5 Android Apps Every Golfer Should Have Installed

Technology has certainly found itself a welcome home on the links as golfers everywhere use a wide range of science-based approaches to improve their game — just like the pros! 

From intelligent course management tools to GPS and rangefinders, data-based apps offer a wealth of potential improvement points for golfers across the spectrum of experience. New players will benefit immensely from a rapid accumulation of club distance knowledge, while experienced golfers may be more interested in those minute details surrounding launch angle and spin rate to dial in the perfect trajectory for their next shot.

Regardless of your skill level, Android apps have become a mainstay in recreational and competitive golf. Your Android device can act as a scanner, provide payment options through its NFC connection, and even be a keyless entry resource. With these five fantastic apps, your Android device can act as a golf instructor and digital caddie as well. Try out these options for an improved playing experience — from booking tee times to dialing in your next approach on the green.

GolfNow is an invaluable tool for any golfer who likes to branch out with their experience. Whether you're playing a round locally or taking your game to Scotland, Ireland, or Spain, GolfNow is perhaps the most important tee time booking app that you can have on your phone. 

The app's directory includes over 16,000 golf courses within the United States alone, and booking through GolfNow can even get you discounted rates when setting up your tee time. You can search courses by location and include other filters, such as price range and available start times, to find the perfect place to play. Listings also include user reviews, images, and descriptions of the grounds, helping golfers make a great decision when seeking a new course to explore.

Building your profile allows you to add friends and manage payment options and reservations. Adding your friends allows you to quickly send invitations and book group outings, all within the app's native interface. GolfNow makes booking tee times outside of your home club environment simple and provides you with access to discounts that might not otherwise be available to you and your playing partners. It's a staple in any golfer's digital bag.

Golf isn't just a sport focused on physicality. A professional-level, 300-yard drive will put you in a great position any day of the week, but the pressure to perform that a long bomb brings into play can crater the confidence of even the most experienced player. 

Imagine Golf is a must-have app that helps golfers at all levels keep the mental side of their game in check. The sport revolves around a measured approach to the course. Without quality course management fundamentals, even the longest hitter will find themselves struggling to make pars and keep their score within the range of their handicap. Imagine Golf boils down essential mental game lessons into bite-sized audio classes, drills, and anecdotes. Many of these come directly from the memoirs and experiences of the sport's best players like Tiger Woods, Annika Sörenstam, Ben Hogan, and Gary Player.

These features have led to Imagine Golf being downloaded more than half a million times, and it's used by 700,000 golfers to dial in their best shots, round after round. The PGA Tour's official site calls this one of the "hottest digital tools for lower scores," and for a good reason. So many amateurs undervalue the mental facets of their game and think good golf is found in just pounding the ball down range. Sadly, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Imagine Golf can help you transform your routine for more consistent golf every time you hit the course.

VPAR is a course GPS app that offers real-time distances as you play, as well as information on the hazards and general layout for each hole. At its core, VPAR is a great option for analyzing where you stand with each new shot, allowing you to make decisions on the course far easier. However, VPAR does more than just offer shot selection data points. There are myriad options for basic course GPS apps out there, but VPAR stands apart for its scorekeeping function and community integrations that elevate it beyond the simplistic app-based rangefinder.

Users are able to track their scores against a live leaderboard, and scoring can be done with Stableford, strokeplay, and matchplay scorekeeping formats. The app provides distances and data on over 30,000 global courses, making this a fabulous option both for golfers who stay close to home and for those who love to travel with their bag. The community feel that VPAR brings to the table provides even more functionality within the platform. Friends are able to track scores and compete in a live environment, even if they aren't teeing off in the same foursome.

Lastly, the app offers feedback on your gameplay as well. Not only can you track scores with ease, but gaining insight into the way you played after a round is simple, too. The performance stats offered in the app will help any type of golfer identify areas in which they're excelling and those that need improvement.

Shot Tracer is yet another great application for golfers. The app provides the same shot shape tracer line that you might get while watching PGA professionals on TV. The line is a great addition for any golfer who regularly posts videos of their game to YouTube or other social media platforms, as adding this visualization cleans up the finished product to make it far more refined. However, the Shot Tracer platform isn't just a feature that adds spice to your golfing videos — it can also be used to improve your game immensely.

Not only does the app add trajectory lines, but a strobe motion visualization can also help you improve your swing path, green reading, and pitch and chip shots. The strobe motion feature captures the movement sequence of the ball or your club, offering a step-by-step image capture of your ball's roll or flight (with chip shots around the green, for instance) or your swing path with the club. 

Visualizing the ball's flight with your irons or driver can also give you a clearer insight into the actual flight path of your ball after impact. As a result, golfers using the app are able to make adjustments to their swing that translate into more nuanced changes to their draws or fades. Lastly, the app provides special effects that can add explosions and other fun visualizations to the game, bringing a unique dimension to a sport that's often thought of as unyielding and rigid.

For golfers who are really serious about game improvement metrics, Arccos Caddie is perhaps the preeminent tool. The app claims that new users in 2020 improved their handicap by five strokes through the use of advanced swing analysis provided by the Arcos Smart Sensor system. 

Getting out to the course or range is essential, and utilizing the correct tools to track your improvement is the obverse of this coin. The Arccos Caddie app pairs with Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors that attach to the butt ends of your clubs. The sensors and app combined track shot data without you having to constantly record distances or club usage. Automatically, the app populates information about your game and tracks your progress with state-of-the-art monitoring functions.

The sensor and data collection process is underpinned by AI and machine learning to provide critical insights about your swing path, distance control, and progress across multiple rounds. The Arccos Smart Sensor package (14 sensors) is $155.88 but can be had for free when signing up for your first year of membership. Of course, membership costs $155.88 also (billed as $12.99 per month), making it the most expensive option on this list. However, the shot visualizations, caddie assistance on the course, and constant tracking to monitor club distances alongside swing data are unparalleled.