20+ handicappers hitting 300 yards (mild rant)

[Jeremie Boop]

Nice drive.  But more importantly, would you have gotten up and down for birdie or what?  Also, how far was it to carry that pond?

Oh c'mon.  I think he's delusional too, but it's no reason to ruin your forum experience.  I've been close to unsubscribing to this thread a couple times, but that would be the extent of my disconnection.  When I feel that way, I just stop reading the subscription for a few days.

Oh, sorry, yeah I actually played that hole out all on my own, chipped up to 2 feet and tapped in for bird. I believe it's something like 250 or so, depending on the point you cross over. The 150 marker is about 15 to 20 yards short of the pond and the hole is about 370-380 from the white tees typically.

[Slice of Life]

Thanks to rock hard fairways and a perfectly stuck driver I had about a 350 yd drive, probably had at least 50+ yards of bounce and roll due to the extremely hard ground though. Got the distance using google maps and draftlogic. Could be off by a few yards either way, only used driver a few times that day because it really wasn't necessary. We were playing in a scramble and I knew that someone would lay up safe so I had no pressure on the shot and was able to just let loose. I also won longest drive on the 2nd par 5 by over 30 yards. Now, I'm not saying this is by any means "average" or "typical" for me and I really don't think my handicap is 22 anymore but I haven't been playing for scores outside of league play lately because I've been working on some swing changes.

I had a couple other really good tee shots with my 3 hybrid, those had a pretty decent breeze helping that went around 250 carry. Something was clicking on Saturday for me, I had more good shots than bad and we typically used one or more of my shots per hole. I had the lowest handicap on the team and we still ended up coming in at -4 and -7 won. Obviously the caliber of players in my league aren't exactly stellar, but the winning team's average handicap was probably about 12. Was a great day and a lot of fun, most fun I've ever had in a scramble.

Can't trust the website for that stuff, Google Earth is way more reliable for point to point.

Based on your picture, to carry the water would be about 230 yards (+/- 5 based on teebox location) and to end up in your final spot would be 312 yards (+/- 5 based on teebox location).

Still a great drive, but about 40 yards short of 350.

That's what some people here mean, 300 yards is a long way to hit a ball. And course markers aren't very reliable. For reference, on the hole you posted, the ACTUAL yardage from the very very back of the teebox, to the very very back of the green is only 365 yards.

From where you were teed up to the center of the green is 336.

[Jeremie Boop]

Can't trust the website for that stuff, Google Earth is way more reliable for point to point.

Based on your picture, to carry the water would be about 230 yards (+/- 5 based on teebox location) and to end up in your final spot would be 312 yards (+/- 5 based on teebox location).

Still a great drive, but about 40 yards short of 350.

That's what some people here mean, 300 yards is a long way to hit a ball. For reference, on the hole you posted, the ACTUAL yardage from the very very back of the teebox, to the very very back of the green is only 365 yards.

From where you were teed up to the center of the green is 336.

Not sure that is accurate, that makes the card for that hole a whopping 50 yards off. If it is off that much then that course needs to do some serous updating.

*edit I could be wrong, no doubt about it, because I've never really bothered trying to use the internet sites to measure distances before just seems strange that they'd be so far off on their yardages at the course*

[bplewis24]

Not sure that is accurate, that makes the card for that hole a whopping 50 yards off. If it is off that much then that course needs to do some serous updating.

IMO it's a monster drive regardless.  But, for perspective, I do know some courses that need to update their cards and markers.  At least according to my GPS.

On one course I drove a green measured at 305 that day from the tee marker (back tees were playing up a bit), and then I measured the drive with my GPS and it was like 302.  So that was fairly accurate.  I'm playing at another course a couple months ago and I drive the back of a green which according to the tee box should have measured 312 to the center.  Pin was in the back, and I landed it on the green and it rolled to pin-high.  I measure it with GPS and it ended up being 285 to the back.  I was a little pissed!

[Slice of Life]

Not sure that is accurate, that makes the card for that hole a whopping 50 yards off. If it is off that much then that course needs to do some serous updating.

It is. I use Google Earth Pro at work all the time for precise GPS measurements.

And it's not necessarily that far off, I'm talking straight line distance if you were to drive the green. They probably have the distance measured as two shots, which could extend it to about 350-360 depending on how they have it set up.

Here's a line extending from as far back as you could stand on the teebox, to the fringe on the back of the green. It is 368 yards:

[Jeremie Boop]

IMO it's a monster drive regardless.  But, for perspective, I do know some courses that need to update their cards and markers.  At least according to my GPS.

On one course I drove a green measured at 305 that day from the tee marker (back tees were playing up a bit), and then I measured the drive with my GPS and it was like 302.  So that was fairly accurate.  I'm playing at another course a couple months ago and I drive the back of a green which according to the tee box should have measured 312 to the center.  Pin was in the back, and I landed it on the green and it rolled to pin-high.  I measure it with GPS and it ended up being 285 to the back.  I was a little pissed!

That's amusing, so we've got golf courses and golf club manufacturers fooling us into thinking we hit the ball further than we do. One by mis-marking yardages on the course and the other by putting a different number on the club than the loft would suggest.

[Slice of Life]

That's amusing, so we've got golf courses and golf club manufacturers fooling us into thinking we hit the ball further than we do. One by mis-marking yardages on the course and the other by putting a different number on the club than the loft would suggest.

Another reason people think they hit further than they do. I used to think my average decent drive was 300. While it can be occassionally, it's actually closer to 275. GPS is a bitch. lol

[Jeremie Boop]

It is. I use Google Earth Pro at work all the time for precise GPS measurements.

And it's not necessarily that far off, I'm talking straight line distance if you were to drive the green. They probably have the distance measured as two shots, which could extend it to about 350-360 depending on how they have it set up.

Here's a line extending from as far back as you could stand on the teebox, to the fringe on the back of the green. It is 368 yards:

Well crap, I guess I need to go through and measure all the holes on my local courses so I can get accurate yardages. Really pisses me off though, that they can't be bothered to even be a little accurate. Strange that google maps markers are so far off compared to google earth pro. That green is up about 4 feet, nothing huge to help increase distance. I'll have to break down and just start using my phone for gps measurements. Strangely enough though, the yardages they have marked on the sprinklers are pretty accurate compared to the gps app I used before.

On a second thought, I wonder if they aren't measuring the curve around the pond and factoring that into the distance... I know when I cut the corner of a dogleg that my drive wasn't whatever the starting yardage - yardage left =, but when I play a hole that looks straight I don't necessarily expect the length to include a curve around the pond.

[Slice of Life]

Well crap, I guess I need to go through and measure all the holes on my local courses so I can get accurate yardages. Really pisses me off though, that hey can't be bothered to even be a little accurate. Strange that google maps markers are so far off compared to google earth pro. That green is up about 4 feet, nothing huge to help increase distance. I'll have to break down and just start using my phone for gps measurements. Strangely enough though, the yardages they have marked on the sprinklers are pretty accurate compared to the gps app I used before.

It's really not a bad idea. at a couple course I play a lot, I've taken my own measurements via google earth to see how far to clear hazards and whatnot. I could always just get a laser rangefinder but...meh.

Most of the time they're pretty good...but some are just way off. Even a GPS app on my phone has saved me multiple times when a Par 3 sign says 165 but it's actually 150 to the center of the green...grab my 8 iron and land right in the middle. If I'd have played my 165 club, I'd have flown the green entirely.

[bplewis24]

Well crap, I guess I need to go through and measure all the holes on my local courses so I can get accurate yardages. Really pisses me off though, that they can't be bothered to even be a little accurate. Strange that google maps markers are so far off compared to google earth pro. That green is up about 4 feet, nothing huge to help increase distance. I'll have to break down and just start using my phone for gps measurements. Strangely enough though, the yardages they have marked on the sprinklers are pretty accurate compared to the gps app I used before.

On a second thought, I wonder if they aren't measuring the curve around the pond and factoring that into the distance... I know when I cut the corner of a dogleg that my drive wasn't whatever the starting yardage - yardage left =, but when I play a hole that looks straight I don't necessarily expect the length to include a curve around the pond.

I find that the fairway markers at most courses are pretty reliable.  They almost always correspond to the GPS on my phone.  But the tee markers are the ones that are off based on straight-line distance.  I think most old-school tee marker methods were to measure to the 150 pole and then to the green.  In doing so, they could be adding as few as 5-10 yards to a hole length or as many as 50, depending on how far off that point-A-to-point-B line the 150 yard pole is.  You just never know.

Again, not suggesting all tee markers are unreliable.  In my anecdote of the last 2 greens I drove (one late last year and one a couple months ago), one tee marker was accurate and the other wasn't.  If anybody is up to try GPS measurements for the 2nd course, it was Apple Mountain Golf Club in Camino California.  Hole #10, short par 4.

[nick1998bunker]

I am out of TheSandtrap until this fool leaves. I can't stand it any longer. It's like talking to a 5 year old. I could block him, but he represents all that is wrong with youth and delusional golfers.

how am I delusional?

[David in FL]

I am out of TheSandtrap until this fool leaves. I can't stand it any longer. It's like talking to a 5 year old. I could block him, but he represents all that is wrong with youth and delusional golfers.

Block is a wonderful feature.....

[saevel25]

It's really not a bad idea. at a couple course I play a lot, I've taken my own measurements via google earth to see how far to clear hazards and whatnot. I could always just get a laser rangefinder but...meh.

Most of the time they're pretty good...but some are just way off. Even a GPS app on my phone has saved me multiple times when a Par 3 sign says 165 but it's actually 150 to the center of the green...grab my 8 iron and land right in the middle. If I'd have played my 165 club, I'd have flown the green entirely.

+1 for that, its also a great way to view the course from a different perspective.

[iacas]

I am out of TheSandtrap until this fool leaves. I can't stand it any longer. It's like talking to a 5 year old. I could block him, but he represents all that is wrong with youth and delusional golfers.

Shorty, just read this:

Block is a wonderful feature.....

It's very easy.

how am I delusional?

Because it's unlikely you hit the ball as far as you consistently claim to do. Or that you get "1200 spin" on the range. Or several other things. Let's see some proof.

And not in this thread. Make a new thread when you record some video or something.

[nick1998bunker]

I [quote name="iacas" url="/t/18107/20-handicappers-hitting-300-yards-mild-rant/1110#post_894911"] Shorty, just read this: It's very easy. Because it's unlikely you hit the ball as far as you consistently claim to do. Or that you get "1200 spin" on the range. Or several other things. Let's see some proof. And not in this thread. Make a new thread when you record some video or something. [/quote]I will next weekend when I go to the simulator hopefully. I just really don't understand why so many grown men cannot even contemplate how far a golf ball goes.

[jamo]

I I will next weekend when I go to the simulator hopefully. I just really don't understand why so many grown men cannot even contemplate how far a golf ball goes.

Because the vast majority of people way overestimate how far they hit the ball.

[iacas]

I'm also not particularly interested in a simulator as proof. Hit a marked ball and in one take drive out to it in a hole we can see on Google Earth or use a Trackman or Flightscope or something. If you can people will give you credit. Now back to topic.

[Lihu]

Because the vast majority of people way overestimate how far they hit the ball.

For the vast majority of golfers, hitting 300 yards is not really essential. It's kind of like going out and saying " I don't mind getting a hernia to save 50 yards on the second shot."