ChartMyGolf
 

Quick Start Guide for the Golf Stats Program

Welcome to ChartMyGolf. You can quickly get started by following the ordered steps below. By the end of the quick start you will have entered your details, the details of a set of tees of a course and the details of a round you have played on that course.

If you want to use the new system of entering your scores (recomended) please go to the New Quickstart.

The steps in order are:

Don't forget, using the power of Silverlight, you will be able to save your work at any time to your hard-drive. This means all your information is safely and securely kept by yourself and is not on our server. It also means you can transfer that saved file between computers so you are not restricted to just one machine to use ChartMyGolf, as would be the case with a typical web-based local-storage solution.

After that it would be best to download our tutorial with a fictional golfer and some rounds he has played to help you get acquainted with all the many graphs and analysis functions that are available to you. The tutorial golfer can be downloaded here and click the following link for some instructions of how to use the tutorial golfer.

New Golfer

First we will create a new golfer. Once you have entered the details of this golfer and saved it to your hard-drive you will not have to input it again. Thereafter it will be available to you at the click of a button.

Golfers Table of Chart My Golf On the main menu click the button shown on the left and you will be taken to the golfer menu.
New Golfer Instructions of Chart My Golf Once in the Golfer Table click the button shown on the left to take you to the New Golfer dialog box.

Enter your first and last name. Next click your correct gender and age group.

Submitting your Golfer to the list

If you are happy with all the information you have entered you can now press NEW.

Note: As you press NEW you will be sent back to the golfer list where you will find your new entry.

Saving your new Golfer

Home Button of Chart My Golf At this point it is a good idea to save your work. Click the icon on the left to get back to the main menu.
Save Instructions of Chart My Golf Click the icon on the left to get the Save Dialog Box. Type in the name of the file and locate it in a suitable directory on your hard-drive. The save file will automatically add the extension glf to the end of your filename so you do not have to add it yourself. Click Save when you are satisfied.

New Course/Tees

Here we will create a new set of tees. Once you have entered the details of this set of tees and saved it to your hard-drive you will not have to enter it again. Thereafter it will be available to you at the click of a button.

Note: If, for example, during the winter months this set of tees is modified to take account of the different weather conditions, you should create a new set of tees and just rename it, eg 'White Tees - Winter 2011'. Do not edit your original set of tees or every round you have played on that set of tees will be altered as well.

Course and Tees Table of Chart My Golf On the main menu click the button shown on the left and you will be taken to the Course/Tees menu.
New Course Instructions of Chart My Golf Once in the Course/Tees table click the button shown on the left to take you to the New Course/Tees dialog box.

At the top of this dialog box you will see several tabs. These are General, Par, Stroke-Index, Yards, Slope and Dogleg.

General Tab

Click on the General Tab. In the space next to Course type the course name, eg St. Andrews. In the space next to Tees type the name of the tees, eg White, Championship, Ladies or White - Winter 2011.

Do not press OK yet.

Par Tab

Once you have completed the general information click on the Par Tab. You will see all 18 holes with the default pars next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either Par 3 or Par 4. If most of your holes are Par 3 then click this button. Alternatively if most of your holes are Par 4 click this default button. These buttons are just added for speed.

Note: If you are playing at a pitch-and-putt the par values could default on par 3.

For all remaining holes who's par is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct par. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these pars.

Do not press OK yet.

Stroke Index Tab

Once you have completed the general and par information click on the Stroke-Index Tab. You will see all 18 holes with the default stroke-indexes next to them. This is a ranking of the holes as determined by the local authorities to allow players with different handicaps to play against each other on an equal basis.

The local authorities do an excellent job ranking these holes to make it fair for all golfers of all handicaps. Inside this program we will calculate your personal stroke-index and will even compare it to the official stroke-index. The user must recognise this is only done as an analysis tool to assist you in planning your game to maximize your potential. The programmers recognise a purely statistical stroke-indexing method could never replace the work of the relevant local authorities who's official rankings are the only fair way to rank holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes into increasing or decreasing stroke-index. Click the most appropriate button for your set of tees. These buttons are just added for speed.

Change the stroke-index for all remaining holes who's stroke-index is different from the correct value. Note, a stroke-index can only appear once in the 18 holes and the program will take this into account.

Do not press OK yet.

Yards Tab

Once you have completed the general, par and stroke-index information click on the Yards. You will see all 18 holes with the default yards of each hole next to them.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes at a set yardage per hole. Click the most appropriate button for your set of tees. These buttons are just added for speed.

Change the yardage for all remaining holes who's yardage is different from the correct value. The total yardage and the yardage for each nine will update automatically.

Do not press OK yet.

Slope Tab

Once you have completed the general, par, stoke-index and yardage information click on the Slope Tab. You will see all 18 holes with the default slope information next to them.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on two values. If most of your holes are represented by this value click this button. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all remaining holes who's slope is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct value.

Note: At present the statistics section of ChartMyGolf does not investigate your playing style compared with the slope information. This will change in future updates. One of the major benefits of browser-based web programs is they will update automatically.

Do not press OK yet.

Dogleg Tab

Once you have completed the general, par, stoke-index, yardage and slope information click on the Dogleg Tab. You will see all 18 holes with the default dogleg information next to them.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on two values. If most of your holes are represented by this value click this button. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all remaining holes who's dogleg information is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct value.

Note: At present the statistics section of ChartMyGolf does not investigate your playing style compared with the dogleg information. This will change in future updates. One of the major benefits of browser-based web programs is they will update automatically.

Submitting your Tees to the list

If you are happy with all the information you have entered you can now press OK.

Home Button of Chart My Golf At this point it is a good idea to save your work. Click the icon on the left to get back to the main menu.
Save Instructions of Chart My Golf Click the icon on the left to get the Save Dialog Box. Type in the name of the file and locate it in a suitable directory on your hard-drive. The save file will automatically add the extension glf to the end of your filename so you do not have to add it yourself. Click Save when you are satisfied.

New Round

Here we will enter your first round of golf. Have your score-card nearby just in case you forget something. You can submit a plethora of information or as little as you want. There is no wrong way of doing this. The analysis techniques in ChartMyGolf are very powerful and can be a great aid to improving your game with just small sets of data. However, the more you submit the more you can analyse and the more improvements can be made to your game. Don't forget, once you have pin-pointed the areas of your game that need work your local professional will be more than willing to help.

Once you have entered the details of this round of golf you can come back and amend information as and when you remember details of your game.

Rounds of Golf Table of Chart My Golf On the main menu click the button shown on the left and you will be taken to the Round menu.

Select the golfer you want to view by selecting the appropriate golfer in the drop-down combo box at the top of the page. They are ordered alphabetically by the last name. All the rounds played by this golfer will be shown in the table below.

New Round Instructions of Chart My Golf Once the golfer has been chosen click the button shown on the left to take you to the New Round dialog box.

At the top of this dialog box you will see several tabs. These are General, Score, Fairways Hit, Greens in Regulation, Putts, Greenside Chips, Up and Downs, Sand Saves, Greenside, Bunkers, Water and Penalties.

General Tab

Click on the General Tab. In the space next to Golfer select the golfer who has played the round you are submitting from the drop down list. If you are coming from the Rounds Table this will already be set for you. If the golfer does not appear in this list you can create a new one by clicking the NEW button on the right of this list.

In the space next to Tees select the course/tees on which round you are submitting was played from the drop down list. If the course/tees does not appear in this list you can create a new one by clicking the NEW button on the right of this list.

In the date and time panel you must now record when the round was played. Click the clock-icon next to the time to get a drop down list of the times throughout the day. Scroll and select the correct time. Next input the date by scrolling the months with the left and right buttons and then clicking the date.

Do not press OK yet.

Golf Score Tab

Once you have completed the general information click on the Score Tab. You will see all 18 holes with the default scores next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either scores of Par or Par+1. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the score is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct score. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Do not press OK yet.

Fairways Hit Tab

The Fairways Hit value tells you if you managed to hit the fairway with your tee shot. If you ended up in the rough, or the woods at the side of the fairway then your Fairways Hit value for a hole will be No. If you did hit the Fairway then your value for a hole will be Yes. The Nines and Total score are presented slightly differently. Instead of a score you get a percentage. For all holes for which a No or Yes was registered for that section of the course, the percentage is the ratio of Yes values compared to No values. In other words a high percentage value (near 100%) is good, saying you are hitting the fairways with a good regularity. A low percentage value (near 0%) is bad, saying you are hitting your tee shots into the rough a little too much. If the latter is true it might be a good idea to seek your local golf-professional's advice.

Note: On a par 3 hole you are aiming for the green with your tee shot. Consequently on par 3 holes the Fairways Hit value is always No Score - N/S Par 3. However, hitting the green with your tee shot on a par 3 hole is covered in Greens in Regulation.

Below the totals are two buttons which will default all the holes on either No Score or Yes. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the value is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct value. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these values.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S.

Do not press OK yet.

Greens In Regulation Tab

The Greens in Regulation value tells you if you managed to hit the green within the expected number of shots. For a par 3 you should hit the green in one, on a par 4 it should be within 2 shots and on a par 5 you are expected to get to the green within 3 shots. Basically, you are allowed 2 putts per hole so you take this off par. If you hit the green within the expected number of shots the greens in regulation value for that hole is Yes. If you were over the expected number of shots the value is No.

The Nines and Total score are presented slightly differently. Instead of a score you get a percentage. For all holes for which a No or Yes was registered for that section of the course, the percentage is the ratio of Yes values compared to No values. In other words a high percentage value (near 100%) is good, saying you are getting to the greens within the required number of strokes with a good regularity. A low percentage value (near 0%) is bad, saying you are not getting to the greens within the required number of strokes. Again, if the latter is true it might be a good idea to seek your local golf-professional's advice.

Below the totals are two buttons which will default all the holes on either No Score or Yes. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the value is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct value. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these values.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S.

Do not press OK yet.

Putts Tab

Next click on the Putts Tab. You will see all 18 holes with the default putts next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes. Ideally you are aiming for an average of 2 putts per hole if you are aiming for a par round.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either putts of 2 or No Score (N/S). These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the putts are different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct score. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Do not press OK yet.

Greenside Chips Tab

Next click on the Greenside Chips Tab. If you have failed to hit the green with your approach shot you will have to chip it onto the green. These are greenside chips. Some people count greenside bunker shots as greenside chips as well. This is up to you. Just stay consistent so when you analyse your game you understand what the statistics are saying.

You will see all 18 holes with the default chips next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either 0 chips or No Score (N/S). These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the score is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct score. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Do not press OK yet.

Up and Downs Tab

The Up and Downs value tells you if you managed to get into the hole from just off the green within 2 shots. On a hole where you hit the green or a greenside bunker with your approach shot just mark this hole as No Score (N/S), as the event did not occur. However, if you just miss the green outside of a bunker you can write a value of No or Yes for this hole. If you get into the hole from your greenside position within 2 shots mark the hole with a Yes, otherwise mark it with a No.

The Nines and Total score are presented slightly differently. Instead of a score you get a percentage. For all holes for which a No or Yes was registered for that section of the course, the percentage is the ratio of Yes values compared to No values. In other words a high percentage value (near 100%) is good, saying you are generally holing out within 2 shots even when you just miss the green. A low percentage value (near 0%) is bad, saying you are not taking 3 or more shots to hole out when you just miss the green with your approach shot. Again, if the latter is true it might be a good idea to seek your local golf-professional's advice.

Below the totals are two buttons which will default all the holes on either No Score or No. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the value is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct value. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these values.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S.

Do not press OK yet.

Sand Saves Tab

The Sand Saves value tells you if you managed to get into the hole from a greenside bunker within 2 shots. On a hole where you do not land in a greenside bunker just mark this hole as No Score (N/S), as the event did not occur. However, if you do land in a greenside bunker you can write a value of No or Yes for this hole. If you get into the hole from the greenside bunker within 2 shots mark the hole with a Yes, otherwise mark it with a No.

The Nines and Total score are presented slightly differently. Instead of a score you get a percentage. For all holes for which a No or Yes was registered for that section of the course, the percentage is the ratio of Yes values compared to No values. In other words a high percentage value (near 100%) is good, saying you are generally holing out within 2 shots even when you you land in a greenside bunker. A low percentage value (near 0%) is bad, saying you are not taking 3 or more shots to hole out when you land in a greenside bunker. Again, if the latter is true it might be a good idea to seek your local golf-professional's advice.

Below the totals are two buttons which will default all the holes on either No Score or No. These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the value is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct value. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these values.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S.

Do not press OK yet.

Greenside Tab

Next click on the Greenside Tab. This is the total number of shots you take around the green, including your putts on the surface of the green and any chips from just off the green or from greenside bunkers. Ideally this would be averaging around the 2 mark if you are aiming for a par score.

You will see all 18 holes with the default chips next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either 2 or No Score (N/S). These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the score is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct score. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you did not score a hole, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Do not press OK yet.

Bunkers Tab

Next click on the Bunkers Tab. This is the total number of times you hit a bunker on that hole. For example if you hit a fairway-bunker with your tee shot, then in trying to get out bounced off the front and landed back in it again, and then hit a greenside bunker with your approach shot, then the number of bunkers for that hole would be 3 (even though you hit the same bunker twice).

You will see all 18 holes with the default bunkers next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either 0 or No Score (N/S). These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the score is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct score. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you cannot remember whether you hit a bunker or not on a hole, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Do not press OK yet.

Water Tab

Next click on the Water Tab. This is the total number of times you hit water. For example if you hit the water with your tee shot and then retake the shot and hit the water again then your water score for the hole is 2. (Note: this does not include any additional penalty shots you obtain for hitting the water.)

You will see all 18 holes with the default water score next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either 0 or No Score (N/S). These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the water score is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct score. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you do not remember if you hit the water or not, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Do not press OK yet.

Penalties Tab

Next click on the Penalties Tab. This is the total number of penalty shots you have received on this hole. For example, if you hit the water with your tee shot and then retook your shot but managed to avoid the water this time your cumulative shots for that hole would be 3 so far, 1 of which is a penalty. It is the number of penalty shots that are being recorded here.

You will see all 18 holes with the default penalties next to them. Below each column you will see the sub-totals of the Out and In nines and below this is the total for all 18 holes.

Below this are two buttons which will default all the holes on either 0 or No Score (N/S). These buttons are just added for speed.

For all holes where the penalties is different from the default shown, click the drop-down combo box and select the correct number of penalties. The Total and Sub-Totals will change automatically as you modify these scores.

Note: If you cannot remember the number of penalties you received on a hole, scroll up and select N/S. The nine and total score will also reflect a N/S status.

Submitting your Round to the list

If you are happy with all the information you have entered you can now press OK.

Home Button of Chart My Golf At this point it is a good idea to save your work. Click the icon on the left to get back to the main menu.
Save Instructions of Chart My Golf Click the icon on the left to get the Save Dialog Box. Type in the name of the file and locate it in a suitable directory on your hard-drive. The save file will automatically add the extension glf to the end of your filename so you do not have to add it yourself. Click Save when you are satisfied.

Tutorial for viewing your Golf Stats

You have now completed the quick start section. You have entered your details, the details of a set of tees and a round of golf played on that set of tees. It would now be a good idea to have a look at the tutorial which will help you understand how to read the graphs. The tutorial is based on a hypothetical golfer who's details can be downloaded here. (If you are using a Windows operating system, right click the link and click Save As.)

For a golf stat glossary you can link here. Some ideas on how to keep your golf stats on the course can be found here.

Return to the main [Help] menu.

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