Google Earth & Course Management.

[RGuk]

Before I start, be assured I have booked myself into the asylum for Tuesday.
The other day I was enjoying a good start to my round (+3 gross after 12, starting at the 10th) and then made a seemingly silly judgement error playing a simple-ish dog leg. I took my normal aim (at a marker post) and flushed my 3 wood straight at it. When I arrived (and discovered I was 7-8 yds right of it) I was blocked out and had to slide a L-R iron to the left hand side of the green, which landed in some nightmare lie, which resulted in a double bogey. (sorry, it's a dull story).
BUT, I looked on Google Earth and not only is my course available in super technicolour (albeit about 1996!), but you can zoom in, and measure stuff in yds.
WOW....what a discovery. On this particular hole, if you play well left (like where no-one goes, unless they hook it)
you'll be in the light rough (no trees), but only need to hit about 170 off the tee to have a shot in. Also, a hole where I keep coming up short is 172 from the big tree (not on the planner) not the 150 yds from the marker post about a yd in front of it....the marker is wrong!!! (by 21 yds!!)
I could go on for ever....but it's amazing what you can learn....the bast*** hole where I play a 3.b.j. needn't be so tough, rather than 3H, 5I, wedge I ought to be able to get within 10 yds of the front with 5W, 3H, as long as they're straight-ish. I'd written it off as a summer-only effort!!!
Have a look, see if your course is on it, you might discover that some of the markers are wrong or that actually you can hit shorter tee shots on some holes (not driver?) by visiting new and undiscovered areas of the course.

Dave

 

[andycap]

see you at the asylum
I,ve been over most courses i play with google earth and it has really helped with course management , even taken a particular hole or point on the course where i know the true distance ,then use a ruler or piece of paper to make a scale rule. As you mentioned yardage markers can be way out .

 

[RGuk]

I wonder whether it is the done thing to ask someone on the committee to look into markers. I turned up one place and enquired about a course guide and they said no. I asked about marker posts, and the pro replied "does Faldo need to know the yardage?"......
At my course, we have both, but not as useful as Brendy's course map, for example. Nothing worse than seeing "gorse bush, 180" looking over and counting 5 in a row.
t.b.h. 150s are good, but on the long holes 200s would be better.

Dave

 

[Slaighty]

Save me a seat by the fire in the asylum. I used Google Earth to plan my way round the Warwickshire last Sunday.
Worked from the greens back, figured out which clubs to use to get into range where I feel confident of hitting the green. (150 in for me). Result was used the driver a lot less and kept the ball in plan much more. Still a bit sad though?

 

[Basher]

Yep, use it myself on my own and other courses I visit.
A very handy tool, especially with the measuring facility.
Int technology great?

 

[RGuk]

Ah, the Warwickshire, that'll be driver + 3 wood for me on most holes as I remember it! (joke!)

Glad some others have succumbed to such anorak antics.

Most interestingly (and this really was helpful) I checked out the O.O.B. distances....could save me some grief!!

Dave

 

[Dave3498]

What do you have to do to access your course on Google earth? I can't seem to find the right link.

 

[viscount17]

Dave,

I think you can do it with its post code. If not put in the nearest town, re-scale and hunt.

 

[madandra]

Use the ruler option at the top of the page and click to start and drag the the picture to your finish point. You will then get a yardage.


OR JUST BUY A STROKE SAVER YA TIGHT B%$£&*+S

 

[RGuk]

The stroke saver doesn't always give the kind of info I'm after. That's the beauty of this investigation. I've been under the impression (for example) that I needed a 3 wood off the tee on the hole I mentioned. It says 224 to the marker and draws an arc along that line. Truth is, a 190 yard shot well left is actually much safer.
I discovered you could drive the green from the tee if you can manage 269 over the trees. The 269 is possible, but getting the height, no chance. What is amazing is the amount of distance you can chop off these dog legs with a certain strategy. There's a big par 5 at my course, where I go right to avoid the OOB. If from there you ignore the post and go straight at it, it's 20 yds shorter!!!

Dave

 

[Dave3498]

Thanks for the tips viscount17 and madandra. I have a strokesaver madandra, but I thought this was all about trying to discredit them!! Anyway how did you know I was a tight B thingy, I thought it was restricted information under the Data Protection Act.