Meters or Yards?

[warbirdlover]

I am curious as to the original Scottish courses compared to the American (and other countries) courses.

Were these set up originally in Meters and later translated into Yards when we started golfing many years ago?

Are current European courses in meters or yards? On tv we see the British Open given in yards but are they doing that for us lazy Americans so we don't have to sit with calculators in hand or are they "actually" measured in yards?

Always wondered this.

[SiberianDVM]

Here's a link to the Carnoustie Championship course, which is listed in yards:

http://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk...hp/?page_id=25

Since the metric system was invented by a Frenchman, I imagine the French use meters. C'est la guerre.

[warbirdlover]

So the UK uses yards. Interesting since they use the metric system for everything else.

[Adam Pettman]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

So the UK uses yards. Interesting since they use the metric system for everything else.

Aah not true
I'm five foot eight.

[warbirdlover]

adam said: Aah not true
I'm five foot eight.10-24-2006 12:40 PM

Hey! I'm impressed!! I'm 1.82 meters!!

[BigJim13]

Originally Posted by Adam Pettman

Aah not true
I'm five foot eight.

Funny I thought that in the UK they measured height in stones...

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

So the UK uses yards. Interesting since they use the metric system for everything else.

The UK kind of went into the metric system in 1971 when it moved to decimal currency (100 pence in the Pound sterling), but has been really obligated to give weights, lengths, volumes, etc in metric since 1999 when the use of Imperial units for most things was made a European law - leading to the 'Metric Martyrs', a group of traders who were prosecuted for continuing to sell their produce in pounds and ounces. Only road signs, beer, milk and land (acres) are officially allowed to be marked in non-metric signs.

The reality is that everyone over about 25 yrs old (and probably most under) still use a mix of them all, and probably understand yards more easily than metres, pounds and ounces more than kilograms, and certainly never use kilometres over miles.

Hope that helps - if it isn't in my profile, I'm a Brit living in the Us, btw...

[emc]

My home course is in metres, but it varies from course to course. I measure my club distances in metres, but drives in yards!

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by BigJim13

Funny I thought that in the UK they measured height in stones...

I think they still do for weight. Watch one of those UK produced World's strongest man shows, they always show guys in metres and how many stones they weigh.

R35

[IrishGolfer]

Only in reading this do you realise how screwed up it is.

eg in South of Ireland, distance are measured in KM but speed used to be measured in MPH, until last year (it's now KPH). They alwasy try and catch us Northerners at speed traps. 60kmh is WAY slower that 60mph!!!

I weigh myself in stones, measure myself in feet and inches, buy diesel in Litres, buy fuit and veg at supermarket in kilos, buy beer in pints etc.

In continental Europe (France, Germany, Italy etc) they are pretty much metric. In UK it is pretty much Imperial. The South of Ireland is making the switch (slowly) to Metric, probably accelerated by them adopting the Euro.

Back to the topic of golf though. Most UK courses are still in Yards. Some quote yards and metres on the scorecard, but a few, especially in South of Ireland, have moved to yards. If in metres I just add 10%, as my golfing mind will probably always be in yards until they bury me 6ft under!!! (That last bit's a joke btw).

[Dannykos]

it's all yards around here - which really sucks when you go and play abroad - and leave your first approach shot like 15 yards short of the green or whatever, and then 3 putt - while trying to figure out why a flushed 8 iron only flew 135???

[JEFF4i]

It should just be yards everywhere. The two golf giants in the world use yards, therefore all must conform! muahahahahahaha, seriously though.

[twogreen]

At my home course, I sometimes measure my shots in fathoms.

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by twogreen

At my home course, I sometimes measure my shots in fathoms.

As in, "Can anyone fathom how I hit a shot that bad?"

[emc]

No. Fathoms are used to measure the depth of water. I measure my drives in furlongs!