Comparison · Updated · Every app checked against its maker’s own pages on that date
Best Apple Watch Golf Apps (2026)
The best Apple Watch golf app depends on what you want on your wrist: 18Birdies for free distances and scoring started from the watch, Golfshot Pro or 18Birdies Premium for automatic shot tracking with the watch’s own sensors, Arccos for fully automatic club data with its sensors, and Golfonaut for free shot logging, scoring and distance to the middle of the green, with no ads.
We make Golfonaut, so read this with that in mind. Every other app’s facts come from its maker’s own website, help center or App Store listing, linked below. Prices vary by country, so we don’t list them; features change too, so check before you buy.
Which Apple Watch golf app is best for you?
- Golfonaut (we make it): Free distances, shot logging and scoring with no ads, plus swing speed.
- 18Birdies: Free front, middle and back distances and scoring, started from the watch.
- Hole19: Free front, center and back distances on the wrist.
- Golfshot: Automatic shot tracking with the watch’s own sensors (paid).
- Arccos: Fully automatic club-by-club tracking, if you add its hardware.
- TheGrint: Golfers who want their app built around a handicap.
- SwingU: Free distances and group scoring, with your phone in your pocket.
- Golf Pad: Free front, middle and back distances, with watch scoring in Premium.
Eight Apple Watch golf apps side by side
| App | Free on the watch | Ads in the free version | Automatic shot tracking | Start a round on the watch | Paid plan adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golfonaut (we make it)[1] | Distance to the middle of the green, a scorecard and every shot with its club | No ads | No: tap before each shot and pick the club; it saves itself as you walk | Yes, once the iPhone app has set up the watch | Private Club: front and back distances, swing speed, stats, 3D replays |
| 18Birdies[6][7][8] | Front, middle and back distances, scoring and manual shot tracking | Not stated by 18Birdies; its App Store listing shows no advertising label | Yes with Premium: the watch motion sensors detect swings, with your iPhone connected | Yes | Premium: maps, 3D greens, Plays Like distances, Auto Swing Detection |
| Hole19[4][5] | Front, center and back distances and simple scoring; full score input on the watch is Premium | Yes: an ad-free experience is a Premium feature | No swing detection on the watch: Shot Tracker is Premium, and Intelligence adds Auto Shot Detection after the round | Hole19 advertises phone-free play on the watch | Premium; Intelligence adds Auto Shot Detection after the round |
| Golfshot[2][3] | Distance to the green and basic scoring; front, center and back distances are Pro on the listing (Golfshot’s own pages disagree on whether watch scoring is free) | Yes: the listing says Advertising, and Pro is ad-free | Yes with Pro: Auto Shot Tracking uses the watch sensors (Series 4 or newer) | Yes, hands-free play on the wrist | Pro, and Champions (Pro plus Golfplan) |
| Arccos[9][11][12][10] | Not confirmed: we found no first-party statement that it works without a membership | Not stated | Yes, through Smart Sensors in the grips or the Arccos Air wearable; not from the watch alone | Yes, start the round from the watch | Membership (bundled for the first year with its hardware) |
| TheGrint[13] | Distances, scores and stats, and shot tracking (the listing says Pro adds enhanced Apple Watch features) | Yes: the listing says Advertising | Not stated; the listing says you can track shots from the watch | Yes, the listing says keep your phone in the bag | Pro |
| SwingU[14] | Distances and scoring for you and your group | Yes: the listing says Advertising | Not found | Yes, but the watch takes its information from the phone | Plus and Pro |
| Golf Pad[15][16] | Front, middle and back distances and switching holes; watch scoring is Premium | Yes: going ad-free is a Premium perk | Not from the watch alone: watch shot tracking is Premium, and Golf Pad sells TAGS club tags for automatic tracking | Yes; standalone watch mode is Premium | Premium |
“Not stated” or “not found” means we did not find it on the maker’s pages, not that the app cannot do it.
Which free golf GPS app has no ads?
Of these eight, Golfonaut is the only one that says plainly its free version has no ads. Golfshot, Hole19, TheGrint, SwingU and Golf Pad carry the App Store’s Contains Advertising label, and Golfshot, Hole19 and Golf Pad sell ad-free use as a paid perk. 18Birdies and Arccos don’t say either way, and their listings show no advertising label. For free front, middle and back distances, 18Birdies, Hole19 and Golf Pad give you all three; Golfonaut’s free distance is to the middle of the green.
Which apps track golf shots automatically on Apple Watch?
Golfshot Pro and 18Birdies Premium detect swings with the watch’s own motion sensors, with no extra hardware. Arccos is fully automatic but needs its grip sensors or Arccos Air. Hole19, TheGrint and Golf Pad have no swing detection on the watch; Hole19 Intelligence detects shots after the round, and Golf Pad’s automatic tracking uses its TAGS club tags. Golfonaut logs a shot when you tap, for free, and the shot saves itself as you walk to your ball.
Where Golfonaut fits, and where others are stronger
- Golfonaut is iPhone and Apple Watch only; 18Birdies, Hole19, Golfshot, TheGrint, SwingU and Golf Pad also run on Android.
- It has no hole maps or plays-like distances on the watch, which 18Birdies, Hole19 and Golf Pad offer in their paid plans.
- It does not detect swings automatically; Golfshot Pro and 18Birdies Premium do.
- It shows swing speed estimated by the watch, runs each round as a golf workout with heart rate and calories, and replays rounds in 3D with Private Club. For the detail against Hole19 and 18Birdies, see Golfonaut vs Hole19 vs 18Birdies.
Try Golfonaut on your Apple Watch
Free on the App Store with no ads. It needs an iPhone on iOS 18 or later and an Apple Watch on watchOS 26 or later.
Try GolfonautGolfonaut is on iPhone for now. Android is coming soon.Or get Golfonaut on the App Store
Sources (read 10 November 2026)
- Golfonaut on the App Store
- Golfshot on the App Store
- Golfshot Help, Auto Shot Tracking on Apple Watch
- Hole19 on the App Store
- Hole19, Apple Devices page
- 18Birdies Help, Using 18Birdies on Apple Watch
- 18Birdies Help, how shot detection works
- 18Birdies on the App Store
- Arccos, Apple Watch page
- Arccos, members FAQ
- Arccos on the App Store
- Arccos, Arccos Air page
- TheGrint on the App Store
- SwingU on the App Store
- Golf Pad Support, what you can do from Apple Watch
- Golf Pad on the App Store
Golfonaut facts also come from the app itself. Where a maker’s pages disagreed with each other, we went with today’s App Store listing. All other app names are trademarks of their owners; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
