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How do you determine what tees to play?

I use my GPS, and seldom even carry a scorecard. They did re-rate our course last year, and updated all the info. It seems pretty close to correct, according to what my GPS gives me for yardages.
 
The courses I play around here seem to be pretty hit or miss. But I don't have a GPS or a laser, so I go with the markers mixed with my eyeball test.
 
I've been using my GPS and my laser rangefinder in unison. Once I discovered I was off by THIRTEEN yards with the GPS, I stopped using it for distances. One key point: it gives the yardage to the green, not to the flag. Yardages to the flag are estimates based on pin sheet evals, etc. in addition, I have to add distance in for EVERY green I play because they're all elevated due to the water table being so high here in the Delta of the Mississippi and I don't get a pin sheet at my Muni. I'm going forward with the rangefinder alone, and Golflogix for keeping score, stats...
 
JB said:
Good topic FK. I know Westchase in Tampa did not match.
Our previous home course (prior to Countryside) was Grand Cypress in Orlando. The North/South was pretty darn accurate. The New Course was pretty darn accurate. The East Course was off on 3 holes.
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East course, hole 8 one of them? That one really felt longer than the scorecard.
 
Ours are pretty close on all but one hole. Downhill par 3 reading 160-170. Plays at least 190.
 
My distances are lasered since I bought a gx3. Scorecards, yardage markers, tee box signs...they're never right around here. It's a real eye opener to have accurate distances, especially under 100 yards. For drives there are only certain holes I can laser. Need a tree, cart, or another golfer to laser back.
 
Ours are constantly fluctuating and can be off by up to 40 yards depending tee and pins positions.
 
I thought at first the title of this thread was a euphemism. I'm still a little confused by it. A card is just a guideline. If available, yardage books seem pretty reliable. I've found sprinkler heads and tee plates are generally accurate enough, but now I just use a GPS. My daughter gets the rangefinder, and since I'm old and feeble, I have trouble sighting it in, anyway. I've also found that i play a little better just knowing front, middle, back, and then letting experience do it's thing.

Kevin
 
Esox said:
I thought at first the title of this thread was a euphemism. I'm still a little confused by it. A card is just a guideline. If available, yardage books seem pretty reliable. I've found sprinkler heads and tee plates are generally accurate enough, but now I just use a GPS. My daughter gets the rangefinder, and since I'm old and feeble, I have trouble sighting it in, anyway. I've also found that i play a little better just knowing front, middle, back, and then letting experience do it's thing.

Kevin
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How accurate are the sprinkler heads though? Do the courses you play tend to play longer or shorter than the stated yardage for whatever reason?
 
mward2002 said:
How accurate are the sprinkler heads though? Do the courses you play tend to play longer or shorter than the stated yardage for whatever reason?
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They seem pretty good. But since I got a gps they're kind of irrelevant. But they match on my home course within two or three yards of gps numbers, and my last course, too. I wouldn't trust the local munis as my daughter found out in a few events when she compared to electronically measured yardages. But really, that's why we have the technology. Grace played three events on a junior tour called the MAJGT this Summer. Like the more famous AJGA they don't allow electronics. She did fine in two of the three with few yardage problems while relying on sprinklers. Played like crap in the other, but that wasn't a distance problem.

The worst are the lower end venues that offer the old 150 pole and that's it. Who knows when those were planted? Courses with the colored discs from 100, 150, and 200 seem a little more up to date.

Kevin
 
Esox said:
They seem pretty good. But since I got a gps they're kind of irrelevant. But they match on my home course within two or three yards of gps numbers, and my last course, too. I wouldn't trust the local munis as my daughter found out in a few events when she compared to electronically measured yardages. But really, that's why we have the technology. Grace played three events on a junior tour called the MAJGT this Summer. Like the more famous AJGA they don't allow electronics. She did fine in two of the three with few yardage problems while relying on sprinklers. Played like crap in the other, but that wasn't a distance problem.

The worst are the lower end venues that offer the old 150 pole and that's it. Who knows when those were planted? Courses with the colored discs from 100, 150, and 200 seem a little more up to date.

Kevin
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I hate those stupid 150 poles on courses. That does me no good unless I'm within a few steps of them. They have sprinkler heads all over a fairway. How hard is it to buy the little plates with a number on them and make them accurate?
 
mward2002 said:
I hate those stupid 150 poles on courses. That does me no good unless I'm within a few steps of them. They have sprinkler heads all over a fairway. How hard is it to buy the little plates with a number on them and make them accurate?
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Well, considering all they need is a rangefinder and those plates, one guy to measure and one to stand in the middle of the green as a target, you'd think not too hard.

Kevin
 
Most courses I play are pretty darn close in terms of yards into the green. I never trust the yardage indicated on the card though, the tees move too much to ever rely on that yardage. For instance last week a par 3 that has always been an 8 or easy 9 iron for me was moved way back, I had to take 6 iron. If I wasn't paying attention and noticed where the tees were that day I could easily see someone just looking at the card and yardage indicator sign and pulling the wrong club.

Courses I play that have on cart GPS are usually pretty close, and if they're wrong it's because the pin positions haven't been updated in the system.
 
I'm surprised at how many people are saying they don't care about the yardage from the tee box. Are you guys always bashing a driver or do you take and iron or something else to hit to a number to get in your wheel house? If you are playing to a number how do you know what club to grab to reach that distance?
 
Scrap Iron said:
I'm surprised at how many people are saying they don't care about the yardage from the tee box. Are you guys always bashing a driver or do you take and iron or something else to hit to a number to get in your wheel house? If you are playing to a number how do you know what club to grab to reach that distance?
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If I have my gps, I'll look at that and either hit to a number if there's a hazard or something to be short of, or to a certain number. For example, under 400 and a tight fairway, I'll hit 3w and aim for 150-160yds. If it's open though, I'll hit driver and hope to have wedge of sorts in hand.
 
Scrap Iron said:
I'm surprised at how many people are saying they don't care about the yardage from the tee box. Are you guys always bashing a driver or do you take and iron or something else to hit to a number to get in your wheel house? If you are playing to a number how do you know what club to grab to reach that distance?
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I'm always wanting to know the yardage to the ideal landing area. But scorecards are almost useless in that. GPS and/or laser to figure out if trouble is in play, and if so what is best to hit to take it out of play.

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I typically laser to the 150 marker and play to that yardage. 150 is a nice 8 iron for me and I have a lot of confidence in my 8 iron so I try to play as many shots as I can with it. Doing that has finally allowed me to play around par more consistently.

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I'll only refer to the card if the reading on the gps doesn't look right at first blush. 90% of the time, I go with my gps. Same with marking distance.
 
I have gotten to the point where I dont pay to much attention to the card unless it's to see the direction of the dog leg or if there is water on one side or something like that....the cards at my home course are routinely off by 10-20 yards plus or minus depending on the day and the hole.

Steele and I played a course last weekend that every hole was at least 10 yards shorter than listed on the card.
 
mcook77 said:
For my home course, the tees can often times be 10 yards forward or backward of the scorecard yardage just because of how they move them daily.

For purposes of posting distances for discussion on the forum, I defer to my GPS/rangefinder to calculate those - not the scorecard.
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This ^^^^^
 
War Eagle said:
Im pretty much the same way now, TC. The first thing I look for on a hole is how far is the 150 yard marker.
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This is what I do, I always try to shoot the 150 and make my choice from that.
 
War Eagle said:
Im pretty much the same way now, TC. The first thing I look for on a hole is how far is the 150 yard marker.
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That's exactly what I do....or at least try to do.
 
To answer the OP, my cards and tee boxes/markers say something different. My course has GPS each of the carts and it is always closer to what is listed on the tee box.
 
I rarely look at yardages on a scorecard. On par 3s, most courses have a marker implanted in the tee box which shows distance to the center. I make my own adjustments for pin placement.

Gps other than that.
 
I never measure my drives. Concerned more with irons but unfortunately I don't have a device other than the course markers to go by. They could be off and I just think I hit a bad shot.
 
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