The 8 Best Golf GPS Apps
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced golfer, every advantage you can get on the course gets you one shot closer to where you want to be. So if you dream of shooting below par or even breaking 90, your phone might hold the surprising edge you’ve been looking for.
Golf GPS apps are becoming more popular among all golfing levels, and can provide a turning point that can help you shave points off your scorecard. With one of these handy apps, you can forgo the old-school rangefinder, get the right golf club recommendations based on various yardages, and get a bird’s eye view or course map to plan your approach. It’s just like having a caddie right in your pocket.
Learn more about the best golf GPS apps, their features, and how they can develop and boost your prowess on the links.
The 8 Best Golf GPS Apps
Whether you’re an iPhone and Apple Watch fanatic or you stick to Android-based mobile devices, you’re spoiled for choice in terms of golf GPS apps. Some are just a bit more cutting-edge than others, which can make a drastic difference in your game. Before your next tee time, get in the app store and check out a few of the best golf GPS apps to find the one that works for you.
1. TheGrint
Price: Free
Platform(s): iOS and Android
Perhaps the best free golf GPS app available today, the oddly named TheGrint is a basic GPS app that provides satellite images and flyovers for tens of thousands of courses. This gives you distances to the hole, various locations on the green, and bunkers. It’s easy to use, and for most amateur golfers, it’s a great intro into the world of golf GPS devices — right in your hand.
Beyond the GPS feature, TheGrint provides a digital scorecard, USGA-approved handicap tracking, and complex stats such as greens in regulation and iron accuracy.
And if your course isn’t listed, don’t fret. Just request an addition, and TheGrint will upload it in two to three days.
2. GolfLogix
Price: Free; Plus membership for $9.99/month or $49.99/year
Platform(s): iOS and Android
With a database of over 35,000 courses worldwide, GolfLogix has you covered whether you’re on your local course or away at a golfing bachelor party. But what GolfLogix might do better than any of the best golf GPS apps is its ability to read the green and help you with your putts.
Using GPS technology, GolfLogix reads the slope and distance from your ball to the hole, which can give you real-time insight into putt breaks and drastically improve your short game. While it can’t tell you the type of grass on the green or what putter to use, rest assured you’ll be rolling more golf balls into the cup for birdie or par with GolfLogix.
3. Hole19
Price: Free; Pro membership for $9.81/month, $36.80/six months, or $60.15/year
Platform(s): iOS and Android
If you’d rather spend your money on lessons for your golf swing or a new smartwatch, Hole19 provides great features on the free version. Devoid of in-app ads, you won’t have to sift through annoying marketing campaigns while you’re on the course — and that’s just the beginning.
Hole19 allows you to adjust the map pin to where you intend to hit the ball, giving you an accurate distance for club selection. You can also zoom in on the course, which may offer even more insight into how to play your shot.
Other features include an online scorecard to track your play, augmented reality, and club recommendations. The pro version adds a few more features, but most will be satisfied with the free option.
4. Golfshot
Price: Free; $39.99/year for a Pro account; Ultimate account $59.98/year
Platform(s): iOS and Android
The Golfshot app is widely regarded as one of the best golf GPS apps for a reason, but only if you upgrade your account. The free version has flyovers that give you accurate distances to the middle of the green, but that’s where it ends for the most part.
An upgrade to the Pro or Ultimate accounts provides even more premium features. You can automatically upload your scores to the USGA Golf Handicap & Information Network (GHIN) to keep an eye on your handicap, as well as augmented reality flyovers. A handy bonus of this app is that you can also book tee times at many courses in the U.S. and Canada, making it a great option for an all-in-one GPS app.
5. SwingU
Price: Free; Premium version for $9.99/month or $59.99/year
Platform(s): iOS and Android
Used by over 5 million serious golfers worldwide, SwingU is perhaps the all-around best golf GPS app. With GPS availability on every 18-hole golf course on the planet — according to its website — SwingU is a great app for the traveling golf enthusiast.
The GPS rangefinder can help you find the distances you want on each hole, ranging from the back of the green to the hole itself. It also factors in wind speed and elevation that automatically adjust real-time distances, giving you a “plays-like yardage” instead of the actual yardage. A final great feature of the free version is a digital scorecard, which is nice to have within the same app.
A unique feature of the Premium version is that you can adjust your target by moving the pin on the map. This gives you the exact shot distances — not just the distance to the cup — which can improve the number of fairways hit and help you avoid hazards.
6. Skydroid
Price: $1.99 one-time fee; $1 one-time fee for Skydroid score uploads
Platform(s): iOS and Android
If you want a comprehensive golf GPS app that won’t break the bank, Skydroid is probably your best option. For a paltry $1.99, you can get a golf rangefinder that gives you fairly accurate GPS distances to the front, middle, and back of the green and to bunkers and water hazards.
Skydroid is still basic in nature with an outdated interface, but the satellite images are perfect for your average golfer. Once you pay the fee, you can download any images from the app; you can also map any course not currently in the Skydroid database, which is ideal if you play an unlisted course frequently.
It also comes with a live leaderboard for each course if you pay the $1 fee to upload your scores. If you like playing solo or your friends are out of town, it’s a great way to add a bit of friendly competition to your golf game.
7. MotoCaddy
Price: Free
Platform(s): iOS and Android
MotoCaddy is a well-known company that builds electric golf trolleys for the golf cart-averse or exercise-conscious golfer. But it also has one of the best golf GPS apps on the market today — especially for beginners.
This app provides 3D course maps, yardages to different locations on the green, and distances to water and sand traps. It’s simple to understand and use, which can save you time if it’s your first go at a GPS golf app.
If you’re a MotoCaddy owner, the app also works directly with your trolley’s interface for instant and convenient integration.
Note: One of the downfalls of MotoCaddy is that it’s a bit glitchy for the Apple/iOS version. It’s also only available in the U.S./Canada App Store and Google Play, so players on other continents are out of luck.
8. Bushnell Golf
Price: Free
Platform(s): iOS and Android
Another offering from a highly touted golf equipment manufacturer, the Bushnell Golf app touts itself as the most accurate of all. While most golf GPS apps are accurate within about 5 yards, Bushnell provides pinpoint accuracy. This should come as no surprise, as the company’s laser finders and rangefinders are routinely anointed as the best in the industry.
Available for use with or without a Bushnell product, this app is an excellent accouterment to your golf equipment. It has a modern interface that’s sleek and well-designed to make usage a breeze. Offering distances to all areas of its 40,000-course database, you’re always apt to hit a better shot.
Some of the other features include a pedometer and fitness tracker, instantaneous updates for an enhanced experience, and a scoring system that can showcase your improvement.
Use All the Tech Allotted To Be the Best Golfer You Can Be
The best golf GPS apps can certainly give you a way to find the green, hit the fairway, avoid the bunker, and knock down a few birdies. But don’t limit yourself only to GPS apps. With shot tracer and shot tracker apps, scoring apps, video recording, and some of the best golf apps outside of the GPS realm, you have everything you need to track, score, and improve your game, whether you’re in a scramble tournament or playing against your golf buddies.
On the links, sometimes it’s the slightest edge that can put you over the top.
