The On Course Apps

I am, by nature, an analytical person.  I create Excel spreadsheets for everything.  On the golf course, that also means that I want to know all the little things before I take a shot -- which way is the wind blowing, where does the ball funnel on the green ahead, and, of course, what's my yardage to the hole?

But "about 150 yards" won't do for me.  I want to know if it's 147 or 153.  Does that finite level of detail really make a difference?  Probably not -- hitting an "about 150 yards" shot will do just fine in either case.  But mentally I feel better if I know the exact number, and feeling good about the shot is definitely the first step to execution.

When you want to know the exact numbers these days there are basically 3 options: (1) hire Steve Williams to carry your bag, (2) get a laser rangefinder, or (3) get a GPS.

It turns out Stevie doesn't come cheap (though lately he has some free time on his hands).  So the question ultimately comes down to rangefinder vs. GPS.  There are pluses and minuses to both -- rangefinders are more precise, but you are limited to targets you can actually see; GPS's can give you a hole overlay and allow you to measure distances to a variety of spots on the course quickly, but ultimately operate on more of a "plus or minus a few yards" basis.

Because of the convenience of having an iPhone, I ultimately decided on a GPS system a few years ago.  After a great deal of research (and a good recommendation from my brother), I started using the Golfshot app 2 years ago, and honestly, I can't recommend it enough.  Here are the features I like about it:

Hole Overlays  It's quite difficult to play a course you've never seen before unless you have a map; Golfshot gives you a crystal clear aerial view of every hole so you can see where you're going.  Plus, because you can choose any spot on the hole as your target for distance measurement (just by touching it on the map) it allows you to really know if you can cut that corner or carry that sand trap.

Automated Measurements  In addition to user defined targets, almost every point of interest (hazards, obstacles, doglegs, etc) are defined and measured on the "main" screen.  It also gives you the front, back and middle of the green distances.

Scoring and Stat Tracking  I never use a scorecard anymore because I can easily and quickly keep my score as I go with Golfshot.  It also automatically keeps tracks of my statistics -- fairways, greens in regulation, scrambling, sand saves, putts/hole and putts/green in regulation.  Both on the native application on the phone and on their website you can view your past rounds and scorecards, and you can customize date ranges for your statistics to see how your game is changing.  Here's a snapshot of my last 20 rounds:

35,000 Courses  There are over 35,000 courses in the database with visual overlays and GPS distances -- that means essentially every course in North America, and then some.  The aerial images are updated almost constantly (or at least it seems that way) so I don't think I've ever been looking at an out-of-date measurement.  And unlike many other GPS systems, you don't have to pay to download more courses, and there are no annual fees.  You get everything for just a $30 one-time fee.  It's pretty incredible.

The bigger question, of course, is does all this help?  Obviously it's not the only factor in these calculations, but since I started using Golfshot on 9/2/09 my fairway percentage has gone up from 42.7% to 44.8%, and my greens-in-regulation have increased from 38.5% to 39.2%.  Plus it's the envy of almost every one I play with -- and maybe that gives me an edge, too.

Screen Shots:

[Many thanks to reader Neil who suggested this as a topic for a post!]
[And no, I'm not affiliated with golfshot.com in any way.]