I've just been enjoying lurking here for a while now, but I seem to remember reading some discussion about Dave Pelz's books on this board, and thought you all might have some input.

I am planning to give Pelz's 3x4 system a shot this year (or really, a 3x3 system until I get an X-wedge), but I'm not ready to dish out the big bucks for a fancy Bushnell rangefinder to calculate my yardages for the various swings. Anyone have experience using the various $20 & under "yardage finders" I often see for sale? How accurate are they? I don't need to gauge anything beyond about 90-100 yards.

Other tips for finding your personal wedge yardages would be appreciated. Most of my local practice ranges are pretty bad about giving you any kind of yardage indication inside of 75-100 yards. And my shag-your-own areas are just too hilly to really walk-off any kind of accurate distance.

I've read Dave's book and like the general approach. But I've found that I have to fine tune it for my own game (among other differences I only carry 3 wedges). I'm still working on it, but here are a few of the highlights of the DaveLee system.

15 yards - PW, full swing, hit 2 inches behind the ball
30 yards - SW, 3/4 swing, shank (be sure to aim 40 degrees to the left)
45 yards - SW, full swing, topped (includes roll)
135 yards - LW, full swing, leading edge of club catches ball at equator (low margin for error on this one)

You get the idea :-)

dave