Comparison

GolfNow Compete vs Shot Pattern

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

Head to head
About

GolfNow Compete

Enhance your golf experience with a comprehensive app for competitive play. Track scores, challenge friends, and utilize GPS features for over 30,000 courses worldwide. Improve your game with advanced stats and find local tournaments.

Highlights
  • Live leaderboards
  • Virtual wagers
  • 30,000+ course GPS
  • Advanced stat tracking
  • Live scoring for up to 8 golfers
  • Tournament and event search
  • Custom competitions
Features
Read full description

GolfNow Compete – Golf GPS & Scoring Make every round count with GolfNow Compete. Challenge yourself and your friends with the #1 app in competitive golf. Raise the stakes with custom competitions and exciting side games that add excitement to every hole. Plus, you can register for local events, improve your game with stat tracking and use the built-in golf course GPS and rangefinder to measure shots and select the right club every time. Play for more than bragging rights • Compete against your friends in unique multi-games and track standings on the live leaderboards • Add virtual wagers to the round and put some skin in the game Keep your game sharp • Track your round with state-of-the-art golf course GPS maps and yardages for 30,000+ courses worldwide • Identify areas you can improve your game with advanced scoring and stat tracking Ditch the paper scorecard • Make every shot count and score live with up to eight golfers on the built-in scorecard • Score for your friends when they forget their phone, or add guests and we’ll share the scorecard with them • Add your Handicap to your profile and even the playing field with the Net scoring format Tee off against anyone, anywhere • Search for tournaments and outings near you from the Compete tab, or create your very own public or private event. • Find, invite and add your friends to join you in competitions, group rounds, your favorite games and virtual wagers. GolfNow Compete is for golfers, by golfers, and we want to hear from you! If you have feedback for us, please email us at compete@golfnow.com Terms of Use: https://www.golfnow.com/support/about-us/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy?intake=Golf&appname=GNCompete Your Privacy Choices: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy/notrtoo CA Notice: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act

About

Shot Pattern

Visualize your actual shot dispersion on any golf hole before you swing. This app helps you choose smarter targets, avoid hazards, and improve your scores by showing where your ball is likely to land based on your club and target. It also offers predictive analytics and detailed shot tracking for performance improvement.

Highlights
  • Personal shot dispersion overlay on hole imagery
  • Strokes gained predictor for club/target choices
  • Shot tracking and detailed strokes gained stats
  • 40,000+ courses with GPS and green maps
  • Launch monitor data integration
  • USGA/R&A compliant
Features
Currently charting
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The Golf GPS App That Helps You Turn Your Shot Data Into Lower Scores: • Attack Smarter with Personalized Targets • Improve Faster with Advanced Stats & Analytics Shot Pattern overlays your personal shot dispersion onto satellite imagery of every hole, so you can pick smarter targets, avoid trouble, and shoot lower scores. Trusted by players on PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA, and college teams worldwide. 4.8 stars from thousands of golfers. YOUR SHOT PATTERN ON EVERY HOLE Most golf GPS apps stop at giving you a number to the green. Shot Pattern goes further. It takes your actual shot data and shows you where your ball is likely to land based on your club and target selection. See your tee shot arc and approach shot circle overlaid right on the satellite image of the hole you’re standing on. Take the guesswork out of where to aim. STROKES GAINED PREDICTOR Compare different club and target combinations to see the expected strokes gained outcome for each option. Should you hit driver or lay up with an iron? How aggressive should you aim at a tucked pin? The Predictor runs the math using your personal dispersion so you can make confident decisions instead of guessing. SHOT TRACKING & STROKES GAINED STATS Track every shot with GPS precision. Get shot by shot strokes gained breakdowns for driving, approach, short game, and putting. Filter by distance, lie, club, or round. Advanced analytics including Drives in Play, Big Misses, and Big 5 Score Killers help you find the patterns that are costing you strokes. 40,000+ COURSES WITH GPS & GREEN MAPS Satellite imagery on every hole. Measure landing areas. Course preview tools to plan your strategy before the round. Elevation data. Green maps to read breaks and plan approaches. USGA and R&A compliant for tournament and handicap play. CONNECT YOUR DATA Upload launch monitor data to build your dispersion profile faster. Share your stats with your coach. Multiple tracking modes including live GPS on course, Apple Watch, or post round manual entry. WHAT GOLFERS ARE SAYING “You won’t need any other golf app” “Fantastic Shot Tracking and Course Management” “The uploading of launch monitor data is fantastic” “Switched from Decade” Start your free trial today. Terms of Use: https://shotpattern.app/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://shotpattern.app/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

GolfNow Compete4 screens
Shot Pattern4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GolfNow Compete at none against Shot Pattern's 8. GolfNow Compete also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Shot Pattern's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and monetization model 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. Shot Pattern sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. GolfNow Compete asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for GolfNow Compete against 4.8 for Shot Pattern. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.6K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of GolfNow Compete's written reviews are positive against 67% of Shot Pattern's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GolfNow Compete ships an update every 5 weeks, Shot Pattern every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
GolfNow Compete versus Shot Pattern: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGolfNow CompeteShot Pattern
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (5.6K ratings)4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.2% of reviews67.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.6K — better2.1K
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#100 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size276 MB105 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperGolfNow.comUndaunted Athlete LLC

Customer experience

GolfNow Compete

All ratings5,589 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews126 reviews
Positive45.2%
Neutral17.5%
Negative37.3%

Shot Pattern

All ratings2,060 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews153 reviews
Positive67.3%
Neutral8.5%
Negative24.2%

User reviews

GolfNow Compete

From 5.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate GPS and yardages
  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Ability to adjust pin position
  • 🚀 Seamless transition from lock screen

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and login issues
  • 🔨 Missing features from previous app
  • 🔨 Inability to track 9-hole rounds
  • 🔨 Can't add other players to a round
  • 🔨 Limited statistics and scorecard history

Shot Pattern

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent course preview and strategy planning
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 💡 Ability to import launch monitor data
  • 🚀 Constant app improvements and new features
  • 👍 Helpful for course management and lowering scores

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with GPS tracking and shot entry during rounds
  • 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
  • 🐛 Bugs causing loss of shot data
  • 🤔 Manual shot entry too time-consuming for some users
  • 🤔 Lack of on-course shot tracking

Bugs and requests

GolfNow Compete

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • GPS not working properly
  • Auto-scoring feature not functioning
  • Courses not showing up in search
  • Handicap not updating correctly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • Advanced statistics and analytics
  • Ability to edit and delete scorecards
  • Support for 9-hole rounds and competitions

Shot Pattern

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • GPS not accurately showing hole orientation
  • Course boundaries not saving properly
  • Subscription issues and difficulty cancelling
  • Lack of UK golf course support

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to toggle between carry and total distances
  • Option to see optimal target lines
  • Scorecard view with strokes gained data
  • Personal bests tracking
  • Web/desktop version of the app

In-app purchases

None

GolfNow Compete

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Shot Pattern

Subscriptions6
  • One Month Subscription7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • One Month Subscription7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • One Month Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Six Month Subscription7 Days trial$74.996 Months
  • One Year Subscription7 Days trial2 variants$99.001 Year
  • One Year Subscription1 Month trial$99.001 Year
One-time1
  • Green Maps Add On - Single Course$4.99

Questions

Is GolfNow Compete free?
GolfNow Compete is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shot Pattern free?
Shot Pattern is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GolfNow Compete or Shot Pattern?
Shot Pattern is rated higher. GolfNow Compete averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Shot Pattern averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.
Do GolfNow Compete or Shot Pattern have ads?
GolfNow Compete shows ads; Shot Pattern does not.
Which is updated more often, GolfNow Compete or Shot Pattern?
GolfNow Compete ships an update every 5 weeks, and Shot Pattern every 3 days. Most recently, GolfNow Compete was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shot Pattern on October 25, 2026.

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