Help

How to track rounds, read your summary, and install the app on your phone.

Quick Start

  1. Tap Start New Round on the home screen.
  2. Choose round length (18, Front 9, or Back 9), tracking mode, and optional target or course.
  3. Enter each hole in order. Data saves automatically as you go.
  4. Use the bottom bar to move between holes: Next is the main action; pick a hole from the dropdown or tap Summary (small button on the left) when you want a mid-round review.
  5. From Summary, export JSON, edit the round, or finish when you are done.

New rounds default to Strokes Lost Estimate at a 10 handicap benchmark. You can switch to Standard Scorecard anytime before starting.

Tracking Modes

Standard Scorecard

Classic stat tracking: playable approach, GIR, avoided short side, putts, penalties, and score. Best when you want traditional percentages without strokes-lost estimates.

Hole flow: par → playable approach → GIR → avoided short side (if GIR is No) → putts → penalties → score → optional clubs and notes.

Strokes Lost Estimate

Adds shot-context fields (tee result, distance buckets, lie around the green) so the round summary can estimate strokes lost by category. Still records score, putts, and penalties.

Hole flow follows your shot sequence: tee → approach → green → scoring fields → optional notes. Clubs are optional in both modes.

Estimates are rules-based — helpful for practice focus, not official strokes gained.

Field Definitions

Shared fields

Par

Hole par (3, 4, or 5). Auto-filled when you load a course scorecard.

GIR (Green in Regulation)

Did you reach the green in par minus 2 strokes?

Putts

Number of putts on the green for this hole.

Penalties

Penalty strokes counted on this hole (OB, water, lost ball, etc.).

Penalty off the tee?

Of your penalty strokes, how many happened off the tee? Used in summary penalty breakdowns.

Score

Your total score on the hole. Starts at 0 until you set it.

Additional Notes

Optional free-text notes for the hole (expand to edit).

Standard Scorecard only

Playable Approach

After your tee shot, did you have a normal look at the green — not a punch-out, forced layup, or recovery because of trouble?

Avoided Short Side

When you missed the green, did you avoid leaving yourself on the short side of the pin? Only shown when GIR is No.

Strokes Lost Estimate only

Tee Result

Where your tee shot left you: Clean Look, Awkward but Playable, Punch-Out / Layup, or Lost / OB / Water.

Club used off the tee

Optional. Which club you hit from the tee.

Approach Distance

Yardage bucket for your approach shot: <50, 50–100, 100–150, 150–200, or 200+ yards.

Club used for approach

Optional. Which club you used for the approach.

Lie Around Green

When GIR is No — where the ball ended up around the green: Fairway / Fringe, Rough, Bunker, or Recovery.

First Putt Distance

Length of your first putt: Tap-In (<3'), 3–10', 10–20', 20–40', or 40+'.

Understanding Strokes Lost Estimate

On the round summary (SLE rounds only), the app totals estimated strokes lost vs a handicap benchmark. Positive numbers mean strokes lost; negative numbers mean strokes saved vs expectation.

Categories

  • Driving — from tee result
  • Approach — from GIR, approach distance, and first putt distance
  • Short Game — when GIR missed; first putt distance and lie around green
  • Putting — from putts and first putt distance
  • Penalties — penalty stroke count (tee penalties are not double-counted in Driving)

Benchmark handicap

Pick scratch (0), 5, 10, 15, or 20 when you start an SLE round. This sets the default comparison level. On the summary, you can switch benchmarks to see how estimates change — that choice is not saved to your round.

Higher-skilled benchmarks scale up positive (lost) strokes; 15 and 20 handicaps also soften saved-stroke values. Same raw round, different expectations.

Confidence

High — most scored holes have tee result, approach distance, first putt distance, and lie (when GIR was missed). Breakdowns are more reliable.

Medium — some SLE fields filled across the round. Category totals may under-count holes with missing data.

Low — many holes missing context. Totals rely on penalties, putts-only fallbacks, or empty categories. Top takeaways may note lower confidence.

Takeaways

The summary may show up to three Top Takeaways (biggest category contributors) and one Practice Recommendation. Expand "How this was estimated" for per-hole detail and scaling notes.

Reading Your Round Summary

Score

Total score, total par, score to par, and averages by par type. For 18-hole rounds, front 9 and back 9 subtotals appear when applicable.

Vs Target

Shown when you picked a target at round start. Compares your score to the per-hole target baseline.

  • Even Par — target = hole par
  • Even Bogey — target = par + 1
  • Bogey+ (Avg +1.5) — hardest 9 holes target double bogey; easiest 9 target bogey
  • Even Double Bogey — target = par + 2

Delta: E = even with target · +N = N over · −N = N under

Putting

Total putts and putts per hole for scored active holes.

Statistics

Playable Approach

Holes where you had a normal approach opportunity (Standard rounds; also computed for SLE).

GIR

Overall and by par 3 / 4 / 5.

Adjusted GIR

GIR percentage counting only holes with a playable approach. Par 3 adjusted GIR matches regular Par 3 GIR.

Avoided Short Side

When you missed the green, how often you avoided the short side.

Penalties

Total penalty strokes, plus how many were off the tee.

Strokes Lost Estimate

Appears only for SLE rounds. Shows benchmark picker, confidence, category totals, insights, and expandable estimation detail.

Use Edit Round to return to hole entry, Export JSON to save a backup, or Finish Round to mark complete. Long-term trends for completed rounds are on the Statistics page from home.

Installing the App

Golf Tracker is a Progressive Web App (PWA). Install it on your home screen for full-screen use and offline access after the first load.

iPhone (Safari)

  1. Open the app in Safari (not Chrome).
  2. Tap the Share button (square with arrow up).
  3. Scroll and tap Add to Home Screen.
  4. Tap Add.

Launch from the home screen icon for the best experience. iOS may show a brief install tip when you first visit.

Android (Chrome)

  1. Open the app in Chrome.
  2. Tap the menu (⋮) or look for an Install app / Add to Home screen banner or prompt.
  3. Confirm install. The app icon appears on your home screen or app drawer.

Exact wording varies by Android version and browser. If no prompt appears, use Chrome menu → Install app or Add to Home screen.

Installed rounds stay on this device in local storage until you clear browser data or finish/export them.

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