How to use your Apple Watch as a golf GPS: The best apps 

If you own an Apple Watch and are in the market for a specialist golf watch, you could download a golf app for you Apple Watch and have the best golf watch GPS 2023 without having to buy another device. 

There are numerous free apps you can download which are compatible with an Apple Watch, that being said, you don’t always get access to every feature of the app. It is more than likely if you wish to use more premium features there will be a subscription option (or two) you can purchase and have a premium golf watch as well as a smartwatch all in one place. 

With the abundant selection of apps available, it is important to understand which are good and which are a waste of time. Obviously, every app will have its critics, but we take a look at the ones we think to be the best.

Best golf apps for Apple Watch 

This is not a list of ranking or preference it is simply a list of apps you should look into downloading. We recommend downloading all of the app and taking advantage of the free features before taking the plunge on a paid subscription, that way you will know which one works best for you. 

18Birdies

RRP: Free (Premium £7.99/week | £19.99/month | £99/year)

The 18Birdies golf app for Apple Watch is very functional without having to pay the subscription fee. There are plenty of features you can access without spending a penny, including GPS rangefinder; score keeping, handicap tracking, shot measurement, stats and round history, and many more. 

If you do wish to pay for a subscription you do get access to some other cool features including “plays like” distances accounting for elevation change; weather factored in to distances, AI coaching and swing recognition, and more.  

V1 Game 

RRP: Free (Membership tiers range from £1.99/month to £11.99/month ad £20/year to £120/year)

With the V1 Game app for Apple Watch it is incredibly unlikely you will turn up to a course not in their system, with over 40,000 golf courses worldwide. From this watch you can get accurate distances to greens, hazards; as well as manually setting pin positions for precise yardages. 

This app works as a virtual caddie offering club recommendations by tracking performance with each of your clubs; this is all done in the background and requires nothing from you until after your round. With the subscriptions you gain access to more premium features to understand what aspects of your game you need to improve. 

Tag Heuer Golf 

RRP: Free (Premium £6.99/month or £39.99/year)

The Tag Heuer golf app for Apple Watch offers shot and score-tracking; distances to the green, hazards, club recommendations, statistics and more. This is a really good value for money app if you wish to pay the subscription fee; with a considerable saving if you purchase an annual subscription. 

The 2-D course map is extremely useful, especially if you are playing a course you are unfamiliar with. The images are clear, and the app is easy to use. 

SwingU

RRP: Free (Premium upgrades from £6.99 to £99.99)

This is one of the most popular golf apps for Apple watch with over 6 million users worldwide. SwingU is really easy to use and offers the following features without paying a subscription fee; shot tracking, daily golf instruction, digital scorecard, calculated handicap, and more. 

If you do wish to pay for a subscription, there is a range of options to choose from which can give you access to the following; “plays like” distances accounting for elevation change, club recommendations, stat comparisons with other users, enhanced scorecard stats, and much more. 

Hole 19

RRP: Free (Premium £9.99/month | £32.99/6 months | £49.99/year)

Hole 19 is a very impressive app with a loft of functionality, most of which can only be accessed when you subscribe to premium. Premium may not be a considerable amount of money but in order to turn your Apple Watch into a golf watch you will most likely need to pay one of the subscription fees. 

By purchasing a premium subscription, you get access to club recommendations; shot-tracking, highlights from your rounds, premium maps, club statistics and much more. The app is very easy to navigate and comes with over 43,000 courses; – unlikely you will not find the course you are playing.