Wandering ‘round the local golf course before retiring for a few refreshing drinks is one of the finest pastimes known to gentleman-kind. Golf’s the sport of relaxed fellows with more style and grace than they know what to do with, but it’s also a prime target for gadget-obsessed sports fans.

The latest breed of mobile phones come packing big screens, bags of memory and satellite navigation – three technologies just aching to get in on your golfing action.

Take iGolfScorer – the ultimate scorecard for golfers intent on tracking every nuance of their game. It’s available with, or without, GPS support and will keep track of your side bets too. It might be a touch complex for beginners, but once you’ve got a handle on all the tee-speak, it’s unbeatable.

IntelliGolf Eagle OTA, meanwhile, is perfect for the weekend clubsman. Packing in features like downloadable course data and an interface that’s easier to control than a golf buggy, it’ll help improve your game by arranging stats so you can pinpoint weaknesses.

But you don’t need the latest model to enjoy golf on your handset. Apps like WeGolf are perfect for lower-performance phones. It includes all the bells and whistles you’d expect, including downloadable courses and even support for your phone’s camera, without hogging memory or needing a fancy operating system to run.

Golfing Essentials

Grab some GPS

Why? By far the most useful skill your mobile has is satnav. However, if your handset doesn’t have GPS built in, grab a Bluetooth add-on and get mapping right away. Allowing your phone to know where it is means it can measure distances on the course, or let you know if you’re whacking the ball in completely the wrong direction.

Where? Nokia’s GPS add-on is here, it’ll set you back around £60, but the improvement to your game is worth it.

Dial up a data plan

Why? Most golfing software lets you download course data or share your stats with others, but to get the most out of this connected experience you’ll need a data connection. Pick one that’s uncapped for peace of mind, as you’ll never get a nasty surprise in your bill.

Where? Speak to your network provider about the data plans they offer. T-Mobile and 3 offer uncapped plans for extremely reasonable prices.