Shane Lowry with Simply Golf's CEO Colm Daly (left) and PGA professional Bernard Quigley — Shane Lowry with Simply Golf's CEO Colm Daly (left) and PGA professional Bernard Quigley

Trying to sort out your swing or perfect your putting skills? There’s an app for that. Wish you could see an aerial view of the course you’re playing to help you plan out your strategy? There’s an app for that too. In fact there’re quite a few fun and useful apps that could help you improve your game, without you having to splurge your cash.

A good golfing app is an added weapon, like a skilled caddie or instructor. Name your need -- swing tips, club fitting, rules clarification and you could probably find an app for it. Luckily for you, we’ve sifted through and found the six best golfing apps you absolutely need to own.

Simply Golf - Golf lesson booking through your smartphone

Shane Lowry's an investor in this Irish company and it's to see why he loved the idea of simple, affordable and convenient golf lesson booking through your smartphone.

It's like Hailo for golf lessons and just as easy to use.

Perfect for low handicappers or casual society golfers who just want to beat their mates, all you have to do is download the app, register and hit search and you'll get a list of all the teaching pros near you.

Each pro has a star rating so you can see who's popular with other users for the quality and price.

Lessons start at €25 for a 30 minute coaching session but it varies depending on the pro and the time. The great thing about it is you don't have to phone up and talk money. You can simply browse the pro's free slots (some times and days are far cheaper than others) and pay securely online.

There's even a cool credit card scanner built into the app so the only number you have to key in is the CVV code on the back of the card.

You receive an email receipt and locker room lesson notes from your pro after the lesson. The notes ares accessible 24/7 on your phone, so you can always go back and keep track of all your classes.

Golf Now – Find golf courses and set up a game

Easy to use and absolutely free to download, Golf Now allows you to book tee times 24/7 at nearly 6,000 golf courses worldwide. By downloading this app you’ll also get easy access to hot deals, which could save you up to 80% off green fees.

This app makes booking tee times a breeze – no more calling or waiting. It’s also just been upgraded to include GPS and score tracking, as well as post-round analysis and in-depth statistics to help you improve your game.

Swing Profile – Monitor your swing and compare with the pros

Powered with the most advanced golf swing analysis technology in the world, this app was awarded the “Best Overall Product” and “Best Market Research” at PGA Merchandise Show 2012. No external equipment is necessary. Just get your mate to record your swing and the app will analyse it and tell you where you’re going wrong.

It instantly re-creates your golf swing sequence on your phone; automatically displaying it frame by frame, much like those pull-out pages in Golf Digest. It also automatically synchronizes two different swings, matching each key positions and tempo, and allows you to compare yourself with the pros. Sounds too good to be true? Download it and test it out for yourself.

iPING – Analyses your putting technique

It’s no use perfecting your swing if your putting needs some work too. The iPING putter app is a putting-improvement and fitting tool that helps you improve your consistency around the hole. Now, the app is free but it works in conjunction with a PING cradle that you do have to pay for. It costs $30.00 but you’ll be rewarded with an in depth analysis of your putting technique that will definitely help you improve.

The app works by computing consistency over a series of five putts where your stroke type, impact angle and temp are measured, displayed and stored for every putt in that session. Your consistency scores are averaged over time to build a Putting Handicap. And as you improve your consistency, you’ll see your PHcp come down.

WGT Golf – A fun game for when you can’t get on the green

This is the next best thing to a real game of golf. It’s free and one of the best free golf games around, featuring golf courses like Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach and St Andrews from the PGA Tour.

The graphics are pretty spectacular, and it’s definitely one of the most realistic golfing games you’ll find. You can play with others or alone, whichever works for you. This app is perfect for when you can’t get to the green.

Expert Golf – Helps you solve any golfing rule disputes

Golf games can get a little heated, and disputes often break out regarding the complicated rules of the game. So to help resolve issues quickly and keep your friends, download this app. It has all the rules and regulations you’d ever need to know and would save you a lot of valuable time. The rules are also explained by videos and pictures as opposed to plain text, which makes them easier to understand.

And if you need any more persuading, Golf Digest says that it’s “the best effort yet to decipher the Rules Of Golf.” It was also awarded the “Best New Product” title at its two largest golf trade shows.

Golf Gps + scorecard – Provides information about every golf course in the world

We’ve definitely saved the best until last with this app. As the name suggests, it has a GPS rangefinder that claims to cover every golf course in the world, a digital scorecard, and a data sync option that allows you to sync your data with a website for a post-game review of your stats.

With the GPS rangefinder you can view a satellite photo of the hole you are playing. You also get the distance to the centre of the green, and every obstacle on the course, as well as wind speed, elevation and shot distance tracking. You definitely need this one in your arsenal.

Addition writing by Kathryn Kearns, a Creative Writing and Media Graduate with a passion for writing. She currently discusses all things technology and telecoms for Number Direct. Kathryn also contributes to Tech Cocktail, Customer Service Guru, The Fuss and Holiday Numbers, and has been published on Vancouver Gadgets and Women’s News.