2026 17:01:07 GMT

when uploading a training session on the R50 and opening it in the garmin golf app it seems the spin direction is wrong. When spin axis has Right angle it mentions a left side sin and the other way aroud. The spin axis direction seems to be correct and matches the face to path

direction.

PurePlay Golf Integration

JAM050821 — Wed, 13 May 2026 13:42:09 GMT

Has there been any talks with the PurePlay golf simulation team and is there future integration planned?

IMPACT VIDEO - LES PRE more POST-IMPACT

Flemming.Allan.Andersen — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:37:03 GMT

I have noticed that the impact-video reply too many pre-impact frames and too little post-impact frames.

Both are annoying as you have to wait for your video to play and then it is almost over before it began; a couple of proposals:

- configurable pre/post impact buffer
- longer post-impact replay
- user-selectable replay window

I have seen similar requests which are more than one year old, is it that difficult to fix in a firmware update or do I miss the bigger picture.

Green/target on driving range

HoboGTS — Thu, 07 May 2026 08:12:43 GMT

I'm sure I've seen it asked before, but I think it would be a great addition if you could set a green/pin whilst using the driving range/practice mode at any chosen distance. Most other launch monitors out there seem to have this feature, so am unsure why Garmin have not chosen to include this on the R50.

If you watch any club reviewer, or fitting video, they all seem to be using software hitting to a green/pin to which they have set the distance, and the screen seems to follow the ball flight rather than just show a tracer line (although I suspect both are used in reality).

The reason I bought the R50 was for the practice element as opposed to for SIM golf, so just want Garmin to make the practice elements as good as physically possible, which I think this would assist with, whilst being a simple addition.

Not able to switch between left and right handed hitters anymore

3548497 — Wed, 06 May 2026 14:26:02 GMT

I no longer see the toggle switch at the bottom to switch between left and right-handed users in Home Tee Hero after the latest update!