Course Planners / Yardage Books: Dead or Alive?

[jim8flog]

I have a pile of them but have not used one since buying a GPS unit and a laser.

I know the ones for our course are out of date because so many of the features used a reference points, such as trees, have been cut down or moved.

 

[Oddsocks]

That was my fear, its a shame really. There's something to be said about keeping your electronics in your bag while you're on the course, especially phones with GPS apps.

Thanks for your reply.

Couldn’t agree more. My phone stays in the car at all times unless it’s 9 holes after work on my own.

 

[jim8flog]

Where you have mens/ladies HCP do you mean stroke index? Confusing for most as virtually everybody I know refers to Stroke Index. Best not to have this on a planner anyway as it may be changed by a committee at any time and it is on the scorecard.

I would concur with the comments about font size, I would find anything less than about 16 hard to read without reading glasses and even that could be a struggle in bad light. Remember a person is not sitting at a desk reading that and would be on a course in the open if that cannot read the yardages quickly and easily what is the point of having one.

 

[Curls]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to give some feedback. When I received the printed version I did think the numbers were a tad small, so I agree with you there.

What do you think you would pay for one?

No worries. You can set your printer to the correct dimensions and get a paper version to QC, even black and white is ok it’s just for scale. But then what you get back from printers isn’t always what you thought you sent either, funny bleeds and margins sometimes.

Price wise I’ve probably paid between 5 and 10, the latter at Birkdale, and while that’s a sting it’s a venue and a half (and another half and then a half again).

Usually it just goes on the card when buying the green fee, so if that’s being done at the counter you could always suggest it’s part of the price for a society or something. Green few only = X. Green fee, bacon bap, course planner = Y. Absorbed you might get more but realistically if they’re not making you much at a fiver the effort and cost of logistics etc getting them into clubs might mean it’s a passion project. That said, you never know where it could lead. If you like design and you’ve got flair for it, you might end up somewhere else you weren’t expecting doing what you love. One things for sure if you don’t do anything you won’t find out.

 

[IanM]

I got a large box of these...used to buy one every place i went. I haven't bought one in years the GPS has largely killed them off

 

[Liverbirdie]

I think most top 100 you get these included in the green fee, or can buy one on the shop.

I find it a good souvenir, and I put on my score on each page, clubs used and where the shots were from, always handy if you go there again.

The Pro's tip can be invaluable and the better ones even show a small picture of what looks ahead of you as you look from the tee.

Mainly only high end golf courses now.

PS - so come on, what your tip for the 1st at Prenton - 6 iron in play, or get the 3 wood out and go for it?

 

[Oxfordcomma]

Like a lot of others, I buy one at every new course I go to. Sometimes I even remember to take it when I return .

I have found recently (well, not so much "recently" but 2019 I suppose) that a higher percentage of courses were out of stock and not sure when they were coming back.

A friend from the club and regular PP was a director of one the main producers of these. Have been to many courses with him where he says "oh, I mapped this one" . Think he got out (via retirement) at a good time though, as many have said most people are just GPS nowadays. Personally I think they're still invaluable on a brand new course, you only use it the once but that first time round I want to know where I'm going and even a full-hole GPS map isn't giving that to me in the same manner.

 

[IanM]

I remember my first trip to St Andrews in 1993, ordering the Strokesavers of the Old and New Courses months before the trip.

I nearly read the print off it before I got there. Looking at the screen isn't the same

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I remember my first trip to St Andrews in 1993, ordering the Strokesavers of the Old and New Courses months before the trip.

I nearly read the print off it before I got there. Looking at the screen isn't the same

Kinda have to appreciate the difference between an album download and a vinyl album. I will buy a planner when I play a new course.

 

[patricks148]

i get one if its a course i've not played before, but find i look at it for the first few holes then don't bother. plenty of courses give you one in a goody bag esp if its a top course. not sure its a great business idea nowdays

 

[sweaty sock]

I love using them for opens, I find them way more useful then gps's particularly because you can write notes on them. Noting down my own findings during practice rounds has been invaluable and 100% saved me shots compared to my playing partners. I have to admit I look forward to flicking through the pages prior to a shot.

I'd never use one on a course I play regularly though. I'd only consider one for a course Im playing for the first time. I'd expect to pay about £10.

Best ones I've used have been Silloth (loads of blind shots so knowing yardages to visible points is a massive advantage), St Andrew because its got great photography, And Dornoch mainly due to the commentary on the holes, provided I think from a local religious figure?

 

[Slab]

Haven’t bought one in 10 years but I admire the skills needed to create a planner, it looks good

(is there a weird symmetry/irony looking at the technical development in a generation that now allows someone skilled in software to surpass/usurp the skills of the artist/designer that used to create these kind of things and the technical development over that same period that means planners are actually no longer required)

 

[AAC]

That was my fear, its a shame really. There's something SAD about keeping your electronics in your bag while you're on the course, especially phones with GPS apps.

Thanks for your reply.

Just corrected that for you, I am however in the minority view on this.

 

[Neilds]

The Pro's tip can be invaluable

Most of the ones I have read have been really helpful - ‘Long and straight off the tee is useful here’? So insightful

 

[thehole18yards]

Thanks for everyone's feedback. It's an interesting topic - but I was never planning to quit the day job! (I'm an architect)

As for Hole 1 at Prenton, I'm taking 7 iron and flipping a wedge - I don't want a 6 on the card after the first hole!!!

 

[MendieGK]

Sounds sad but I actually get excited about what the course planner will be like when I play a new top 100 course. Hate when top courses have cheaped out on quality or detailed ones.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Don't forget to put 'Par is always a good score' on every hole ?

 

[louise_a]

I like them and will always buy one when I play a new course if they have them.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

There's some hardcore people on here. Buying course planners........

I don't think I've ever bought one, nor been with someone who has bought one. I've been given them at a few posher courses but I don't know that I've ever really looked at them.

 

[garyinderry]

I like them as a memento. I often find that I havnt got the time to really look at them much. Handy the first time if u stand on a tee and cant work out what to do.
Most of the time everyone is just teeing off without faffing about and dont really want or need to hear the pro tip.

Always nice to have a quick look at them the night before returning to a nice course to whet the appetite.