The Best Apple Watch Apps Every Golfer Should Have Installed

The Apple Watch is a key digital resource that so many people rely on every day. This is particularly true for golfers who want to get the most out of their game. GPS watch technology has been around for a while, but many older styles are bulky, uncomfortable, and useful only in this singular context. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, can support a variety of wrist-based golf applications that add the same data-driven approach to your game without sacrificing comfort or offering nonexistent utility beyond the links.

And with the golfing apps we've listed below in your wrist-worn library, getting the most out of your game is easier than ever. The pros utilize a wealth of analytical tools to improve their ball striking, spin management, and distance control — why shouldn't you focus on these aspects of the game too? (Moreover, thanks to the seamless pairing between the iPhone and the Apple Watch, you can dive into all that data once you've left the golf course.) Here are the essential golfing apps you should have in your toolbox.

Leading off the list is GolfLogix. The app offers itself as a technically proficient rangefinder that goes a step above. Not only will you get accurate distances to the green (including front and back measurements), but the app provides a 3D approach visual that helps golfers understand the terrain, hazards, and potential rollout lines.

The slope data included in the GolfLogix app places it on a pedestal when it comes to phone and watch rangefinding technology. Users gain essential 'plays like' information that accounts for elevation and slope figures, and the app even provides a putting planning tool that visualizes where your putt is likely to break on your proposed putting line.

These features make GolfLogix a must-have training tool for golfers at any level. Bringing your game up a notch is all about practice and mindset — and with these tools, improving your preshot routine, confidence in club selection, and green reading skills can be rapidly enhanced. 'Plus' features in the app cost $12.99 per month after a two-round free trial and add the putt guidance, break maps, and hole flyover visuals to the four-player scorecard, stat tracking, and 3D course maps that remain active in the free version.

In early 2023, Golfshot set out to unveil a range of new features that should excite any golfer, no matter the skill level or commitment to tweaking minute details. On the phone, Golfshot's app offers an augmented reality feature that maps out distances and details for hazards across the hole you're playing. It also offers a pinpointed green, even when the target destination is hidden by a slope, trees, or the natural bend of a dogleg.

The app also can be used to create personalized plans for improvement with the Golfplan 2.0 feature. This helps golfers identify areas that they are strong in as well as weaknesses. For instance, the data might suggest you're a strong approach player from 60 yards, but not 75 or 45. Planning shots to leave yourself that perfect distance can become a priority that's backed by repetitive measurements rather than gut instinct, giving you greater confidence when it matters the most for your score.

These improvements are made even more impressive with the Swing ID function on the Apple Watch. Golfshot's Swing ID measures your swing plane, hand speed, swing tempo, and other key data points through the use of your watch. The app's feedback is then tailored to your individual game for key takeaways that can be used to make subtle changes that shave strokes across your round.

V1 Game is another course GPS app, but one that adds a unique feature for golfers looking to understand where they're losing strokes. The watch app detects when you make a shot and vibrates to ask for club information input. (It doesn't pair up with expensive tags or sensors on the golf club, unfortunately.) Recording shot information from your wrist means you don't have to constantly pull out your phone or return to the cart to gain invaluable data on your golf game. The app also provides essential distance information on the front, middle, and back of the green for confidence in real-time shot-making decisions.

However, these aren't the only functions that V1 Game brings to the table. With AI breadcrumb technology and automatic shot detection, the app is much better at identifying and tracking shots than competitive apps. Not only will V1 Game accurately identify shots more often (missing fewer strokes in the process), but if it does miss one, the AI integration is adept at identifying where the shot likely took place based on your movement around the fairways and the shot data on either end of the missing information. As a wrist-worn GPS app, V1 Game is one of the most helpful game improvement tools Apple Watch owners can download.

The dominant force in golf statistics, the Arccos Caddie app pairs up with Arccos Caddie sensors to deliver the best in shot tracking and game improvement. Arccos Caddie works to dial in your shot selection process, and the watch app has become so potent that users don't need to look at their phone at all to get the benefits from the platform. With GPS rangefinder distances locked in, and suggested club data offered with each new pre-shot routine, golfers using the Apple Watch Arccos Caddie app can put their phone in the bag and forget about it.

The watch app also allows you to set the pin position, and review shots and scores among other things. When paired up with the sensors that snap onto the backs of your golf clubs, you gain a massive wealth of information about the nuances of your game. The sensors capture your shot data without additional input on your watch or phone, offering an amazing catalog of detail surrounding your distances, swing path, and spin production. With this, golfers of all levels can make substantial improvements to their game. The tool is $12.99 per month and will revolutionize the way you think of golf.