The coming of the rangefinder for golf is one of the best things to have ever happened to the sport as it makes things easy for golfers when on the course. However, most professional tournaments and tours around the world still do not allow golfers to use them.
Most pros do not have an issue with this because they can estimate the distances accurately without using any device. But for beginners, things are not always easy, and so even with the advancement in technologies, it is still essential to know how to judge distances without a golf rangefinder.
Here are some tips that can help you with this.
#1 Distance Markers
Yardage markers are the old fashioned way of measuring distances on the course, and it is what golfers have been using for many years. Most modern golf courses will have some markers 150 yards from the green. These markers are in a white shade, and in most instances, they are disks or stakes which you can see at the edge of the fairway.
Other courses will also put a yellow marker at 250 yards, a blue one for 200 yards and a red one for 100. Once you get used to these markers, you can estimate distances quickly. Also if you are in between markers, you should always calculate the total distance. At first, all this will seem complicated, but after few weeks or couple of months on the course, everything becomes very clear.
#2 Sprinkler Heads
Most golf courses will also have yardage numbers on the sprinkler heads to signify the distance from that point to the green. If the course has several sprinklers with these figures, it will be very easy for a golfer to estimate distances. But, once you get accustomed to the game you will not need as many sprinkler heads to determine your distances. Also, it is important to check the scorecard so that you can know whether the distances are to the front or center of the green.
#3 Landmarks
Landmarks such as small bushes on the course are also very helpful when it comes to judging distances. However, in most instances, this will work well if you are used to that particular golf course or when you know the distance from that landmark to the center of the green. But, for most golf courses there will be a marker on the bush that you can use to judge how far it is from the green
#4 Using Your Eyes
Some golfers will use their eyes only to estimate distance, and once you master this technique, it will always give you reliable information. One way to achieve this is to start by looking at the ground then judge or estimate the first ten or twenty yards from where you are standing. You should then continue judging the distances with increments of ten yards until you get to your target. For this method to be effective, it is important to make sure that you have the length of a yard or ten in your mind.
Measuring distances on the course without a rangefinder may not seem very easy at first but as you get used to the game things became straightforward. In fact, some golfers can estimate the distance very accurately, and the error is minimal when you compare it with what the rangefinder displays. All it takes to get good at it is love for the game and a lot of practice.
