Phone Based Maps

[BogeyNoMore]

I applaud your effort, but think we can achieve more with less work.

Navigating a course is all about the relative positions of one hole to the others.
Nothing conveys that more effectively than an overhead view of the entire course.
Show the hole #, tees/pins, shape, plus water and roads/trails... distance would be nice. I don't need or want more detail than that. Keep it clean, simple and easy to read - don't clutter it with trees and stuff. It's tough to adjust your throw/line to avoid a tree on a map - you really have to see them for yourself before you tee off.

 

[scarpfish]

Keep it clean, simple and easy to read - don't clutter it with trees and stuff.

In regards to small willy nilly trees I would agree. In regards to large trees or tree clusters that might serve as a useful orientation point on a multiple pin position course, or one that could be hiding the basket, that might be a detail I'd like to have.

 

[DRod]

I've always fancied some sort of app where you could walk up to a point on a course like a tee pad or pin placement, identify what that is to the app, then mark that point using the phone's GPS feature. Upon completion of marking all of the points on the course, it would show you all of the hole spines. You could then upload it for others to use. Perhaps this already exists?

The problem of course, would be getting everyone on the same page in regard to using the app correctly. Considering how many bad directions, descriptions and photos I see on here, I'm not holding out too much hope on that.

I use Easy Score Card (pro version) that has a feature similar to this. Basically you have to map the course first and then upload it to their site. I use the MyTracks app when I'm playing to drop pins on the tee pads and pin placements. When I get to a desktop I edit the map to match their upload standards. Once the map is approved it's in a database for everyone to use.


I do mapping for for a living and have wanted to do something similar to OP but found it to be too much work and the first course I did had changes almost immediately after.

Using this app and feature works best for me but honestly I don't use it that much.

 

[namar]

Not sure if it's still out there, but a few years ago when I had an android phone there was an app called MyTracks (I think) that allowed you to basically drop pins in real time. If it is now gone, I'm sure there are others with the same functionality. Certainly not foolproof and leaves plenty of room for user error, but if done accurately you can export those files as .xml which can be layered on googlemaps. The resulting maps could be static and act as a plain ol' paper map to be downloaded, or used live with cell coverage to show your actual current location.

 

[DRod]

BTW HUB I'm in denver too, it looks like Paco is already in the ESCP database

 

[TonyVonDoom]

I have the free version of Udisc and checked out the pay version info and it didn't seem to have maps by hole. Am I wrong on that?

If the vibe is that hole by hole maps aren't worth the effort - then I'm not going to argue that. I would love to see some level of universality to maps and some trend toward ease of use on mobile devices.

My thought was that the biggest bonus would be that you wouldn't have to scroll around on a big map on a small screen, unsure of where you are in relation to the map. Having just the pertinent data (tee location, pin distance, par #s) for the hole you're on and where the next tee is seemed like a big bonus. Especially if it's easy to read, clear and concise on a small screen.

But like I conceded from the get-go... this would be something that people would have to want enough to make the effort worthwhile. I would love it, but if I'm the minority then that's the way the cookie crumbles.

With the gps, tee and basket positions on udisc it's pretty easy to find your way from hole to hole...