# GHIN: Handicap Index® & GPS — Scorecard, Maps, and Stats

> Official golf handicap tracking and game analysis app. (iPhone/iPad app by United States Golf Association.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghin-handicap-index-and-gps/id491796218 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [United States Golf Association](https://appshunter.io/developer/319204553)
- Category: Sports, Health & Fitness
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.75/5 from 20,683 App Store ratings · 262 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 248 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-01-31
- Data updated: 2026-10-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghin-handicap-index-and-gps/id491796218/reviews.md

## What is GHIN?

GHIN is the app built for golfers by the USGA — post scores, track your Handicap Index®, play with GPS, and see the stats that show how your game is trending. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO 

• Post scores and track stats — Update your Handicap Index by posting total or hole-by-hole scores, with the option to track fairways, greens in regulation, and putts. 
• Play a round with GPS: simplified setup, richer course graphics, one-handed scoring, or switch to a simple digital Scorecard if you'd rather skip GPS 
• See your game in the new Stats section: recent trends, score history, hole-by-hole, advanced stats, and course-specific performance 
• Set up and play fair matches against other golfers with a Handicap Index — including front nine / back nine / overall results 
• Compete on virtual leaderboards through Challenges, at select courses through your Allied Golf Association 
• Play hands-free — track your whole round right from your Apple Watch

GETTING STARTED & UPGRADES 

• Start with a Free Trial: post 3 scores to get an Estimated Handicap Range, and continue posting for 30 days after that 
• Enhanced GPS is available as a premium upgrade — Green Maps and front/back yardages on your phone, plus hazard and layup yardages on Apple Watch. 
• Membership through an Allied Golf Association is required for full app functionality 

Terms of Service - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy - https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/Handicap-ghin/ghin-privacy-policy.html

## Key features

- Score Posting
- Stat Tracking
- Course Maps & GPS
- Handicap Calculator
- Group Score Keeping
- Apple Watch Integration

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to GHIN Enhanced GPS | $49.99 | per year |


## Chart rankings

- #102 in Top Free · Sports (US App Store)
- #33 in Top Grossing · Sports (US App Store)

## What do users think of GHIN?

Reviews of GHIN are mixed: the Sports app is rated 4.8/5 from 21K App Store ratings. What users like most: reliable GPS and course data, handicap tracking and management. Top complaints: frequent app crashes and disconnections, poor Apple Watch integration and performance. Summarized from real user reviews.

**Pros**

- 🚀 Reliable GPS and course data
- 👍 Handicap tracking and management
- 💡 Green contour and heat maps
- 🚀 Efficient score entry and posting

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and disconnections
- 🔌 Poor Apple Watch integration and performance
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find desired features
- 🔋 High battery drain when using GPS

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Scorecard data not syncing properly between devices
- Inability to end rounds early and post partial scores
- GPS distances not updating correctly on Apple Watch
- Course data not loading consistently

**Most requested features**

- Allow customization of tracked stats
- Implement landscape mode support
- Integrate with Apple Health/Activity
- Improve handicap calculation accuracy

## Is GHIN safe?

GHIN: Handicap Index® & GPS appears safe based on user ratings. The AppsHunter Safety Score for GHIN is 95 out of 100. This assessment is based on 20,683 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.8 out of 5. Of 20,679 App Store ratings, 95.4% point to a safe experience, 1.8% suggest some concerns, and 2.8% point to a risky experience.

## Is GHIN legit?

GHIN: Handicap Index® & GPS appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for GHIN is 100 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (10 of 262)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghin-handicap-index-and-gps/id491796218/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Duo

*2026-10-26, version 7.0.1*

Beautiful app but Please optimize for iPhone Duo

### 5/5 — Clunky update

*2026-10-25, version 7.0.1*

The new app view has title sections cut off. In the stats overview recent scores looks like “ecent scores”. Inputting scores looks way too cluttered. The golfer lookup is better though.

### 2/5 — Changed too much, too fast

*2026-10-25, version 7.0.1*

The new interface just feels cheap.  Does not seem to fit the more “official USGA” aesthetic that the previous app upheld. Why is everything so rounded off? Bars in a bar graph are rectangular for a reason… I don’t want to be guessing whether the peak of this rounded jelly bean actually tops out at 74? 73? Maybe that’s a 75?? Half of the bars in my stats are practically circles! 
Nobody in the design process realized this might be an issue?? 
There are many things that I feel are actually improved, but the glaring readability issues just feel amateurish from a design standpoint. Why does the Home Screen have redundant buttons for “Play Round”? Why is the lower menu “Play Round” button ALWAYS highlighted? The “Stats” tiles feel random and irrelevant to the stats I’m looking for. If I tap on a tile, how do I go “back” one page without backing all the way out to the Home Screen?? 

How about the “Overview | Scores| HDCP Index” menu at the top—how am I supposed to know that you can swipe right for more options??? 

Don’t even get me started on the new logo. Looks straight out of a 70’s game show. It makes the entire GHIN system look like a joke. 

I just have a hard time believing this was tested enough before going live. 

Simple UX/UI stuff, folks. 

Do better.

### 1/5 — Change it back

*2026-10-24, version 7.0.1*

Please go back to the previous hole by hole scoring. New method sucks and is time consuming. Had to be designed by a non golfer.

### 1/5 — No Raw Scores???

*2026-10-23, version 7.0.1*

Fully agree with all the reviews below that the flow is much worse. Inputting scores feels much clunkier and overall this new update feels like it has too much clutter.

There are 3 different buttons taking up space on the in-play screen, all of which are trying to direct the user to purchase Enhanced GPS. I get it, it’s an additional revenue stream, but some people just aren’t at the point in their game where this is totally necessary yet. There’s enough Enhanced GPS promotion on the home screen of this app, you don’t need to put it on the in-play screen too.

But the worst part of this new update is that (unless I’m mistaken and can’t find it), you can’t even see your raw score at the end of a round. You can only see your adjusted score. I can add my raw score up from my scorecard, but that feels like one of the most basic features that should be there.

I appreciate the effort on trying to improve the app, but honestly, the simplicity of the prior version was one of my favorite things about it. This update was a swing and a miss.

### 1/5 — Clunky new update!

*2026-10-23, version 7.0.1*

I have played 107 rounds this year alone and have used the GHIN  app for years   New update forcing me to spend too much time in the app during my round. I’m having to go through multiple screens to simply record 1 hole worth of data and its clunky AF. And if you realize you need to correct a statistic on a previous hole, you have to go back through all three screens to simply change one data point very clunky. Disappointed golfer.

### 5/5 — Much improved - very competitive

*2026-10-22, version 7.0.1*

10.22.26 Update. GHIN 7.0.1 is a significant improvement over earlier versions. It is more stable and the statistics section has been significantly updated. Some reviews criticize the new UI; I find it an improvement. Once you start a round on your phone the Apple Watch app is all you need for recording scores and other input. The impact on phone and watch battery appears to be less than many other golf GPS apps. 

12.20.24 Update. The iOS 18.2 and Apple Watch 11.2 issue has been resolved. Quick response from the developers. Thank you. 

12.14.24 Update: The iOS 18.2 and Watch 11.2 updates  have broken the link between the GHIN iPhone and Apple Watch app. The phone app works fine. The Watch app ties to connect and then crashes. This is a step backward. 

The most recent release is significantly improved. It is stable and works very well with an Apple Watch. The GPS is fast and accurate. The green maps - heat maps and putt views are easy to use. Overall the app is much improved over the past few months. An area for enhancement would be to provide  customized stat graphics similar to other apps such as Hole 19 or 18 Birdies. The app keeps getting better. Well done.

### 1/5 — Convoluted

*2026-10-21, version 7.0.1*

Took 3 minutes to figure how to post 9 hole score after entering, tap on the 3 dots & select post score? How bout just a frickin post button in plain site

### 1/5 — Old App was better

*2026-10-20, version 7.0.1*

New app too complicated; hard to do what used to be simple.

### 2/5 — Adding players

*2026-10-17, version 7.0.1*

This update removes tees and current handicap saved on players each time you go to the handicap listing. Older version keep the tee and handicap for that tee each time you opened this function. Creates unnecessary work when researching several players, which we do weekly at our course.

## Frequently asked questions about GHIN

### What does the GHIN app do?

The GHIN app is the official mobile application for the Golf Handicap Information Network. It allows golfers to post their scores, track detailed statistics about their game, use GPS for course navigation, and calculate their handicap.

### What are the key features of the GHIN app?

Key features include comprehensive score posting (total, hole-by-hole, and with stats), detailed stat tracking (putts, approach accuracy, driving accuracy), GPS course maps with enhanced features like putt break maps, games and group score keeping, Apple Watch integration, golfer lookup, and a handicap calculator.

### Is the GHIN app free to use?

The app itself is free to download and use. However, it does have in-app purchases and advertisements, indicating a freemium model with potential for additional features or an ad-free experience through purchases.

### What devices is the GHIN app compatible with?

The app is designed for mobile use and offers integration with Apple Watch. While specific OS version requirements are not detailed, it is available on Apple platforms.

### How can I use the GHIN app to improve my golf game?

You can use the app to meticulously track your scores and analyze specific statistics like the number of putts or driving accuracy. The GPS features and course maps can help you navigate courses more effectively, and understanding your handicap can inform your game strategy.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 7.0.2 — 2026-10-27

Introducing Offseason Play, allowing golfers to continue saving rounds and tracking their game during inactive seasons. We’ve also improved the hole-by-hole score posting experience based on golfer feedback.

### 7.0.1 — 2026-10-02

Introducing the redesigned GHIN: new look & feel, improved maps and scorekeeping flows, deeper stats, and a rebuilt Apple Watch experience.

### 7.0.0 — 2026-09-28

GHIN has a new look. Same app you trust, now easier to use and redesigned around feedback from golfers like you.

### 5.6.25 — 2026-08-10

In this release, we made several enhancements and bug fixes to improve the GHIN app experience:
• All junior golfers will now inherit Enhanced GPS from guardians
• Fixed Golfer Lookup filter functionality

### 5.6.24 — 2026-06-23

Scoring Privacy Controls
You can now control the visibility of your scoring history. Go to More → Settings → Privacy Settings to limit visibility to your club members only, or keep it open to all golfers with a Handicap Index.

Bug Fixes & Improvements
Fixed a crash during 9-hole Group and Match Play rounds, along with other stability improvements and updates.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-29.*
