Comparison

Garmin Golf vs Chronogolf by Lightspeed

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Garmin Golf

Track your golf rounds, compete with friends on global leaderboards, and analyze your performance with detailed stats. Enhance your game with virtual rounds and green contour data through an optional membership.

Highlights
  • Round tracking
  • Global leaderboards
  • Custom tournament creation
  • Shot maps and course stats
  • Virtual rounds
  • Green contour analysis
  • Swing video storage
Features
Read full description

However you want to elevate your golf game, the Garmin Golf app has you covered. You can track your rounds and compete with your friends and fellow golfers on weekly leaderboards at more than 43,000 courses around the world. You can also set up your own tournament events and invite your friends to play along. Once you pair your phone with an Approach®, fēnix® or another compatible Garmin device¹, you can view shot maps of each hole on your scorecard as you track your golf rounds. Course stats and performance stats are available after your rounds to evaluate your game and look for ways to improve. With a paid Garmin Golf Membership, even more great features are available: • Home Tee Hero. Play virtual rounds for more than 43,000 courses around the world with a compatible Garmin launch monitor. • Green Contours. View green slope arrows and contour lines, so you can plan your approach and sink the putt. • Swing Video Storage. Once you pair a compatible Garmin launch monitor, you can back up all your swing videos for future reference in our cloud. This is just the beginning of how the Garmin Golf app can improve your game. Download the app today to get started. ¹See a full list of compatible devices at https://www.garmin.com/golfdevices Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.  Privacy Policy: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/privacy/golf/ Garmin Golf Membership Terms and Conditions: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/TC-garmin-golf/

About

Chronogolf by Lightspeed

Easily book your next golf round at clubs worldwide and discover exclusive deals. Access member tee sheets to see available spots and player information. Manage prepaid packages and invite guests directly through the app.

Highlights
  • Book tee times globally
  • Exclusive discounted tee times
  • View member tee sheets
  • Manage prepaid golf packages
  • Invite guests to bookings
  • Explore nearby and worldwide clubs
Features
Read full description

Chronogolf helps you play more golf by providing the easiest way to book your next round at your favorite golf clubs. BOOK TEE-TIMES Explore clubs nearby or around the world and enjoy a simple booking process on your mobile device. BENEFIT FROM EXCLUSIVE OFFERS Be on the lookout for discounted tee-times provided by participating golf clubs. ACCESS TO MEMBER TEE-SHEET Choose your golf partners thanks to a new visualization of the tee-times where the number of places available, the names of the players and their handicap are visible! (Requires a membership to participating club) CLAIM YOUR PREPAID PACKAGES Use your prepaid rounds of golf or carts simply and directly in the booking process. You can also keep an eye on the remaining usage! INVITE YOUR GUESTS Notify your guest or fellow members of your booking by inviting them in your booking. They will be aware of any events related to your reservation. Find us also on your club's website or on our marketplace at https://www.chonogolf.com Discover us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/chronogolf Discover us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chronogolf Discover us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/chronogolf

Screenshots

Garmin Golf4 screens
Chronogolf by Lightspeed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chronogolf by Lightspeed at none against Garmin Golf's 2. Chronogolf by Lightspeed also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 50%) and ratings volume (32K vs 7.3K). Garmin Golf's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#56 vs unranked). On price, rating and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Garmin Golf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Chronogolf by Lightspeed asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chronogolf by Lightspeed holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.3K and 32K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Garmin Golf's written reviews are positive against 64% of Chronogolf by Lightspeed's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Garmin Golf ships an update monthly, Chronogolf by Lightspeed every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Garmin Golf versus Chronogolf by Lightspeed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGarmin GolfChronogolf by Lightspeed
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (7.3K ratings)4.8 (32K ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.9% of reviews63.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.3K32K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#56 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size837 MB95 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperGarminChronogolf, Inc.

Customer experience

Garmin Golf

All ratings7,294 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews1,004 reviews
Positive49.9%
Neutral16.2%
Negative33.9%

Chronogolf by Lightspeed

All ratings32,207 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews351 reviews
Positive63.8%
Neutral12.0%
Negative24.2%

User reviews

Garmin Golf

From 7.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Great app for golf tracking
  • 🏌️‍♂️ Helpful for game improvement
  • 📊 Provides useful statistics and data
  • ⌚ Seamless integration with Garmin watches
  • 🗺️ Accurate course maps and GPS

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
  • 🔍 Inaccurate shot tracking and location
  • 🤖 Confusing or unintuitive interface
  • 🔋 Battery life issues on watches
  • 🚫 Lack of iPad support

Chronogolf by Lightspeed

From 32K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Convenient booking
  • 💡 Helpful scheduling tool
  • 🚀 Quick and easy
  • 👍 Reliable and accurate

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 👎 Difficult to modify reservations
  • 👎 Misleading pricing information
  • 👎 Limited course availability
  • 🔒 Poor customer service

Bugs and requests

Garmin Golf

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Rounds not syncing between watch and app
  • Scorecard and shot data not displaying correctly
  • Connectivity issues between app and devices
  • Courses not updated with recent layout changes
  • Inability to edit or move incorrectly tracked shots

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add Stableford scoring option
  • Allow editing of shot data and club info
  • Provide more detailed course previews
  • Integrate with other golf apps and platforms
  • Improve shot tracking accuracy and customization
Show 1 more
  • Enhance stat tracking and visualization

Chronogolf by Lightspeed

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Reservation times not accurately reflected
  • Compatibility issues with iOS 14 update
  • Inability to login or access account
  • Tee time availability not properly synced
  • Reservation cancellation and refund problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to flip/modify tee times
  • Improve search functionality to see all available tee times
  • Allow adding guests/members to existing reservations
  • Provide option to pay at the course
  • Display cart pricing with tee time reservations

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Garmin Golf

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Membership1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Membership1 Month trial$99.991 Year
None

Chronogolf by Lightspeed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Garmin Golf free?
Garmin Golf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chronogolf by Lightspeed free?
Chronogolf by Lightspeed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Garmin Golf or Chronogolf by Lightspeed?
Chronogolf by Lightspeed is rated higher. Garmin Golf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Chronogolf by Lightspeed averages 4.8 from 32K ratings.
Do Garmin Golf or Chronogolf by Lightspeed have ads?
Chronogolf by Lightspeed shows ads; Garmin Golf does not.
Which is updated more often, Garmin Golf or Chronogolf by Lightspeed?
Garmin Golf ships an update monthly, and Chronogolf by Lightspeed every 3 weeks. Most recently, Garmin Golf was updated on November 9, 2026 and Chronogolf by Lightspeed on November 9, 2026.

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