first step

The first step in improving is to assess where you are.

What's the best stats software out there? I've tried Golfmax.ca, but I'm disappointed that they want my money in order to calculate my info. Furthermore, the stats they gave me (I haven't renewed in the past two years) were no better than I could have gotten from making a simple spreadsheet on my own. I got a simple program one year called 'Golf Diary' which is fairly nice, but the analysis is very rudimentary.

I'm looking for the most readily available (read FREE) software, that has the most useful analysis of my golf scores.

spidey

Gstat Pro http://www.magadraw.com
I have used it for about 2 years. It does it all and upgrades are free.

See my review (somewhat dated)
http://www.ottawagolf.com/articles/mindyourstats.htm

How about one of these stats programs to the first couple of guys to get to the posting hall of fame?

spidey
:D

There is a great freeware golf handicapper and analyser on the internet that I use regulary. You can download it at golfhandicapper.com. It is a very small but powerful Java applet that sits on your computer. To use it requires looging onto the companies server through the internet. All the data you enter is stored on there servers. You can store the score cards of all the courses you play (slope, rating, par of each hole), and evedy time you play simply record your performance through the applet. The applet also provides you with analysis of your game. You can get your handicap, trends in your game, greens in reg, % fairways, putting numbers, etc. It will provide you with just about anything you ask of it. Of course for it to be fully useful requires the golfer to track more info on his/her round of golf then just score.