Target Golf
Target Golf is a zone-based scoring game that runs inside every round. Instead of just tracking whether you hit the fairway, it tracks where in the fairway — and the caddie uses that same zone framework when recommending your play.
The zones
Each landing area on the hole is divided into three zones:
| Zone | Points |
|---|---|
| Middle | 3 |
| Adjacent (left or right of middle) | 2 |
| Far side (opposite from middle) | 1 |
The caddie defines the landing area and zones based on the hole layout, your current position, and the yardage. Zones are set per shot, not per hole.
How the caddie uses zones
When you ask for a recommendation, the caddie gives you a zone target — not just a club. For example:
"I'd play a 6-iron into the middle zone — the slope there feeds you toward the flag. Stay away from the right side; that bunker is in play from the left rough."
The zone recommendation factors in:
- Your typical miss direction
- Hazard positions
- Pin location relative to the green zones
- Wind direction
This shifts the goal from "hit the fairway" to "hit the right part of the fairway" — which is how scratch golfers and tour caddies actually think about course management.
Scoring
After each shot is logged (automatically via Apple Watch swing detection or manually via the Shot button), you tag the result zone.
- Middle zone: 3 points
- Adjacent zone: 2 points
- Far-side zone: 1 point
- Miss (hazard, OB, or outside all zones): 0 points
Your cumulative Target Golf score is shown in the round UI alongside your stroke score. It updates after each tagged shot.
Solo and group rounds
Target Golf works in both solo and group rounds.
In a group round, each player has their own Target Golf score tracked independently. At the end of the round, the debrief shows both the stroke results and the Target Golf leaderboard for the group.
Target Golf score is often a better predictor of next-round performance than stroke score alone. A round where you shot 82 but scored 38 Target Golf points is a better foundation than a 79 where you got lucky on scrambles.
Reading your results
The post-round debrief breaks down your Target Golf performance by club and by hole type:
- Which clubs are consistently hitting the middle zone
- Where you're losing points (far-side misses vs. adjacent misses tell different stories)
- Holes where zone targeting improved your scoring vs. holes where zone targeting would have changed your approach
Over multiple rounds, this builds a picture of where your course management has room to improve independent of ball-striking.