A list of courses without yardage markers

[Jeff_Mingay]

Sooon to be open, Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club, in British Columbia.

[Bill_McBride]

The Valley Club...

Josh, you are absolutely right about no marks on sprinkler heads, etc at the Valley Club of Montecito, although a couple of centerline sprinkler heads do have a rectangular piece of metal welded on, those relate to the little yardage guide that's incorporated into the scorecard.

I love that yardage guide, wish I could scan and post it.  Every hole has a tiny schematic, and there are distances indicated from various symbols that represent different types of trees, sprinkler control boxes, a handful of marked sprinkler heads, and end of fences or walls.

There are icons for sycamore, oak. elm, other types of trees.  One member told me, "You have to be a fricking arborist to get a good yardage here!"

Oh yes, there are still a couple of trees shown that have been gone for years.  That can cause a perplexing frown! 

[Powell Arms]

How about a list of courses without yardage markers, yardage books or caddies.

Wilmington Island Club outside of Savannah Georgia (Donald Ross, 1922) is total devoid of yardage indicators - no markers, no yardage on sprinkler

I played there by myself, so I did not have the benefit of local knowledge.  It was a fun round with a lot of "this looks like a six iron shot", and the score very different from what I would expect if I had the benefit of yardage info.

[Joshua Pettit]

The Valley Club...

Josh, you are absolutely right about no marks on sprinkler heads, etc at the Valley Club of Montecito, although a couple of centerline sprinkler heads do have a rectangular piece of metal welded on, those relate to the little yardage guide that's incorporated into the scorecard.

I love that yardage guide, wish I could scan and post it.  Every hole has a tiny schematic, and there are distances indicated from various symbols that represent different types of trees, sprinkler control boxes, a handful of marked sprinkler heads, and end of fences or walls.

There are icons for sycamore, oak. elm, other types of trees.  One member told me, "You have to be a fricking arborist to get a good yardage here!"

Oh yes, there are still a couple of trees shown that have been gone for years.  That can cause a perplexing frown! 

Bill,

I'm sorry to hear that you were so fond of the scorecard with yardages, because they have done away with that and reverted back to a much simpler card.  I like the line about having to be an arborist to read the yardages.  I can remember at times thinking the same thing when I was trying to identify a certain tree, but I quickly realized how much I preferred playing without thinking at all about yardages...just going, yeah it looks like a 7 iron to me.  I find it to be much more enjoyable, after all I am just an amateur so I can't imagine how knowing exact yardages could really improve my score. 

Maybe I am too much of an elitist, but I find it humorous when I see a 20+ handicap playing with a sky caddie and spending an inordinate amount of time rationing yardages and wind conditions.  I think most golfers of that caliber would enjoy their round a little more and perhaps even play better if they ignored all that and just played off instinct.

[Kalen Braley]

Well, it's clear to me that the Peter Jans National Golf Club is in extremely good company....

Shiv,

I was thinking along similar lines.  Other than a few notables already mentioned in this thread, the only courses I've played without yardage markers were all dog-tracks without exception....not that Jans National is! 

So no yardage markers may mean just two things...your either playing someplace really really nice, or really really dumpy.

[CHrisB]

Austin Golf Club

Trey,
Doesn't AGC have stakes marking 150 yards from the hole?

[Mike Benham]

... although a couple of centerline sprinkler heads do have a rectangular piece of metal welded on, those relate to the little yardage guide that's incorporated into the scorecard ...

Does the scorecard print yardages for all these courses?  If so, then they do have yardage markers ...

So why not push to have no yardages on the scorecard?  Why is it OK to have the scorecard tell you the yardage of the par 3s?

[Jim Franklin]

Is the yardage book for Friars Head done yet? I would love to get a copy at some point.

[Jason Mandel]

Sunnybrook in the Philly 'burbs used to have no actual markers on the course but the scorecard had distances from trees and bunkers. I haven't played there in years so I don't know the current situation.

Sunnybrook does have yardage markers, I know they've had that for at least the past ten years or son.

Jason

[Bill_McBride]

... although a couple of centerline sprinkler heads do have a rectangular piece of metal welded on, those relate to the little yardage guide that's incorporated into the scorecard ...

Does the scorecard print yardages for all these courses?  If so, then they do have yardage markers ...

So why not push to have no yardages on the scorecard?  Why is it OK to have the scorecard tell you the yardage of the par 3s?

If that appeals to the purist in you, why not?  I see no problem with scorecard measurements, they are extremely elastic and sort of define the course.

[Joel Zuckerman]

So no yardage markers may mean just two things...your either playing someplace really really nice, or really really dumpy.

Kalen--I've often had the same thought--but concerning playing shirtless!  (Like, for example, at Garden City Men's Club..)

[Tom Yost]

This thread is great!  This list will help me to know when I need to bring my electronic range finder   

[Sean_A]

Without yardage markers?  Merion has yardage markers but codes them so only the caddies have the data.  That is not at all "without yardage markers"!!!!!!!!!

Paul Carey,

That is not true.  There are no yardage indicators of any kind at Merion East.  The caddies know the yardages from trees and also by unmarked sprinkler heads.  Merion West has yardage indications on the sprinkler heads.

I didn't think to look for markers or ask the caddie for distances when I was there.  Shows how much I use caddies and why I prefer a bag carrier - I don't want to have discussions with a caddie over yardage.  Sure, I got caught out a few times with pin placements, but it didn't matter much. 

BTW - I have played a bunch of courses without markers or at least I didn't notice markers (which are the best kind imo).  I think these days it can be part of a ploy to purchase a yardage guide - it ain't never gonna happen. 

Ciao

[Andrew Mitchell]

The Valley Club...

Josh,

Its funny you started this thread because I was just explaining to my dad why I'm not interested in having the golf course yardage guide application on my iPhone.

Also you could add The Sheep Ranch to the list, which is "sans" just about everything.
 

Pete,

Are you sure Woodhall Spa doesn't have any yardage markers?  I was out there a couple months ago and I thought I remember seeing some , but I could be wrong. 

Josh I too thought there were yardage markers at Woodhall Spa when I was there.  You can certainly buy yardage books in the pros shop.

We played Anstruther as a pre BUDA round recently and I don't recall any yardage markers there.

[Josh Smith]

The list so far.............  Going once...Going twice....

(not too tied up if the club has one yardage per hole, but more so "sans yardage on sprinkler heads, 150 trees, curbie 100, 150, 200 markers etc.)

Cypress Point Club
San Francisco Golf Club
Pine Valley
Merion
National Golf Links
The Valley Club of Montecito
Woodhall Spa
Austin Golf Club
Essex County Club
Myopia Hunt Club
California Golf Club
Wilmington Island Club
Burlingame
Friars Head
Ballyneal
Barnbougle Dunes
Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club
The Sheep Ranch

Josh Pettit:  (I recall the sheep ranch having a small white pipe at 150 from each green on random angles, but you are correct other than that it pretty much has nothing.)

I will go ahead and add Cabot Links to this on pure speculation, I know Ran and Ben will "keep it real".
             

[Bill_McBride]

ing Club
The Sheep Ranch

Josh Pettit:  (I recall the sheep ranch having a small white pipe at 150 from each green on random angles, but you are correct other than that it pretty much has nothing.)
             

Josh, that implies there are "formal" golf holes at the Sheep Ranch.  I didn't see any of those, and don't remember the white pipes either.  They had probably been blown to the ground - like us! - by the 40-knot winds the afternoon I struggled around out there.  I did love the cliffside green.