Comparison

Youth on Course vs SmoothSwing

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

Head to head
About

Youth on Course

This app provides young people with affordable access to golf courses and related programs. It offers opportunities for skill development, career exploration, and educational advancement through golf. An alumni network is also available for young adults.

Highlights
  • Affordable golf course access
  • Youth development programs
  • Career exploration opportunities
  • College scholarships
  • Alumni network benefits
Features
Read full description

Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides youth with access to life-changing opportunities through golf. Private funding makes it possible for members to have access to play for $5 or less through subsidies to thousands of courses throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Members also have the opportunity to succeed through Youth on Course programs: DRIVE Club, Careers on Course, Leadership Council and College Scholarships. In addition, Youth on Course extends membership to those 19 and older through the Alumni Network. This elevated membership offers opportunities for young adults to connect at complimentary events, access exclusive deals, find jobs, and much more. The Youth on Course app provides everything you need to access your membership benefits.

About

SmoothSwing

This app offers a real-time golf shot tracer that visually tracks your ball's flight path. It also provides advanced GPS features, including club distance assistance and slope-adjusted yardage, to help you play smarter on the course.

Highlights
  • Real-time shot tracer
  • 360 Golf GPS
  • Club Assistant
  • PLAYS LIKE Distance (Slope Adjusted Distance)
  • Elevation Change measurement
Read full description

SmoothSwing • The Only Golf Shot Tracer That Works Like Magic! • The Original 360 Golf GPS ™ ► GOLF SHOT TRACER • World's First Real-Time Golf Shot Tracer! • Must use white color golf balls. • Exposure to direct sunlight on a hot day for a long period of time can eventually cause device to become warm. UNSUPPORTED DEVICES *iPhone8, *iPhone 8 Plus, *iPhone X ► GOLF GPS • Club Assistant Set how far you hit each club in your bag. Every time you zoom in Club Assistant shows you where you should expect the ball to end up for each club (based on the PLAYS LIKE Distance). • PLAYS LIKE Distance PLAYS LIKE Distance provides a measurement which compensates for uphill and downhill shots. (PLAYS LIKE Distance is also known as Slope Adjusted Distance.) • ↑/↓ Elevation Change ↑/↓ Elevation Change provides a measurement of the vertical distance, up or down, from where you are standing to the target. Terms Of Service https://www.smoothswingapp.com/terms-of-service Privacy Policy https://www.smoothswingapp.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Youth on Course4 screens
SmoothSwing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Youth on Course at none against SmoothSwing's 1. SmoothSwing's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 41%) and ratings volume (12K vs 2.5K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. SmoothSwing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Youth on Course 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 Youth on Course against 4.8 for SmoothSwing. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 12K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Youth on Course's written reviews are positive against 50% of SmoothSwing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Youth on Course ships an update every 3 weeks, SmoothSwing monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Youth on Course versus SmoothSwing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYouth on CourseSmoothSwing
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.5K ratings)4.8 (12K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.0% of reviews50.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.5K12K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYouth on CourseThomas Turnbull

Customer experience

Youth on Course

All ratings2,531 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral1.5%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive41.0%
Neutral6.0%
Negative53.0%

SmoothSwing

All ratings11,294 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews277 reviews
Positive50.2%
Neutral8.7%
Negative41.2%

User reviews

Youth on Course

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🙌 Affordable golf access for youth
  • 👍 Convenient mobile app experience
  • 🏆 Valuable program for building golf skills
  • 💰 Significant cost savings on green fees

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and login issues
  • 📵 Inability to book tee times through the app
  • 🤔 Inconsistent course availability
  • 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive app performance

SmoothSwing

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate shot tracer
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 One-time purchase for pro version
  • 🚀 Impressive performance for a free app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent ball tracking, especially for high-speed shots
  • 🔋 Overheating issues in hot weather
  • 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable performance for some users

Bugs and requests

Youth on Course

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App gets stuck on loading/login screen
  • Buttons and features not working as expected
  • Syncing issues between app and website

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to track golf scores and handicaps
  • Improved course search and booking functionality
  • Integration with other golf apps and platforms

SmoothSwing

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Shot tracer not working after purchasing pro version
  • GPS and map features not functioning properly
  • App crashing or freezing during use
  • Inability to track certain ball colors

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to upload and trace pre-recorded videos
  • Landscape mode support
  • More customization options for the shot tracer
  • Improved range finder with clearer visuals

In-app purchases

None

Youth on Course

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

SmoothSwing

One-time1
  • SmoothSwing Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Youth on Course free?
Youth on Course is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SmoothSwing free?
SmoothSwing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Youth on Course or SmoothSwing?
SmoothSwing is rated higher. Youth on Course averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while SmoothSwing averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.
Do Youth on Course or SmoothSwing have ads?
Neither Youth on Course nor SmoothSwing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Youth on Course or SmoothSwing?
Youth on Course ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmoothSwing monthly. Most recently, Youth on Course was updated on October 29, 2026 and SmoothSwing on October 30, 2026.

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