Apple Watch for Golf

[Paul Verizer]

New AW3 non-cell owner here (Garmin Vivoactive took a dump) and I have yet to play around with any of the apps yet. After reading all of the Q & A on this thread I'm wondering...

 

Do the users or moderators have the ability to create a poll? It may be helpful on a topic such as this, as there are so many details within each app, a clear first, second, or third place out of five or so would at least make it clear at a glance which apps are worth trying and which are not. Though, I do love the minutia. Sometimes.

[jsanatx]

Tried Fun Golf, downloaded the app to my phone and AW3 (non-cell), but when I'm at the course, i open the app on the watch, tap on start a round and I get a message "Visit the FunGolf Store on your iPhone to get the yardages right on your wrist". WTH does this mean? I'm an old fart, so take it easy.

[TScottTX]

You need to buy a subscription through the app on your iPhone.

[jsanatx]

well hell, are there any apps that are free to use on your watch?

[jpdx]

well hell, are there any apps that are free to use on your watch?

 

hole 19. by far the best I've tried that is free and doesn't require a subscription or purchase of any kind. uses gps on the watch or on the phone if you keep the Bluetooth connected during the round. uses very little battery (play 36 with no issues) really easy to use imo.

 

New AW3 non-cell owner here (Garmin Vivoactive took a dump) and I have yet to play around with any of the apps yet. After reading all of the Q & A on this thread I'm wondering...

 

Do the users or moderators have the ability to create a poll? It may be helpful on a topic such as this, as there are so many details within each app, a clear first, second, or third place out of five or so would at least make it clear at a glance which apps are worth trying and which are not. Though, I do love the minutia. Sometimes.

 

I think that's a good idea, however imo, the poll would be outdated quickly. there are lots of apps out there that can use the aw and also just the gps on the aw (series 2 and 3), and new ones are created all the time - not to mention the updates that make/may make the poll out of date.

[Str8Putt]

Does FunGolf on the watch give you club selection on the watch like GolfShot does if you pay for a script?

[Str8Putt]

Bought a year for FunGolf. The phone interface is real good. Hindsight I should have bought 1 month of it and 1 month of GolfShot Pro and seen which I liked the most on the watch and then bought the year. Now I'll wind up buying a month of GolfShot Pro and hope I don't like it more hahah

 

The Fungolf watch face works and had no problem with it knowing the hole.

I forgot to try the Smart Target mode on the watch.

I wish it would give you the recommended club on the watch app like GolfShot does.

I

[dgbarar]

HI All,

 

I also liked the interface of FunGolf on my iPhone and Watch. The issue I had with FunGolf is that it kept loosing it's position on the course if I attempted to edit a score mid-round. Attempted to contact FunGolf by eMail for help--never heard (even thought they claim 48 hour response time) back from them and after several attempts canceled my monthly subscription.

 

I am currently trying new products. GolfShot Pro is next on my list.

 

Don Barar

[Str8Putt]

I emailed FunGolf last night using the support page about if there was a chance of getting the suggested club on the watch.

The replied this morning that no because of being legal for R&A competition so they were pretty quick.

 

I already bought a year of FunGolf so I'll use it but going to get a monthly sub for GolfShot Pro to try. I see they gave you the option of taking the score card feature off the watch in the last update.

 

Really all I want is F/B/M to the green, distance to bunkers/hazards and club suggestion on the watch. I'll use the paper scorecard and input my info later into the phone app

[TScottTX]

Really all I want is F/B/M to the green, distance to bunkers/hazards and club suggestion on the watch. I'll use the paper scorecard and input my info later into the phone app

 

I'm curious as to why so many want club selection suggestions from a GPS device. It can only "suggest" a club from the info you already know and have entered into the program. Now if the GPS device actually knew the elevation change from your position to the target and if it knew the velocity and direction of the wind and it knew the firmness of the turf or greens, that might be a different matter.

[Str8Putt]

Really all I want is F/B/M to the green, distance to bunkers/hazards and club suggestion on the watch. I'll use the paper scorecard and input my info later into the phone app

 

I'm curious as to why so many want club selection suggestions from a GPS device. It can only "suggest" a club from the info you already know and have entered into the program. Now if the GPS device actually knew the elevation change from your position to the target and if it knew the velocity and direction of the wind and it knew the firmness of the turf or greens, that might be a different matter.

 

Because I've switched clubs that I play and the distances are different between the other set is pretty good and as a reminder of what club I want to hit at a certain yardage. I haven't played any meaningful golf the past few years either so I use yardage cards I've made for my club sets that I pull out and look at some times.

[BrokerXlll]

Apple Watch is worth every penny.

[larryd3]

Overall I’ve been pleased with FunGolf on the Apple Watch. I’ve had no issues with it since I’ve been using it since early in January. Overall a good product.

[enigma2k]

how does the Apple Watch S3 with hole19/Fungolf/Golfshot compare to using a dedicated golf watch like the Garmin S20?

[Frankensteins Monster]

how does the Apple Watch S3 with hole19/Fungolf/Golfshot compare to using a dedicated golf watch like the Garmin S20?

 

Garmin, you're using their software and only their software and you're only using it for golf. No phone needed for software/updates

 

Apple Watch you have a choice of apps to use and you can use it for fitness, use it as an music player, without bring along iPhone, extension of iPhone, health tracking. Need an iPhone to install apps/updates.

 

GPS's are the same. There should be no pinpointing location differences.

[RunOfTheDill]

So it sounds like reading through this people either use fungolf, the grint, or hole19. I used The Grint on my phone and will be getting the first crack on my new watch. I'm mostly using it for score keeping/stat tracking as I already have a rangefinder. Is something else better?

[all4isu]

I used hole19 yesterday for the first time. No complaints with GPS - it worked well and updated quickly. However, the app was very slow to allow me to enter my score. i.e. after swiping right to enter score the app would sit for unresponsive to touch for up to ~30 secs. Has anyone experienced this? This was consistent when hooked up to the phone via Bluetooth or not.

[jpdx]

I used hole19 yesterday for the first time. No complaints with GPS - it worked well and updated quickly. However, the app was very slow to allow me to enter my score. i.e. after swiping right to enter score the app would sit for unresponsive to touch for up to ~30 secs. Has anyone experienced this? This was consistent when hooked up to the phone via Bluetooth or not.

 

no issues currently with my aw2. is the app updated? I know in the past when updates happened it would have intermittent issues similar to what you've described (but less than 10sec), but found them corrected by the next time I played.

[all4isu]

I used hole19 yesterday for the first time. No complaints with GPS - it worked well and updated quickly. However, the app was very slow to allow me to enter my score. i.e. after swiping right to enter score the app would sit for unresponsive to touch for up to ~30 secs. Has anyone experienced this? This was consistent when hooked up to the phone via Bluetooth or not.

 

no issues currently with my aw2. is the app updated? I know in the past when updates happened it would have intermittent issues similar to what you've described (but less than 10sec), but found them corrected by the next time I played.

 

Yep I have the latest version with AW3. I'll try restarting both the phone and watch today to see if that helps.

 

Either way I'm hoping this is not normal, since the app was borderline not usable because I was consistently distracted by trying to input my score.

[jpdx]

I used hole19 yesterday for the first time. No complaints with GPS - it worked well and updated quickly. However, the app was very slow to allow me to enter my score. i.e. after swiping right to enter score the app would sit for unresponsive to touch for up to ~30 secs. Has anyone experienced this? This was consistent when hooked up to the phone via Bluetooth or not.

 

no issues currently with my aw2. is the app updated? I know in the past when updates happened it would have intermittent issues similar to what you've described (but less than 10sec), but found them corrected by the next time I played.

 

Yep I have the latest version with AW3. I'll try restarting both the phone and watch today to see if that helps.

 

Either way I'm hoping this is not normal, since the app was borderline not usable because I was consistently detracted by trying to input my score.

 

ah, I had a weird issue some time ago on my aw2. I then turned it off, and the phone...then restarted. both worked great again afterwards. :dntknw:

[jreed]

Does Hole19 allow standalone AW3 use in the free version? Or are you tethered to your phone in the free version?

[all4isu]

Does Hole19 allow standalone AW3 use in the free version? Or are you tethered to your phone in the free version?

 

Yes on the free version you can use your AW3 as a standalone. Load the app on your phone, start your round, access the app on your watch, then turn off Bluetooth.

 

Side note - the slow response to enter my score noted above appears to be better with the latest app update. I'm playing today and will try again.

 

Also, so far I've tried all the apps listed in this thread and like hole19 the best (except for the slower reponse to load score). The apps load distances fast and accurately, and the score tracking is easy. After the round your stats are organized really well and useful.

[Augustok]

I’ve been using Hole 19 for a couple of weeks with AW3 and haven’t experienced any slow score loading. Or slow anything.

[Minarets]

Been a Hole19 user for the last 3 years. I always think there has to be something better, try it, and come back to Hole19.

 

 

Love it. If I could make any wish, it would be HC tracking tho. That would eliminate another app for me.

[scagnetti]

Been a Hole19 user for the last 3 years. I always think there has to be something better, try it, and come back to Hole19.

 

 

Love it. If I could make any wish, it would be HC tracking tho. That would eliminate another app for me.

 

have been using h19 for two years now, over 100 rounds, and about 70-80% of those with the AW2. ive grown accustomed to playing with my iPhone (6S) in my pocket, and whip it out on harsh, acute doglegs for visual aid, and play around with the distance markers on there for precise yardage to bunkers/hazards, etc...

 

my question for you, Most Interesting Beard in the World, is what app do you use for calculating your handicap?

 

h19 asked me for my handicap, I provided it, and it calculates my shots/round for gross and net. But I assume youre talking about your posted scores/adjusted cap... I tend not to worry about that, as I use Nomads GC or the golfsoftware.com calculator...

 

second question for you, do you use h19 to enter every shot? before an update some many months ago, it would track my total mileage for the day, like tell me how far I've walked/travelled, from the time I open the app till the end of the round, and now no distance at all...

 

I loved it so much I upgraded to premium and the best perk is definitely the Premium Maps, crisp display on the phone, and seemingly more and better access to stats IF you enter every shot for your round.

 

Do you use the AW/h19 app for every shot, and if so, how intuitive is the data entry?

 

I tried it once, and was a bit confused, as in, do I press this button BEFORE i swing, AFTER i swing, while it's in flight, is that a fuggin pigeon that just shat on my sandwich?

 

It was so confusing and slowed me down to the point where my playing partners abused me for slow play. On the first hole... any wisdom you have on the subject is welcome.

[jpdx]

Been a Hole19 user for the last 3 years. I always think there has to be something better, try it, and come back to Hole19.

 

 

Love it. If I could make any wish, it would be HC tracking tho. That would eliminate another app for me.

 

have been using h19 for two years now, over 100 rounds, and about 70-80% of those with the AW2. ive grown accustomed to playing with my iPhone (6S) in my pocket, and whip it out on harsh, acute doglegs for visual aid, and play around with the distance markers on there for precise yardage to bunkers/hazards, etc...

 

my question for you, Most Interesting Beard in the World, is what app do you use for calculating your handicap?

 

h19 asked me for my handicap, I provided it, and it calculates my shots/round for gross and net. But I assume youre talking about your posted scores/adjusted cap... I tend not to worry about that, as I use Nomads GC or the golfsoftware.com calculator...

 

second question for you, do you use h19 to enter every shot? before an update some many months ago, it would track my total mileage for the day, like tell me how far I've walked/travelled, from the time I open the app till the end of the round, and now no distance at all...

 

I loved it so much I upgraded to premium and the best perk is definitely the Premium Maps, crisp display on the phone, and seemingly more and better access to stats IF you enter every shot for your round.

 

Do you use the AW/h19 app for every shot, and if so, how intuitive is the data entry?

 

I tried it once, and was a bit confused, as in, do I press this button BEFORE i swing, AFTER i swing, while it's in flight, is that a fuggin pigeon that just shat on my sandwich?

 

It was so confusing and slowed me down to the point where my playing partners abused me for slow play. On the first hole... any wisdom you have on the subject is welcome.

 

if i may...

 

1. I personally use diablogolf app (also has a website). select the course, the tees played, enter score, how many holes (9/18) and h/a/t. it'll calculate for you. downside is that it's a separate app. wish h19 would just include hc calculation as mine is not "official" anyways.

 

2. I had the same issue as you Scagnetti. I found that in one of the updates, it turned the sharing OFF within the health function. Emailed h19 and they had me go into the settings, re authorize h19, turn phone off, turn phone on, and reload h19 and the miles walked should show up.

 

3. I have not used h19 for every shot, as I'm still a free user. I know that you can do it on the phone. the process should be that you set your teebox on the phone, hit, walk to ball, tap watch for first shot. hit, walk, tap. rinse and repeat.

 

Scagnetti, Can you share some of the differences in your user experience between the free vs premium version?

[scagnetti]

Been a Hole19 user for the last 3 years. I always think there has to be something better, try it, and come back to Hole19.

 

 

Love it. If I could make any wish, it would be HC tracking tho. That would eliminate another app for me.

 

have been using h19 for two years now, over 100 rounds, and about 70-80% of those with the AW2. ive grown accustomed to playing with my iPhone (6S) in my pocket, and whip it out on harsh, acute doglegs for visual aid, and play around with the distance markers on there for precise yardage to bunkers/hazards, etc...

 

my question for you, Most Interesting Beard in the World, is what app do you use for calculating your handicap?

 

h19 asked me for my handicap, I provided it, and it calculates my shots/round for gross and net. But I assume youre talking about your posted scores/adjusted cap... I tend not to worry about that, as I use Nomads GC or the golfsoftware.com calculator...

 

second question for you, do you use h19 to enter every shot? before an update some many months ago, it would track my total mileage for the day, like tell me how far I've walked/travelled, from the time I open the app till the end of the round, and now no distance at all...

 

I loved it so much I upgraded to premium and the best perk is definitely the Premium Maps, crisp display on the phone, and seemingly more and better access to stats IF you enter every shot for your round.

 

Do you use the AW/h19 app for every shot, and if so, how intuitive is the data entry?

 

I tried it once, and was a bit confused, as in, do I press this button BEFORE i swing, AFTER i swing, while it's in flight, is that a fuggin pigeon that just shat on my sandwich?

 

It was so confusing and slowed me down to the point where my playing partners abused me for slow play. On the first hole... any wisdom you have on the subject is welcome.

 

if i may...

 

1. I personally use diablogolf app (also has a website). select the course, the tees played, enter score, how many holes (9/18) and h/a/t. it'll calculate for you. downside is that it's a separate app. wish h19 would just include hc calculation as mine is not "official" anyways.

 

2. I had the same issue as you Scagnetti. I found that in one of the updates, it turned the sharing OFF within the health function. Emailed h19 and they had me go into the settings, re authorize h19, turn phone off, turn phone on, and reload h19 and the miles walked should show up.

 

3. I have not used h19 for every shot, as I'm still a free user. I know that you can do it on the phone. the process should be that you set your teebox on the phone, hit, walk to ball, tap watch for first shot. hit, walk, tap. rinse and repeat.

 

Scagnetti, Can you share some of the differences in your user experience between the free vs premium version?

 

I dont really know where to start, to be honest, other than to say that for any business, let alone a golf app, Hole 19 has outstanding, superb or peerless customer service. it's not really even debatable. Call or email, its kinda obscene how fantastic their CS is...

 

to be truthful, there is not a whole lot of the Premium functionality that I am taking advantage of at the moment. I believe if I were entering my shots as opposed to just my scores, then it very well could pay for itself, hence my joke about the crystal clear Premium Maps being the best part of the upgrade. (They are pretty great, btw.)

 

To see the interface now, I am clearly missing out on stroke and club stats by not entering every shot. What else is clear with that functionality, is that I can foresee a jump in the stats offered in the near future, where when compiling the data, a user should soon have access to strokes gained IF they/me/you don't already with the premium upgrade (which is only $100 HKD a year, btw, pretty cheap, around $15 USD).

 

This is the root of my question for Minarets, in that I am trying to get more and more data thru the app, as after some lessons and over 200 rounds the last two years, I've gone from around a 26 to a 13 handicap. [humble brag]

 

The short answer? I dunno, I can't explain it all because I dont feel I am utilizing the app to its full functionality...

[Minarets]

I do not use the premium feature. Just the free app. I don’t want to be slowed down on the course. What it offers is great. If it offers more, that’s nice but not for me. The basics works. The crisper maps would be nice tho.

 

I use an app called handicap. It’s basic and works perfect.

 

 

[Spooky67]

Been a Hole19 user for the last 3 years. I always think there has to be something better, try it, and come back to Hole19.

 

 

Love it. If I could make any wish, it would be HC tracking tho. That would eliminate another app for me.

 

have been using h19 for two years now, over 100 rounds, and about 70-80% of those with the AW2. ive grown accustomed to playing with my iPhone (6S) in my pocket, and whip it out on harsh, acute doglegs for visual aid, and play around with the distance markers on there for precise yardage to bunkers/hazards, etc...

 

my question for you, Most Interesting Beard in the World, is what app do you use for calculating your handicap?

 

h19 asked me for my handicap, I provided it, and it calculates my shots/round for gross and net. But I assume youre talking about your posted scores/adjusted cap... I tend not to worry about that, as I use Nomads GC or the golfsoftware.com calculator...

 

second question for you, do you use h19 to enter every shot? before an update some many months ago, it would track my total mileage for the day, like tell me how far I've walked/travelled, from the time I open the app till the end of the round, and now no distance at all...

 

I loved it so much I upgraded to premium and the best perk is definitely the Premium Maps, crisp display on the phone, and seemingly more and better access to stats IF you enter every shot for your round.

 

Do you use the AW/h19 app for every shot, and if so, how intuitive is the data entry?

 

I tried it once, and was a bit confused, as in, do I press this button BEFORE i swing, AFTER i swing, while it's in flight, is that a fuggin pigeon that just shat on my sandwich?

 

It was so confusing and slowed me down to the point where my playing partners abused me for slow play. On the first hole... any wisdom you have on the subject is welcome.

 

if i may...

 

1. I personally use diablogolf app (also has a website). select the course, the tees played, enter score, how many holes (9/18) and h/a/t. it'll calculate for you. downside is that it's a separate app. wish h19 would just include hc calculation as mine is not "official" anyways.

 

2. I had the same issue as you Scagnetti. I found that in one of the updates, it turned the sharing OFF within the health function. Emailed h19 and they had me go into the settings, re authorize h19, turn phone off, turn phone on, and reload h19 and the miles walked should show up.

 

3. I have not used h19 for every shot, as I'm still a free user. I know that you can do it on the phone. the process should be that you set your teebox on the phone, hit, walk to ball, tap watch for first shot. hit, walk, tap. rinse and repeat.

 

Scagnetti, Can you share some of the differences in your user experience between the free vs premium version?

 

I dont really know where to start, to be honest, other than to say that for any business, let alone a golf app, Hole 19 has outstanding, superb or peerless customer service. it's not really even debatable. Call or email, its kinda obscene how fantastic their CS is...

 

to be truthful, there is not a whole lot of the Premium functionality that I am taking advantage of at the moment. I believe if I were entering my shots as opposed to just my scores, then it very well could pay for itself, hence my joke about the crystal clear Premium Maps being the best part of the upgrade. (They are pretty great, btw.)

 

To see the interface now, I am clearly missing out on stroke and club stats by not entering every shot. What else is clear with that functionality, is that I can foresee a jump in the stats offered in the near future, where when compiling the data, a user should soon have access to strokes gained IF they/me/you don't already with the premium upgrade (which is only $100 HKD a year, btw, pretty cheap, around $15 USD).

 

This is the root of my question for Minarets, in that I am trying to get more and more data thru the app, as after some lessons and over 200 rounds the last two years, I've gone from around a 26 to a 13 handicap. [humble brag]

 

The short answer? I dunno, I can't explain it all because I dont feel I am utilizing the app to its full functionality...

 

Congrats on the HC drop!! Nice work.

 

I have used the free app for a couple of rounds and have found the yardages to be very accurate when compared to course markers or a rangefinder. My only issue- not a real issue just my thoughts- is that I like to leave my phone in the cart. If I get too far away from the cart the app stops updating distances on the watch...not a big deal at all, just something to mention.