How is the european handicap system different than the US handicap system?

Distances measured in meters, but is it to the center of the green or to the front of the green?

I'm going back to golf in southern Spain and the last time I played there I assumed distance markers were to center of green. Someone told me that the distances were measured to front of green. Any confirmation on this?

thanks.

The distance markers here are the same. You'll have one at 150 yards (135 meters), and one at 100 yards (91 meters).
As far as i know concerning the markers, the distances are always calculated from the front green.

Distances on you course card are referring to the center of the greens though.

Usually you 'll have this:

white marker in fairway: 200m front of green
yellow marker in fairway: 150m front of green
blue marker in fairway: 100m front of green
red marker in fairway: 50m front of green

posts (or other) to the side of the fairway: usually one at 150m center of green

But it tends to differ course to course.
It is always stated on the scorecard that you'll recieve.

And we use the EGA handicap system

Enjoy your golf in Spain !!

thanks. Much appreciated.

Jas13, I live in Spain, and in all the courses I had played, distance are to the front of the green marked in meters, except on par 3s that are to the middle of the green.

Normally you will have one marker at 150m, another at 100m and sometimes one at 50m.

Regards and enjoy!
Federico

I think it mainly dpends on the course, my home course in the UK only has 150 yard markers and then different colouored flags depending if the pin is at the back middle or front of the green. In the UK will still use yards but most of the rest of Europe is Metric. Most course i've played in the UK have 200, 150 and 100 markers and it varies wether its to the middle or front. The course I play at college is really irritating becasue all the yardage markers are to the front but they don;t have a card telling you the flag positions, where as most courses i've played that measure to the front have a pin position chart for each day. Nearly all the courses i've played in Scotland have yardages to the front on every sprinkler head on the fairway which is really handy, and give you the pin positions too.

A different question but to a similar effect.

Does the advertised distance to the green on the yardage marker follow the hole path or is it direct line of sight?
Say you have 90 degree dogleg right before the green on a par 5. A layup would put you right at the elbow of the dogleg. If I'm standing on the 200 yard spot in the fairway, is it 200 to the front or 200 around the corner (making it an effective 150 or whatever)?

TIA