Distance Illusions

[Newbie Collection Agency]

Hey Fellas,
Newbie to the board here, I just started playing again after a break for a few years, even before the break I wasn't very good but hey I love the game and have a great time. The other day after a decent drive of 220 down the middle of the fairway I had a 118 yards to the pin according to how I paced off my ball from the 150 marker. "That looks a lot farther than 118 yards " I said to myself, looks more like 135-140 better pull the 8. Beautiful swing, nice divot, felt great. Look up, it's going right to the hole! Then right over the hole, right over the green into the trees! Yep, it really was 118. My question, do tall trees around a green create the illusion of distance?

Lesson learned, trust the fairway markers and your pacing abilities!

Metro

[Rafcin]

Hey Fellas,

I learned, that anything going perpendicular in front of the green makes the hole look closer - i.e. bunker, creek, etc. If that's true, something parallel to the shot (tall trees behind the green) might work the other way.