It’s fair to say that if you love golf, then you probably REALLY love golf. Golf is an incredibly addictive game, and it’s something that is more than just a sport and actually becomes a lifestyle. In fact the very way you dress can often communicate to people that you’re a golfer and you tend to find that there is a whole community surrounding the practice of playing golf. So with that in mind, it stands to reason that someone who loves golf, and who has an Android phone or tablet, might want to try their hand at a bit of golf on the go. And as you can imagine there are plenty of ways you can do this. Here we will have a look at some of those games and apps and which are worth your time.
Golf 3D
Golf 3D is a great game in concept and does what it says on the tin providing you with a 3D golf game set in some nice scenic areas. The control is pretty simple – move your finer to aim an then swipe your finger to hit the ball – but there are several disappointing factors here too. The first is how insensitive the game is – often completely failing to pick up your desperate finger swipes. The second and equally severe is the fact that the game only really provides you with half of a golf experience – there’s no putting for starters so really you’re just pitching (Pitch 3D?) and while there’s wind and aiming involved, the game always starts out with the hole directly in front of you. The game also features a ’tilt to control the ball while in the air’ feature, which while similar to some Playstation 3 golf games still doesn’t have much basis in realism and is something I personally find annoying. It’s a good fun game, but also somewhat lacking.
iSwing
iSwing is an app that claims to ‘analyse’ your golf swing based on how you swing your phone and uses the accelerometer to do so. It’s a fun and useful idea and the ability to ‘record’ your swings and share them via e-mail is a cool addition, but ultimately this isn’t really going to turn you into Tiger Woods. It’s a bit of throwaway fun – possibly literally if you don’t have a good grip on your device.
SkyDroid – Golf GPS
This is app meanwhile really genuinely does bring something useful to the table. The idea is that you use the GPS in your phone to measure your distance from dangers and even to measure precisely how far you can send the ball which makes it a fun thing to bring along with you to shut up competitive friends. Get a birds eye view of over 22,000 golf courses, and get a kind of omnipresence to help you perfectly plan your shot. Almost a game changer.
Par 3 Golf 2
The graphics may look a little dated (which can affect your ability to judge distances), but this is a much more involved golf game than Golf 3D which might be more likely to satisfy real golfers. There’s a lite version, so there’s no need to shell out for it and then find you’re not a fan.
Tiki Golf 3D
Tiki Golf 3D goes completely the other way with a golf game that has no intention of being taken seriously. Here you play golf across some 3D landscapes just like Golf 3D, but are this time playing in a range of themed courses with loop-de-loops and other obstacles (and controlling some sort of walking mask). The graphics are pretty good and the levels make for a bit of Super Monkey Ball styled fun, but the control is somewhat awkward and it’s a little hard to see where the hole is at a given point. Again, seeing as it’s completely free it’s certainly worth a go.
Mike Gray is a sports writer and amateur golfer. He reviews sporting equipment on his website and recommends golfbox for all your golfing needs.