Our 3 Favorite iPhone Golf GPS Range Finder Apps

Up your golf game, view course maps, and create player profiles

By
Fred Zahradnik
Fred Zahradnik
Contributor
  • Pennsylvania State University
Former Lifewire writer Fred Zahradnik has a long history as a writer and is considered an expert on all things related to GPS products and software.
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Updated on September 19, 2024
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Apps

GPS range finder apps can calculate the distance to any point on a golf course. They help you improve your golf game by providing data-driven metrics for every stroke.

Smartphone apps may not be as detailed or comprehensive as handheld golf GPS maps, and they can they can drain batteries fairly quickly, but they still deliver plenty of functionality. Here are a few of our favorites.

Pay attention to the scorecard and stats-tracking features on each app. Some have more in-depth functionality in these categories than others.

01
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Golfshot: Golf GPS Range Finder

GolfShot
GolfShot
What We Like

  • Massive international database of courses.

  • Optional auto-handicapping feature.

What We Don't Like

  • Quickly drains battery life.

  • Unreliable syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch.

Golfshot has some top-of-the-line features but sets itself apart with best-in-class stats tracking and graphing. The app automatically creates superb color graphics for fairways hit and missed, greens in regulation, sand saves, putts per hole, and more.

The free version includes access to a database of over 47,000 courses, shot distance tracking, including direction and club details, Siri assistance for analyzing distance to the green, and historical stats.

With the Pro version, you'll gain more, such as the Auto Strokes Gained Analysis feature on Apple Watch, swing analysis, and 3D flyover review for viewing and editing shots.

02
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Hole19: Golf GPS Range Finder

Hole19-Golf-GPS-Rangefinder.jpg
Hole19
What We Like

  • Flyover functionality at center of experience.

  • Over 43,000 courses covered.

  • Live scoring competition feature.

What We Don't Like

  • Difficult to navigate.

  • Occasional bugs.

Hole19: Golf GPS Range Finder provides a lot of bang for zero bucks, in that it's free. The core of Hole19's functionality ​is its flyover view and distances screens covering over 43,000 courses. The flyover screen includes an aerial view of the hole, with total distance to the pin displayed in the top right.

You can tap a target icon and drag it to any point on the hole to get a distance to a fairway bunker, water hazard, or some other landmark.

From the flyover screen, you can open a menu that presents simple numerical readings to the front, center, and back of the green, as well as the hole number and par. You can also tap to set a starting point for shot distance tracking.

While many of the features are free to use, some tools, including augmented reality and the Shot Tracker, are limited to an upgraded plan.

03
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GolfLogix Golf GPS App + Watch

Screenshots from GlofLogix for iPhone
 Screenshot, iTunes Store
What We Like

  • Extensive customization.

  • Light on battery consumption.

What We Don't Like

  • Annoying pop-up ads.

  • Technical support gets mixed reviews.

GolfLogix has steadily improved its golf GPS iPhone app, which offers immersive 3D maps, is intuitive to use, and offers users a lot of control.

Aerial views give a great look at each hole, and a summary screen provides the distance to the center of the green, layup distances, and the distance to various hazards.

The scorecard is easy to use and has the look of a paper scorecard. You can easily measure shot distances, and the stats utility captures and graphs a number of stats, including fairways hit, greens hit, and greens in regulation. It also includes free handicap tracking.

All of these basic tools are available for free, but a Pro membership will give you more insights with perks like 3D flyovers and heat maps.

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