Yardage Book

[BUNKERRAKER]

Im using Google Sketchup to build my yardage book!

Where do I start..............I guess being on here and seeing some yardage books like Kevin Streelman's really got me wanting to make my own for my course. When I play I always walk and I dont really like pulling a laser out every shot. So I started trying to figure out how to make a good book. I did some drawings based off the drawings from the course scorecard and they sucked. Then tried using the paint program on windows, yea right looked like a 3 year old made it. Then I stumbled across Google Sketchup! This kind of a 3D CAD program that is alot easier to use than most CAD programs and the big thing that got me to it is that you can load Google Earth images straight in to in and sketch over the top of the image and get exact shapes of greens, bunkers, fairways, on my course I can even see the 100, 150, and 200 yardage markers ect! WOW! So I sketch out my whole course one hole at a time, then the fun part go to the course and shoot all the yardages. So I go out early one morning and shoot a couple holes 16, 17, and 18. Very difficult walking back and fort, this bunker to that bunker, tee to green blah blah blah. So I get home and start on the 17th, putting in all my measurements adding front to back distances and just playing around with some tools on sketchup and I see a tape measure. I stretch it out on the screen from the 150 marker to the center of the green and laugh 453 feet , then I think damn thats exactly right, when I shot the course the 17th holes 150 yard marker was 151 yards to the center of the green! I go to google and start searching if google earth measurements are accurate and find out that unless there are extreme elevation changes they are almost spot on! Then I pulled up my house, since I just put a new roof on it I knew it was 68' foot long. Pulled up the measuring tool on google earth and it was 68'! So when you load the images into google sketch up it calibrates them exactly for the measureing tool just make sure you are on feet and inches and not meters unless you are across the pond.

I am no computer wiz so it took alot of playing around to figure all the tools. So I going to attemp to build my entire yardage book off Google Sketchup and go out and see exactly how close it is! Here are some screen shots of how I do it.


When pulled from google earth it will come up in it exact north-south orientation, it is easier to draw it this way and then turn it when you are finished. This is how I sketch out all the bunkers and fairways. You could draw in the cart path but I leave it out. Start from the center and work out greens and bunkers, then fairways and last the parimeter of the hole. As you complete an outline of and object it will turn grey. Takes alot off playing with all the tools to become quick.





This is when I discovered the measurement tool and pointing out some of the tools I use.



This is a finished drawing with some measurements. I copy the greens and enlarge the scale and place it to the side then draw the profile of the green.

[patty_13]

looks great, I tried doing a similar thing by taking google earth screen shots, then cropping them and adding yardages, mine were an aerial view of the entire hole, and then i just put the greens dimensions on the side.

Looks very professional, keep up the good work

[timehoc]

wow, thats pretty sweet.

[BUNKERRAKER]

If you use Sketch Up you can zoom in and out on the image to help draw the lines and once your done you dont have to crop you can just remove the google earth images from the back ground.

[hattrick3518]

Wish I had this much free time to do this up.

[burgosity]

Looks great. I might have to look up that program and check it out.

[UngiftedGolfer]

Wow, this is actually pretty cool. I just started using Google Earth to look at courses a few weeks ago, and I've used Sketchup before for different drawing projects, but I never thought of using both of them together to do this. It's a great idea and I think I'll start messing around with it this week.

Thanks for sharing the idea!

[stiffdogg06]

I like! You should a DIY write-up with exactly what you did (if you have the time)

[Sean2]

That's some very creative stuff right there. :-)

[Drak76]

[quote name='stiffdogg06' timestamp='1331721747' post='4504909']
I like! You should a DIY write-up with exactly what you did (if you have the time)
[/quote]

Yes, that would be great. I have tried immediately in between my conference calls, and it is quite frustrating.

Great idea though.

Any special paper to print it on?

[ck800]

Well there goes a bunch of my free time. Will be trying this as well!

[jbrunone]

How are you guys going about adding distances to the yardage book so it can be seen on the color.... Any finished products to post? Deerslayer, do you just give your son that book or do you add distances on there?

[Bulldogdoc]

One of the coolest ideas I've seen. Thanks for sharing.

[dcmidnight]

[quote name='Bulldogdoc' timestamp='1331774962' post='4510173']
One of the coolest ideas I've seen. Thanks for sharing.
[/quote]
Before I got GPS I used to use Google Earth and the measuring tool to make some notes for rounds but this is a really cool idea.

I'm a pretty terrible artist though lol, honestly I'm not sure I could even trace the lines that cleanly.

[BUNKERRAKER]

Sorry its been a super crazy week at work but im going to try to work on kind of a "HOW TO" this weekend maybe..............

[fonetic]

Make it happen. I'd love to see the finished product of this.

[boomchoo]

My free time is shot now, too! Unless of course I spend less time here

[turner17]

Looks great!! Are you going to be putting in trees? I finished my about a couple of weeks ago. Figuring out how to print it out into a booklet so the pages matched up. That is the real challenge lol.

[BUNKERRAKER]

Thats awesome! My course is a state park golf course that I volunteer at so every hole is lined with trees no houses or roads so I would have to put waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many trees. I am still trying to figure out the whole printing layout any help would be great.

[turner17]

[quote name='BUNKERRAKER' timestamp='1332373566' post='4552820']
Thats awesome! My course is a state park golf course that I volunteer at so every hole is lined with trees no houses or roads so I would have to put waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many trees. I am still trying to figure out the whole printing layout any help would be great.
[/quote]


I can send you a publisher template that I created if you are using publisher The only problem with that is the fact I have made a couple so far and the layout changes depending on the number and order of the holes. (In mine Par 3s get 3 full pages where as Par 4s and Par 5s get four full pages.) I hav eit down to a pretty good science right now. If you are creating a DIY I will be happy to write the layout part;)

[Drak76]

[quote name='turner17' timestamp='1332379942' post='4553552']
[quote name='BUNKERRAKER' timestamp='1332373566' post='4552820']
Thats awesome! My course is a state park golf course that I volunteer at so every hole is lined with trees no houses or roads so I would have to put waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many trees. I am still trying to figure out the whole printing layout any help would be great.
[/quote]


I can send you a publisher template that I created if you are using publisher The only problem with that is the fact I have made a couple so far and the layout changes depending on the number and order of the holes. (In mine Par 3s get 3 full pages where as Par 4s and Par 5s get four full pages.) I hav eit down to a pretty good science right now. If you are creating a DIY I will be happy to write the layout part;)
[/quote]

Guys,

that would be really great and very much appreciated.

I believe that many people are looking forward to the guideline.

Thanks in advance.

[bte2]

[quote name='turner17' timestamp='1332333298' post='4548950']
Looks great!! Are you going to be putting in trees? I finished my about a couple of weeks ago. Figuring out how to print it out into a booklet so the pages matched up. That is the real challenge lol.
[/quote]

That is a nice job on the book.

[bunter101]

Just a quick question. How do you draw without it clicking to grid?