Guides
Best Golf App for Apple Watch and Wear OS (and Do You Still Need a Golf Watch?)
By Chris Chaney
The best golf app for Apple Watch or Wear OS is one that puts accurate green distances and an easy scorecard on your wrist without making you pay for the basics. SwingU does both for free: its Apple Watch app (Series 4 or later) and its Wear OS app (Wear OS 3 or later, with the Android app) show distances to the front, middle and back of the green and let you enter your score from the watch. You start the round on your phone, then play from your wrist.
If you already own a smartwatch, you may not need to buy a separate golf watch to get yardages on the course. The right app turns the watch you wear every day into a golf GPS. Here's what a good watch golf app should do, how SwingU's watch apps work on iPhone and Android, and how to set yours up before your next round.
What Should a Golf App for Apple Watch or Wear OS Do?
A watch screen is small, so the best golf watch apps keep it simple. Look for:
Front, middle and back distances to the green you can read at a glance.
Fast score entry so you can post your score walking off the green, without pulling out your phone.
Shot tracking from the wrist, so you can build your club distances as you play.
Free access to the basics. Distances and scoring shouldn't need a subscription.
Support for the watch you already own, whether you're on iPhone or Android.
SwingU checks every box on that list for free, and it's trusted by more than 8 million golfers worldwide.
How Does SwingU Work on Apple Watch?
SwingU's Apple Watch app works with the SwingU iPhone app. On the watch, you get:
Distances to the front, middle and back of the green for the hole you're playing, plus the hole's par and handicap.
Scoring for you and your group, entered right from the watch.
Track Shot, below the yardage readout, to record a shot with the Club Tracker. Pick your club, hit your shot, then end the shot when you reach your ball to see how far it went.
HealthKit support, including calories burned during your round.
You start your round on your iPhone, then open SwingU on your watch. The watch gets its information from your phone, so keep your iPhone with you, within Bluetooth range of the watch.
Which Apple Watch do you need? SwingU supports Apple Watch Series 4 and newer, running watchOS 10.0 or later. Series 3 and older aren't supported.
Does SwingU Work With Wear OS Watches?
Yes. SwingU's Android app works with Wear OS watches running Wear OS 3 or later, and like the Apple Watch app, the Wear OS app is free. To set it up:
Open the Google Play Store on your watch, search for SwingU and tap download. On newer versions of Android, you may also be able to install it to your watch from the Play Store on your phone.
Start your round as usual in the SwingU app on your phone.
Open SwingU on your watch to see your distances and enter your score.
To track a shot on a Wear OS watch, tap the dashes at the bottom of the main screen.
One thing to know: Wear OS watches aren't supported with the iPhone app. If you use an iPhone, Apple Watch is the watch that works with SwingU.
Do You Still Need a Golf Watch?
If you already wear an Apple Watch or a Wear OS watch, you probably don't need a separate golf watch just to get yardages. A free app like SwingU gives you green distances on your wrist and a scorecard you can fill in from the watch, using a device you already own and charge every day.
You don't need a watch at all to use SwingU. The iPhone and Android apps give you the full GPS rangefinder, with distances to greens and hazards on every course in the world, plus a satellite view of each hole. On iPhone, you also get distances at a glance on your lock screen during a round. SwingU's Live Activity banner shows the distances to the front, middle and back of the green, the hole number, par and handicap, and your score to par. (Live Activity isn't available on Android yet.)
A watch is most useful if you want to:
Keep your phone in your pocket or bag between shots.
Enter your score quickly without stopping to unlock your phone.
Track shots from your wrist.
If you're also deciding whether to carry a laser, see Do You Need a Rangefinder If You Have a Golf GPS App?
What Does SwingU Plus Add?
Watch distances and scoring are free on both Apple Watch and Wear OS. GPS distances and the scorecard on your phone are free too, and the free version never expires. SwingU Plus ($59.99 a year, or $4.99 a month billed annually) adds the AI Digital Caddie on your phone:
"Plays Like" distances that adjust for live wind and elevation.
Club recommendations based on the distances you enter, refined over time with shot tracking.
StrackaLine Green Maps for 20,000+ courses, showing the slope and break of each green.
Hole Insights and Hole Notes, plus an enhanced scorecard with stats like driver accuracy, bunker play and penalties.
On iPhone, Plus and Pro members also see Plays Like distances, club recommendations, wind speed and direction, and hole elevation on the Live Activity lock screen banner. Compare tiers in SwingU Plus vs Pro: What's the Difference?
How Do You Set Up SwingU on Your Apple Watch?
A few settings in the Watch app on your iPhone make SwingU much easier to use on the course:
Go to General and turn on Automatic App Install.
Check your Watch Orientation so it matches the wrist you wear it on.
Turn on Wake Screen on Wrist Raise, and set the wake duration to Wake for 70 Seconds.
Under Return to Clock, tap SwingU and turn on Return to App. (The exact menu names vary a little by watch model.)
On your iPhone, set SwingU's location permission to Always, so the phone can keep updating the watch while it's in your pocket.
What If SwingU Isn't Showing Up on Your Watch?
If the round won't start on your watch or the app won't sync:
Check for a stuck update. In the Watch app on your iPhone, go to My Watch > Available Apps and look for an orange indicator or a spinning wheel instead of Install.
Reinstall the watch app. Under My Watch > Installed on Apple Watch, toggle SwingU off, wait 30 seconds and toggle it back on.
Restart both devices, iPhone first, then the watch.
Update iOS and watchOS, and check that the watch has enough free storage.
Check permissions. The iPhone app needs location access for the watch app to work properly.
Still stuck? Email support@swingu.com. If you're not sure whether your watch is compatible, the support team can check that too. SwingU doesn't currently support older Samsung watches that run Tizen, Pebble or Fitbit devices, or other standalone GPS watches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free golf app for Apple Watch?
SwingU is a strong free choice. Its Apple Watch app shows distances to the front, middle and back of the green and lets you keep score for you and your group, with no subscription. It works with Apple Watch Series 4 or later.
Does SwingU work on Wear OS?
Yes. The SwingU Android app works with Wear OS watches running Wear OS 3 or later, and it's free. Install SwingU from the Google Play Store on your watch, start your round on your phone, then see distances and enter your score from the watch.
Can I use SwingU on my watch without my phone?
No. Start the round on your phone and keep it with you. The watch gets its information from your phone, and with Apple Watch your iPhone needs to be within Bluetooth range.
Can I use a Wear OS watch with an iPhone?
Not with SwingU. On iPhone, SwingU supports Apple Watch only. Wear OS watches work with the SwingU Android app.
Is the SwingU watch app free?
Yes. Watch distances and scoring are free on both Apple Watch and Wear OS, and GPS distances and scoring are always free on your phone too. SwingU Plus adds Plays Like distances, club recommendations and Green Maps.
Can I track my shots from my watch?
Yes. On Apple Watch, tap Track Shot below the yardage. On a Wear OS watch, tap the dashes at the bottom of the main screen. Choose your club, hit your shot, then end the shot when you reach your ball.
The Bottom Line
You don't need to buy a golf watch to get yardages on your wrist if you already wear an Apple Watch or a Wear OS watch. Download SwingU free to get green distances and scoring on your watch, plus GPS distances to greens and hazards on 34,000+ courses on your phone. When you want Plays Like distances, club recommendations and Green Maps, upgrade to SwingU Plus. New to the app? Start with what SwingU is, see our best golf apps of 2026, or read how to play a golf course you've never played.
Chris Chaney
Managing Editor, SwingU
Chris has been golfing since age 3 and has more than 30 years in the game. A competitive mid-am in Cincinnati, Ohio, he plays to a handicap between scratch and +3 and has spent 10 years at SwingU and Golf Genius.