Top 10 best golf games on iPhone and iPad (2012)

The glitz, glamour, and polite audience clapping of the US Open may be over now, but that's no reason for gamers to abandon their passion for putting.

iTunes might be crammed with millions of apps, yet actually finding an iOS golfing diamond among the App Store rough can be harder to achieve than a hole-in-one.

So, we've driven down as many virtual fairways as possible to ensure your cash skips over the sand traps and lands on the iPhone and iPad green first time.

We also wrote a load of hideous golf puns. Sorry about that.

After almost destroying his car, his marriage, and his phenomenal career, it was something of a surprise that EA kept faith in the tainted Tiger Woods brand for PGA Tour 12.

With the focus shifted away from the prolific swinger and on to the gameplay, EA essentially spruced up its golfing sim by making a few minor tweaks to its predecessor here and there - like a tighter gesture-controlled swing system and a snappier Challenge Mode.

While still a little dry in its execution, it remains the gold standard for virtual golfing. Just needs a little more ambition in the next instalment.

Gameloft might have cribbed rather unashamedly from Sony's Everybody's Golf series for this arcadey - ahem - spin on handheld pitching and putting, but there's no denying that Let's Golf! is a cheery antidote to the sterile looks of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise.

If you're patient / wealthy enough to tolerate its freemium focus, Let's Golf! 3 is a breezy slice of entertainment with a rock-solid tap-to-swing system and an imaginative upgrade system for your quirky-looking golfer.

Blending swinging clubs with the control system from Worms sounds like an unlikely combo on paper, but Super Stickman Golf's casual approach to the game creates a solid physics-puzzler that needs real skill to play.

Viewed side-on, the 2D title challenges you to navigate steep hills, ravines, and deep water traps to reach the hole - deploying super-club power-ups at key moments.

Like in Worms and Angry Birds, you pick your angle before firing and pray for a safe landing rather than a roll off into oblivion.

Playing golf on your tod can be a lonely experience, so if multiplayer action is what you're looking for, then Adrenaline Golf Online is your best bet.

Eurocenter's sharp-looking golf sim makes brilliant use of the iPhone 4 / 4S's and new iPad's glorious Retina displays, and also offers a ridiculously generous 72 courses - crammed with hazards, platforms, and unique challenges - to duel across.

On to a personal favourite now: Full Fat's typically fine-tuned take on golf is a compulsive, ultra-addictive flick-based game.

Across a series of exotic, sun-bleached settings, your job is to flick balls as close as possible to the pin - using a generous aftertouch spin to correct your wonky aiming.

Skill-wise, it's surprisingly demanding, but acing a hole is all the more satisfying for the added difficulty.

I might prefer the more traditional courses of the original Flick Golf! game (see above), but those craving the chance to smack balls off the back of an aircraft carrier (I Am Legend-style) might prefer the eccentric fairways of Flick Golf Extreme!

The simple yet tough to master controls remain unchanged from Flick Golf!; it's just the sights that are a little more enticing.

From hooking shots off a skyscraper to avoiding water traps in picturesque Venice, there's lots of eye candy about to enhance your flicking experience.

Gameloft's attempt to take on the might of EA's golfing giant may have tumbled straight off the company's cloning mill, yet there's still a lot of fairway action to enjoy in Real Golf 2011 for those who've burned through Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12.

The swipe-to-swing controls are 'inspired' by EA's long-running series, but they prove a little more generous in interpreting your wiggly shots (which casual players will relish).

There are ten courses to get to grips with in Gameloft's more realistic approach to virtual golf (certainly in comparison to Let's Golf! 3), along with a raft of real-world players.

Riding perpetually high in the Free Apps chart on Apple's digital marketplace, 3D Mini Golf Challenge is one of those titles that does exactly what says on the tin (cup)... and with some aplomb, too.

The visuals are up to par, the controls reflect the unpredictable nature of tapping shots through a windmill blades, and it won't cost you a penny - that's our kind of casual game.

Fairway Solitaire might be heavier on the card shuffling than the putting, but the inclusion of a myriad of golf-style elements means the classic deck-clearing action is complemented by a welcome dose of sporting atmosphere.

From water hazards that need to be cleared to unlock additional stacks, to a Great Shot combo meter triggered for removing six cards in a row, the golfing theme is more than just a gimmicky backdrop.

Of course, there's nothing on the planet that can't be improved by adding a dash of golf into the mix, and the chaotic stroke play of Worms Crazy Golf is the finest demonstration of that yet.

The basic aiming controls of Team17's turn-based action classic remain intact - along with zany power-ups like magnets and teleporters - but the focus is now on getting your cephalopod's ball across complex holes filled with hazards and obstacles.