The best Apple Watch golf apps for 2021

Editor's Note: Updated March 2023

Technology continues to gain a foothold during the rounds of everyday golfers, especially those wearing the Apple Watch.

Since former GolfPass Managing Editor Brandon Tucker posted his first Apple Watch golf app review in 2019, the experience has improved for users. His initial reaction was that of being "underwhelmed", preferring a golf-focused watch instead of the Apple Watch. In four years, following a pandemic, golf apps for the Apple Watch have continued to improve and evolve.

Since 2019, iOS app developers have been hard at work cleaning up code for a faster experience and releasing new features. One of the most notable advancements for Apple Watch golf is shot tracking and strokes gained analytics. Once only the domain of club tag brands like Arccos or Shot Scope, you can now monitor valuable strokes gained and advanced scoring insights using only a third-party Apple Watch app tethered to your iPhone. No tags required.

Constant battery drain is always an issue with technology but Apple says the Series 8 launched in 2022 can run 18 hours during normal use. During his tests from 2019-2021, Tucker found that some apps seemed to drain the battery more than others. Software update are another issue you must stay on top of.

All Apple Watch golf rounds must be started on your phone, and from there you open up the app on your watch, which pairs with the phone. These apps also generally have pretty flyover displays on the phone and some added features like club recommendations.

Here are our picks for the best Apple Watch golf apps to use in 2023:

Since launching in 2020, V1 Game has vaulted up the ranks of established app makers to become the best app for serious golfers using Apple Watch. Its shot tracking is the clear-cut winner among the apps that don't require club tags, while the app dashboard provides illuminating strokes gained and traditional analysis using scoring and shot data. The watch has a clear and simple display with GPS showing front-middle-back yardages to the green. But here's where it particularly stands out:

Auto-shot detection and A.I. breadcrumbs. When you hit a shot during a round, the watch detects it, vibrates and prompts you to select the club you hit. Voila. But the secret sauce is what happens when it misses a shot. Every shot tracker we've ever used - club tags and wearables alike - misses shots. But V1 Game does the best job at predicting where those shots likely happened. It uses a combination of artificial intelligence and breadcrumbs tracing your steps with a little blue line. So when reviewing your round afterwards, it's that much easier to identify the location of a shot it missed and tag that spot with a shot. Golf is, after all, a game of misses.

Unlike Arccos and Shot Scope, which rely on the user to set the pin location to determine proximity of approach shots to the hole and putting stats, V1 Game instead prompts the golfer to input their first putt length and how many putts were needed. (Because you aren't tagging the specific location of your approach shot on the green, it means your irons yardage data won't be as accurate).

The V1 Game watch app has real-time shot measuring from your last recorded location. This is a favorite feature because if you hit the ball offline, knowing exactly how far you've walked off the tee gives you a good idea of when to start looking seriously for your stray. It also helps give you a better idea of how the wind affected your previous shot.

But shot tracking doesn't really matter if the statistics dashboard isn't insightful, and V1 delivers here in a way that rivals Arccos. It slices and dices your rounds and shot data in a multitude of ways. V1 Coach shares which facets of your game are losing the most shots and where you should spend my practice time.

V1 Game has two pricing tiers. The "Birdie" tier is $59.99/year and provides Apple Watch functions, shot tracking and strokes gained analytics. The "Eagle" tier ($119.99/yr) offers "Virtual Coach" and "Virtual Caddie" that provide both in-round assistance based on your swing history and post-round analysis. This is the most expensive Apple Watch golf app per year but it delivers the goods. Download V1 Game here.

The Grint built its Apple Watch app from the ground up and it's now faster and smoother than our first test in 2019. As long as you don't crave strokes gained or intuitive shot tracking, The Grint is an excellent option for an Apple Watch scoring and GPS. One of the shortcomings of shot-tracking-first apps is your score almost always requires review and edit because they miss putts or chips or penalty strokes. Scoring using the Grint app is clear and fast. Its hole-by-hole scoring feature allows you to easily enter putts, driving accuracy and tag any hazards (drops, bunkers, O.B., etc.). Even if you don't want to use it during the round, you can still enter scores and detailed stats afterwards for an official handicap index and additional game insights.

The Grint has always straddled a line between serious performance and playful, social features. You can even track how many drinks you had during your round by clicking on the sudsy beer icon to the top right of the watch display. Fun right?

Is there a free version of The Grint for Apple Watch? You can use The Grint's phone app for free, but you have to upgrade to The Grint Pro for watch integration. TheGrint Pro is just $39.99 per year, making it a great value compared to others typically costing $49.99 and up.

For those who want Strokes Gained stats without club tags, SwingU is a worthy runner-up to V1 Game and less expensive, too. Their "SwingU Versus" features a strokes gained stat for Driving, Approach Shots, Chipping & Pitching, Bunker Play and Putting. 

The watch app has a shot tracker but it must be tapped each time to start and end the shot. In addition to GPS, if you scroll down on the face you'll receive a "plays like" distance, recommended club and wind speed. A unique in-round feature of SwingU is that it will reliably toggle the watch face to the scorecard when it detects you've reached the green. It might sound insignificant but every additional tap that is eliminated when using Apple Watch does wonders for the user experience.

SwingU has its roots in instruction so game improvement is a big deal with the membership. It uses AI to analyze your game data and send you drills and tips based on what the data suggests you're struggling with. The premium membership features a large instruction library of more than 600 videos from top instructors.

Can you use the SwingU app for free on Apple Watch? Yes! The free app version of SwingU features phone and watch GPS, handicap and scorecard but the advanced analytics of SwingU versus, shot tracking, "plays like" distance and the video library requires the Premium version for $99.99 annually.

The GolfShot app launched in 2021. Toggle auto shot tracking to 'on' in the phone and the watch will detect swings. It's up to you to swipe left and use the crown to select the proper club. At the bottom left of the display, the watch shows distance traveled from the last shot and the club used. For game tracking, GolfShot provides shot history and statistics based on location but comes nowhere close to V1 Game's coaching, putt-length data and strokes gained features.

The GolfShot watch app is solid but the phone app is visually stunning. They've created cool, animated flyovers of holes and you can also try out their Golfscape Augmented Reality feature that provides a cool way of checking out distances to hazards. It's particularly helpful on holes with blind hazards. For golfers who want to use their iPhone and watch during their round and play a lot of unfamiliar courses, GolfShot is a very compelling option.

Is Golf Shot free on Apple Watch? No, you have to upgrade to Pro for $59.99-$69.98 per year.

Arccos, a leader when it comes to shot tracking and strokes gained analysis for amateur golfers, has come a long way since our first review in 2019. It started with the 2020 addition of the Caddie Link, a belt clip that tracked shots and set pin locations instead of having to keep your phone in your lead pocket. Arccos added shot detection to their Apple Watch app in 2021, and as of March 2023, golfers can track their shots using Arccos exclusively on the Apple Watch without even using their phones.

Arccos also features a Virtual Caddie that is visible from the watch or phone that offers club advice using AI and real-time weather and elevation. It also has real-time shot measuring.

Setting the correct pin locations and putting distances is one of the most time-intensive and cumbersome things about using Arccos, but it's critical for precise data. At this time, you cannot set the pin location from your watch. Until that feature is installed, the watch app loses a little of its luster and you'll still need your iPhone handy or Caddie Link. I also found in testing that the watch missed more shots than Caddie Link or my iPhone and the watch battery seemed to drain quicker than other apps.

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The vast majority of Apple Watch golf apps require some sort of paid subscription. Hole 19 is a solid Apple Watch app with a premium version featuring scoring and advanced stats or a free version that provides GPS only off the watch. Premium includes the shot and distance tracker, club recommendations and more advanced analytics. $49.99 per year.

Are you an Apple Watch user? Tell me about your favorite golf app and why in the comments below!

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