GHIN vs Golf Genius
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GHIN
Track your golf scores, analyze your game statistics, and utilize GPS course maps with advanced features. This official app helps golfers manage their handicaps and compete with friends.
- Score Posting
- Stat Tracking
- Course Maps & GPS
- Handicap Calculator
- Group Score Keeping
- Apple Watch Integration
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This is the official mobile app of the Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN), a service offered by the USGA to golf associations worldwide. Key features include: • Score Posting (Total Score, Hole-by-Hole Score and Hole-by-Hole Score with Stats) • Stat Tracking (Number of Putts, Approach Shot Accuracy and Driving Accuracy) • Course Maps & GPS • Enhanced GPS Features (Putt Break Map, Approach Shot Heat Map, Shot Tracking) • Games & Group Score Keeping • Apple Watch integration • Golfer Lookup • Handicap Calculator 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
Golf Genius
Enhance your golf game with live score entry, real-time leaderboards, and access to your member portal. This app also streamlines operations for pro shop staff and league managers, offering event management and sponsor visibility.
- Live score entry
- Real-time leaderboards
- Custom member portal access
- Event management for club pros
- Photo gallery uploads
- Sponsor branding opportunities
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Registered Golf Genius players will find the free Golf Genius mobile app an exciting and useful addition to their golf experience. The app is also designed to reduce effort and save valuable time for the pro shop staff and league managers. Here are a few of the most important app functions: (1) Live score entry out on the course (scores can be entered by players or pro staff) that immediately updates full field leaderboards on large TV displays in the clubhouse and on the app itself; (2) access to the custom member portal where players can view tee sheets, results, statistics, etc.; (3) an easy and fast way to upload photos, creating photo galleries that add to the fun for any event; (4) mobile access for club pros and league managers to all events on the golf calendar, with dates, registrants, tee sheets, hole-by-hole scorecards, final results, etc.; (5) mobile, contextual branding exposure and messaging customized for corporate and charity outings sponsors, which translates into an attractive and differentiated “outings offer” and the opportunity for clubs hosting outings to maximize revenue. The Golf Genius mobile app is designed for both iPhone and iPad.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Golf Genius at none against GHIN's 1. Golf Genius also leads on ratings volume (69K vs 21K). On price, rating, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. GHIN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Golf Genius asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for GHIN against 4.8 for Golf Genius. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21K and 69K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 26% and 26% positive.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GHIN | Golf Genius |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (21K ratings) | 4.8 (69K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 26.1% of reviews — better | 26.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21K | 69K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #30 — better | #69 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 359 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | United States Golf Association | Golf Genius Software, Inc. |
Customer experience
GHIN
Golf Genius
User reviews
GHIN
From 21K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Reliable GPS and course data
- 👍 Handicap tracking and management
- 💡 Green contour and heat maps
- 🚀 Efficient score entry and posting
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and disconnections
- 🔌 Poor Apple Watch integration and performance
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find desired features
- 🔋 High battery drain when using GPS
Golf Genius
From 69K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Versatile and powerful
- 💡 Useful for groups
- 👍 Great app for tournaments
Room to improve
- 🐛 Barely functional
- 👎 Not easy to navigate
- 🐛 Entries disappear
- 🐛 App opens on wrong date
- 👎 Difficult to use
Bugs and requests
GHIN
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
Requested features
4 requests- Allow customization of tracked stats
- Implement landscape mode support
- Integrate with Apple Health/Activity
- Improve handicap calculation accuracy
Golf Genius
Reported bugs
4 issues- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Syncing problems between app and website
- Incorrect handicap calculations
- Scores not saving properly
Requested features
5 requests- Allow reorganizing player names
- Increase font size
- Add Apple Watch functionality
- Ability to cancel registrations
- Putt tracking feature
In-app purchases
GHIN
- Upgrade to GHIN Enhanced GPS$49.991 Year
Golf Genius
No in-app purchases
