This Clever App Finally Ended Our Post-Round Scorecard Arguments

Far too many golf apps, in my experience, get in the way of my enjoyment of golf, rather than enhance it. Too many notifications, a poor user interface and too many barriers to entry have left me pretty much ditching the world of golf apps for a good old-fashioned analogue world.

That was, until I started using Golf GameBook. This app acts as a highly efficient, rapid-fire personal scorer and GPS, all in one. It replaces your need for an analogue scorecard on the course and adds little to no effort or distraction, since it does the scoring you'd do anyway, just more efficiently and enjoyably.

Having used the app for the last few months in a handful of different group sizes, I feel I'm in a strong position to tell you exactly why this app is such a useful companion to your golf, regardless of the size of the groups you most often play in.

The app is free to download, with the free version offering limited usability, including individual play, standard stroke play scoring, basic live leaderboards, and interacting with friends. Gold Membership unlocks extended features like custom tournaments, Ryder Cup-style events, detailed statistics tracking of your game and advanced game formats outside of standard stroke play.

By far, my favourite part of the app is the live leaderboard system. There is nothing worse than playing in an event with multiple foursomes and not knowing what the leading score is. You might hear a cheer or a groan from the foursome ahead and think, 'I wonder who's doing well in that group? What score should I be chasing? Do I need a birdie or a par on the last to tie the lead?'

Thankfully, this clever live leaderboard answers all those questions for you. There's nothing quite like actually knowing how the rest of the group is doing to really immerse yourself in a competition with your mates. It makes the tournament seem all that more serious, just like you're watching it on TV.

The next best thing about the app is that it eliminates messy scorecards, removing the post-round scoring carnage that inevitably follows a multi-group competition. Let's face it, most people can't count properly, let alone keep a clean and legible scorecard for whatever competition you're running.

Because the app handles handicaps and formats, post-round can now be dedicated to enjoying yourself rather than arguing with everyone about their dodgy scorekeeping. No scorecards to amend, no dodgy bookkeeping, no arguments just clear and quick results with full transparency for everyone using the app.

If you've got enough players, the best format the app has built in is the Ryder Cup-style 'Red vs Blue' match. This is really where the live scoring element of the app comes into its own. Being able to see, while everyone's on course, which of the matches are up or down and how the overall picture of the wider match is taking shape live is a lot of fun.

If that isn't to your taste, the app has another 19 game formats built in, so you can play simple stroke play, stableford, skins or some other game variants I'm yet to properly explore. One of my favourite games to play in a foursome is Wolf, which currently isn't a part of the app - I'd love to see it added someday.

Then there are the elements of the app Golf GameBook is probably less well known for: GPS and score tracking. The GPS is impressively comprehensive. Full-hole maps allow you to plot your way from tee to green with accuracy, while the shot-measuring tool also gives this app the same levels of functionality as a standalone golf GPS. For smartwatch users, the app is also integrated to feed distances to the front, middle and back of the green.

For those who want an even more granular analysis of their game, the game tracking functionality can give you a picture of key stats like fairways in regulation, greens in regulation and scoring averages. It's a pretty basic data set, in truth, and apps like ShotScope and Arccos will give you a much deeper analysis of your game via Strokes Gained analytics.

There's also a nice social element to this app. Don't worry, it doesn't become a full-time job to keep up with like Instagram or Twitter, but it's just another neat feature to look at while in-app, where you can keep track of friends' scoring, post pictures from memorable moments from your round and generally comment (positively or negatively, that's our choice) on your friends' exploits. It's a nice addition to an app with far more layers than it initially appears.

Don't think this app is only useful for those in large groups. For those going on golf trips with two, three, or four, the app is perfect to keep track of scores across multiple days, too. This allows you to quickly and easily keep a running count of who is leading across multiple days, as well as run side games throughout the trip, all without the complex scorecard whataboutery that comes with manually scoring across multiple days.

Overall, Golf GameBook is an essential app for social golfers, golf days and golf holidays. In fact, any time you're playing with a group of friends or in a competition where more than your partners in the immediate foursome are involved, the app is a certified way to enhance your overall enjoyment of the game.