Golf: Course Yardage Accuracy (or Lack Thereof)

riverc0il · Aug 3, 2009

This bug any one else? I was playing a new course for the first time yesterday and some of the yardage markers were WAY off. One of the par 3s was in the 170 range and the blue and white tees were supposed to be 10 yards apart. I counted two paces instead. So is it too far forward or backward? 8 yards could be the difference between going up or down a club... especially on a par 3 170 yard shot which is surrounded by bunkers on the front and sides with a steep drop off behind. The last par 3 had a similar issue but it was closer to 15-20 yards as again the white and blues were right on top of each other.

Sometimes I go by the yardage marker and hit a perfect club that should be accurate. One of those shots you know you got it perfect the second you make contact. Then it either flies the green or comes up way short. Boggles my mind how they can't put their tee box markers in the right spot to correspond with the yardage distances.

And how much can I trust the 100/150/200 mid-fairway markers. It is often hard to read them because they don't look parallel on the side of the fairway. Especially when they are placed in relation to a dog leg. This game is hard enough without its best hint, yardages, not being accurate within 3 yards.

:dunce: :idea:

deadheadskier · Aug 3, 2009

don't most Par 3's have that little metal disc on the ground in one of the tea boxes with the yardage on it to the center of the green?

GrilledSteezeSandwich · Aug 3, 2009

I'd say yardage markers are off at 1/3 of all golf courses..my Dad has been using the rangefinder for like 10 years and sometimes a 150 yard par 3 is really 159..which is another club or at least a fuller swing..the pros get to walk the course with caddies and really get good info but for us mere mortals, we don't have that luxury. There is nothing worse than hitting a perfect shot over the green because your yardage was off.

campgottagopee · Aug 3, 2009

Most courses have some kind of marker that the yardage is actually measured from so you'll need to adjust the yardage +/- depending on that. The other thing is to find out if the yardages are measure to the middle of the green or the front. Most I play are to the middle but have played some that were to the front. Then you have to take into consideration +/- the distance to the pin, ex: if the yardage is 150 to the middle but the pin is -10 you'll need to play a 135ish yard shot. Alot of the guys have bought range finders----I haven't 'cause my partner has so I just use his :smile:

Puck it · Aug 3, 2009

Use the USGA markers on the tee boxes. There should be one for every level, tournament, mens and ladies. These are the basis for the signs. This is what I use. The fairway markers are usually close enough, but double check the sprinkler heads for distances.

Then get up and whack the be-jesus out of the ball.

riverc0il · Aug 3, 2009

I have never seen USGA markers on the tee boxes. Where are these normally located?

I always assume yardages are marked from the tees to the center of the green and take that into consideration. I have not played a course that seemed to do the front of the green but I know some do so.

Yardages from the sprinkler heads are the best when they are marked since those are never ever moved. But if you are not near a sprinkler or they are not marked then they can't be counted on.

I just can't see buying an expensive range finder. Much as tee boxes and yardage markers not being marked right bothers me, it does not bother me to the tune of $200-300. Though I am planning on using my regular GPS to mark the center of the greens manually and playing using my GPS. I need to remember to bring it and mark all the holes at all my local courses.

Puck it · Aug 3, 2009

riverc0il said:
I have never seen USGA markers on the tee boxes. Where are these normally located?

I always assume yardages are marked from the tees to the center of the green and take that into consideration. I have not played a course that seemed to do the front of the green but I know some do so.

Yardages from the sprinkler heads are the best when they are marked since those are never ever moved. But if you are not near a sprinkler or they are not marked then they can't be counted on.

I just can't see buying an expensive range finder. Much as tee boxes and yardage markers not being marked right bothers me, it does not bother me to the tune of $200-300. Though I am planning on using my regular GPS to mark the center of the greens manually and playing using my GPS. I need to remember to bring it and mark all the holes at all my local courses.

They are brass markers embedded in the tee box.

riverc0il · Aug 3, 2009

Puck it said:
They are brass markers embedded in the tee box.

I'll look for them during my next round Wednesday evening. I can't believe I have not noticed them before at any of the half dozen courses I play locally. But then again, I have always looked at the yardage marker for the appropriate colored set of tee markers and assumed they were right. :-o Only an issue on par 3s generally. But with a par 3, you really need to put it on the green to have much of a shot at par unless you are a great chipper.

deadheadskier · Aug 3, 2009

you've probably seen them and just mistook it for a sprinkler head

riverc0il · Aug 3, 2009

deadheadskier said:
you've probably seen them and just mistook it for a sprinkler head

Word. I have referenced sprinklers with yardage markers on them but never thought to look for them in the tee area. Thanks for the tip, guys!

ccskier · Aug 3, 2009

As others have said, it is to the center. Depending on the golf course, the should have a different color flag for the location, front, center, back.

Philpug · Aug 3, 2009

This bugs me too. ALL par threes should have a marker on the tee box to the center of the green.

mattchuck2 · Aug 3, 2009

Ya gotta watch out for uphill/downhill grade, too (and wind, and humidity, and any number of other factors). The tee boxes are placed wherever the course wants them that day, the blue tee doesn't have to be 10 yds from the white.

riverc0il · Aug 3, 2009

mattchuck2 said:
Ya gotta watch out for uphill/downhill grade, too (and wind, and humidity, and any number of other factors). The tee boxes are placed wherever the course wants them that day, the blue tee doesn't have to be 10 yds from the white.

Of course wind and hill grade will have an effect as well for sure. I am surprised that courses would arbitrary adjust tee box positions since the hole yardage is a static number listed on the score card and the signs at the hole. Shouldn't they strive to keep box position similar (I assume some movement for grass preservation)? That is the issue I was noting, that the blue and white tees were 10 yards apart on the score card but practically right on top of each other on the course.

deadheadskier · Aug 4, 2009

I think with many courses, you've got superintendents or more so their staff who aren't players and could really give a crap about differences in lengths from various tees as they often don't play the game and aren't compensated well enough to think about it. Their point of pride is pristine grass.

dmc · Aug 4, 2009

You get worked up by the lamest things...

funny...

mondeo · Aug 4, 2009

deadheadskier said:
Their point of pride is pristine grass.

Where's Marc's avatar when you need it?

Beetlenut · Aug 4, 2009

A lot of courses give yardage from center of tee box to center of green. Greenskeepers have to move the tee markers each day to help maintain the tee box. Like Deadhead said, they just move them, they don't care where. It's up to the golfer to figure out his yardage. You play the course, good, bad or indifferent. Better courses have better yardage markers. Most times you get what you pay for!

mattchuck2 · Aug 4, 2009

Beetlenut said:
Better courses have better yardage markers. Most times you get what you pay for!

Really nice courses give you a cart equipped with GPS that tells you exactly how far you are to the front edge, center, hole, and back of the green. Before they had those, really nice courses gave you a slick Yardage book that gave you that information from almost every place on the fairway and tee box (for par 3s)

drjeff · Aug 4, 2009

mattchuck2 said:
Really nice courses give you a cart equipped with GPS that tells you exactly how far you are to the front edge, center, hole, and back of the green. Before they had those, really nice courses gave you a slick Yardage book that gave you that information from almost every place on the fairway and tee box (for par 3s)

I've got a whole slew of those yardage books that I keep as souvenirs of some of my golfing conquests (or total and utter failures

) of the past! :lol:

Proper yardage is a great thing for many players, although there are a good deal of folks out there for whom it really does nothing but slow down their pace of play as their attempting to figure out if they're 156 or 158 yards away and then procede to hit it only 135!

Golf: Course Yardage Accuracy (or Lack Thereof)

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