About
Welcome to The Golf Course Wiki. A wiki is an online resource that is editable by anyone. It allows for users to make changes, and collaboratively build a large resource for by each contributing small amounts where they have expertise.
This format is perfectly suited to golf courses. There are members of every course in the world who know every inch of their course, who are passionate about it, and who want to share that passion with the world. I want to create a place where that knowledge can be shared easily, and where courses could take that information and then provide better services to their clubs.
There are plenty of sites out there that have automated this process. That is precisely the opposite of what I'm trying to do here. I want to build a site with human knowledge, locals conferring the best strategies for each hole. Automation is great and I use a GPS when I play. Unfortunately, with automation comes the loss of nuance. Automated mapping can't tell you which landmark marks the fairway on a blind hole. A simple GPS app on your phone won't tell you that specific mounds will kick you onto the green, or where it's safer to play to the front of the green instead of the back. Aerial photography doesn't lend itself to home-printed yardage books. The goal here is to put that human experience in your hand.
I’m starting this site with the idea that it should be truly cooperative. My goals include the idea that someone should be able to print an accurate yardage book, full of local knowledge, on their way to any course in the world. More than that, I’m hoping that the public and municipal courses, that may not have the budgets, will be able to also use these collaborative yardage books, and make higher quality versions to sell in their pro shop.
The idea started when I played my first par 6 hole. After search the internet, I found it extremely difficult to find courses nearby that might also feature such a unique experience. Later, I learned that many courses in Japan feature two greens on every hole, so that the course is different depending on which season in which it is played. Creating a library of golf courses, where unique features are searchable, would provide the entire golfing public with the means to play more courses, with a better idea of what to expect.
Going forward, I’m hoping to expand this idea to the world of equipment. Much of purchasing golf equipment is confusing and challenging. Weights, lie angles, and lofts can be confusing, and the arbitrary numbering of clubs has made this even more difficult to evaluate. A public database of this information could help players save time and money in their search for equipment that works for them.
All of this seems sensible to me, I hope it does to you, and you’re willing to help me build this as a resource for people.
— Matt