I grew up learning the game on scrubby public courses where the only yardage indicators were the hole lengths on the scorecard and the "150-yard bush" on the side of the fairway which many times had either died and was gone or had proliferated and now there were a number of them, each of which was point at by different people as the spot showing 150-yards to the green.
We've become number-oriented in our club selection (e.g. - I hit a 9-iron x yards). I still look at where I am playing my shot to and ask myself where I hit a 9-iron and then looking forward to the 8 distance, 7, etc... until I've decided what I need to get to where I want the shot to land. Doing it this way I find I better take into account wind, elevation changes, angles, etc...
Obviously then, I never view a course as good or bad because of having a yardage book...