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how do you figure distance?

rubber314chicken

Thats what she said
Dec 27, 2007
499
1
I'm looking for a easy, consistent way to gauge the distance to the green. I can get in the range, but last weekend I played, and a ton of shots either passed the green, or were just shy of it (another 10 yards would have helped them along) I know that I can pace off of the markers in the fairway, but my course(s) have them really small, and they are not on every hole.

So how do you figure distance, and what club to use?
 

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
GPS or Rangefinder. I know, just like cheating, but no longer cheating. :D
 

ssapp80

Well-Known Member
Jan 7, 2008
5
0
If your willing to spend a decent amount of money you can purchase something like a skycaddie which is gps based that will give you pretty accurate yardage.
 

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
I use the little $10-$15 square rangefinder with the straight line on the bottom at the bottom of the pin and find where the curved line hits the top of the pin and read the yardage. Always gets me close. I'd bet I can get plus/minus 5 yards accuracy with it. :)
 

eclark53520

DB Member Extraordinaire
Supporting Member
Dec 24, 2007
17,521
7,590
South Central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
Unless you have some sort of digital device(range finder, GPS type unit, or other) you are going to have to look for sprinkler heads, or alot of courses have steaks at 100, 150, and sometimes 200 yards so you can judge your distance that way
 

neill91_maui

KING COBRA
Feb 9, 2008
58
0
the course i play at has yardage markers in the ground that are different colors blue is 200 yards white is 150 yards and red is 100 yards i play there often so i just take my rangefinder with me and figure everything out and then the yardage is just stuck in my head and i know it all there but i still have to figure out some more yardage.
 

MGP

Clubmaking Ho
Supporting Member
Apr 21, 2007
1,996
24
Unless you have some sort of digital device(range finder, GPS type unit, or other) you are going to have to look for sprinkler heads, or alot of courses have steaks at 100, 150, and sometimes 200 yards so you can judge your distance that way


Once again, I am playing the wrong courses. All the courses I play have stakes as yardage markers and they're not nearly as tasty. :laugh:

(Sorry, I've been reading Eracer's posts too long and I think it's rubbing off on me :D)
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
Once again, I am playing the wrong courses. All the courses I play have stakes as yardage markers and they're not nearly as tasty. :laugh:

(Sorry, I've been reading Eracer's posts too long and I think it's rubbing off on me :D)
I'd steak my reputation on that...:ugly25:
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
good catch! i got steak on the brain lately....yummm having some juicy new york strip steak tonight!
New York Strip is my favorite. I buy 'em by the 4-pack at Costco. Damn good beef at that place...
 
OP
rubber314chicken

rubber314chicken

Thats what she said
Dec 27, 2007
499
1
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
I use the little $10-$15 square rangefinder with the straight line on the bottom at the bottom of the pin and find where the curved line hits the top of the pin and read the yardage. Always gets me close. I'd bet I can get plus/minus 5 yards accuracy with it. :)

I've read that those are good, assuming that the pin is always the same height... I'm not so sure about the one at my course....

but they do have the markers, they are just hard to find.... unless its in the tee box:killersmiley: but I'll try pacing off as see how that does me.
 

BrandonM7

Well-Known Member
Nov 23, 2007
1,156
2
150 pole, that's about it. It's the Par 3s that give me fits, because the sign at the tee is usually wrong and I don't have the 150 pole to give me any good guess. It's weird how nobody can seem to make those signs say the right thing, but the 150 pole always seems to be good to go. For the most part I'm just eyeballing it, but I've always been pretty good at guessing measurements of all types.

I still want a range finder and a GPS, though. I hope to get one or the other with my gov't economic stimulus check.
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
16
All I use are the 100-150 and 200 markers. I don't pace them off or anything. It also helps that my irons have been widened out gap wise to skip a 4iron. I don't know how many times I've gone against what the yardage should be anyway. Last round with my boss I flew the green from 182 with an 8iron off a par 3. Thankfully I didn't hit 6i. I learned to play on a course with no markers whatsover. I used to have to rough guess how far I hit my tee shot then a good guess as to what I had in. I played that course so many times I probably had every yardage down to with a few yards from anywhere on the course. That gave me a good feel for yardage, now I could probably get within 5yds. of exact on any course just by looking at it. I get a kick out of try it when I play with a guy who has a Skycaddie, guessing the yardage. I've been pretty spot on. I recall one time a guy said, "you got about 202" I was like "nah" and hit the green with a 7iron. I felt pretty cool, lol.
 

JasonMacIsaac

Titleist and Cleveland
Feb 23, 2005
467
1
I get a general yardage from the markers then feel the rest based on experience and such. I guess thats why I can't play "my game" on other courses.
 

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