Let me tell you a story. I was playing a casual round of disc golf with my good friend Diggs. I believe we were most likely at Acorn Park because this story was from when we were in college. We tended to play disc golf when we were stressed or just needed a break from the grind of the college workload. We also usually keeps score...for bragging rights mostly. I don’t think we have ever placed a side bet on any hole or round. I don’t know that we would ever be against that but...we just didn’t. I usually kept score on a blank envelope or random piece of paper that I could find in my car.
Ah ha moment # 1
I have always tended to be into looking at statistics when it came to playing sports or watching sports. I always kept track of my baseball stats in high school. I don’t know why? They weren’t that impressive...but to me they were cool to look at. As I began to play more and more disc golf and more and more courses in the Twin Cities area I felt the need to want to keep track of my stats. So I got smart and ditched the random pieces of paper/envelopes and purchased myself a ninety-eight cent pocket notebook. You know the tiny ones that you see stashed above the drivers window visor in your grandparents car so they can keep track of the gas mileage. That worked great...until it started to rain. Most people stop playing when it rains during a casual round. Not my group of friends. We embrace the elements elements, especially in Minnesota. My notebook wasn’t waterproof. It would smudge and fall apart when it got wet. Not ideal.
Ah ha moment # 2
Over the winter of my sophomore year of college I got a PDA for Christmas and proceeded to install a golf scoring program. It worked great for the stats I was taking. It tracked scores from each round as well as the number of putts at each hole. No more paper and pencil score cards.
Two ipod touches later and then FINALLY a smartphone...
While looking for great free apps to use while playing disc golf and there are an umber of them I want to share with you what I think to be a great app for keeping score of your disc golf rounds on a smartphone I discovered it last year while playing a league round with some people. They were talking about a new app that just came out that can track your scores as well as a few other cool features. It’s called Udisc. It’s available on iOS as well as android devices. I purchased it on a whim. I am one who doesn't normally pay for apps on my iphone.
Here is what All Things Disc Golf had to say about this app in their review. Also a link to UDisc’s website.
Here is why I like this app:
*You can pull up a scorecard for almost any course that you play as long as it is registered on the PDGA website.
*You can start on any hole during your round and the app will allow you to skip ahead to that hole and then it will wrap around through all the holes.
*The app will keep track of your score and putts as well as gives you options to mark any OB penalties.
*Option to create a course map based on GPS location. If there isn't a map for the course you are playing you can submit one...so that everyone else can use it too.
*Coolest option in my opinion: A feature that allows you to measure the distance of your throw and it can be separated for each disc.
*If playing with multiple people it will give the correct order of who should drive first based on the scores from the previous hole.
*The app will allow you to use GPS to find the closest course based on your location and give you directions to that course.
*It also has great social media upload capabilities. If you have a great round and want to share it with everyone. You can do that.
I used this app for 95% of my rounds last year. I think it is a great app and would recommend it to anyone who is on the fence about purchasing it it. It has never been glitchy for me out on the course. It’s easy to use so you aren't spending all your time between holes filling in scores. All around great app.
Check it out for yourself.
