How to Score and What to Choose

Scoring a hole, top to bottom

Work down the Hole Scoring screen and tap one button in each row.

Results of 1st Drive. Your tee shot on a par 4 or 5. Par 3s skip this row.
Results of 1st Approach. Your first shot of approach length, or your tee shot on a par 3.
Results of 1st Recovery. Your next shot, only if your approach wasn't Putting.
Results of Putting. How many putts you took.
Scoring Results. Your score for the hole.

When a shot goes wrong, ForeGoals also asks why. Once every answer is in, the app moves to the next hole for you.

A hole in four taps: a drive in the fairway is Playable, an approach onto the green is Putting, then 2 Putts and 4 - Par. Nothing went wrong, so there are no causes to answer.

A small box and number on a button shows how many of that result are left in your plan for the round.

ForeGoals Hole Scoring screen with Playable, Putting and 4 - Par selected

Results of 1st Drive

Choose the result that best describes where your tee shot left you.

Penalty

Out of bounds (OB), unplayable lie, water, lateral hazard, lost ball or other penalty.

Trouble

Deep rough, bunker, blocked approach, forced lay-up or constricted swing.

Way Short

Mishit that finished far shorter than expected, without a difficult lie or blocked next shot.

Playable

Expected distance into fairway or light rough, with a normal next shot toward the green.

Overhead view of a par 4 showing tee shots labeled Penalty in water and out of bounds, Trouble in trees and a bunker, Way Short in the fairway, and Playable further down the fairway.

Trouble or Way Short?

Topped it 75 yards down the middle of the fairway? That's Way Short. Topped it 75 yards into the trees? That's Trouble, because your position limits your next shot.

If more than one fits, pick the first one that applies: Penalty, then Trouble, then Way Short, then Playable. A drive only 10 or 20 yards short of normal is still Playable, and so is a shorter club you meant to hit, if it went the distance you intended.

Results of 1st Approach

Your first shot of approach length on a par 4 or 5, or your tee shot on a par 3. Choose by what your next shot will be.

Penalty

Out of bounds (OB), unplayable lie, water, lateral hazard, lost ball or other penalty.

Trouble

Deep rough, bunker, blocked approach, forced lay-up, constricted swing, or significantly less distance than expected.

Chipping

Rough or fairway close enough to chip next shot.

Putting

Green, fringe, or fairway close enough to putt next shot.

Overhead view around a green showing approach shots labeled Penalty in water, Trouble in a bunker and in trees, Chipping just off the green, and Putting on the green.

Results of 1st Recovery

This row appears when your approach wasn't Putting. It records the first shot after an approach that missed the green, using the same four buttons and meanings as the approach pictures above.

Penalty: Out of bounds (OB), unplayable lie, water, lateral hazard, lost ball or other penalty.
Trouble: Deep rough, bunker, blocked approach, forced lay-up, constricted swing, or significantly less distance than expected.
Chipping: You still need to chip: rough or fairway close enough to chip next shot.
Putting: You recovered: green, fringe, or fairway close enough to putt next shot.

Results of Putting

A putt is any stroke taken once the ball is in a puttable position, whether or not it's technically on the green.

0 Putts: Holed out from off the green.
1 Putt: One putt from the green, fringe or fairway.
2 Putts: Two putts from the green, fringe or fairway.
3+ Putts: Three or more putts from the green, fringe or fairway. ForeGoals then asks why the first putt didn’t set up a two-putt: Poor Read, Short, Long or Start Line.

Scoring Results

Each button shows the strokes for that score on this hole, so a par 4 shows 3 - Birdie, 4 - Par and 5 - Bogey. For anything worse than a double, tap Triple+ and enter your actual score.

Why Result Was

When a shot doesn't go to plan, ForeGoals asks for the main cause, so your stats can show patterns and not just bad holes. You'll be asked after a Penalty, Trouble or Way Short drive, a Penalty or Trouble approach, and a Penalty, Trouble or Chipping recovery.

Decision Error

Shot hit into expected dispersion range, but result was bad because of aggressive strategy (target dispersion included hazards) or incorrect aim.

Direction Control

Shot hit outside of expected dispersion direction due to a hook when meant to fade or a slice when meant to draw, but distance was on target.

Distance Control

Shot hit outside of expected dispersion distance due to incorrect club or swing power, but direction was on target. Approach and Recovery only.

Strike Quality

Bad strike resulted in a shot outside of expected dispersion distance or direction (fat, top, chunk, skull, thin, shank).

Overhead view of four shots at the same target and its expected dispersion: Decision Error into water inside the dispersion, Direction Control hooked left, Distance Control on line but short, and Strike Quality topped well short.

Not sure which cause?

If you hit the shot about the way you normally do, and it still found trouble because of your target or aim, it's a Decision Error. Otherwise, pick what went wrong with the shot: line, distance or contact. Drives offer Decision Error, Direction Control and Strike Quality.

ForeGoals Hole Scoring screen with a Trouble drive and Direction Control cause selected, with an explanation under each row

The What to Choose? button

You don't have to remember any of this. The large What to Choose? button sits just above Previous Hole and Next Hole on the scoring screen.

On: each row explains the button you tapped, and these same pictures appear below Next Hole.

Off: you see only the buttons, for faster scoring once you know them. ForeGoals remembers your choice for your next round.