Cellular Caddie

“Have you downloaded iOS 8 yet?” was a text I sent to many friends last week, checking to see if they were enjoying the Apple Inc. software upgrades just as I was, hot off the digital press. As Apple introduced its new iPhones and revolutionary Apple Watch we saw the world continue spinning on its digitally-centric axis.

It’s true. Nowadays, just about everyone has a smart phone, and if they don’t, there’s probably one within eyesight. That’s the world we now live in. It’s also the world we now play golf in. For better or worse, the smartphone is working its way onto the golf course.

Personally, I’m a bit hit-or-miss when it comes to having a phone on the course. Turning the cell off during a round of golf is one of the best things a focused golfer can do; they’re removing one last distraction from the most meticulous of sports. However, it might be wise to keep it within arms reach.

While a chatty, phone-laden golfer is never fun to play with, certain digital features can improve the golf experience.

Sometimes it depends on your playing partners. One friend of mine sticks out. Of the many rounds we’ve played together, most tend to start with strict competition, only to finish with sheer idiocy. Truth is, if we tried to maintain that competitive edge that we had on the first tee, we’d likely end up silent and frustrated with each other by the back nine. Thankfully, he carries about 10,000 songs with him wherever he goes and a little Florida Georgia Line constantly reminds us that some golf soundtrack can ease the mood and keep our minds off a diminishing pile of Titleists.

If music isn’t your thing, the most basic of apps will help you log scores and help create/maintain a handicap. That’s nothing a computer cannot do, though. Other apps will use the GPS capabilities of the phone to track how far your ball is from the center of the green. The smartphone becomes a tiny, trustworthy caddie in your pocket or palm. Most importantly, it’s a caddie that won’t charge you a dime or misread any putts.

If that isn’t enough, golf can go another step further in the digital world. The name is GAME GOLF and it might be the greatest golf-tech innovation since the Rangefinder.

A GAME GOLF package includes 14 knobs attached to the handle end of each club that connect (digitally) to a meter of sorts attached to the player’s hip. Using that same type of GPS technology as aforementioned, GAME GOLF logs each stroke once the player taps the club-specific knob to the meter. That’s the hard part.

The beauty of GAME GOLF is seen after the round as the meter reveals the player’s score as well as many other stats like fairways hit, putts per hole, greens in regulation, etc. It even is accurate and detailed enough to show which side of the fairway (and by how much) a player might be missing the short grass.

Maybe that’s too much info for the regular twice-a-month golfer. Maybe not. Either way, technology is forcing its way onto the fairways. It might be time to jump on board.