There are plenty of reasons a golfer may want to keep wearing an Apple Watch during a round. It may be the watch they use for fitness tracking, messages and everyday notifications or they may just simply have no interest in buying and charging another device.
Shot Scope has now built its full golf experience around that idea, and we couldn’t be more excited.
The new Shot Scope Apple Watch app combines GPS distances, detailed hole maps, green contours, shot tracking and access to the company’s performance dashboard. There are no club tags, no second watch and, importantly, no subscription. Shot Scope charges once and includes the complete platform for the life of the app.
We’ve tested the beta for more than a month across dozens of rounds. Setup is simple, GPS performance is fast and the tracking process asks very little of the golfer while they’re actually trying to play.
Shot Scope Apple Watch App Setup and GPS
Easy Setup and Fast GPS
Setup is handled through the Shot Scope mobile app. A pairing dialogue connects the phone and Apple Watch, while settings and display preferences are selected on the phone before syncing to the watch.
Course detection and GPS acquisition have been extremely fast, quicker in our experience than many dedicated golf GPS devices. Yardages and maps were also easy to read in bright sunlight and changing conditions. The primary screen keeps front, middle and back numbers large and immediately accessible.
Full-Hole Mapping and Tap-to-Target
Shot Scope also includes overhead maps of each hole, with hazards, trees and other course features represented on the watch. Golfers can use those maps to understand the hole or measure to a specific location.
The tap-to-target function is one of the app’s better features. Rather than selecting only from a preset list of hazards, the golfer drags the map beneath a fixed reticle. The distance updates immediately based on the location positioned under the marker.
That lets the player measure to the end of a fairway, the corner of a dogleg, a layup area or a specific point around a bunker. On a par five, the map can be moved until the remaining distance matches the number a golfer wants for the next shot. The feature is intuitive, responsive and accurate.
Most of our testing took place on courses we already knew, so the map wasn’t needed to understand the basic layout. Even then, measuring to an exact point was useful. It answered a more specific question than a standard hazard list and eliminated some of the estimating that comes with relying only on front, middle and back numbers.
A separate hazard screen is also available. It displays distances to the front and carry point of hazards and is easy to find and read. We used it less often because the movable map gave us more control over the exact location being measured.
Green Contour Maps
Green contour maps are included with the app and show the major breaks, slopes and undulations of the putting surface. Shot Scope says those maps are created by its in-house mapping team.
Their most obvious use is approach planning. A center-green yardage doesn’t tell the entire story if a ridge divides the putting surface or if one side of the green leaves a much more difficult putt. Contour information can help a golfer choose a better target before hitting their approach.
Shot Tracking Without Club Tags
As always, the Shot Scope GPS experience is rock solid, but shot tracking is what makes its Apple Watch app really stand out.
Some golfers don’t want club tags. Others don’t want to wear two watches, tap a club against a device before every shot or add another action to their pre-shot routine. Plenty of players are interested in performance data but struggle to fully dive in long term.
Bottom line? The Shot Scope Apple Watch app is the least invasive tracking system we’ve used.
The watch detects a full swing and marks the location automatically. It then displays a club-selection screen and highlights several clubs it believes were most likely used based on the distance from the pin. During testing, those suggestions were almost always correct.
The golfer taps the appropriate club and continues playing. It takes only a moment and becomes natural after a few holes.
Short swings, including many chips, may not trigger automatic detection. In those cases, a small button on the screen manually records the shot and brings up the same club-selection options.
Putting is also entered manually. The golfer taps the on-screen button to record the putt, and the app knows the putter was used without asking for another club selection. A final button is pressed once the ball is holed.
The user still needs to stay involved, but that isn’t a negative. Practice swings, drops, provisional balls, conceded putts and short recovery shots can complicate any tracking system.
Shot Scope handles the location work while asking for a few quick confirmations, producing useful data without constantly interrupting the round.
Editing and Reviewing the Round
Data tracking has been very accurate, but post-round review and editing remain part of the process. A missed chip, incorrect club selection or unusual penalty situation may still need to be corrected.
We found editing easiest through Shot Scope’s desktop dashboard. Rather than feeling like a chore, reviewing the round gave us a chance to revisit good shots, see where trouble began and pat ourselves on the back for the occasional long drive.
Once finalized, Shot Scope provides more than 100 statistics, including Strokes Gained and Handicap Benchmarking. Shot Scope 6 organizes the data into six broader performance areas, while MyStrategy helps with course planning. Over time, that information can show where strokes are actually being gained and lost.
Battery Life and Stability
Battery life depends on the watch model, its age, battery health and how many other features are running during the round. Our experience with the Series 9 was better than expected.
We start each morning with a full charge on our watch and tend to play most of our rounds later in the day. During the round, the Shot Scope app ran at the same time as Apple’s Workout app, which was used to track walking. We were thrilled to see that the watch never ran out of battery. That performance was noticeably better than what we’ve experienced with other Apple Watch GPS apps, which can drain the battery quickly.
The Shot Scope beta was also remarkably stable. Several software updates were pushed during the testing period, but we didn’t experience a single crash. Courses loaded quickly, yardages updated properly and rounds synced before we’d put our clubs back in the car.
Customer Service That Feels Personal
One of Shot Scope’s biggest strengths has nothing to do with GPS accuracy or shot tracking. It’s the way the company supports its customers.
Shot Scope handles customer service internally rather than sending golfers through a contracted support operation or just ignoring them altogether. When someone reaches out with a question or problem, they’re dealing with a person who works for the company and understands the products. That may sound like a small distinction, but anyone who has spent time stuck in a generic support queue knows how much it matters.
Who Is the Shot Scope Apple Watch App For?
The most obvious answer to that question is the golfer who already owns an Apple Watch and wants to keep wearing it during a round. However, the Shot Scope Apple Watch app should also appeal to golfers who want performance data but have avoided club tags or more involved tracking systems.
For golfers who understand the value of tracking but haven’t been drawn to the usual collection methods, the Apple Watch app offers a much easier entry point. It works with a device they already wear and requires very little extra thought during play.
Dedicated Shot Scope watches will still suit golfers who prefer physical buttons, golf-specific hardware or a device they can keep in the bag between rounds. For an Apple Watch owner, however, the app provides nearly everything needed to use the Shot Scope platform.
Our Take
Shot Scope’s Apple Watch app is brilliant.
It combines fast GPS, clear maps, useful target measurement and the least invasive shot tracking we’ve used. That’s especially important because performance data is only useful when golfers are willing to keep collecting it.
At $149.99, the app is competitive with the first-year cost of several subscription-based alternatives. Shot Scope doesn’t send another bill the following year, and golfers retain access to the GPS features, green contours, tracking and performance dashboard.
For Apple Watch owners who want the complete Shot Scope experience without another device or another subscription, it’s an easy product to recommend.
Shot Scope Apple Watch Price and Details
The Shot Scope Apple Watch app is available for a one-time payment of $149.99, with no monthly or annual subscription fee.
The app includes front, middle and back green distances, detailed hole maps, dynamic hazard yardages, tap-to-target measurements, green contour maps and assisted shot tracking. Completed rounds sync with Shot Scope’s mobile app and desktop dashboard, where golfers can access Strokes Gained, Handicap Benchmarking, Shot Scope 6, MyStrategy and more than 100 performance statistics.
More information is available at ShotScope.com.
