How to count putts in golf, and track putts per round with a putt counter app on your Apple Watch

What counts as a putt

The Rules of Golf count every stroke the same way. "Putt" is a statistics term, not a rules term, so golfers and stat apps follow a convention:

A putt is any stroke made while the ball is on the putting green.

That means a stroke from the fringe or the collar is not a putt, even if you used a putter. It counts toward your score, but you log it as a shot, not a putt. The reason is practical: putts per round is meant to measure how well you play once you are on the green. Fringe strokes would mix in a different skill and make the number harder to compare.

The convention also works the other way. If you chip from the green with a wedge (rare, but it happens), that stroke was made from the putting green, so it is a putt.

The single most important thing is consistency. Pick the rule and apply it the same way every round, or your putts per round will drift for reasons that have nothing to do with your putting.

Common putt counting mistakes

• Forgetting the tap-in. A six-inch tap-in is still a stroke and still a putt. It is the stroke most often left off a scorecard.
• Counting gimmes in stroke play. In stroke play you hole out. A friendly gimme in a casual round means the putt was not played; if you write down the score you would have made, at least be honest that the putt count is an estimate.
• Counting fringe strokes as putts. This inflates your putts and hides the real problem, which is usually the approach or chip that finished just off the green.
• Writing it down later. Reconstructing putts on the next tee, or in the car park after 18 holes, is where most counting errors come from.
• Recording only the total. A 6 on the card with no putt count tells you nothing about whether it was two bad shots or three putts.

Why putts per round matters more than your total score

Your total score is a result. It does not tell you which part of your game to practice. Splitting each hole into "shots to reach the green" and "putts" is the simplest stats split there is, and it answers a useful question right away: did I lose strokes getting to the green, or on it?

Two rounds of 95 can look identical on paper. One might have 30 putts and many wasted long shots; the other might have 40 putts and solid ball-striking. Those golfers need completely different practice. Without a putt count, both just see 95.

Three-putts are worth watching on their own. Each one is a stroke that a decent first putt and a short second putt would have saved. Counting putts per hole shows you exactly how many three-putts you had and on which holes.

How many putts per round is normal?

Two public sources give useful reference points. Use them as rough targets, not as grades.

PGA Tour figure: Tour Average for "Putts Per Round" (stat 119), through the week ending October 19, 2026. Shot Scope figures: as published by Golf Monthly on July 7, 2026.

Notice how close the numbers are. The gap between a 10-handicap and a 25-handicap is about three putts per round, and roughly 1.4 three-putts. The rest of the difference in their scores comes from the long game and the short game. If your putts are well above the line for your handicap, putting is your cheapest source of strokes. If they are near or below it, spend your practice time elsewhere.

How to track putts on the Apple Watch with GolfCounter

The easiest way to count putts honestly is to record each one the moment you hit it. GolfCounter, our app, is built for that.

1. Start the round on the Watch. Open the Watch app and you are on hole 1. After hole 9 you can finish or keep going to 18. The iPhone can stay in the bag; the Watch counts on its own.
2. Tap the stroke counter for every shot to the green. One tap per stroke, with haptic feedback so you do not have to look.
3. Use the separate putt counter on the green. Putts have their own counter, so each hole is saved with both the score and the number of putts.
4. Fix mistakes with a long press. A long press removes the last stroke, with a ring and a vibration so it cannot happen by accident. Penalties (OB, water, lost ball, unplayable) have their own counters too.
5. Send the round to the phone. Hold the send button at the end. If the phone is out of range, the round waits on the Watch and transfers later.

On the phone, the scorecard shows a Putts column next to every hole, and the round total is shown with putts alongside it. The Stats screen compares your putts with your previous three rounds, tells you which area is your biggest opportunity, and keeps a "best putts" record next to your 18-hole best.

Recording rounds is free. AI round analysis and an ad-free app are part of Premium, a subscription with a free trial. GolfCounter does not have GPS or yardages; it is a counter. For a wider look at the options, see our comparison of Apple Watch golf score apps, our guide to golf stroke counters for the Apple Watch, and playing with the Watch and no phone. Full details are on the GolfCounter app page.

A simple weekly putting drill list

Once you know your putts per round, practice the part that costs you strokes. Twenty to thirty minutes a week is enough to start.

• Short-putt circle. Place balls in a circle about three feet from the hole and hole them all in a row. Start again if you miss. This targets tap-ins and short second putts.
• Lag ladder. From 30 to 40 feet, roll balls to finish inside a putter length past the hole. This is the fix for three-putts.
• Gate drill. Set two tees just wider than the ball a foot in front of it and roll putts through the gate. This trains your start line.
• Up-and-down from the fringe. Play from just off the green and count your strokes to hole out. Remember: the first stroke is a shot, not a putt.
• Check the number. After each round, look at putts per round and three-putts. Change the drill mix only when the numbers change.