ForeGoals FAQ

Everything you need to know about ForeGoals

Getting Started

What is ForeGoals?

ForeGoals is a golf app that helps you play with intention and forethought. It sets and tracks goals for your season, your rounds, and your practice, then links them together with a simplified strokes lost — close to strokes gained insight, without the cost or the shot-by-shot logging. Set targets before you play, then track your first drive, first approach, first recovery, and putting hole-by-hole.

How do I get started with ForeGoals?

1. Download the ForeGoals app from the App Store or Google Play 2. Set up your profile and season goals — there's no account to create 3. Select a golf course you're playing 4. Set your ForeGoals based on your handicap 5. Start tracking your round hole-by-hole ForeGoals will guide you through the setup process and help you establish realistic targets for your round.

Do I need a handicap to use ForeGoals?

While having a handicap helps ForeGoals provide more accurate target recommendations, it's not required. You can manually set your own goals for birdies, pars, bogeys, drives resulted in playable, approaches resulted in putting, and putting targets based on your skill level and experience.

Who is ForeGoals for?

ForeGoals is built for golfers working to break 100, 90, or 80 — if you're a 5-handicap or higher, and especially if you're a 10 or a 15, this is for you. It's not built for tour pros or scratch golfers chasing full strokes-gained analysis; for that level of detail, you'll want a tool built around shot-by-shot distance and lie tracking.

ForeGoals Features

What are ForeGoals?

ForeGoals are pre-round targets you set across four key areas — the shots that actually tell the story of your round: • Scoring: Target number of birdies, pars, bogeys, and double bogeys • First Drive: How many drives you plan to leave in a playable position • First Approach: How many approaches you plan to leave putting • First Recovery: How many of your recovery shots (when you miss the green) get back to putting • Putting: Target distribution of 1-putts, 2-putts, and 3-putts These goals give you a clear plan before teeing off and keep you focused throughout your round.

Why does ForeGoals track First Drive and First Approach instead of fairways hit and GIR?

Fairways hit and greens in regulation are flawed measures of a good shot — top a drive into the fairway and it still "counts," and GIR only looks at approach shots that follow a good drive, so a bad drive can hide a great approach. ForeGoals asks a simpler question instead: did your first drive leave you in a playable position, and did your first approach leave you putting? It counts every approach shot, even your fifth one into the green, not just the ones after a good drive. If 12 of your 18 approaches resulted in putting, you hit 12 good approach shots — full stop.

How does ForeGoals adjust my plan during the round?

ForeGoals dynamically updates your targets after every hole. If a drive isn't playable on hole 3, the app recalculates how many drives you need to leave playable on the remaining holes to stay on track. This adaptive approach keeps your goals realistic and achievable throughout the round, reducing pressure and helping you stay focused on what's ahead.

What is the AI-powered recap feature?

After each hole, ForeGoals generates a concise AI recap powered by Anthropic Claude. The recap summarizes: • How you performed on that hole (scoring, drive, approach, recovery, putting) • How your performance affects your remaining goals • What to focus on for the next hole It's like having a coach in your pocket, helping you stay mentally sharp and strategically focused.

Tracking & Data

What stats can I track with ForeGoals?

ForeGoals tracks comprehensive round statistics — and a simplified strokes lost for each area: • Scoring: Birdies, pars, bogeys, double bogeys, and total score • First Drive: How often your drive was left in a playable position • First Approach: How often your approach was left putting • Recovery: How often recovery shots get back to putting • Putting: Putts per hole and 3-putt avoidance • Causes: A breakdown of what caused your bad shots — Decision Error, Direction Control, Distance Control, or Strike Quality All stats are compared against your pre-round ForeGoals to show your progress.

Can I track my rounds over time?

Yes! ForeGoals saves all your rounds, allowing you to review past performance, identify trends, and see how you're improving. You can view your scoring history, track which areas of your game are getting stronger, and set better ForeGoals for future rounds based on your historical data.

Does ForeGoals work offline?

ForeGoals is designed to work on the golf course, even with limited connectivity. Your rounds are saved on your phone, so you can track a round with no signal at all. Searching for a course and generating AI recaps do need an internet connection.

Using the App

How long does it take to track a hole?

Logging a hole takes under 15 seconds — 3 to 8 taps, one-handed, on the way to your next shot. Simply tap to record: • Your first drive's result (for par 4s and 5s) • Your first approach's result • Your recovery result, if you missed the green • Number of putts • Optionally, the cause of any bad result ForeGoals is designed to be fast and non-intrusive, so it won't slow down your round.

Can I edit a hole after I've logged it?

Yes! You can go back and edit any hole during or after your round. Tap on the hole you want to edit, make your changes, and ForeGoals will automatically recalculate your remaining targets and statistics.

What if I don't finish all 18 holes?

No problem! ForeGoals allows you to save incomplete rounds. Your progress is saved automatically, so you can review the holes you did complete and still see how you performed against your goals for those holes.

Technical & Support

Which devices are supported?

ForeGoals is available for: • iOS devices running iOS 14 or later (iPhone and iPad) • Android devices running Android 8.0 or later You can download ForeGoals from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Is my data secure?

Your rounds, goals, and Forethoughts are stored on your phone, not on a ForeGoals server, and there's no account or password to protect. ForeGoals doesn't add its own encryption to that data; it relies on your phone's passcode and built-in storage encryption. A few features send information to services ForeGoals uses, always over an encrypted connection: • AI recaps and coaching: the round details, your name, and your Forethoughts are sent to Anthropic to generate the feedback. You can turn AI recaps off in Preferences. • Course search: what you search for — or your location, only when you tap "Find courses near me" — is sent to GolfCourseAPI. • Subscriptions: purchases are handled by the App Store or Google Play, with RevenueCat managing subscription status. • Analytics and crash reports: usage analytics and crash reports are sent to Google Firebase. You can turn analytics off in Preferences. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.

How much does ForeGoals cost?

Round tracking, strokes lost, and your full history are free — forever. A subscription unlocks the AI Coach and practice planning, and costs $18/year or $3/month (about $36/year), with a 14-day free trial. That's a fraction of what full strokes-gained tools typically cost.

How do I contact support?

If you need help or have questions: • Email us at support@foregoals.com • Visit our website at foregoals.com • Use the in-app feedback feature We typically respond within 24 hours on business days.

About ForeGoals

What makes ForeGoals different from other golf apps?

ForeGoals is the only app that combines: • Pre-round goal setting based on your ability, linked to your season and practice goals • First Drive and First Approach results instead of fairways hit and GIR — metrics that actually reflect a good shot • The cause behind every bad shot, not just the result • A simplified strokes lost — close to strokes gained insight, without the cost or the shot-by-shot logging • AI-powered recaps that keep you mentally focused Instead of just recording what happened, ForeGoals helps you plan what should happen and tells you honestly why it didn't.

Who created ForeGoals?

ForeGoals was built by a golfer who wanted honest, actionable feedback without the cost and hassle of full shot-by-shot tracking — something simple enough to actually use, round after round.

Still have questions?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? We're here to help!