Updated 3 Nov 2015
I've used Easy Scorecard Pro for a long time and, while I've been very happy with it, I was convinced to shell out the cash and try uDisc+ with the accompanying cloud storage option. Now that I've used uDisc+ for a while I figured I'd give a run down of the two; their pros, their cons, and name my favorite.
Let's start with the one I've used the longest: Easy Scorecard Pro
Easy Scorecard Pro
There is a light version I think but I've had the paid version for a long time because I liked the light version enough that I felt the app was worth paying for. I've never felt like I didn't get my money's worth.
While the app did stop getting support in November of 2014 it is still very feature rich and I've never really needed it to do something other than what it does.
Pros
- supports both disc golf rules and ball golf.
- you can download course layouts if you have the pro version.
- you can back up your results to dropbox very easily.
- supports teams (doubles)
- you can define your own course layouts.
- customizable scorecard generation
- easy to share your scorecard image
- tons of stats you can slice, dice, and filter in all sorts of ways.
Cons
- the app is no longer supported so the online database of courses could go away at any time
- it's ugly
- defining your own course layout seems a little overly complicated
- not available at all on iPhone
- no disc stats
Honestly, I have a hard time coming up with solid complaints with this app. It does everything I could need a scorecard app to do. I am disappointed that the online repo of courses could go away but at least I know my backup of past rounds never will since I store it on dropbox and thus sync it to my desktop etc.
The lack of iPhone support doesn't affect me but it's still a problem for many people looking for an app.
uDisc+
uDisc+ is the big name on the block in disc golf scoring apps. It is supported on both android and iPhone. It also offers an annual subscription service that uploads your scorecards to their cloud for about $4-5 a year.
Pros
- it's actively being supported on both android and iPhone though I think iPhone tends to get features first.
- Has lots of courses built in.
- the cloud feature is nice for comparing your rounds with others in the area that also use the app.
- easy to share your scorecard
- disc stats
- easy to mark "OB"
- speech prompt for tee-order by honors
Cons
- it's ugly
- i haven't seen a way to define my own course layout; if it's in there it is well hidden. update, it is well hidden! See bottom of post for more info
- can't backup to Dropbox or anywhere else that I can see. update, it is also well hidden! See bottom of post for more info
- can't customize the final scorecard
- interface is a little clunky
- doesn't support ball golf rules or courses (not the scope of the app but I still miss it)
- distance measuring tool is pretty unreliable (dev says this is all based on the phone gps. I wonder, now that I think about it, if there isn't a helpful API that also uses cell tower positioning etc to help improve precision?)
- final scorecard is ugly
- no ability to define doubles teams
uDisc works - but it is a little cumbersome to use before you start a scorecard. Once you're in the scoring part however it's really nice and easy. I don't really use the disc stat feature - it just seems like too much effort for little reward; but I could see how some people would really like it. I'd say my favorite feature is being able to see how my recent rounds stand up against how others in the area are doing via the optional subscription service.
Conclusion
I play a lot of singles but I also play a lot of doubles. The lack of team support in uDisc+ is a real pain in the ass. I've been switching back and forth between the two apps so I can really give uDisc+ a solid try but every time we play doubles I'm forced back to Easy Scorecard.
Further, the final scorecard generated by uDisc+ is just kind of lame. On the bright side uDisc+ has a much better interface for actually entering players scores on each hole and the social aspect is pretty cool.
Here is an older scorecard from Easy Scorecard Pro (which you can customize the colors of, remove the history section, remove the holes won section, add other sections to, etc).
Meanwhile here is a scorecard from uDisc+
The Winner
In the end, however, only one of the two tools actually works for me and that is Easy Scorecard Pro. If you don't play doubles or are on an iPhone then uDisc+ is the way to go - but if you're on Android Easy Scorecard Pro is an easy choice.
It's hard to really describe how much more I like Easy Scorecard Pro. Navigating around the app is much more intuitive (though I do wish it had been updated to Material Design at some point) and the stats are so much richer and easier to filter. Finally, the scorecard at the end is vastly more readable to me. I don't have to count "tick" marks to find all my penalties and I can track our doubles rounds.
Here is a sample scorecard for a doubles round:
Updates After Speaking to the Developer of uDisc+
Defining a Course Layout
You can define a course layout. You have to go to the course info screen.
- Open uDisc+
- Open Side Menu
- Click on "Find Course"
- Find your course and click on it a couple times to get to the course info screen
The course info screen is blue, shows the course ratings and location. There is a field called "Description" near the bottom of the page.
To add a course layout or edit an existing layout for review by the uDisc folks:
- Click on the "Description" field on the course info screen
- A confirmation box appears, click "Yes"
- An alert box appears, click "OK"
At this point you can either edit/fix an existing layout or create a new layout for the course. If you are going to edit an existing course read the uDisc+ FAQ for directions. Honestly, I don't really see the instructions for editing the holes on an existing layout and I can't figure out by just clicking around but the app does urge you to read the FAQ so I'm echoing it here.
Well, actually, I just found out how to edit individual holes!
Editing Individual Holes
- Start a score card on your course
- Go to the hole in question
- Tap on the "Distance" box in at the top of the hole page
- A satellite map appears
- Tap on the Menu icon (three vertical dots)
- Tap Edit in the Menu
It crashed when I clicked on Edit but that appears to be the process. If your app ever crashes make sure you report it so the developer gets as much info as possible which will help him fix it.
Exporting Your Data to Dropbox (or G Drive, etc).
- Open uDisc+
- Open Side Menu
- Scroll the menu down to the bottom.
- About five from the bottom is the option "About uDisc" click it
- In the top right corner is a button, "Export" click it
- Pick the service you want to backup to.
NOTE If you ever restore from a backup it will fully replace your existing local data; it will not "merge" the two.
Team Play
The author of the app suggested I just create fake players with names like "Team1" or "Bill+Sean" which is a decent work around at this point. He said he is working on adding real team support in the future which, to me, will be a very welcome addition.