# Smartphone GPS/Scoring Apps



## jpjeffery (Feb 11, 2013)

Has GM ever done a round-up of Golf GPS/Scoring Apps for Androids/iPhones? If they haven't they really should, there are so many!

Whether they have or not, here's a selection and description of the ones I've got installed on my Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus Android smartphone. I've not used all of them in a round yet so I offer only a review of those I have. If I've not used the app then I'll just give a description. Just to be clear, I'm purposefully excluding golf apps that deal with instruction, swing analysis, rules and games.

*Birdieputt*
Not used this. Use to measure a distance from which it then tells you which club to use. Obviously for this to be accurate you have to enter your distances for each club in your bag. Also has a 'squeeze' measure (not sure what else to call it) which you line up with the top and bottom of the flag to get a distance reading to the hole.

*Golf Pad*
Not used. Seems to have a really quick system for entering your score by offering three buttons: +Penalty; +Putt; +Shot. Also uses GPS to show distances to the Centre, Front and Back of the green.

*Golfshot*
This is one that I've used to score a round in the past. There is a GPS option but that costs and I've not subscribed to. The method of inputting the score is nice and clear and big (good for the long-sighted like me) but there doesn't seem to be any way of recording shot distances. I seem to recall liking the older version of this app and this version seems to be much the same if not better.

*Golf Range Finder*
Not used. Displays satellite image on which you can then set two points to measure a distance. Doesn't record your score so might only be useful for establishing your club distances, but that seem to rely on you accurately entering the two points on the image. If you can manage that then I guess you could use it to find your club distances.

*Oobgolf*
I've used this extensively. This app is from the Oobgolf website. Both the site and the app are free but if you pay for â€˜Addictâ€™ membership you get the GPS feature enabled and extra stats to track and report on.

This was my favourite app for a long time but since recently renewing my subscription the GPS option isn't available in the app and I can't get any useful response from them. To be fair this seems to be an issue unique to me, but still...

Entering your score uses a pretty good interface but I definitely need my reading glasses to see it clearly. Distance tracking seems to be limited to the tee shot and the approach shot and works by you telling it to start measuring, then stopping it when you reach the ball. It also offers the current distance to the green and an overhead shot of the fairway on which you can set points to measure distances. The round updates to the website as you hack your way around the course so your friends can keep up to date with your progress, then updates your round and stats at the end. It's a good app, and a good website with a friendly group of members, but the issue with my account and the apparent lack of updates to the app are a bit of a concern.

*Swing By Swing Golf*
Thanks to the bug in my Oobgolf account this app has become my new favourite, and that after only using it once (last Friday). Free membership gives various shot/distance measurements but the paid version offers extras such as distance to front and back of the green (not just the centre), shot direction, number of putts, handicaps, distance measure of every shot and even "...review your round in 3D...". I'm not sure how well the last feature works though (or why you'd want it!) as I keep getting 'Script Error' at the bottom of the web page when I try it.

Since my round on Friday was my first use of the app I got to try the subscription features for free and I have to say I really liked the way it measured each shot. You just click on â€˜Startâ€™ at the tee then â€˜Stopâ€™ when you reach the ball on the fairway. At this point it asks you which club you used then if you want to start another shot, and so on until you reach the green. At the end of the round you upload the scorecard. I'm not sure if it offers a 'live view' like the Oobgolf app does. I could just about navigate my way around the interface without my glasses on.

The webpage for the round includes many interesting things such as the time spent on each hole, how far you walked and a map of the round showing straight lines for each shot, including the distance and the club, plus a meandering line which reflects the route you walked. So far I've only got three rounds recorded on the website, the first two from when I first used the app on a Blackberry (at which time I didn't like it much although I think that was at least as much to do with the horrid Blackberry OS as the app design!) and while it does give some historical data as I've not (yet) subscribed I can only see some quite basic stats (e.g. Par 3 avg, Par 4 avg, total pars, total bogies etc.)

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There are plenty more apps out there, of course, so if you've got one on your Smartphone (Apple or Android or Windows), whether I've covered it or not, please give forth your opinions!


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## Rooter (Feb 11, 2013)

jpjeffery said:



*Golfshot*
This is one that I've used to score a round in the past. There is a GPS option but that costs and I've not subscribed to. The method of inputting the score is nice and clear and big (good for the long-sighted like me) but there doesn't seem to be any way of recording shot distances. I seem to recall liking the older version of this app and this version seems to be much the same if not better.
		
Click to expand...

Golfshot does measure every stroke if you want it to, you need to press a button when you start walking and when you reach your ball though.

I think this app is great, i use it for the GPS measurement functionality mainly, some of the stats it keeps are great though, gives you FIR, GIR, number of putts, missed fairways (left or right), sand saves, penalties etc (you obviously have to enter all this!) but then it emails you the details at the end of your round. you can also score 3 others if you ever go out without a scorecard!

The GPS part (which is why i mainly bought it) is great and seems to be very accurate.


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## RogB (Feb 11, 2013)

I use Golfshot (full version) to record my round on an HTC Desire S. Its a little slow so I only track my own scores. The GPS distances and aerial photograps of the course are the best bit and help me with shot selection as I rarely play the same course consecutively. Unfortunately while the new version (Android finally caught up with i-phone) is very nice looking, tracks distances per club, and is more responsive it now crashes (at least on my phone). Golfshot support are pretty good though with course/scorecard changes and responding to the new problems s I'm optimistic. On a newer, faster smartphone I suspect it would be excellent.


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## Rooter (Feb 11, 2013)

Rog, it's crack a lackin on my iPhone 5


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## jpjeffery (Feb 14, 2013)

I need to give some deserved credit to the Oobgolf guys, who have fixed the problem with my account so that I can now put my Oobgolf app in to 'GPS & Scoring' mode.

I've just subscribed to Swing by Swing though, so I'll be using that app when I play tomorrow. I think I marginally prefer it to Oobgolf but let me be clear, the Oobgolf app is good.


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## jason6r (Feb 17, 2013)

I use Golfshot GPS (paid version) all the time and I love it - great range of stats to log and then analyse and shows me where I need to improve. Linked with golfplan (which uses the Golfshot GPS stats to generate a specific set of training drills) it's a powerful app, which I'd highly recommend.


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