Golfschule Richard Bligh

i PHONE APPS DIE TOP 5

There are many golf GPS apps for the iPhone, so we cut the field down to the top five worthy of your consideration. iPhone apps involve some compromises compared to dedicated hand-held golf gps units, but deliver plenty of functionality. Keep in mind:

These apps consume a lot of power. Start with a full charge, and use a booster such as the Mophie Juice Pack.
iPhones are not water-resistant. Use a protective case or plastic bag in case of rain.
Don’t bother with apps that make you “mark your own” course. Check course database links.
No free apps made the cut. You get what you pay for in this category.

AirVue iPhone Golf GPS ($39.99)

AirVue provides distance to the front, center, and back of each green with little pop-up yardage markers. Distances to most hazards are indicated as well. Use the iPhone’s touchscreen as a rangefinder to determine reach and carry distances.

Switch views from entire hole, to fairway, to green.
Automatically advances to next hole.
Scorecard for foursome.
Measurement tool for shot distances.
Request a new course with promised seven-day turnaround.
Favorite courses list.

Excellent set of features, comparable to a high-end handheld. Needs better menu setup for manually advancing to the next hole.

iTunes customer reviews: 4+ out of 5 for current version.

AirVue course database search.

FreeCaddie Pro iPhone Golf GPS ($19.99)

There are two version of this app, and this is the paid version. It’s easy to find and load courses using this app’s menu system. I found most of my local courses, including some small ones, but you can chart and upload your own, if necessary. Recent upgrades to the Pro version make the feature set competitive, including:

Distance to front, back, center of green.
Distance to bunkers and hazards.
Measure shot length.
Scorekeeping and stats.
Wirelessly download courses directly to iPhone.
Course editing.

Note that FreeCaddie Pro does not provide aerial or flyover views. It lists yardages only.

iTunes customer reviews: 4+ out of 5 for current version.

FreeCaddie course database search.

Golfshot: Golf GPS for iPhone ($29.99)

There are two versions of Golfshot, and this is the Golfshot: Golf GPS version that includes aerial views (unlike the 99 cent version). Golfshot has the top-line features, but also sets itself apart with its best-in-class stats tracking and graphing. It automatically creates superb color graphics for fairways hit and missed (left or right), greens in regulation, sand saves, putts per hole, and more.

Additional features include:

Zoomable aerial view with “TruePoint” touch targeting for distances.
Shot distance tracking.
Automatic course handicap calculator.
E-mailable scorecards.
Targets and hazards distances.

iTunes customer reviews: 4+ out of 5 for current version.

Golfshot course database search.

GreenFinder iPhone Golf GPS ($34.99)

GreenFinder is another app that does not provide aerial or flyover views. However, its simple interface and large course database have won dedicated users. Features include:

Distance to front, back, center of green.
Distance to bunkers and hazards.
Measure shot length.
Auto-advance to next hole.
Mark your own course.

iTunes customer reviews: 4+ out of 5 for current version.

Greenfinder course database search

ViewTi Golf iPhone Golf GPS ($24.99)

ViewTi has a number of stand-out features, one of which is a massive (17,000+) course database that spans 30 countries. It comes in four versions, which is confusing. The top version, ViewTi Golf, is reviewed here. In addition to being a competent rangefinder, ViewTi Golf has a nice scorecard utility.

ViewTi’s FairwayView and GreenView feature shows you distances from your location, and are automatically rotated to a forward direction. Also: