https://youtu.be/1G97j2f_X7A

Quick start

Getting started with Fore Finder is easy:

  1. Take your shot, then in the app point the red line in the direction your shot landed.
  2. Press the "Start Tracking" button in the app, which will lock the map and point you in the direction of your shot.
  3. Start walking towards your ball. The app will update your location and distance so you know roughly where to search.
  4. Once you find your ball. Press the "Finish" button.
  5. Press "Save shot" to record your the shot distance, which you can export to CSV after the round.

A version of these instructions is also available from the Help (?) menu in the app.

Frequently asked questions

  1. My compass isn’t working.

    Due to magnetic interference, the phone compass can be wrong in certain environments. If you find that it's not working well, try "Swipe" mode in the settings menu. This allows you to manually rotate the map towards your shot line.

  2. How does the Swipe mode work?

    With Swipe Mode enabled, the compass is no longer used to rotate the map, and you can manually rotate the map by swiping left/right on the screen. This is typically sufficient as you can use course features (bunker, trees, cart path, etc) to manually line up the red shot line. While in swipe mode, you can also press the "recenter" button (ᐃ) to set the map in line with the compass as a one-time operation.

  3. Why do I have to sign in to activate the trial?

    We use a "free purchase" as a receipt of when the trial started, so we know when it should end, which requires an App Store free transaction. We opted for this method because we did not want users to be charged at the end of the trial, or make Fore Finder a subscription product.

  4. Can I track distances for specific clubs (Driver, 3W, etc)? Not at the moment. When you export to CSV, you could manually tag your shots with the club you used. Drop us a line if this is a feature you want to see in the future.

  5. I have a feature request or found an issue with the app. How can I get in touch? Send an email to [email protected]! We attempt to respond to every email in a timely manner.

About Fore Finder

Have you ever hit a decent drive that clearly landed in play, only to never find the ball and take a painful drop? Not only are you down a (possibly expensive) ball, but you added a stroke, and had your playing partners searching with you while muttering in frustration “it should be right around here.” Hooking one in into the drink is one thing, but not finding your ball after smashing it just off the fairway is possibly one of the worst feelings in golf. That’s why we built Fore Finder.

Fore Finder works using your phone’s GPS and compass. After taking your shot, point the red aim line in the app in the direction that your shot landed. As you head towards your ball, you can use the line to make sure you’re going in the right direction, and the yardage in the app tells you how far you are from where you teed off. Using the line and distance, you can isolate your search down to a small radius rather than hoping you remembered where the ball went.

This app does not use a camera or any other more sophisticated means to find your ball. Other apps have similar GPS capabilities, but none include dedicated ball-finding features.