Well, I just recieved our yearly query as to why we don't use flag colors to indicate hole positions. I thought I'd copy it hear in the hope that perhaps somebody else could use it to convince people that it's not a great idea...
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Dear ****,
Thank you for your question about flag colors and/or pin sheets.
Let me start off by suggesting that one can determine the hole location on #2 from the first fairway and #9 from the first tee. The green on #5 is so small that golfers better than I are solely concerned with their left/right direction as opposed to length. As far as #13 goes, any shot I hit into the green is from so far away (usually a 3- or 5-wood) that I'm just trying to make it to the green, let alone be precise.
That said, Gil Hanse has designed French Creek using the minimalist approach. Limited earth movement and respect for natural contours are a part of the minimalist movement. Other current world-class architects in the minimalist school are Gil's former partner Tom Doak and the design team of Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw. Having met Gil and Bill Coore, I can tell you that they have great respect for the traditions of the game, while acknowledging the need to stay relevant in the new world of the hot golf ball and 460cc driver.
As part of that respect for tradition, they have incorporated techniques meant to make the golfer think his way around a golf course. And a part of that thinking is a bit of deception and confusion.
Look at #17, for example. That large bunker was designed in part to trick the golfer into thinking that the safe bailout would be to the right, where the bunker is lower. Closer inspection shows, however, that the better "miss" is to the left. There's a lot of room over there and you're left with an uphill chip that will usually check pretty quickly. Need more evidence for deception? Look at where the back tee on #17 points the golfer!
So what does this have to do with flag colors? A lot, actually. The minimalist school really dislikes things like flag colors. They see it as virtual blinking signs that say, "Hit it here" like the signs you see at Citizens Bank Park. A bit of confusion and mystery adds to the experience at a course like French Creek.
That said, I do understand your where you're coming from.
Here's a little trick that could help you. You'll see that the flagsticks are painted white and black. You can actually gauge the depth of a hole fairly well if you count the number of stripes you can see on the flagstick. Take #6 - you'll see more stripes with a front hole location than one in the back. And, for #1 (probably the trickiest) - you can actually see the front/back depth as you drive into the club.
OK - Pin position sheets. These are done for tournaments, but they can actually be fairly labor intensive to produce. Somebody needs to go out and pace off all 18 greens after new holes have been cut. Also keep in mind that this might be nearly impossible on the weekends, when the staff is still cutting the back 9 while golfers are teeing off on #1. In other words, you possibly wouldn't have all 18 holes cut until 8:30AM.
Lastly, there's the factor that almost no all great courses use the colored flag system. Look at the better clubs in our area, and you'll see that very few, if any, use colored flags. Merion (Wilson), Pine Valley (Crump), Stonewall (Doak/Hanse), Hidden Creek (Coore & Crenshaw), Gulph Mills (Ross), etc... None use colored flags. Nor do world class public courses like Pacific Dunes (Doak).
Of course, you could use a laser rangefinder. These really do work. I'm actually embarrassed to say that I use a Sky Caddy because I think it really speeds up play (even though it doesn't give yardage to the actual hole).
Hope this helps,
Dan Herrmann
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And I hope that this can help you if you ever need to address this issue at your course or club.