According to a Golf Digest survey of its 233,000 Twitter followers, 43 percent of respondents would be “fine” with no official phone policy or a “common sense” policy at their course, as many golfers accept phone usage so long as it does not interfere with other players. Forty-five percent would agree with a vibrate or silent cell phone policy, while just 4 and 8 percent would agree with parking lot- or clubhouse-only policies.
Although two-thirds of respondents said they keep their phones in their golf bags and try to avoid the temptation of checking them while playing, 44 percent said they check their phones every few holes. A plurality (36%) said they are most likely to use their phones to view e-mail or post to social media. Twenty-nine percent said they track stats and watch instructional videos while another 10 percent film themselves or take “selfies.” Here are a few golf-related apps that players may be using on the course:
- ThinQ: Uses interactive games to stimulate the brain in areas that can help players improve their game. GolfLogix: Measures shot distance, provides yards to the hole in real-time, 3-D course layouts, tips and much more.
- GHIN (Golf Handicap and Information Network): Calculates a player’s handicap in roughly two minutes using just the course’s name and the player’s score.
- FlagHi: Measures the weather conditions, such as temperature, elevation and humidity before recommending which club to use.
- V1 Golf: Compares a recording of the user’s golf swing with a professional’s. Users can draw planes to analyze their technique.