I want an official GHIN handicap app. Where to begin?

[8overpar]

I’ve used GHIN and TGA for years and no issues.

[SecondandGoal]

> @davep043 said:

> > @SecondandGoal said:

> > > @Minarets said:

> > > I just want a HC that is “official” and not looked down upon by others. I have no problem paying 30 to join the TGA and using then GHIN app but if you read the reviews there aren’t many positive ones in the last 6months.

> >

> > The TGA may have their own app as well that is linked to GHIN. The MGA (Massachusetts) does. I personally don't have any problems with the GHIN app or site, but I'll occasionally use the MGA app because it lets me look at my scoring history further back than the GHIN app does.

>

> How far back can you look? At least on my Android phone, I can look back a full 12 months within the GHIN app.

 

Interesting - I've got the Android app as well, and it would only show me my last 20 scores. Maybe I was looking at the wrong report. The MGA app will let me see everything I've ever entered into it, though. Not that I really need to go back and look at a specific round from 2 years ago very often.

[Graymulligan]

> @Minarets said:

 

> The iPhone app reviews. Go to the App Store, search for the app and read away. Sort by most recent. Not a good one in the last year or so

 

Have you actually used the app? Or are you making your decision solely on reviews of something you haven't used?

[chippa13]

My bad, completely slipped my mind about the public's "Inner Circle" that some have around here.

 

To quote Emily Litella, "Nevermind."

[mark m]

> @SecondandGoal said:

> > @davep043 said:

> > > @SecondandGoal said:

> > > > @Minarets said:

> > > > I just want a HC that is “official” and not looked down upon by others. I have no problem paying 30 to join the TGA and using then GHIN app but if you read the reviews there aren’t many positive ones in the last 6months.

> > >

> > > The TGA may have their own app as well that is linked to GHIN. The MGA (Massachusetts) does. I personally don't have any problems with the GHIN app or site, but I'll occasionally use the MGA app because it lets me look at my scoring history further back than the GHIN app does.

> >

> > How far back can you look? At least on my Android phone, I can look back a full 12 months within the GHIN app.

>

> Interesting - I've got the Android app as well, and it would only show me my last 20 scores. Maybe I was looking at the wrong report. The MGA app will let me see everything I've ever entered into it, though. Not that I really need to go back and look at a specific round from 2 years ago very often.

 

Are you sure you know how to use all the functions?

 

I have an iPhone and I really like the app. I find it very useful and easy to use. I have mentioned all the choices on page 5 of the New World Handicap System thread. I also have 30+ "partners" in there. There are youtube tutorials as well.

[Imp]

> @Minarets said:

> I just want a HC that is “official” and not looked down upon by others.

1) Official in which way? Why do you want it to be "official"? Any answer other than "to enter local competition and/or tournaments" is something that can be done by yourself.

 

2) "Looked down upon by others". Umm... who cares what others think? Unless they need to verify that your handicap is as accurate as it can be? In that case, you use what they use where it can be verifiable.

 

--kC

[Minarets]

> @Imp said:

> > @Minarets said:

> > I just want a HC that is “official” and not looked down upon by others.

> 1) Official in which way? Why do you want it to be "official"? Any answer other than "to enter local competition and/or tournaments" is something that can be done by yourself.

>

> 2) "Looked down upon by others". Umm... who cares what others think? Unless they need to verify that your handicap is as accurate as it can be? In that case, you use what they use where it can be verifiable.

>

> --kC

 

“Universally accepted”

[Minarets]

> @Graymulligan said:

> > @Minarets said:

>

> > The iPhone app reviews. Go to the App Store, search for the app and read away. Sort by most recent. Not a good one in the last year or so

>

> Have you actually used the app? Or are you making your decision solely on reviews of something you haven't used?

 

Basing off reviews. I haven’t used it. But when you hear about a bunch of negative reviews about a restaurant I don’t usually see for myself. Literally, if you sort by date there isn’t more than a 2 star review in over a year. Maybe it’s good and been fixed, but that’s why i was asking if there is something better. If I hear about crappy restaurants, I move on to ones that are recommended (to see for myself) than potentially waste time hoping for something good.

[davep043]

> @Minarets said:

> > @Graymulligan said:

> > > @Minarets said:

> >

> > > The iPhone app reviews. Go to the App Store, search for the app and read away. Sort by most recent. Not a good one in the last year or so

> >

> > Have you actually used the app? Or are you making your decision solely on reviews of something you haven't used?

>

> Basing off reviews. I haven’t used it. But when you hear about a bunch of negative reviews about a restaurant I don’t usually see for myself. Literally, if you sort by date there isn’t more than a 2 star review in over a year. Maybe it’s good and been fixed, but that’s why i was asking if there is something better. If I hear about crappy restaurants, I move on to ones that are recommended (to see for myself) than potentially waste time hoping for something good.

 

Well you can read reviews in this thread that are consistently positive, and you can look at the posting history of the "reviewers" to see their general attitudes. One thing about most reviews, you'll see a lot more negative reviews than positive. People tend to complain a lot more than they compliment.

[Imp]

> @Minarets said:

> > @Imp said:

> > > @Minarets said:

> > > I just want a HC that is “official” and not looked down upon by others.

> > 1) Official in which way? Why do you want it to be "official"? Any answer other than "to enter local competition and/or tournaments" is something that can be done by yourself.

> >

> > 2) "Looked down upon by others". Umm... who cares what others think? Unless they need to verify that your handicap is as accurate as it can be? In that case, you use what they use where it can be verifiable.

> >

> > --kC

>

> “Universally accepted”

 

Why do you want a handicap that's "universally accepted"?

 

Are you planning on partaking in games/matches where it's actually required? Yes = use what is required of that sanctioning body (or your friends would accept). No = use a spreadsheet.

 

--kC

[_chs_]

I have had no problems with the GHIN app on my iPhone. Posting scores and finding playing partners is really simple.

[Augster]

I don’t read reviews on free apps. It’s free. If I don’t like it, I delete it.

 

This is different than reviews for restaurants. Apples to oranges. If I eat at a restaurant with bad reviews, I could get sick. Nobody gets stomach sick from a free app.

[Minarets]

> @davep043 said:

> > @Minarets said:

> > > @Graymulligan said:

> > > > @Minarets said:

> > >

> > > > The iPhone app reviews. Go to the App Store, search for the app and read away. Sort by most recent. Not a good one in the last year or so

> > >

> > > Have you actually used the app? Or are you making your decision solely on reviews of something you haven't used?

> >

> > Basing off reviews. I haven’t used it. But when you hear about a bunch of negative reviews about a restaurant I don’t usually see for myself. Literally, if you sort by date there isn’t more than a 2 star review in over a year. Maybe it’s good and been fixed, but that’s why i was asking if there is something better. If I hear about crappy restaurants, I move on to ones that are recommended (to see for myself) than potentially waste time hoping for something good.

>

> Well you can read reviews in this thread that are consistently positive, and you can look at the posting history of the "reviewers" to see their general attitudes. One thing about most reviews, you'll see a lot more negative reviews than positive. People tend to complain a lot more than they compliment.

 

You are correct. But that’s why i asked.

[Celeras]

The official GHIN app is absolutely hot garbage. It barely does what it's supposed to do, and is missing basic things like the search/lookup available on the website. It's a horrible experience and you're not wrong for wanting an alternative.

[sui generis]

I use mine a hundred or so times per year. It flawlessly performs the function for which it is designed.

[Celeras]

No reason to quote me like your opposing anecdote is somehow more valid than mine. The reviews speak for themselves, I'm just letting OP know not everyone on the forum has their head in the sand.

[Jkfuller]

Agree, the GHIN app needs lots of improvement

[mark m]

The current GHIN app has much more information on it if you know how to use all the functions.

 

For lookup: touch triple bar icon in the upper left, then "partners", then "+", then search. Enter name and state. The stats page will show you much more info on "partners" when you select them using the drop down box where your name is. Again, way more info is available on the app than on the desktop version.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your post? What were you trying to do?

[davep043]

I'm another one for whom the GHIN app has worked just fine. I can enter scores easily, I can add players to my Partners list easily, and have their current handicap at my fingertips. That's all I want or need from it. I wouldn't suggest that those of us who have had reasonable experiences with the GHIN app are somehow putting "our heads in the sand." The only thing you mention is lack of "search/lookup", and that's something that can be done easily. Maybe you just haven't found it., perhaps you need to pull your own head out.

[Celeras]

What do you want me to tell you? I'm glad you think it works for you. Go give it a 5 star review, maybe you'll up their rating higher than the current 2.4 out of 5 stars.

[davep043]

I suppose what I'd like is to understand why you say its "hot garbage" and a "horrible experience". You mentioned one deficiency, which is a feature you may simply have overlooked. Beyond that, you haven't told anyone what you expect, what you require, and how the app has let you down.

[Celeras]

Ok, sure. Well first of all the app hasn't been updated since May 5, 2016. Going on 4 years ago. So when you open it on Android you get the following dialog:

 

Development for the app has completely stopped, to the point where its description flat out tells you to use the mobile website should you experience any problems:

If I try to search for a club, a black bar pops up in the middle of the screen with no message and I can't select anything:

My card looks like this:

Clicking on the Calendar gives a broken image at the top of the page:

Clicking on the news article they posted on the homepage gives a 404 error:

 

Clicking on "Pairings and Information" takes me to the iPhone app store even though I am on an Android device:

Let me know if anything further is necessary to justify my "hot garbage" statement.

 

[davep043]

Wow, I can understand why you're unhappy. Yet on my Samsung (android) phone the app works perfectly for my purposes.

The message you show was a response to a specific problem a few years back, and the GHIN app definitely couldn't connect for a number of days. Since that time, I've simply not had a problem.

No matter, really, all systems will be changing in the US in just a month.

 

 

[CDLgolf]

I'm not a member of a club and play public golf all over the city. I've used US handicap for the past 5 years with no problems entering tournaments.

I think it costs $25 or $30 per year.