Winter Project - Yardage Books

[gkatshoots69 5]

I live in upstate NY so in the winter there isn't much to do when it comes to golf other than dream about summer days, especially this year!! So while bumming around the golf forums I came across a post on yardage books and how to make them. In the past I've messed around and made a few for my home course but it was just a bunch of random notes and nothing at all like what the pro's use. There was a link to 3up golf and a very good tutorial on how to make a professional looking yardage book with two simple programs, Inkscape and Google Earth.

 

Well several and I mean several hours later I've created yardage books for 6 of my local courses and I am currently workings on 3 other out of area courses that I play a few times a year. It has been a lot of work but it gave me something to do while the wife was watching her Bravo reality shows. Not all of these have yardages in them because I am waiting to get on the course to use my bushnell and gps to map some of the holes and then compare to what google earth gives me for yardages. These may not be exact but it's always nice to be able to write down some notes and have them available come tournament time.

 

Attached are some pics and also here is the link to 3up.

http://3upgolf.com/blogs/create-your-own-golf-yardage-book

 

 

Come on warmth, it's time to golf!!

[DaveP043 5,608]

That looks like a great package, and I like the look of the black and white output.  I was one of the guys who had contributed to the previous post:

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/13095-diy-yardage-book/

Instead of the FREE Inkscape program, I used a computer drafting program I have through work.  Even a "cheap" CADD program is a few hundred bucks.  The one big advantage of having the CADD program is that one I had a single distance for each hole, I could scale every other yardage I wanted, as long as the landmarks were visible on the original satelite photo.  For that reason, I don't have yardages to sprinkler heads, but to trees, bushes, bends in the cart path, etc.  

[gkatshoots69 5]

Dave, I checked out the other DIY post and your books are slick, I like that you used CAD and all the detail you incorporated really makes the holes pop off the page.  Yours put mine to shame, haha. 

I like to use land marks as well for yardages as long as I can determine which trees or bushes I used in my drawings once I get on the course.  I plan on adding some sprinklers or other fairway markers once I can get out on the course and then probably next winter I'll finish these books off and add everything I've gathered. 

I'm with you though, I'm a yardage book junkie, I love collecting them.   

[DaveP043 5,608]

Thanks for the kind words, I'm pretty proud of the end result.  Of course, it took me a long time, and lots of editing to get things to the quality I have now.  It was a really interesting exercise to think through each hole, to imagine how golfers of all abilities might play, and figure out what distances they might need.  Even though I'd been playing the course for years, I learned a lot of details that I hadn't noticed before.  Good luck with your projects, you're off to a great start.

[Bogey in The Woods 428]

Well hell, now I have to combine my Enthusiasm for computer (spelled GEEK) with my love of golf. I like both of the examples you guys have. Can't wait to finish my first one. 

[gkatshoots69 5]

Be sure to post when complete Bogey!  It started as just a fun project and become an obsession of mine to work on these courses and try to get them all completed before the season started.  Good luck.

[Bogey in The Woods 428]

Be sure to post when complete Bogey!  It started as just a fun project and become an obsession of mine to work on these courses and try to get them all completed before the season started.  Good luck.

I have tried to combine a little of all I have seen here. I will show you one of the holes I am working on when I get to the house tonight. 

[Bogey in The Woods 428]

 

So this is what i am doing so far.  Its kind of a hybrid from what everyone has done so far. Still trying to figure out what all i want to include. Also trying to figure out what should be there if anyone else picked it up and tried to use it.

[DaveP043 5,608]

That looks great so far!

>

I thought that was the most interesting part of the whole process.  I tried to put myself in the shoes of all levels of players, and to imagine all the different types of bad shots, in order to develop enough "layup" yardages for anyone using the book.  

[apprenti23 605]

Wow! Intense yardage books. Hope they help out the scores this season!