Last August, several volunteers assisted with installing new tee pads and moving some baskets to give our course more variety. We need to measure the course distances all over again. The question arose over whether to follow the curvature of the ground in a line or whether to go straight from tee to basket.

So, for instance, a tee is at the top of a hill. Following the ground in a line to the basket will be a longer distance than a straight shot from the tee to the basket?

Also, there was also debate on the best equipment to use for an accurate measurement. Of course, that depended on the answer to the first question.

Does anyone have the answers to these questions?

Laser rangefinder from tee to pin on straight line. You would only follow the contour of the ground if every shot had to be a roller because it was a low ceiling from tee to pin. On doglegs, measure around the dogleg unless a fair number of players at the skill level a hole is designed for can legitimately go over the top.

If measured from tee to pin, it would also help to have the altitude change as well. Chuck has some info on rough estimates of how said change affects the "played" length of the hole.

Every 10 feet of elevation changes the effective length by about 30 feet. But you don't put that adjustment on the signs or scorecards. You could put the net elevation difference for the hole between tee and pin on signs. I think that was on the signs at Waterworks in KC.

Thanks. We are now seeking someone who has a laser rangefinder.

The best way to measure a course is to survey the course by a Professional Land Surveyor like myself. One needs to measure the preferred flight path of any particular hole, using the "slope distance" from shoulder height , on a line which will travel the "preferred flight path" to the basket. Measuring dogleg points , for instance is the only way to measure a hole where one CANNOT throw directly to the basket.
Elevation difference "in" the "flight path" will make a hole longer if the hole is uphill or downhill. I show elevation difference on my home course tee signs on holes where it will be significant, at Joralemon Park in Coeymans, NY (joralemonparkdiscgolf.com) For example hole 10 is only 260', but it is a severe uphill left to right dogleg, with a total of +19' in elevation...
For those who dont have a surveyor with high tech equipment, use a 200' rag tape, and make sure to measure the line the disc will travel...I often suspect distances are scaled from an aerial map, which are usually very misleading, because it only measures horizontal distances.