Anyone make their own yardage books?

[SiberianDVM]

My new club, Goshen, does not have a yardage book. They don't even have pictures of the holes on the scorecard. Cheap bastards. The hardest part of this course is the tricky greens, which take my rare good wedge shots and send them down the slope and into the junk.

So I was thinking: if I made a yardage book, I could include little drawings of the greens showing ridges, slopes, and directions that the ball feeds.

Any suggestions as to an easy way to do this, taking into account that I can't draw?

[ManchesterGolfer]

Got the same problem at my course. I've always thought about doing a yardage book but could never be arsed. We have 200, 150, 100 yard markers on each hole but these are to the middle of the greens and don't seem very accurate. A local tour played last monday and they sprayed a T shape at the front of each green and sprayed the fairway at 50, 100, 150 and 200 yards form the T. Now would be a good time to do it while I have these marks to help. Infact I'm playing tomorrow so I might give it a go. But like you, I'm not a very good artist either.

[Pa Jayhawk]

about 4 years ago, I used a product called Golfwits - www.golfwits.com, on my pocket PC and PC that had the capability to download maps, edit, and create your own. It worked pretty well, but they started charging for downloaded maps so I switched to Intelligolf. It also had yardage book print options.

Again, I haven't even looked at it in 3-4 years, but it wasn't to bad at the time. I know they now have Map pack yardage books that you can download. May be worth a look.

[SiberianDVM]

I looked at Golfwits. Goshen is not available for download,

Funny, though, they have some other courses in the area: Augusta National (if I could play there, I'd have the caddie tell me what to do) and Three Oaks (the worst goat track you ever saw)

[Pa Jayhawk]

I looks like they changed the program. When I bought it, I got the Pro Bundle which had the course builder built in. It only ran around $40. I see it on the website listed, but no longer appears to be for sale. The only program I see for sale is a different Course Builder for $129. If it is anything like the one I used, it would not be worth that kind of money. When I bought it, I believe the Pro with the course builder was only $10 more than the PC~Pocket PC model. For $129, I think your money would be better spent on a range finder. I am not sure I would even pay $40 for just the builder. They do have an option to request Goshen, but I have no idea what time this would entail, or if it would be worth it for you. It doesn't look like they charge for the request so it may be worth a shot.

Another thought is the old Links Golf Game for the computer (The one with Sergio on the front, it was 2003) had a builder, and can probably be found now for under $10. You may even be able to find Goshen on the web. Not sure how the printouts would work as far as a Yardage book. You may search the web and see if you can find Goshen first if that is an option.

[warbirdlover]

I've got a little "cheatomatic" range finder that works pretty good and that's what I use.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

I've got a little "cheatomatic" range finder that works pretty good and that's what I use.

I also spent the money on a range finder. I got tired of spending $5 on any new course, or even duplicate money on seldom played courses for Yardage books. I don't use it alot, but it was well worth the money to me. Certainly takes the guess work out of courses where you are uncertain from exactly what tee boxes they have marked their yardage.

[SiberianDVM]

I've got a Nikon range finder, and I use it. But it doesn't tell me what's over the hill (bunker, water) and it doesn't tell how the greens slope.

Maybe I'll suggest to the Pro Shop that they have some detailed course drawings made.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Maybe I'll suggest to the Pro Shop that they have some detailed course drawings made.

There is a chance they may already have them from when the course was designed. Now as a member, they may not have a problem giving you a copy. But hard to say.

[SiberianDVM]

www.tpkgolf.com has some yardage book kits using stickers and they aren't very expensive. May have to order some.

[mediaguru]

Creating a yardage book sounds like a lot of fun. Could even do a "do it yourself yardage book" thing on the web some day.

But the courses I usually play I know like the back of my hand. I know all the carries, fronts, backs etc...

[DouginGA]

Doc,
check out the google maps satellite feature. Thought the photos of forest hills were pretty detailed. A little printing and your nikon rangefinder and you could build yourself a pretty good book.
Have to figure by the time you made the book you would know the course in and out.

edit- the augusta area satellite detail is about 5 times more detailed than the athens area. I could see each trap and green at forrest hills clear as day , the pitchers mounds on the two ball fields SW of the course are more than identifiable, actually damn clear. Athens area courses you could maybe tell which hole is which.

[SiberianDVM]

Pro shop at Goshen says they should have some (ran out apparently) by the end of the week.

The way I'm hitting the ball, it really won't matter.

[mediaguru]

Hey instead of google maps google earth might be even better.