The 7 best golf apps in 2026

Updated September 2026

How we evaluated

We looked at what each app does best, who it's for, what it costs, and where it falls short. No app does everything — and that's the point. The best golf app for you depends on what you're trying to do. If you want GPS yardages, that's a different app than if you want to run skins with your crew. Here are the seven apps that are actually worth downloading in 2026.

1. bagboy — Best for golf groups, side bets & social

Price: Free. No subscription, no premium tier, no in-app purchases.

Platform: iPhone (Android coming soon)

bagboy is built for the part of golf that no other app touches: the group. Most golf apps treat golf as an individual sport — track your shots, analyze your round, improve your handicap. bagboy treats golf the way most people actually play it: with friends, with side games, and with money on the line.

What it does that nobody else does

• Side bets. Skins, Nassau (with auto and called presses), wolf, match play, stroke play, Stableford, Vegas, Nines, Sixes, and custom games. Stack multiple games on a single round. Set the stakes. bagboy runs them all simultaneously.
• Live group scorecard. One scorekeeper enters scores. Everyone follows in real time on their own phone. Games update as scores come in.
• Who owes who. At the end of the round, bagboy nets every bet across every game into the minimum number of payments. Tap to open Venmo with the amount pre-filled. bagboy never holds or transfers money.
• Crews. Create or join a crew — your regular group, a city crew, a college crew. Leaderboards, seasons, rivalries, records, chat, and a feed.
• Tournaments and trips. Multi-round, multi-day events with live leaderboards and brackets.
• Find players. Post open games, find nearby golfers, grow your crew.

Where it falls short

bagboy doesn't have GPS course maps with yardages to greens and hazards (though this is in development). It doesn't track individual shots or club distances. It's not a swing analysis tool. If you're looking for data-driven game improvement, pair bagboy with one of the apps below.

Who it's for

Any golfer who plays with other people and wants to make the group experience better. If you play skins, Nassau, wolf, or any side game — even casually — bagboy replaces the mental math, the arguments, and the "who owes who" text chain after the round.

Download bagboy free →

2. Golfshot — Best for GPS and shot tracking

Price: Free with limited features; Pro is $39.99/year

Platform: iPhone, Android, Apple Watch

Golfshot has been around since the early days of golf apps, and it's stayed relevant by doing GPS and shot tracking well. The free tier gives you basic GPS distances. The Pro tier adds aerial hole views, club recommendations based on your tracked distances, and detailed statistics.

Strengths

• GPS distances to front, center, and back of green, plus hazards and layup targets
• Shot tracking with club detection and distance history
• Apple Watch integration for wrist-based yardages
• Round statistics: fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts per round

Weaknesses

• No side bets, no game formats, no group scoring features
• The free tier is limited — most useful features require the annual subscription
• Shot tracking requires manual input each shot, which slows play for some golfers
• No social features, no crews, no way to find playing partners

Who it's for

The golfer who wants GPS yardages and shot-by-shot data to improve their game. Works well alongside bagboy — use Golfshot for distances, bagboy for the group's games.

3. 18Birdies — Best free GPS app

Price: Free with ads; Premium is $9.99/month or $59.99/year

Platform: iPhone, Android

18Birdies offers a solid free GPS experience and has built a large user base because of it. The free tier includes GPS distances for over 35,000 courses, basic scoring, and a simple stats dashboard. The premium tier removes ads and adds features like 3D flyovers and advanced analytics.

Strengths

• Generous free tier with GPS distances and scoring
• Clean, easy-to-use interface
• 3D hole previews on premium
• Large course database

Weaknesses

• No side bets or game formats
• The free tier has ads during your round, which can be distracting
• Social features are minimal — no crews, no group leaderboards
• Stats and analytics are less detailed than Arccos or Golfshot Pro

Who it's for

The casual golfer who wants free GPS yardages without paying for a subscription. Good enough for most recreational players who don't need shot-level tracking.

4. Arccos — Best for AI-powered analytics

Price: $149.99 for sensors + $12.99/month or $99.99/year for the app

Platform: iPhone, Android

Arccos is the most data-intensive golf app available, but it requires hardware — small sensors that screw into the butt end of each club. The sensors detect shots automatically, so there's no manual entry during the round. The app then provides AI-driven analysis: strokes gained breakdowns, smart club suggestions, and a "Caddie" feature that recommends targets based on your tendencies.

Strengths

• Automatic shot tracking — no manual input during the round
• Strokes gained analysis across every part of your game
• AI caddie with distance and target recommendations based on your actual data
• The most detailed statistical picture of your game available in any app

Weaknesses

• Expensive — the sensors plus subscription add up to over $200 the first year
• Requires physical sensors on every club, which some golfers find annoying
• No side bets, no game formats, no group features
• Overkill for golfers who play casually and aren't focused on data-driven improvement

Who it's for

The serious golfer who wants to improve and is willing to invest in data. If you want to know exactly where you're losing strokes and what to practice, Arccos is the best tool available. Pair it with bagboy if you also play in a group with side bets.

5. The Grint — Best for handicap tracking

Price: Free for basic; Premium is $49.99/year

Platform: iPhone, Android

The Grint's main selling point is that it's a USGA-licensed handicap tracker. You can post scores and maintain an official Handicap Index through the app, which is useful for golfers who don't belong to a club that tracks handicaps. It also offers GPS, stats, and a social feed.

Strengths

• Official USGA handicap tracking — the primary reason people use it
• GPS and scoring included in the free tier
• Tournament and league features for organized play
• Social feed and activity from other golfers

Weaknesses

• No side bets or game-format support
• The social features feel more like a leaderboard than a true community
• GPS is less polished than Golfshot or 18Birdies
• The premium price is mainly for the handicap — without that, there's less reason to choose it over free alternatives

Who it's for

Golfers who need an official handicap and don't belong to a club that provides one. If you already have a handicap through your club, you probably don't need The Grint.

6. SwingU — Best budget GPS

Price: Free with limited features; Premium is $4.99/month or $29.99/year

Platform: iPhone, Android, Apple Watch

SwingU is a no-frills GPS app that does the basics well at a low price. The free version gives you distances to front, center, and back of the green. The premium adds hazard distances, scoring, stats, and a digital scorecard.

Strengths

• Very affordable premium tier
• Simple, fast interface — loads quickly, doesn't drain battery
• Apple Watch app for wrist yardages
• Good enough GPS for golfers who just want distances

Weaknesses

• Feature set is thin compared to Golfshot or Arccos
• No shot tracking, no strokes gained, minimal analytics
• No side bets, no group features
• The free tier is very limited — basically just front/center/back distances

Who it's for

The golfer who just wants GPS yardages on their phone (or watch) without spending much. A practical choice for recreational players who don't need advanced analytics.

7. GolfNow — Best for booking tee times

Price: Free (tee time prices vary by course)

Platform: iPhone, Android

GolfNow is the largest tee time marketplace in the U.S. It's not really a golf app in the same category as the others on this list — it's a booking platform. But it's essential for golfers who play public and semi-private courses and want to find deals on tee times.

Strengths

• Massive course inventory — over 9,000 courses in the U.S. and internationally
• Hot deals and last-minute discounts on tee times
• Easy booking with saved payment and course favorites
• Rewards program for frequent bookers

Weaknesses

• Not a playing app — no scorecard, no GPS, no games
• Some courses inflate prices on GolfNow to account for the platform's fees
• No social features, no group functionality
• GolfNow Plus subscription ($9.99/month) is required for the best deals

Who it's for

Any golfer who books tee times at public courses. Use GolfNow to find the tee time, bagboy to run the games.

Feature comparison

The gap is clear. Every app on this list is strong in its lane. None of them touch what bagboy does — running the group's games.

The verdict

There's no single app that does everything in golf. The best setup for most golfers in 2026 is two or three apps working together:

• bagboy for the group experience — side bets, live scorecard, who owes who, crews, and social.
• A GPS app (Golfshot, 18Birdies, or SwingU) for yardages during the round.
• A booking app (GolfNow) for finding and reserving tee times.
• Optionally: Arccos if you're serious about data-driven improvement, or The Grint if you need an official handicap.

bagboy doesn't try to replace your GPS app or your tee-time booker. It fills the space that none of those apps ever built for: the social, competitive, put-money-on-it side of golf that makes every round matter.

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