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Notes/Notebook - How do you organize it?

• nevermore5702 26 Posts

  Wed, Sep 24 2014 7:24 AM

  So I've started playing again over the last few weeks and have been trying to take as many notes as possible. But I'm quickly realizing I need a better system to organize my notes into something resembling a reference so I'm not spending 20 minutes frantically flipping through pages to find what I need.

  So, any suggestions on how best to organize your shot/course notes? Do you keep separate notes for courses and shots or all together? I was thinking of sorting it by club,

  ie:

  a page dedicated to each club then a section for rough/bunkers/tee shots, etc, including the lie, spin, wind, but not sure if there's a better way.

  Currently each of my notes looks something like:

  1. Course name and hole #
  2. 2nd cut - 30-40% 150y2'(arrow up or down indicated hole height) 7-9mph(w/ another arrow indicating wind direction)
  3. 5I Full B/S 100%pwr = land@119y ran for 33y

  But this is becoming unmanageable. 

  Any and all suggestions welcome. thanks!

• ApexPC 3,164 Posts

  Wed, Sep 24 2014 11:36 AM

  I pretty much just keep my course notes in my head. Plus so many of the decisions we have to make during play stem from experience based on nuance.

  There so many variables that notes like your note #3 may not be all that accurate. If the ball lands on an up slope or down slope the run out could be substantially different from 33 yards.

• JFidanza 1,676 Posts

  Wed, Sep 24 2014 2:02 PM

  I use a free and easy, small program called Notepadtabs  (4.0.0)

  Each course has its own file.

  (for additional notes, putting calculation suggestions, techniques, etc. e.g. Fatdan's Cleveland wedge distances, I keep in a folder and I've copied & pasted them to separate text file for quick reference, if I even have to use them)

  But my notepad tabs have a layout, similar to yours, and I might have multiple past ATTEMPT records, and several FORUM observations listed, but the basic notes I try to keep short and to the point. I may use shorthand or abbrev. etc., I don't want to read a book when I'm playing, esp. because I like to play quickly these days.

  One WGT pro gave me great advice, like, "Don't think too much' and believe it or not, it has made my game more enjoyable. But there is nothing wrong w/ efficient record keeping if it is simple to do.

  Below is just a made up example, again, there is usually several attempt records, sometimes a couple forum suggestions.

  On the attempt record I like to put down which club, wind, current distance, spin, ball, ding/no-ding etc. etc. info

  

  p.s.

  I have a small laptop but I use a 2nd monitor connected. So, I can easily open the folders and text files (if I even need to) but the Notepadtabs is always open in the other screen for quick scrolling and editing at anytime. Many computers have an additional monitor connector and I can't imagine using a single monitor, even for non-WGT computing. 

   

• nevermore5702 26 Posts

  Wed, Sep 24 2014 2:14 PM

  Thanks! Do you create a new note each time you play the hole or just update/refine your last attempt notes?

• JFidanza 1,676 Posts

  Wed, Sep 24 2014 2:44 PM

  nevermore5702:

  Thanks! Do you create a new note each time you play the hole or just update/refine your last attempt notes?

  It's mostly 'update/refine' maybe , in the notes section, if I find a better method or as tee boxes change, the old notes may be outdated.

  But the 'attempts' usually remain, but I keep only a few records which reflect the average, majority of the results. That is, I may have played the hole 30 times but there are only 2-4 attempt records to give the basic idea of what is happening.

  (IMO one important observation is recording if I've missed the ding and 'sliced', or was too quick and I 'hooked' it. It seems that there may be a recurrence of that fact. So I'll write that down, and I find it a good idea to always 'waggle' once or let one swing go without hitting just to get an idea of the meter pace and timing.)