I’ve been an avid user of the Golfshot Classic app for my iPhone for over 2 years now, but the guys at Shotzoom have said that they are no longer supporting the app, instead they are focusing on the sleeker, more advanced Golfshot: Golf GPS app. Here’s my thoughts on using so far on Golfshot Classic and moving over to Golfshot Golf GPS.
Golfshot Classic
The Golfshot Classic app is/was a staple part of my golfing game. The basic checklist before a round is something like:
- Clubs?
- Shoes?
- Balls?
- Enough battery life in my iPhone to get me around 18 holes with Golfshot?
It has become something of a crutch for me over the years. On the odd ocasion where I have been left wanting in the battery department I have felt naked without this app on the course. Not only does it offer a great range finder, complete with customisable measurements for your preferred layup distances, it also collates your strokes and scores, and with minimal input it will tell you how many GIRs, fairways and scrambles you made (without the need to mark ball locations over each shot).
It’s not as sophisticated as the new GameGolf tech, but then again it’s a fraction of the price at £20.99 from the app store, and all you need is your phone + enough battery to get you round – typically 50% is enough. Using your phones GPS on a 4 hour round is a bit of a battery killer but I have noticed a dramatic improvement since upgrading to an iPhone 6, so it’s less of an issue for me now.
After each round you + any other golfers you scored using the app will be sent en email with your scorecards for future assessment and practice focusing. Both the app and these email score cards will tell you which direction you went off the tee, how many putts you made, if you hit any GIR’s and what your score was, both gross and net.
So it was with great trepidation that I moved from Golfshot Classic to the new Golfshot Golf GPS app. Although I’ve yet to game with the new app, here’s my initial findings..
Golfshot Golf GPS
The new Golfshot Golf GPS app is much nicer to look at and does seem easier to navigate. Some of the features on the old app did seem a bit buried and frustrating to find, whereas I can see how after a round or 2 with this app I’ll be well at home. Another bonus is that the Golfshot Golf GPS has imported all my previous Golfshot Classic scorecards and playing data from my Golfshot acccount.
Another nice addition straight off the bat is the ability to tell the app exactly what clubs you have in the bag. The old Golfshot app let you enter the numbers of the clubs you have in your bag (Driver, 3 wood, Hybrid, 4 Iron, 5 Iron etc…) but the Golfshot Golf GPS app actually asks for the specific manufacture/model details. This will become a particularly nice feature when you start to build up a bank of stats for each club, so you will be able to see where you need to focus your practice.
Something else that’s new is the ability to fly through the hole in “3D” before you play it or even before you get to the course. This is a pretty nifty feature when you’re playing on unfamiliar territory, and the standard map feature was always something I found helped me to plan my shot-by-shot strategy for each hole, much better than any sight based range finder as you can see around corners and behind hills etc.
The new app is free to download but the downside is that there is now a monthly or yearly subscription fee if you want to access the premium features. Granted the 1 year cost is only $9.99 (I spend more than that on coffee in a week) but when you’ve already purchased the previous app for £20.99 (my most expensive app on my phone) it’s a bit annoying. Nevertheless I’ll probably be subscribing after a few rounds.
Take a look at Shotzoom’s own promo video for the app below:
Golfshot-iOS-product-video from Shotzoom on Vimeo.
Conclusion
There are other cheaper (and even free) golf GPS apps out there, but for me both these apps are fantastic tools for keeping score, measuring your performance and helping you navigate the course. Cheaper than a fancy range finder, more advanced that a GPS watch and miles better than the old scorecard and pencil method. Give the Golfshot Golf GPS a download for yourself before your next round and try it out for free, I think you’ll be as impressed as I am, just remember to keep your phone charged before you play 😉
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I have the exact opposite view. I am incensed that these charlatans have gone back on their word and no longer support an app that I paid $30 for. Classic is perfect app and has a clean and easy to use interface. Comparing 5 irons isn’t important if you only have one in your bag. I am unimpressed.????
Each to their own I guess Robert. But despite the developer not supporting the old app, you can still use it if you wish. Also, they have an option on the new Golfshot Golf GPS that classic members can use for free and it seems pretty comprehensive.
Ian… It remains to be seen how long classic will continue to work without further updates. I still think the new app is harder to use and way too comprehensive for playing a round of golf. I’d hate to have to wait on a p layer who tracks each shot and allows an app to choose his clubs. All I need is the distance. I know how far I hit my eight iron.
This is true, however I don’t use the club recommendations as it doesn’t factor in wind, shot type and lie, I just use the distance guidance and zoomable map to help navigate unfamiliar holes/courses.
Anyone who is taking longer than 10-15 seconds to use this app shouldn’t be using the app on a golf course.
PS – remember, mobile phones/apps of any kind are not permitted during competition/match play 😉
I agree with Robert. The classicis also more dependable. The new gps app has crashed is round. (Was able to recover it though) The shot measuring feature will start with a bogas yardage (instead of 0) It will do this 1out of 10 times you try to use it. Classic always worked correctly.
I’ve used the classic for over 7 years and it far exceeds all of the other golf apps I’ve tried.
Interesting reports on the glitches there Rick. I’ve played a few rounds with the new app now and found it to be fine. I had one issue with dodgy GPS positioning but the weather was bad and it sorted itself out after about 30 seconds of “thinking”. I think it takes a bit of getting used to when you’re changing from old to new but overall I was happy 🙂
I agree with eboe’s perspective. The new golfshot is way easier for me to use as I go through my round. Classic feels awkward to me, I go through like 6 screens before I have to start my round, and a lot of the menu items (tracking, scoring, etc.) are buried and hard to get used to. Plus the UI is old looking and clunky. I also don’t mind the $29/year subscription at all, club recommendations are well worth it.