Course management?

[SwinginCaveman]

So over the course of the winter I have decided to re-dedicate myself to golf. Due to the consistent snow we get, I don't really have the opportunity to hit a lot of balls. Therefore, I have become a student of the game. Learned a lot of the mental aspects that go along with it. Course management has been a big part of that. Now, after 3 or 4 months of solid Golf Channel, I have learned pretty well how to manage a golf course.

Here's my issue: Not all of the courses around here have yardage guides. Every hazard and distance is a guess. I have no idea how long it is to fairway bunkers, the front and back of greens, pin position (which is a big part of the tee shot), etc.

I usually end up guessing then decide if I'm going to gamble or play it safe. For example: If I assume a fairway bunker is 245-250 yards out, I'd play a 3 wood to be safe. If it turns out that the bunker is only 220, which is a fair mistake, I would have been able to hit a driver and carry the bunker. Pin position also plays a big part in what side of the fairway I try to keep it on.

It all makes course management pretty difficult. How do you guys in the same boat combat this issue?

[Leonardite]

I have the same problem with hazard yardages... I bought a GPS and plan to make custom points my first time out and use them the rest of the year. For courses I play only once or twice a year, I just guess, or I ask my playing partners if they play it more frequently.

[packerfan1]

Use Google Earth...zoom in on the course in question and then go under their 'tools', they have a distance measurement tool, you can measure in yards, miles, meters, inches, whatever you want.

On my home course using Google Earth, I can see the concrete 12" round 100, 150, 200 and 250 yard markers in the center of the fairway...and when I use the tool measuring from these markers to the center of the green, they are amazingly accurate, within a few hundreths of a yard!

You can copy the pics from Google Earth into Word or another program and custom mark yardages, in effect making your own yardage book. Great for a course you always play, even better for a new unfamiliar course.

[crawf061]

You don't even have to use the Google Earth application anymore (good for me because my computer is slow).

Just go your course through Google's map web interface ( http://maps.google.com ). Then on the left side click My Maps. Then Distance Measurement tool. Then just click "I'm feeling geeky" and select yards or meters.

Voila!

[zmzman]

I think this is perfect opportunity to develop your "feel" game. Seeing as I don't know you at all and maybe you have established a certain repertoire and maybe you just feel really comfortable hitting certain clubs at certain distances, I think this is a great time to start "feeling your distances"...try going to the range and hitting an 8 iron 100 yards and see how it feels, maybe hood a 9 iron and see if you can hit it 150 (if you can't already)
I know in this age of skycaddies and exact yardages it gets a bit technical but when a technical player plays by feel and vice versa...it's always a good thing, no?

[r7 425]

Honestly when i try to come back to golf from the winter i focus on my fundamentals. I focus on things like hand eye coordination and the grip. Just focus on your grip and keep your eye on the ball through impact. If i have these set then i know ill shoot close to par the first time i come out.

[SwinginCaveman]

I think this is perfect opportunity to develop your "feel" game. Seeing as I don't know you at all and maybe you have established a certain repertoire and maybe you just feel really comfortable hitting certain clubs at certain distances, I think this is a great time to start "feeling your distances"...try going to the range and hitting an 8 iron 100 yards and see how it feels, maybe hood a 9 iron and see if you can hit it 150 (if you can't already)

I have a really good idea of how far I hit each of my clubs. 6 iron is 170-180 and it's +/- 10 yards from there. I can hit it nice and far but the accuracy is spotty. Sometimes I'll stick it to 15 feet from 160 out, other times I won't even be able to find the ball.

If I can get exact yardages it would make life a lot easier. For instance, my 60* is a 100 yard club, but 110 yards is a perfect GW. So knowing yardages will help out a lot with course management. I'm taking the suggestion of the guy a few posts up and going through the 2 courses that I frequent and figuring out yardages through Google Maps. I'll end up typing some notes up in Word in a booklet form to make life much easier on the course.

[gasfreak]

The way I look at it is what did everone do 10 years ago or anytime before skycaddy and such,Like someone said above just work on your game and like you said you know about how far you can hit your clubs so that should give you some idea how far after you tee shot.If you play enough your head becomes a skycaddy or pretty dang close.I just think people rely to much on crutches like this and take a lot of fun from the game.I just wonder how many people take their cell phones on the course,I think they should be banned......Nothing worse than being held up by someone on the green talking on a cell phone,golf is about being out their by yourself or your partners and fellowship.Well i guess I am done griping just keep golf fun not so technical HAHAHAHA......