Course Planners / Yardage Books: Dead or Alive?

[Curls]

This is the very cool one from Birkdale, imo the level of detail you get from this is superior to any GPS device I’ve seen. And the photo of hidden fairway and greens especially telling you where the sides are is invaluable. I’m all for technology but there’s much more in a good yardage book than numbers...

 

[Canary Kid]

As I said before, I collect them as souvenirs and use them for the first round at any new course. However, regardless of whether or not you use them, there is something artistic and aesthetically pleasing about a yardage book.

 

[sunshine]

This is a great thread. Thanks to the OP for starting it (and his DIY book looks pretty neat too ).

I keep strokesavers as souvenirs, but these days with DMDs I only buy one when I play a top course or when on holiday.

I'm going to post some photos of good ones to show the doubters why they are helpful. Also some poor ones for a laugh.

 

[sunshine]

This course guide has amazing detail of the green complexes, really helpful to understand how close bunkers are to the green and also the slopes on the greens (probably more details than I need).
Guess the course?

 

[sunshine]

This is another beauty with the top image showing you the view from the tee with carry distances and then the bottom image gives yardages to plan your approach.

Guess the course?

 

[sunshine]

I found this while rummaging around looking for the previous two guides. It’s a pretty cool idea to have a 3D guide so you can understand elevation, but it sacrifices a lot of clarity. It’s also confusing as hell to look at a guide which starts at the green and works backwards to the tee.

Not played this course for about 15 years. It was built to very high spec and used to be a really good challenge off the back tees. But new owners wrecked it, they bulldozed 3 great holes (1,9,18) to build a driving range in front of the clubhouse. They vandalised their main asset through ignorance and shot themselves in the foot because nobody likes the course now.

 

[sunshine]

Finally a bit of humour. This epitomises how pointless the pros tips can be. Why bother stating the obvious?

Kudos if you can guess the course!

 

[Eagle2]

I buy them for new courses.
They’re useful for hazards etc, so long as they’re kept up to date.

Yep... played a Links course for wales and it just wouldn't have been fun without it. You are stood in the tee and can see absolutely nothing but a hill in 30 yards - without that book it wouldn't have been a good day out I think.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As I mentioned - for me it's the difference between an album download and a vinyl 12"

This from when I played Balmacewen when in Dunedin couple of years back. The holding of it takes me back to a lovely knock around a great track in the footstep of Bob Charles who was a member there (apologies for the giant image)

 

[Orikoru]

I found this while rummaging around looking for the previous two guides. It’s a pretty cool idea to have a 3D guide so you can understand elevation, but it sacrifices a lot of clarity. It’s also confusing as hell to look at a guide which starts at the green and works backwards to the tee.

Not played this course for about 15 years. It was built to very high spec and used to be a really good challenge off the back tees. But new owners wrecked it, they bulldozed 3 great holes (1,9,18) to build a driving range in front of the clubhouse. They vandalised their main asset through ignorance and shot themselves in the foot because nobody likes the course now.
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Yeah the first hole is such trash. Who wants to start their round with a 90 yard hole? And then walk 100 yards over a bridge to get to the second - it's an odd start. I've heard they've reworked the first into a proper hole now though, or they were doing. Not been there for a year or two though to find out. I never played it in the old days but I've heard all about what happened to it, and it's a shame because there are plenty of holes I really like on that course. Some which suit me as being not too long but you have to play for position. I think it was there though where we playing one time, got to the par 3 17th and the sprinklers were all on on the tee! The tee markers were still there though - so as they were rotating sprinklers, we took turns to leg it up while there was a gap and hit our shots quickly to avoid getting a soaking.

 

[Smiffy]

Remember playing at Carnoustie many years ago. Mate of mine at the time was a bit of a perfectionist, so purchased a course planner/yardage booklet.
Got to one hole, he checked and double checked his booklet, paced out a few more yards, switched clubs two or three times, paced it out again and finally decided on a club.
Few practice swings, set up, stepped away, few more practice swings, set up, swung, proceeded to fat his ball into a burn 30 yards in front of us.
And to top it all, he got annoyed when we laughed.....
Funny old game.

 

[MendieGK]

Yeah the first hole is such trash. Who wants to start their round with a 90 yard hole? And then walk 100 yards over a bridge to get to the second - it's an odd start. I've heard they've reworked the first into a proper hole now though, or they were doing. Not been there for a year or two though to find out. I never played it in the old days but I've heard all about what happened to it, and it's a shame because there are plenty of holes I really like on that course. Some which suit me as being not too long but you have to play for position. I think it was there though where we playing one time, got to the par 3 17th and the sprinklers were all on on the tee! The tee markers were still there though - so as they were rotating sprinklers, we took turns to leg it up while there was a gap and hit our shots quickly to avoid getting a soaking.

Yeah they have a new hole now but has a few problems getting the fairways to bed in.
I actually really enjoyed the course considering the price and stature

 

[sunshine]

Yeah they have a new hole now but has a few problems getting the fairways to bed in.
I actually really enjoyed the course considering the price and stature

It's funny you mention stature, because Stockley Park was designed by Robert Trent Jones, who designed a lot of the courses we see on the PGA tour like Firestone and Hazeltine, and also Valderrama. It was opened by Nick Faldo in 1993 when he was the current Open champion and one of the most famous sportsmen in the country, and hosted a European Tour Seniors event. Pretty strong credentials.

I used to play there quite frequently in the early 2000's. The way it was built means it has great drainage and irrigation and it used to be really well maintained. Tough challenge from the championship tees it was getting on for 6,900 yards, I remember playing there with a guy from the Challenge tour and it was no pushover for him. I understand a lot of the back tees have gone now, which is understandable given its current standing (edit: I just looked on google maps and there is a marquee built on what used to be the back tees for the 10th and 14th).

Such a shame what they did to that course. I guess it was the financial crisis of 2008 that triggered the fall from grace.

 

[sunshine]

For orikoru and mendie this is what the 1st used to look like:



And this was the 9th, which at 450 yards is 100 yards longer than the hole today. The original 9th green is now the 18th.



And the practice putting green in front of the clubhouse used to be the 18th green. Risk / reward shot over the lake or bail out to the right.

 

[sunshine]

My recent posts show the value of course guides. Nostalgia! Wouldn’t be able to look back and reminisce about a course on an app in the same way.

 

[Orikoru]

My recent posts show the value of course guides. Nostalgia! Wouldn’t be able to look back and reminisce about a course on an app in the same way.

Most places haven't torn up their course though to be fair. Cheers for posting them, I didn't realise the 18th and 9th had changed as well, only knew about the 1st because the new one was just turd. Over the lake on the 18th makes it much more tricky, as opposed to how it is now where you'd only go in it if you slice your approach I guess.

 

[forexrayv1]

Very exciting and brilliant thread and topic. I just love the yardage books. Does anyone have Brocket Hall (Melbourne Course) yardage book? especially with green undulations?

 

[forexrayv1]

Hi everyone,

I've recently undertaken a mini project to keep my software skills going. I've created a simple course planner for my home club.

I'm fairly good with layouts and software etc. and I've had it professionally printed.

Do you think these still have a place in our modern game? I'd like to start doing them for other players and courses eventually.

Take a look and let's discuss!

Cheers,

Freddie

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What you have created looks really good. It must have taken number of days to create one.
No. They are not dead in my opinion. These can be personalised for your game style and numbers.

 

[Ethan]

I like yardage books too, and miss that they have been run down a lot. My collection of yardage books, and a few selected books:

 

[petema99]

This is another beauty with the top image showing you the view from the tee with carry distances and then the bottom image gives yardages to plan your approach.

Guess the course?

View attachment 35671

Brancaster - probably the nicest one I have.

Prince's one is great too. It has a panorama of the view from the tee box so makes it really easy to pick the right line.

I always try and get one if it's a new course, which I know has blind shots - pays dividends, though can imagine if you can bring up the course on your phone or gps, then probably less useful