8 Best Golf Apps to Improve Your Game

Today’s technology has certainly increased the distance golf balls travel. But it has also improved the way we consume golf knowledge and information in the form of smartphone apps.

Golf apps can not only help keep you updated on the latest PGA Tour event, but they can elevate your game, as well. From diagnosing your swing and giving the distance on your next shot to providing a quick answer to that perplexing rule you can’t remember, golf apps can be a great way to enhance your day on the course.

Here are some of the best golf apps to help make your next round your best round.

Hole19

Every golfer could use a rangefinder, and there are plenty on the market. So, why not choose one that does more than simply measure distances? Hole19 supports more than 40,000 golf courses and includes a rating guide. The app allows you to track your foursome’s scores and view graphs of your performance in driving, greens, short game, putting, and overall scoring. Plus, there is a shot tracker that shows how far you hit your last shot.

Price: Free / $7.49 per month or $49.99 per year for added features
Compatible with iPhones and Android

GolfLogix GPS + Putt Breaks

The free version of GolfLogix GPS + Putt Breaks app (though ad-supported) comes with plenty of features, including GPS distances on more than 30,000 courses worldwide, a yardage book with color 3D images of the course, stat tracking, handicap support, and a scorecard for up to four players. When you input your stats, they sync to the GolfLogix website for stat tracking and post-round analysis. The app can also provide distances to the front, back, and center of the green, and to hazards and layups. It also offers flyover videos of holes and tracks your club selection, location, and distance of your shots as you play your round. (Premium packages also offer putt breaks on the greens and club tracking.)

Price: Free / $29.99-$49.99 per year for premium upgrades
Compatible with iPhones and Android

SkyDroid – Golf GPS

The SkyDroid Golf GPS app costs a few dollars but includes a suite of helpful features without additional usage or course download fees. You see a satellite image of the course you are playing, and can track your last shot or compare your distance to the green with any other location on the course.

Price: $1.99 ($2.99 in order to synchronize scores) 
Compatible with iPhones and Android

Zepp Golf Swing Analyzer

The Zepp app is a swing aid built around technology also used for baseball, softball, and tennis. You can record swings, create highlight videos with tracer overlays and voiceovers, and share them. With the iOS version, you can get extra information from your Apple Watch on tempo, hand path, and hand speed, but the $150 Zepp sensor is required for the full range of metrics and analysis. 

Price: Free/ $150 for Zepp sensor with 3D swing analysis
Compatible with iPhones and Android

Coach’s Eye

Coach’s Eye purports to be the world’s leading video platform for reviewing athlete technique. It can record your golf swing on any device and replay it with slow-motion and telestration for instant, in-depth analysis at the range or on the course. With Coach’s Eye, you can zoom in on your swing, draw on the video, compare videos side-by-side, and add other notes to keep your thoughts organized and your drives in the fairway.

Price: $4.99, including in-app purchases
Compatible with iPhones and Android

mScorecard

Pencils and paper scorecards are so old school! mScorecard calculates scores, handicaps, and stats for up to five players. It also offers satellite images and GPS to help you calculate distances and there is support for side games, but mainly it’s about tracking your strokes. There are more than 43,000 courses in its database.

Price: Free
Compatible with iPhones and Android

Official Rules of Golf

You may not think you need this app, but every golfer can use the Rules of Golf app from the United States Golf Association. The rules of golf are being updated, rewritten, modernized, clarified, and simplified for the 2019 golf season. This digital rulebook details the official rules and includes a search function so you can find every rule, definition, and decision quickly and easily. Unbeknownst to some golfers, knowing the rules can often help you out of a jam, and this app will clear the way for playing the most legitimate golf you can play.

Price: Free
Compatible with iPhones and Android

Golf Channel Academy’s Instruction App

There’s plenty of golf swing instruction on television, but you can’t exactly haul a large-screen TV to the range. Instead, consider trying the Golf Channel Academy’s instruction app, which includes a library of more than 2,000 videos from golf instructors such as Michael Breed, Marin Hall, and Dana Rader. The app includes swing capture and analysis features that help you put the lessons to immediate use. If you would like some up close and in-person instruction, you can use the app to find a Golf Channel Academy coach or a location near you.

Price: Free for a selection of lessons / $29.99 for a premium lesson
Compatible with iPhones and Android

So, before you hit the tee box, take a look at your many golf app options, download one, and familiarize yourself with the app. Who knows? Maybe you’ll drastically improve your swing, distance, or putting with the help of your smartphone.