[Adrian_Stiff]

Hard to go past those by Michael Cocking, seen at www.golfrenderings.com.au

The Barnbougle, Kingston Heath and Commonwealth books are particularly attractive, and highly functional.

Matthew

Agree Matthew,  The Kingston Heath book, in particular is a beautiful work of art.

That book is awesome.  The best in my limited collection.

I agree its pretty, but the information is not easy to understand those lines on the green plan, I cant easily work out which way the slope is at the back and sides. Those are the exact ones that Mr Average finds hard. It really lacks information for what it actually is, in fairness it might be different for a longer hole and have more info on..... but pretty

[Marty Bonnar]

I (really) like Mike Cocking's work. He's clearly a more than decent watercolourist. But on both his and the other example shown, I loathe those lines of different lengths which purport to show 'slope'. If there weren't those level numbers shown would you know which was the high and which the low side of those embankments? Is that green dished or domed?
Every line a draughtsman draws should possess meaning. My slope lines usually look like spermatozoa with the fat 'head' end being the Top of the slope and the 'Tail' running away downhill from there.
I'm perfect, of course...
F.

[David_Elvins]

If there weren't those level numbers shown would you know which was the high and which the low side of those embankments?

The numbers are the yardage from the front of the green, not the level of the green, although that would be an interesting.

It's an interesting point that you and Adrian make regarding the ease of understanding the plans for the layman, though.  i guess most on here are used to looking at drawings of golf courses and work out the slopes but the number of people who regularly examine plans of golf courses is small. 

If you have trouble working out which way the slopes go on the posted plan, at least you have the green 150 yards away to calibrate your mind.

[Michael Moore]

Tommy Naccarato also does some very thoughtful work.

Joel -

Can you post some images of Mr. Naccarato's work? I have been waiting to see it since he was hailed in 2005 by Brad Klein in Golfweek as an emerging cartographer, but I have yet to see any output.

In March of last year Mr. Naccarato told me that he was on the verge of publishing his first yardage book. Perhaps, at last, it has come to fruition.

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,

Here is an example of the stroke saver booklet from Barnbougle by Cocking. Sketchlike and simple as the other Aussies have intimated.



Cheers Colin

[Ben Stephens]

Frank,

I can do one for you - using my sketch abilities and photoshop skills. I am sure James Boon and Adrian Stiff will vouch for me. 

The last time I did something similar was a while ago for a junior team event and the information was accurate because my team won the event!

Cheers
Ben

[Niall C]

Colin

Thanks for posting those examples of Cockings work. The yardages from the various parts of the fairways, presumably they relate to markers on sprinklerheads on the fairway, in which case, whats the point in putting them on the plan ? They just clutter it up in my view. What I think you need is yardages to defined features on the course. Everything else can be worked from there.

Having said that I recall playing the zigzag par 5 on the homeward nine at Machrihanish for the first time. I was on the fairway, with the green unsighted, and standing in a sea of humps and hollows all of which were identified in the strokesaver. With no green to reference I was totally lost and finally came to the conclusion I was either 143 yards or 171 yards or 229 yards from the green, take your pick. Sometimes too much info is a distraction.

Niall

[Benny Hillard]

Colin

Thanks for posting those examples of Cockings work. The yardages from the various parts of the fairways, presumably they relate to markers on sprinklerheads on the fairway, in which case, whats the point in putting them on the plan ? They just clutter it up in my view. What I think you need is yardages to defined features on the course. Everything else can be worked from there.

Having said that I recall playing the zigzag par 5 on the homeward nine at Machrihanish for the first time. I was on the fairway, with the green unsighted, and standing in a sea of humps and hollows all of which were identified in the strokesaver. With no green to reference I was totally lost and finally came to the conclusion I was either 143 yards or 171 yards or 229 yards from the green, take your pick. Sometimes too much info is a distraction.

Niall

Niall,

I'm not sure of you have been to Barnbougle but there are no distances on the sprinklers. So that might help to explain why Mike has them on the guide.

Benny

[Kevin Jackson]

I made a yardage book for the Camargo Club last fall for the US AM qualifier.  It was a tournament style book that is similar to what the Pros use on Tour.  It is available in their Golf Shop, but I don't know how well it has sold amongst the members/guests.  I do know that about 30 or so of the AMs got one for the qualifier.  It is a simple diagram style, but has a lot of yardages and distances.

I will post a hole or two as an example of what it looks like if people are interested.

However, the one thing I do not like in yardage books is too much green information.  I like basic slope/tilt and very major contours, but I feel like too much info is confusing and it makes me over think my green reads.  I would rather go with my gut and my eyes, rather than the book.

[Marty Bonnar]

If there weren't those level numbers shown would you know which was the high and which the low side of those embankments?

The numbers are the yardage from the front of the green, not the level of the green, although that would be an interesting.

It's an interesting point that you and Adrian make regarding the ease of understanding the plans for the layman, though.  i guess most on here are used to looking at drawings of golf courses and work out the slopes but the number of people who regularly examine plans of golf courses is small. 

If you have trouble working out which way the slopes go on the posted plan, at least you have the green 150 yards away to calibrate your mind.

So they are, David.
I thought they might have been plus levels in cms with the big X being a nominal zero. What a stupid I am.
F.

[Jeff Tang]

The Kingston Heath book looks very cool. I like the ones put out by the Links Trust for the courses at St Andrews. The ones I have show the holes with satellite imagery which I like.

[Kevin Jackson]

This is what I made for Camargo for the US Am qualifier contestants.

[Neil White]

Kevin,

I like the simple and practical look of your plans.  As discussed in previous posts do some of the yardages relate to specific sprinkler heads etc?

What programme do you use to create your plans?

Neil.

[Tony Ristola]

Mike C. does a marvelous job, and of the Heinrich guides, I like the "Sketched" version best.

[Kevin Jackson]

Kevin,

I like the simple and practical look of your plans.  As discussed in previous posts do some of the yardages relate to specific sprinkler heads etc?

What programme do you use to create your plans?

Neil.

All of the relevant sprinkler heads on the course are shown in the plans for each hole. Then I added yardages to/from bunkers, trees, strategic features, etc. if they were necessary.

I used a series of programs.  I started in AutoCAD for linework, Illustrator for designing, then InDesign for layout.  I wanted to keep the files easily adaptable so it could be updated as necessary for each year's tournament.  And now that the club has recently removed a huge number of trees, I imagine I will be updating each hole for this summer qualifier.

[Josh Smith]

This was my first attempt at a "stroke saver".  These were mini oil paintings that I had intended it to be printed in black and white, paying homage to history and honoring the best book I have ever seen which was at Old Sandwich.  (which I believe Bill Coore drew).

Hope to do another one sometime. 

Cheers.

PS.  I like the term "stroke savers", a bit ironic for me since I think immediately of Ken Venturi when I hear it.

http://joshsmithart.blogspot.com/2011/02/yardage-book.html

[John_Cullum]

Those artsy yardage books are nice, but (like Josh's beautiful work above) they often fail to consider that as golfers approach the half century mark, reading fine print becomes nigh impossible.

[Sean_A]

There is something to be said for the artsy fartsy stroke saver.  I don't buy stroke savers, but an artsy fartsy one priced right could be a good souvenir especially as a way to entice those who use yardage guns/caddies.  However, no matter how one slices it, a stroke saver has to be DEAD easy to read.  I find many too busy, much like a lot of modern courses. 

Ciao

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