A dedicated laser rangefinder is still the most precise option on the market, but it's also a few hundred dollars for something that lives in your bag nine months of the year. A phone-based GPS app gets you distance to the green for free or close to it, on a device you already have. Here's what's actually worth downloading.

118Birdies

Free tier availableBest for: all-around use

A widely used option with a genuinely usable free tier covering GPS distances, digital scorecards, and handicap tracking across a large course database. Paid tiers add more advanced analysis on top.

2Golfshot

Freemium GPSBest for: detailed course data

Strong on-course utility with front, center, and back-of-green distances for free, and a paid tier that adds hazard yardages, augmented reality views, and more granular targets per hole.

3TheGrint

GPS as a secondary featureBest for: handicap-first golfers

Includes GPS distances alongside its core handicap-tracking focus, a solid option if reliable distance data matters less to you than a dependable handicap number.

4Arccos

Sensor-basedBest for: detailed shot data

Pairs club sensors with GPS to automatically track shot location and distance, giving detailed strokes-gained data most GPS-only apps can't match. The tradeoff is the upfront hardware cost.

Worth being upfront about: GolfIQ isn't on this list because it doesn't have GPS features. It's built around handicap tracking and a live friend feed instead. If you want on-course distances, pick from the apps above. If you also want to see your friends' rounds and track your handicap trend without asking, that's the gap GolfIQ fills, and plenty of golfers run both.

Curious how a GPS-first app compares to GolfIQ directly?

See GolfIQ vs. Golfshot →