If you carry a smartphone (and keep it on vibrate when at the course), a couple of new golf apps will come in handy. On your way to the course, check out up-to-the minute Golfweather.com, which tracks conditions on more than 20,000 golf courses across the country for free. The service forecasts temperature, wind speed and direction, and rain probability on your iPhone (and soon for Android phones).

Once at the first tee, log into the Grow the Game live leaderboard and golf event management app to track your tournament, or just your weekly game. The app includes 17,000 courses, and league and event management for up to 100 golfers. Free 30-day trial, or enroll starting at $2.49 per month, home.gtggolf.com