Best Golf Apps For IPhone 2023

Are you hesitant to buy that expensive golf GPS device for fear that you won’t really get enough use out of it?

Maybe you want a green reader but don’t want to have to carry another device in your golf bag or in your pocket.

There are a ton of gadgets in the market these days and they all do different things.

Sure, sometimes you will get the occasional 2 in 1 golf GPS and launch monitor; but these types of combination devices usually compromise in one way or another and you never get the full benefit of having a committed device.

But have you ever considered the possibility that you may already have the ultimate all-in-one golf gadget in your pocket? We are talking of course about your very own iPhone.

So in today’s review, we are going to be showing you how you can optimize your iPhone for the ultimate golfing experience.

In our list we have done our utmost to review apps that cover most of what a golfer would practically need during a round or during a practice session. Let’s get into the list.

1. The Grint

Cost: Free/$19.99/$39.99 per year

We start our list with one of the most generous golf apps for iPhone. The Grint is your all in one stat suite that gives you USGA Compliant handicaps for 37,000 courses from around the world.

The Grint allows you to keep stats from your rounds, scores and even includes a golf rangefinder function. The Grint comes as a free application or a paid one. With the free version, you get the golf rangefinder, score tracking, live scoring (seeing scores from other players) and more.

With the paid subscription you get access to features like advanced performance analysis, scorecard transcription (simply take a picture of your scorecard and the app will transcribe and store the data for you) and USGA handicap indexes.

There are 2 paid versions of The Grint. The Handicap Membership costs $19.99 per year and the Pro Membership costs $39.99 per year.

Pros:

  • Generous free features
  • Includes a rangefinder function
  • USGA certified

Cons:

  • Top tier subscription is expensive
  • Hard to set individual handicaps

Check Out More Reviews Here:

2. Hole 19

Cost: Free / $49.99 Per Year

Hole 19 is more of a golf GPS app. You get distances to the front, back and middle of the green, full color course maps for over 43,000 courses from around the world and the obligatory digital scorecard.

But what we liked most about this golf GPS is app is that it will tell you your distance to the hole no matter where you are on the course – some golf GPS devices don’t even do that. The free version of this app comes with the GPS features, range finder features and the discover courses feature.

The paid version of the app includes augmented reality modes, distance tracking, club recommendations and more advanced shot analytics. You can get the paid version for $7.49 per month, $29.99 for 6 months or $49.99 per year.

Pros:

  • Compatible with Apple Watch
  • Lets you read reviews of golf courses
  • Large community of users

Cons:

  • Eats a lot of battery
  • Only the most basic features are free

Check Out More Reviews Here:

3. Golf Pad

Cost: Free / $19.99 Per Year

The main selling point of this app is as a digital scorecard. A lot of people don’t like to carry a pad and pencil with them on the course so an app like Golf Pad would be a great alternative.

But that’s not all that comes with this app. You get distances to the green, an aerial map of 40,000 courses, the ability to edit course notes, scoring for a party of up to 4, shot tracking, club information and more. And that’s all with the free version of the app!

There is a paid version which only costs $19.99 per year and it includes advanced stat tracking, smartwatch compatibility and a handicap scoring feature.

Pros:

  • Gives club recommendations
  • Great on battery life even in GPS mode
  • Continued developer improvement

Cons:

  • Have to pay for smartwatch compatibility
  • Loads distance overlays slowly

Check Out More Reviews Here:


4. Golf App by Swing U

Cost: Free

This is a very impressive app with advanced features for free. First of all it works on all courses as a golf GPS device (hazard distance, green distances etc.), has automatic hole advance, score tracking and gives you distances to hazards.

It also gives very clear, color map images of doglegs and other obstacles on any course in the world. There are in-app purchases that grant you access to a digital caddy with club recommendations, a plays like distance calculator, map zoom in and golfing drills.

Pros:

  • Tracks how many calories you burn on the course
  • Crisp, clear map images
  • Great customer reviews

Cons:

  • Need to post 3 scores to have access to handicap scores
  • Crashes unexpectedly

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Golf Logix

Cost: Free/ $49.99 Per Year / $9.99 Per Month

If you are looking for an exceptionally accurate golf GPS app, Golf Logix will be perfect for you. In terms of distance to the hole and hazards, we found that Golf Logix was the most accurate.

Another great feature of the Golf Logix app is that it actually lets you see the breaks on the green which makes this app extremely valuable on approaches and putts.

All these features come with your free trial period of Golf Logix. After which, you will have to pay $9.99 a month or $49.99 per year to continue to have access to these features.

Pros:

  • Also features a scorecard function
  • Tracks pitches and putts
  • Target layup feature

Cons:

  • None of the features are free after your trial period is up
  • Apple Watch is required for some features

Check Out More Reviews Here:

6. The Golf Genius App

Cost: Free/$19.99 Per Year

Golf genius has come out with an app that provides the basics for golfers at all levels. With your free download of this app you get a comprehensive digital scorecard that scores standard stroke games, match, stableford and skins.

You can also download course maps and use this app as a GPS tracker – it provides distances to all pertinent areas of the course. It also tracks important information like greens in regulation, fairway strokes and putts.

There is a paid version of this app that makes it compatible with your Apple Watch and it costs $13.99 for a one-year subscription

Pros:

  • Course maps show up on your home screen when in use
  • One person can keep score for the group and have the data sent to them
  • Club recommendations

Cons:

  • Course locater takes a long time
  • No advanced swing stats

Check Out More Reviews Here:

The GolfShot App

Cost: Free/ $6.99 Per Month / $39.99 Per Year

This app is like the golf GPS app from the future. First of all, it offers a rich augmented reality experience. You can see right from your phone in 360 degrees the hole you are on with overlays of all pertinent distances.

You can even use Siri with this app to tell you the distances you want to hear! Of course, you get green distances, hazard distances and more from 45,000 courses from around the world.

The paid package for this app includes more advanced stat tracking features, scoring for different games (Skins, Nassau, Match Play) auto tracking and an ad-free experience. You can get the Pro Plan for $6.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

Pros:

  • You can see the hole in AR before you even get to it
  • Available in multiple languages
  • Scorecard feature

Cons:

  • Eats up a lot of battery
  • The AR features seem superfluous sometimes

Check Out More Reviews Here:

VPAR Golf GPS, Scoring & Stats

Cost: FREE

if you have more of a competitive spirit then the VPAR app may be the best choice for you. It allows you to compare your score live with other players who have completed rounds on a particular golf course.

The leaderboard is updated in real time too. The VPAR app also allows you to archive your scores so you can refer to them whenever you want and see your progress as time goes on. You also get a digital scorecard and basic performance tracking features as well.

As a golf GPS application, you get full color course maps, distances to the front back and center of the green and auto course recognition. You can also share your scores and stats with your friends so you can compete and compare.

All of this comes for free with your download of the VPAR Golf GPS, Scoring & Stats App; there is currently no paid version.

Pros:

  • Provides weather data
  • Has a Course Planning feature
  • Does not take up much storage space or battery life

Cons:

  • The app runs a bit slow
  • Updates are few and far between

Check Out More Reviews Here:

V1 Golf

Cost: Free / $6.99 Per Month / $59.99 Per Month

The V1 Golf App is all about improving your stroke and lowering your handicap. This app gives you access to instructors who will guide you through improving hitches in your stroke and provide helpful tips.

You can record yourself as you practice, break down your own recorded footage in HD with slow motion and a drawing tool that lets you highlight certain areas of your swing.

The crux of this app is that it gives you access to V1 Pros who are essentially coaches that provide you with feedback of the video data you send them. They provide video analysis lessons that you can store and review any time so it’s like having your very own coach in your pocket.

There is a paid version of this app which costs $59.99 per year or $6.99 per month. In this version, you can compare 2 videos at once in slow motion, overlay two videos of your swing on top of each other so you can see subtle differences and you can create custom video folders.

Pros:

  • Great tool for swing improvement
  • Great video editing features
  • Helpful input from V1 pros

Cons:

  • Video editing feature is buggy
  • Slow customer support response

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Zepp Golf

Last on our list is another training app that allows you to record your swing and highlight it with a drawing tool as you please. You can then send the video to other Zepp golf users for community tips or to the Smart Coach Training System.

The Smart Coach Training System will automatically provide feedback on your swing. With the Zepp app, you will also have access to training materials from top pros like Michellle Wie.

We thought the automated training feedback which includes suggested training videos, infographics and detailed analytics was very intuitive. It is obvious that they put a lot of thought and care into this app.

Pros:

  • Relevant and automatic feedback for problems with your swing
  • 3D swing analyses
  • Also comes with a digital scorecard

Cons:

  • Takes up a good chunk of storage space
  • There are some sensor issues with Apple Watch (keeps tracking when the session is over)

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Which is the Best?

Like most things in life, the answer to this question is subjective. Are you in need of an app that can help you out during a round? Or are you more concerned with improving your game? If the former applies to you more, we recommend the Golf Logix app.

It is incredibly accurate and has all the GPS features you need to play a fun and effective round of golf. If you really want to improve your swing, we recommend the Golf Pad app. It provides valuable, customized insight on your swing and how best to improve.