Bloomberg: Golf's COVID Comeback and the $100 Golf App Boom

[nevets88]

Digital caddie apps have had a pretty good uptake percentage among more than casual golfers in 2020, hopefully they can help retain them.

Quote

Now more than 40% of core golfers—defined as playing at least eight rounds a year—use a golf-related app, NGF said. And they have plenty of options.

Golfshot, which more than doubled downloads in April according to Apptopia, pitches an augmented reality feature that displays distances as an overlay of a live course view. 18Birdies says that “swing practice will never be the same” thanks to its coaching software powered by artificial intelligence. And Golflogix touts a “game-changing app” with five million users worldwide.

You probably generally know most of what's in this piece if you've been keeping up with current golf events, but it's Bloomberg so I'll always read it. Some apps in here, SwingU, I never heard of. I think I've tried Golfshot and Golflogix but I use 18 Birdies for GPS distances because it's easy to use. One thing it didn't mention was coaching apps like Skillest or Hudl. Ask any golf pro generally and they'll tell you they've been very busy this past year.

 

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

 

Hmmmm, what happened in 2012 to account for the jump?

[pganapathy]

I currently have 4 different apps downloaded on my phone, but am currently using Hole 19 and am sticking to the free version.  I am using it more for score keeping than anything else, though I suppose I could consider distances with it on new courses.  On my home course, I generally don't bother with that

[darthweasel]

I got Golfpad and actually paid to upgrade. It has taken numerous strokes off my game for one simple reason:

As I diligently mark every shot, I know I have accurate averages for my clubs. Not carry of course but overall distance. Hard to deceive myself when the distances, measured over hundreds of shots (my 4h has the least with 117 and the driver the most at 934). There is enough data to tell me my average distance.

 

And since it has strokes gained...not easy to lie to myself about which part of my game is strongest and weakest.

 

Grateful for the apps. They help me know where to focus