I know I’ve covered GPS Apps in the past, but when I work out a system for myself that is really a great value (and benefit to your game) I feel the need to pass it along. First off, you need to understand how most of the GPS Apps work, then you need to understand how this can be totally free going forward. Once we get those two points worked out, you will see what an amazing value this deal can be for you and your game. So, without further ado, here’s my guide to making a sub $40 fully functional golf GPS unit.
We start with the deal of the month at FreedomPop, which is a cellular provider that runs a Voice over IP calling network. While I never had much luck with the voice service, the data coverage has been excellent. Now, each month, FreedomPop offers up a lower end, certified pre-owned Android device for about $30. While they are underpowered for most users today, they are perfect for throwing an App or two on for various uses. Whether it’s to attach a Square reader to for use at your farmer’s market booth or perhaps, using the device for a navigation unit in the car, the devices do a decent enough job of handling the small stuff for you. Once you order the device, the setup is very simple from there.
When you order the FreedomPop device, you will be able to get a plan that includes 200 minutes of talk, 500 texts and 500 MB of data. Using Google Maps, which is what the majority of the course marking Apps do, will use small amounts of data to load the images of the holes while you play. Now you can use your normal phone you have in your pocket, or even an old one in the drawer (for which you can order a SIM card for unlocked phones that used AT&T or T-Mobile service for even less!) Either way you go, the simple FreedomPop connection will allow you access to a data network to load courses on the fly, rather than trying to remember to download the section of Google Maps before you play or chewing up the battery of your regular phone while you play.
Once you have the phone in hand, you can begin choosing which Apps work best for you. I prefer SkyDroid, TheGrint, Hole19 and mScorecard. I’ve really come down to using SkyDroid for GPS and stat entering and TheGrint for handicapping and friend tracking. GolfPad GPS Rangefinder is another great one that can work with the $99 Golf Pad Tags for a really crazy stat tracking experience. Once you’ve installed the App or Apps you want to use on your device, the next trick is going into the App Manager on the phone and disabling everything you won’t use. Most Android devices have a simple “Settings > Applications > Pick the App and select “Disable” from the App page” style of deactivating the Apps you won’t use, but check your how to guide on your particular device to see how to do this. This will turn off all the extra Apps, which will save battery and save you more data while you are on the course.
Once you are all set up, you can simply break out your new GPS whenever you hit the course and track your rounds right in the palm of your hand. Again, there’s no monthly fees associated with FreedomPop once you downgrade to the free plan. Most of their device specials come with a trial of their paid services, but just downgrade immediately as you will never need to use the minutes or texts when you are on the course. For $30 for a device and a few bucks in Apps, you can have a fully functional Golf GPS without any membership fees for as long as you need it.
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