Distances to Hazards: Smart Golf Course Management Tool

Distances to Hazards: The Game-Changing Feature for Smarter Golf Course Management

Standing in the fairway, staring at a bunker that might be in play—should you lay up or go for it? For too long, golfers have relied on guesswork to navigate hazards on the golf course.

Distances to hazards technology changes everything. Know instantly and accurately how far you need to carry that bunker or stay short of water. This is the key to smarter golf, better course management, and lower scores—whether you're breaking 90 or chasing par.

Hole19 provides real-time hazard distances that transform shot strategy from guesswork into precision. Here's everything you need to know about using distance to hazards to play your best golf.

How the Hole19 App Shows Distances to Hazards

Hole19 automatically places your target based on your longest club when you arrive at your ball—no manual setup required. The app predicts where you're aiming and instantly shows relevant hazard distances for that shot. This auto-targeting feature eliminates extra steps and delivers immediate, actionable information.

Hazards change as you move. What mattered from the tee becomes irrelevant for your approach shot. Hole19's distances to hazards updates dynamically—fairway bunkers at 220 yards fade away as greenside bunkers ahead appear with precise yardages. You see only what matters for your current shot, preventing information overload.

The app intelligently filters hazards based on your target position and shot type. Laying up on a par 5? See layup zone hazards. Going for the green? See carry distances over water and bunkers. This smart filtering keeps you focused on the decision at hand.

Distances to Hazards is a Hole19 Premium feature that unlocks:

- Unlimited hazard distance information on every hole

- Polygon mapping accuracy for precise hazard boundaries

- Integration with Plays Like distance for elevation adjustments

- Priority access to new course management features

For golfers serious about improving scores through better strategy, Hole19 Premium delivers professional-level course intelligence.

Using Hazard Distance Information to Lower Your Score

The best golfers use a pre-shot routine that includes visualization of the entire shot, including where trouble lies and where safety can be found.

With accurate hazard distances, your visualization becomes more concrete. Instead of vaguely thinking "I need to avoid that bunker on the right," you can tell yourself: "The bunker starts at 168 yards, and I hit my 6-iron 170 yards. I'll aim left-center to ensure I clear it."

This mental clarity reduces anxiety and helps you commit to your shot fully.

Perhaps the most immediate benefit of hazard distance data is confidence in club selection.

How many times have you been stuck between clubs, unsure whether to hit the shorter club hard or the longer club easy? When hazards are in play, this indecision becomes even more costly.

With precise yardages, the decision becomes mathematical. If you're 155 yards from a pin tucked behind a bunker that starts at 150 yards, and your 7-iron flies 160 yards while your 8-iron flies 145 yards, the answer is clear: hit the 7-iron.

Laying up is often seen as conservative or cowardly, but in reality, it's one of the smartest plays in golf when executed properly.

The key to a good layup is leaving yourself a full-swing distance to the green from a position that takes hazards out of play entirely.

Hazard distance technology helps you identify perfect layup zones. If there's water guarding a green at 95 yards, and you're most comfortable with a full sand wedge from 80 yards, you can work backwards to determine exactly where to place your layup shot.

This precision layup strategy is how professional golfers turn reachable par 5s into easy birdies—and it's now available to every Hole19 user.

The fastest way to ruin a good round is a big number—that dreaded triple bogey or worse that comes from tangling with hazards.

Course management isn't about playing perfectly; it's about avoiding disaster. When you know where hazards are and how to avoid them, you eliminate the catastrophic mistakes that lead to big scores.

If you can turn three potential triple bogeys into bogeys through smarter hazard management, you've just saved six strokes without changing your swing. For many golfers, that's the difference between breaking 90, 80, or even par.

Practical Scenarios: Distances to Hazards in Action

Scenario 1: The Reachable Par 5

You're on a 510-yard par 5. You've hit a solid drive 260 yards down the middle, leaving 250 yards to the green. Can you go for it in two?

Without hazard distance data: You'd guess where the water hazard is, maybe ask your playing partners, and make a decision based on limited information.

With Hole19's distances to hazards: You see immediately that water extends from 230-240 yards from your position. Your longest club is a 3-wood that carries 220 yards. The math is clear—lay up to your favorite wedge distance.

Result: Instead of risking a penalty stroke for a low-probability eagle attempt, you lay up, hit wedge to 12 feet, and make birdie. Smart course management turns a potential disaster into a scoring opportunity.

Scenario 2: Forced Carry Over Water

You're facing a 165-yard approach over water to a green with a false front. Miss short, and you're wet. Go long, and you're in a bunker.

Without hazard distance data: You'd estimate the carry needed, probably choose an extra club "just to be sure," and risk flying the green.

With Hole19's distances to hazards: You see the water ends at 158 yards, and the bunker behind the green starts at 172 yards. You have a 7-yard safe zone on the front of the green. Your 7-iron flies 165 yards—perfect for landing in the safe zone.

Result: Confident club selection leads to a committed swing and a ball that lands safely on the green. You two-putt for par instead of scrambling from sand or taking a penalty.

Scenario 3: Narrow Fairway With Bunkers

You're on a 390-yard par 4 with bunkers pinching the fairway at 250 yards on both sides.

Without hazard distance data: You might hit driver, hoping to avoid the bunkers but unsure exactly where they are.

With Hole19's distances to hazards: You see bunkers at 245 yards on the left and 255 yards on the right. Your driver carries 240 yards and occasionally runs to 260. The risk isn't worth it.

Result: You hit 3-wood off the tee (215-yard carry), leaving a comfortable 8-iron into the green from the short grass. You make an easy par instead of scrambling from a fairway bunker.

Getting Started With Distances to Hazards on Hole19

Getting started with Hole19's Distances to Hazards feature is simple:

1. Download the Hole19 Golf App from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android)

2. Subscribe to Hole19 Premium to unlock advanced course management features

3. Open the app settings during a round

4. Toggle on "Distances to Hazards" to activate the feature

5. Start a round and watch hazard distances appear automatically on your flyover view

The feature works immediately—no additional setup or calibration required.

When you first start using hazard distance information, follow these tips:

Don't get overwhelmed: Start by focusing on the most obvious hazards—water and fairway bunkers

Trust the data: Resist the urge to second-guess yardages based on visual estimates

Make decisive club choices: Use the precise measurements to commit to your club selection

Combine with target placement: Adjust your target to see how hazards change relative to different aim points

Review after the round: Look back at holes where hazard management made a difference

To get the most from Distances to Hazards:

Use it in practice rounds: Familiarize yourself with home courses and learn optimal strategies

Integrate with shot tracking: Record every shot to see how improved hazard awareness affects your scoring

Adjust your strategy gradually: Don't change your entire game overnight—incorporate smarter decisions one hole at a time

Share with playing partners: Show them how the technology works and spread the word about smart golf

Provide feedback: Let Hole19 know about your experience to help improve the feature

Smarter Golf Starts With Better Information

Golf course management isn't about playing conservative or boring golf—it's about making informed decisions that maximize your scoring opportunities while minimizing disaster holes.

Distances to hazards technology transforms golf strategy from guesswork into science. When you know exactly where trouble lies and what you need to do to avoid it, you can play with confidence, commit to your shots, and watch your scores improve.

The Hole19 Golf App brings professional-level course intelligence to every golfer through features like:

- Real-time hazard distance calculations

- Automatic target placement and smart filtering

- Polygon mapping accuracy

- Integration with shot tracking and performance analysis

- Plays Like distance adjustments for elevation

Whether you're a beginner trying to break 100 or a seasoned player chasing scratch golf, better course management through hazard awareness will help you play smarter, score lower, and enjoy the game more.

Ready to experience the difference? Download Hole19, enable Distances to Hazards, and discover how much easier golf becomes when you have all the information you need at your fingertips.

Your best golf starts with better decisions. Make every shot count.