GolfCounter: a golf score counter for your Apple Watch and iPhone
Tap the watch once per stroke. Mark putts and penalties with a swipe. Your scorecard is waiting on your phone when you finish the round.
Free to download and record rounds. AI round analysis and an ad-free app are part of Premium, a subscription with a free trial.
What GolfCounter does as a golf score tracker
Most golf apps are GPS apps that also keep score. GolfCounter is the other way round: it is a stroke counter first, built so you can keep a correct score without looking at a screen for more than a second. On the course you use the Watch. Off the course you use the phone to look back at your rounds.
As a golf score tracker it keeps four things per hole: strokes, putts, OB and water (lost balls and unplayable lies too). From those it builds your round history, your average over recent rounds and your best scores, so you can see whether your game is moving without writing anything down.
There is no map to download, no course to pre-load and no account wall before your first tap. If you have ever lost count on a long par 5 and had to reconstruct the hole with your playing partners on the next tee, this is the problem the app was made to fix.
How a round works
Start on the Watch
Open the Watch app and you are on the first tee. Finish after 9 holes or keep going to 18. The iPhone can stay in the bag.
Tap once per stroke
Every shot is one tap on the big counter. Putts have their own counter so your stats stay honest.
Swipe for penalties
OB, water, lost ball and unplayable each have a counter. Add one by tapping, remove one with a long press.
Send to the phone
Hold the send button at the end of the round. If the phone is out of range, the round waits on the Watch and transfers later.
Review and compare
See hole-by-hole scores, putts per round, your average and your best, and how you trend over time.
A golf scorecard on your Apple Watch
The Watch app is built so the scorecard fills itself in while you play. The main screen shows a large stroke count with the hint "Tap +1 · Hold −1": tap to add a stroke, hold to take one away. Putts sit on their own counter, and a swipe brings up the penalty screen for that hole, where OB, water, lost ball and unplayable are added with a tap and removed with a hold.
When you want to check the card mid-round, the by-hole view lists each hole you have entered with its putts, along with your total so far. At the end of the round the finish screen shows your score and putts, plus OB and water, before you send it. Sending needs a deliberate 1.5-second hold, so a stray tap does not end the round. If the iPhone is not nearby, the round stays saved on the Watch and transfers automatically when the two connect again.
On the iPhone the round becomes a hole-by-hole scorecard in your history, where you can correct any hole and compare it with earlier rounds.
Features
Apple Watch counter
Designed for a gloved hand: one large tap target for strokes, a separate one for putts, and haptic feedback so you do not have to look. A long press undoes the last stroke with a visible ring and a vibration, so nothing disappears by accident.
Works offline
Nothing on the course needs a signal. Rounds are stored on the device and synced to your account when you are back online.
Hole-by-hole history
Every round is saved with score, putts and penalties per hole. Edit any hole later from the phone.
Stats and milestones
Average score, best round, putts per round, and badges for breaking 120, 100, 90 and 80. Share a round card with your group.
Play with your group
Create a group for the day, share scores in real time, and run side games such as Nassau, Las Vegas and Olympic without a pencil.
AI round analysis (paid)
After a round, an AI coach reads your hole-by-hole data and tells you where the strokes went and what to practice. It is part of Premium, a subscription with a free trial that also removes ads.
How it compares with GPS golf apps
| GolfCounter | Typical GPS golf app | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Count strokes and putts | Distances to the green, then scoring |
| Works on the Watch without the iPhone | Yes | Varies by app |
| Setup before the first tee | None | Load the course map |
| Watch battery over 18 holes | Light use (no GPS) | Heavy use (GPS on) |
| Price to record rounds | Free | Often free with ads or a premium tier |
| Yardages and course maps | No | Yes |
If you want distances, keep your GPS app or a laser rangefinder. GolfCounter is for the scorecard.
Frequently asked questions
Is GolfCounter free?
Downloading the app and recording rounds is free: scores, putts, OB and water hazards, the Apple Watch counter, round history, stats, rankings and group features. AI round analysis and an ad-free app are part of Premium, a subscription with a free trial.
Does it work on the Apple Watch without my iPhone?
Yes. The Watch app counts strokes and putts on its own. Keep the iPhone in your bag or in the car; the round is sent to the phone the next time the two devices connect.
Does it have GPS or a rangefinder?
No. GolfCounter is a score counter, not a GPS app. That is why it needs no setup before the first tee and does not drain the Watch battery with maps.
Which devices are supported?
iPhone, Apple Watch (watchOS 9 or later), Android phones and Wear OS watches. Your rounds sync through your account when you sign in with Google or Apple.
Can I use it outside Japan?
Yes. Course search currently covers 2,400+ courses in Japan. Anywhere else you can still count strokes, record every hole and keep your history; you simply skip the course selection or type the course name.
Can I fix a mistake mid-round?
Yes. Each hole can be edited on the phone, and on the Watch a long press removes the last stroke. OB, water, lost ball and unplayable lies can be added and removed one at a time.
What happens to my data if I change phones?
Sign in with the same Google or Apple account on the new phone and your rounds, history and posts come with you.
Is GolfCounter a golf score tracker app?
Yes. GolfCounter tracks your strokes, putts, OB and water hazards (plus lost balls and unplayable lies) for every hole, keeps a history of your rounds, and shows your averages and bests on the iPhone. Entering your score on the Apple Watch is free; AI round analysis and an ad-free app are part of Premium, a subscription with a free trial.
Can I use GolfCounter as a golf scorecard app on my Apple Watch?
Yes. Start the round on the Watch on hole 1 and tap once per stroke; finish after 9 holes or go on to 18; putts and penalties have their own counters, and a by-hole view shows each hole with its putts and your total so far. At the end you hold the send button. The round stays saved on the Watch and transfers when the iPhone is in range, and the full hole-by-hole scorecard is then in your history on the iPhone.
Is GolfCounter free on the Apple Watch?
Yes. The Watch counter for strokes, putts and penalties is free, and so is recording rounds and seeing them on the phone. AI round analysis and an ad-free app are part of Premium, a subscription with a free trial.
Download GolfCounter
Free on the App Store and Google Play. Apple Watch and Wear OS supported.