Best Golf Apps 2024: Take your game digital

Main image

What are the Best Golf Apps? Make one search on your Apple phone/tablet or on an Android phone/device and you are faced with a plethora of options.

We have divided our pick of the best golf Apps into the following categories. To find them simply put the name into your designated App store (most are free unless stated):

• Golf GPS apps
• Golf Retail apps
• Golf news/information apps
• Golf instruction apps
• Golf Games apps

And if you are in the market for other helpful golfing gadgets check out our features on the best GPS Watches, Rangefinders, Shot-Tracking Devices, and Launch Monitors.

But here is our guide to the Best Golf Apps…

Best Golf GPS Apps 2024:

Arccos Caddie Golf App

RRP £289.98 (includes smart sensors) | VIEW OFFER 

Arccos might well have produced a support system that will satisfy the demands of the ultimate golf geek.

At the heart of it all is data. The Arccos app collects so much of it, it will quickly give you accurate suggestions in terms of club selection.

The smart sensors attach to each club – you get 14 – and it sends the information to your phone. Wind, elevation, temperature, humidity and even altitude are taken into account before you get told the appropriate club to choose. For some it will be a bit all too much – just a bit too AI – but some of the other features are very good at getting you organised.

The very-in-vogue strokes gained component of Arccos’s system allows you analyse strengths and weaknesses in your game and the app will offer a guide to appropriate practice and equipment choices.

It is also worth noting that once you buy the sensors, that automatically gives you a year’s worth of membership to the Arccos Caddie app.

Motocaddy Golf GPS App

RRP Free | VIEW OFFER

Motocaddy has just massively beefed up its free-to-download app and the results are pretty spectacular. As you might expect from a big player in the golf market, this app really does tick all the boxes.

It is easy to sign up and there are no hidden subscription charges. You get access to more than 40,000 courses in 200 countries and the usual crop of distance-measuring features.

With the Motocaddy app there is also a handy round timer to ensure you can keep tabs on the pace of play and you also get a 2D and 3D course map. The 3D version unlocks the opportunity to view aerial hole flyovers.

There is also an Automated External Defibrillator locater and instructions on how to carry out potentially life-saving CPR.

Hole 19 Golf App

RRP Free (Premium Pro £6.99p/m) | VIEW OFFER

Hole 19 has built a very strong reputation in this marketplace with an app that includes the option to upgrade to the Premium Pro package, which provides you with a range of data which is the match of any other GPS device.

The free-to-download app will offer plenty-enough info for the majority of golfers. The graphics on the 43,000 available courses are very clean and easy to navigate around.

You can also use it to store the details of all your rounds and there is a nice ‘live scoreboard’ feature which means you can play a number of friends and get constant updates re how everyone is getting on.  

VPAR Golf App

RRP Free (Premium £4.99p/m) | VIEW OFFER

VPAR has a loyal base of users and it is an app which includes a number of interesting add-ons although crucially VPAR has got it right from a visual/useability perspective.

The app has tapped into its sizeable number of users by setting up the live leaderboard option and even has its own challenges so you can compare your efforts against other VPAR member from other countries.

There is also a handy performance stats section which will give you all the key data – driving accuracy, GIR, average putts, scrambles and score averages.

Golf Pad Golf App

RRP Free (Tags £89.99)

The Golf Pad system is one that has become hugely popular. For less than than £100 you get a lot of information thanks to the combination of free mobile phone app and screw-in tags that send information to your phone in each club.

It is just about the most cost-effective system of its kind available and, though some will have concerns re the accuracy of the GPS on phones, overall it is an excellent package.

You get 15 black ‘tags’ to screw into the end of each club and then simply tap the phone to notify the app which club is being used. It will record the distance of the shot and over time you build up a true picture of just how far each club goes.

Best Golf Apps (Retail)

Golf Now Golf App

RRP Free  

A slick offering from the people behind the Golf Channel, as you might expect. With most apps ease of use is critical and major developers spend a considerable amount of time researching what potential users want.

It will display the courses – and tee times available – by proximity to you but it will also display exclusive GolfNow offers and you can also create competitions by downloading the sister app… GolfNow Complete.

American Golf

RRP Free

Europe’s biggest golf retailer has certainly got its ducks in a row with this excellent app. It is very straightforward in terms of navigating around the app and you can search by category or brand. It also gives you a list of all its stores.

Play More Golf

RRP Free

Play More Golf has created a new way of paying for membership without having to pay a four-figure sum every year.

With a Play More Golf membership you get access to more than 260 clubs by paying for points which can be redeemed – the amount you use per round depends on the value of your tee time (in-demand times on more popular course will use up the most points).

The app itself is very easy to use and provides many players with an excellent way of enjoying the sport without breaking the bank.

Best Golf Apps (News and Information)

Today’s Golfer

RRP Free | VIEW OFFER

Of course every golf fan in the UK already probably has this app. However if not, its simplicity will impress. It’s a great way of reading the magazine from your tablet or phone. You can subscribe for £39.99 per year or just buy any edition for £3.99. You also get a preview of what’s in store and the caddies feature in the March 2022 edition – I won’t spoil the surprise – is worth £4 on its own.

PGA Tour

RRP Free

Has consistently been a brilliant app, providing all the important data in a way that is quick, easy to find and reliable.

Design-wise has always been away ahead of the European Tour version and the ability to track every shot on every hole is a great way of following your favourite player during tournaments.

DP World Tour

RRP Free

It has been a bumpy road for the European Tour – now DP World Tour – in terms of its media coverage and only this year has it introduced a shot-tracking service into its competition information output although it’s still not a patch on the PGA Tour version.

However the app is moving in the right direction and has become a lot more reliable. There were times when its most basic functions didn’t work well at all.

R&A Rules Of Golf

RRP Free

Free up space in your golf bag by chucking away that weather-beaten rules book for a digital copy. To keep disputes and slow play to a minimum, all 34 rules and sub-sections are condensed into a quick guide covering the most-commonly broken rules.

If you need to go into more detail, the complete rulebook is available to view alongside a separate guide on golf etiquette. There’s also an interactive quiz if you have some time to kill.

Best Golf Apps (Instruction)

Meandmygolf.com

RRP Free (coaching plans starting from £98.99 per package) | VIEW OFFER

The online golf lessons platform is a brilliant way of receiving top-level instruction without paying £100s for lessons. Members of the platform get help with every aspect of the game and you also get to join a community of thousands of players from all over the world. There are regular giveaways and seminars and the site regularly offers.

The app is well designed and breaks down your requirements by standard of player. Whether you are a single figure golfer, or just starting out, it provides a variety of coaching options to suit.

Zepp Golf Swing Analyzer

RRP £399 | VIEW OFFER

You are paying £400 for the whole Zepp system but it is an all-encompassing swing training innovation that gives a remarkable amount of information regarding how you swing a golf club.

The all-important sensor attaches to your glove so you get club speed plus data on your swing plane, hand plane, backswing position, tempo and hip rotation. It is also very easy to do during a round as well as practice and will even keep your scores. Offers feedback and will also help you create a practice/training system based on all your data.

Best Golf Apps (Games)

Mini Golf 3D

RRP Free

This is loads of fun for those who love crazy golf. Imaginations have really gone wild here in terms of hole creation. There are seven courses to play – each with 18 holes – and there are bonuses to unlock. Each course has moving obstacles so it can pretty challenging at times.

World Golf Tour (WGT) Golf

RRP Free

The most grown-up golf game app and millions will testify to the quality. The graphics are fantastic and you start from scratch but can build up equipment and apparel so you get more distance and accuracy.

Courses included include stellar names like Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst and St Andrews.

You can also play against other people and in competitions and the top players’ elite-level events are even now televised.

Golf Rival

RRP Free

More cartoony in feel than WGT and designed to appeal to U-10s (think Wii Golf). However you again play against other humans and the gameplay isn’t bad. The ability to give it a bit extra comes with considerable risk…not dissimilar to the real thing.

Golf King – World Tour

RRP Free

It can be a bit iffy in terms of reliability but, in terms of gameplay, there are some nice touches which make it a bit more exciting than WGT. The courses aren’t real and it is not as easy to navigate around as its more grown-up rival.

However once you get into the swing of it you play other humans and hope to build up a stash of coins which opens up more opportunities in terms of playing better golfers and getting better equipment.

Again you get the chance to increase your power at greater risk and although I’m not a fan of the putting method – it’s a bit too child-like.

Read Next:

• Best Golf Apps for Apple Watches