Pin Position Indicators on Classic Courses - "150" Stakes & Red/White/Blue Flags

[PCCraig]

Obviously the trend these days are for simple accessories and a de-cluttering of extra items from golf courses (benches, ball cleaners, granite hole markers, etc.). However, I am curious to hear people's thoughts on what to do about indicating pin position on the green.

In the somewhat distant past, our golf course had a red/white/blue system of indicating pin position. A couple of years ago the pins where switched to a red flag with a black/white stripped pole, but we implemented 150-yard markers on a side of the fairway, which also showed either red/white/or blue stripes implying the distance of the pin. In an effort to the golf course the 150 yard markers were taken away in the spring, but their were complaints as to pin position so the red/white/blue flag system was re-implemented.

Some people seem to need and enjoy knowing if the pin is front, middle, or back. Others think it looks terrible something closer to a public or resort golf course. We have a number of blind approach shots and with the colored flags you can't tell where the pin is anyway? The greens themselves are on the smaller side, and a few can't accommodate a pin location on the front of the green anyway due to a false front. We also have small laser readers on the top of the flags, and a fair amount of players/caddies seem to use them via laser range finders.

I'm curious if folks here would be willing to share some "best practices" from their home courses & clubs.

Does your home course use the red/white/blue system? 150-yard markers? Pin sheets? Nothing?

[Sean_A]

I don't really care about pin location indicators, but a happy compromise is different colours for front/middle back...coinciding with the tee marker colours.   


I am more concerned with yardage markers and firmly believe the old fashion 150 yard marker TO THE CENTRE OF THE GREEN above ground is appropriate.  Quite happy not to have 100/200 markers, but I reckon it makes sense to have numbers on sprinkler heads.  A lot of folks are quite happy to eye ball it if they can see a 150 marker above ground.  If courses don't want to offer any sort of pin locator/yardage marker maybe its time they threw in a free yardage rental watch with the green fee.  Guys in carts get free yardage stuff in carts...so why not walkers?


Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

Crystal Downs still uses different colors on the flags for front, middle and back.  There is still a 150 yard post well to the outside of the fairway on each longer hole, which I often use to get a "close enough" estimate as Sean says -- although in truth, they're a bit redundant with all of the sprinkler heads marked.


I have heard from more than one club that raters are complaining about such "course furniture," as if that's a part of what they should be thinking about in deciding whether the course is great.  Really?


More and more I see course furniture being used which makes it harder to see the flag clearly, for both golfers and course photographers.  If they really want to go old school, maybe we should just stick a feather in the cup and leave it at that.

[PCCraig]

More and more I see course furniture being used which makes it harder to see the flag clearly, for both golfers and course photographers.

Can you clarify the above? I'm not sure that I follow?

[Ally Mcintosh]

My preference is for 150 yard markers at the side of each fairway, no other yardage aids and no indicator of front / middle / back on the flag colours.

[Thomas Dai]

At the course I mostly play a brave Chairman of Greens, long since out of the role, removed the 150 yd posts and replaced them with different coloured fairway discs at 200, 150 and 100 yds. This caused total uproar amongst the membership to the extent that it was discussed at the AGM and a on show of hands the members voted to reinstall the 150 yd posts and also keep the fairway marker discs.


One member remarked that perhaps the 150 yd marker posts could be sponsored and that firm of nationally known opticians named Specsavers should be asked if they were interested in a sponsoship arrangement.


Another member suggested that white sticks and labrador dogs should be available to rent in the pro-shop.


atb




 

[Jeff Shelman]

I would rather have a post on the side of each fairway that is different colors than having different colored flags. That is what we have at my club.


I think the post can also be helpful at times for people new to the course, especially on short par 4s. Gives them an idea of how far away trouble, etc. is.

[Dan Herrmann]

I've always thought barber poles were perfect on a private club for outings.  Helps to speed up play.


I don't like the colored flags, even though we have a fair number of uphill shots into greens which makes it tricky to tell where the hole is.   But isn't that part of the fun of golf?   (and if you don't like it, just get a rangefinder)

[SL_Solow]

I like most anything that is unobtrusive and speeds up play.  So long as people want to play by yardage, sprinkler head markings with multi colored flags probably works best.  At our club, as noted by a prior poster, almost everyone has a rangefinder but the sprinkler heads were marked prior to their advent so I suppose we have belts and suspenders.

[Rob Marshall]

I played Champions in Houston many years ago, My buddy was a member. We're on the first hole and I walk to a sprinkler head and there is a "A" on it. WTF, I ask my buddy does the "A" mean. He whips out his yardage book and "A" on the first hold is 155 yards. On the next hole the "A" was 175 yards. Why random letters instead of just the yardage? "Jackie wants to sell yardage books" was his response....

[Pete_Pittock]

My semi-private club (36) has 150 barber poles and a different color 100 poles on short 4s. Three different color flags for front/middle/back hole locations, although they still can't pick colors which totally blend into some backgrounds.
Plus most sprinklers are marked with yardages, multi yardages with water caused layups. 

[Kevin_Reilly]

My club (1924) recently cleaned up a lot of the aforementioned "belt and suspenders" (and Sansabelt) stuff around the course following a substantial amount of work on the course.  At one time we had colored flags, sprinkler head markers, in-ground NCGA distance markers in the middle of the fairway (red at 100 yds, white at 150 and blue at 200), laser prisms on the top of flagsticks, and small reflectors on the cart paths at 100/150/200.  All for shots to relatively small greens throughout.


We've eliminated red/white/blue flags and the NCGA markers in the fairways (they no longer supply them anyway).  So far, the membership has adapted OK.  The laser prisms on the top of flagsticks are available even with wooden flagsticks, so going retro with flagstick material doesn't mean that you have to give up something that makes it easier for folks to "lock on" the flagstick. 


Olympic at one time had colored flags on some greens.  I don't know if that is still the case.

[Tom_Doak]

More and more I see course furniture being used which makes it harder to see the flag clearly, for both golfers and course photographers.

Can you clarify the above? I'm not sure that I follow?

I was referring to wooden flagsticks that are supposedly "old-school" looking, but hard to see from a distance, and flags in colors that don't stand out [dark red, blue, black, etc.].


My preference from my year overseas was for black-and-white striped flagsticks and yellow flags.  Those are what stand out the best, in photos and in the fairway.  I am "locking on" by eye, not with a freaking laser rangefinder ... and my eyesight is not what it used to be.  [Nor is it for millions of other golfers!]


Crystal Downs' flags are not red, yellow and blue, but white with a colored stripe on them, which makes them a bit more visible and more uniform in appearance.

[Sean_A]

Tom

I kind of like the traditional scheme of black n' white poles with a different flag colour for each nine (this is slowly dying out in favour of colour coding)...usually yellow and red.  It means flags can't be coloured for hole location, but thats okay....I rarely notice anyway.  I just looked at pix at Wimbledon and only just realized they are colour coded for hole location.   

PS...I really hate the mini flag with different colours near the bottom of the pole...its naf.

Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me were the vast number of sprinkler head yardage markers at TOC. So many in fact that I doubt they were working sprinklers.

[Jeff Bergeron]

I had the privilege to play Chicago Golf Club last week. No 'electronic devices', single color flags (red) and distances on the sprinkler caps. Eyeball it and go! I would love that as the standard.

[BHoover]

I use a laser to figure out all the distances I want and/or need. I bet even Old Tom would have done the same had the technology been available to him.

[BCowan]

I had the privilege to play Chicago Golf Club last week. No 'electronic devices', single color flags (red) and distances on the sprinkler caps. Eyeball it and go! I would love that as the standard.

I have truly become a happy golfer most recently, for it takes patience I've heard.  The thought of range finders makes me Hate golfers, even ones I have never met. 

This post has put a smile on Old Tom's face as well as my buddy Mr Morrow!  One of the few golf courses where one doesn't have to go off the grid to enjoy a fine old game. 

Eye ball it and go!  Great saying.

[John Kavanaugh]

I'm sorry but knowing you need to carry a shot 76 yds is great fun.  Why fight it?

[BCowan]

JKava,

   I find walking off yardages relaxing.  Rangefinders are more invasive then greenside fans IMO.  I find others passions for playing the game properly to be a breathe of fresh air or Inspirational. 

    I've given in too much, I now play courses that allow 5 somes, but refrain from 5 somes in season. I used to get my classics polished, now I throw the shoes in the trunk.  I question my traditional relationship with the game often. 

"Most people don't do what they believe in, they do whats convenient, then they repent"- Dylan

[John Kavanaugh]

I do what make me happiest because my doing days are numbered. That includes but not limited to shiny shoes, clean sheets and exact yardages. I am one of the lucky ones who set traditions the youth of today may only aspire.

[Thomas Dai]

I wonder when, maybe some places already do, indicate what the elevation change is from say from 150 yds, or any other yardage post or marker for that matter. Elevation change makes a lot more difference than many perhaps appreciate and it can be pretty easily factored in once known.


Atb

[BCowan]

I have been doing what makes me happy as well but had to dig deep.  I couldn't take playing all these over watered SE MI tracks in a drought.  So I drove 8 hrs round trip to experience great golf.  "Take the long way hometo the course"

[jeffwarne]

150 stakes
drinking fountains
what else could one possibly need?

[John Kavanaugh]

Water fountains do at least curtail mosquito population. We just moved from a house with a large bat population and when I bitched to my wife how I am getting bittin up tonight she was quick to point out...