I've been intrigued by this question about a one-person layout also. I did it once, and I think I essentially did a version of Pete's method. At the recent seminar organized by Mike W and company, I asked Pete about a demo of that, but we didn't have time for it as it turned out.
My question for Dave: what did you have to pull against, and was the system strong enough? (sounds like you pulled against the vinyl tape?)
I have the same reservation as Duane about counting that (Justin's method) as two measurements-- it's just one measurement in two languages I think.
I usually manage to con the race director into helping me lay out a cal course when I need it. One advantage of that is that it pulls them into the whole world of striving for accuracy, and they usually feel good to be part of the process.