If you don't have a Premium or Intelligence subscription and simply want distances to the front, center, and back of the green on your wrist, this article is for you. GPS distances are free for every Hole19 golfer on both Apple Watch and Wear OS smartwatches.
If you're a Premium golfer and want scores and stats on your wrist too, see Using Hole19 on Apple Watch with Premium (iOS) or Wear OS - how to use Hole19 during a round (Android) for the full feature set. For the complete list of compatible devices, see What devices does Hole19 work on?
Before you start
- Apple Watch requires watchOS 10 or later. Wear OS smartwatches require Wear OS 2.2 running Android 10 or later (API 29+).
- Make sure your phone and watch have a solid Bluetooth connection. See Troubleshooting Connection - Smartwatches if they won't pair.
- Update Hole19 to the latest version. On iPhone, update it in the App Store: this should update your Apple Watch automatically. If it doesn't, open the Watch App on your iPhone > scroll down to Hole19 > toggle off 'Show App on Apple Watch' and toggle it on again > scroll down and under Available Apps you should see Hole19 updating. On Android, update it in the Google Play Store; for Wear OS, install or update Hole19 from your watch's own Play Store (it should also appear automatically after installing it on your phone). The next time you start a round, the app on the watch should be running the latest update.
- You always need your phone to start and save the round. During the round itself, the watch is enough.
Start the round on your phone
- Open Hole19 and select the course you want to play, then tap Play Golf.
- This takes you to the Round Settings screen, edit your round details, scroll down and turn the Skip Scoring toggle on.
- Tap Start Round.
During the round on your watch
When you tap Start Round on the phone, Hole19 opens automatically on your Apple Watch or Wear OS watch and takes you straight to the Distances screen. This is the screen you'll use for most of your round.
Reading the Distances screen
The screen is split into two. On the left side, you'll see the number of the hole you're playing, with a small GPS Accuracy icon just above it.
On the right side, three distances are stacked from top to bottom: to the back of the green, to the center, and to the front. Just below the front distance, you'll find the hole's Par and Stroke Index.
In the bottom right corner sits one more button to open Maps. You'll see it, but it requires a Premium or Intelligence subscription.
Choose your GPS source
On Apple Watch, swipe right from the Distances screen to land on a settings screen with a Watch GPS toggle. On Wear OS, swipe left from the Distances screen to access the GPS Source toggle.
When the toggle is on (blue), the app uses your watch's GPS, and your phone can stay in the bag. When it's off (grey), the app uses your phone's GPS instead, so keep the phone with you, or at least within 15 yards.
Change holes
On Apple Watch, there are two ways to move to another hole:
- On the Distances screen, scroll through the hole numbers on the left side.
- Swipe left and pick the hole number from the list.
On Wear OS, there are three ways to move between holes:
- Swipe up to move to the next hole.
- Swipe left twice and select a specific hole number from the list.
- Swipe right once to enable the Watch Crown, then use it to scroll through holes.
Finish the round
You can finish the round on your watch, but you always need your phone to save it. If the connection between the devices is unstable, return to your phone before finishing on the watch.
On your phone, select Finish Round, then save it.
Tips
Watch GPS and battery. Using the watch's GPS significantly reduces battery life: expect an 18-hole round to use 60% to 70% of a full charge. Close other watch apps you're not using, and see battery tips for more.
Wake on wrist raise. (Apple Watch only) For a smoother experience, open the Settings app on your watch, go to Display & Brightness, and turn on Wake on Wrist Raise.
Health information. (Apple Watch only) To see steps, distance walked, and calories burned, check your permissions in Activate Health Information and keep your iPhone in your pocket during the round. If tracking still doesn't work, go to iPhone Settings > Privacy > Motion & Fitness and make sure Fitness Tracking is on. See also Apple's guidance.
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