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Can pro golfers use green books?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 18, 2026

As of January 1, 2022, players competing in PGA Tour events will no longer be able to use the controversial and highly detailed green-reading books in their current guise. Changes coming to PGA Tour yardage and greens books starting January 1, 2022.

Can PGA players use Green's books?

End of an era: Beginning Thursday, PGA Tour pros will no longer be able to rely on green-reading books.

Can pros use green books?

Green-reading books are perfectly legal under the R&A and USGA rules. They exist for thousands of courses, other than Augusta National, and every course that's hosted a PGA Tour event in the last, say, five years.

What yardage book do the pros use?

Mark Long Yardage Books | The most demanded yardage books on the amateur and professional golf tours. Yardage books the caddies and players use on the PGA TOUR as well as at the United States Open Championship, the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.

Can players use Green's books at the Masters?

A player is not allowed to use a yardage or green book that does not meet both the scale and size limits to help read a line of play on a putting green.

27 related questions found

Are StrackaLine yardage books legal?

StrackaLine Greens Guides are 100% USGA Legal.

Are GolfLogix green books USGA approved?

GolfLogix books are OK to use, say PGA Tour, USGA

The books are allowed by the PGA Tour and the U.S. Golf Association.

How do pro golfers get yardages?

Professional Golfer Yardage Book

To know the course's exact distances and dimensions, professionals rely on a tour caddie yardage book. Golf yardage books are detailed guides that pros and their caddies use to navigate the course during play.

How do pros know yardage?

The yardage book are ubiquitous on the PGA Tour. Players and caddies carry them in their pockets and consult them before each shot. They show yardages to various targets on each hole, different points of elevation, and a close-up of the green that shows detailed contours and yardages.

Do pro golfers use GPS?

Under the Rules of Golf, players are able to use laser rangefinders and GPS units in competition, provided they only provide pure distance to the hole. The PGA of America decided, then, to allow the 156 professional golfers in their championship to use laser rangefinders during the championship itself.

Why is Rory not at Sentry?

Rory had qualified for the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning the Wells Fargo Championship in 2021 and was invited. However, he decided to not play the tournament and will make his first appearance in 2022 in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Is the PGA getting rid of yardage books?

Beginning in the new year, players and caddies will not be allowed to use yardage books from 2021 and prior. The TOUR will work with yardage book providers to develop the parameters of the new, approved books, which will be marked “Committee Approved Book” on the cover.

Can you lay down on a golf green?

May I kneel or lie on the green to read a putt? A. Although not recommended, yes. If the putting green is damaged because of this, the damage may be repaired ( see Rule 13.1c(2)).

Why do pro golfers carry a notepad?

That would be an example where a competing golfer would look into his or her notebook and see that they have a note written that says missing long on the green is a bad miss, and so they will know to not hit a club that has a chance of going long.

Do Tour pros use rangefinders?

While professional golfers still cannot use rangefinders in most competitions, they do use them during practice. For best performance during competition, training should closely relate so the athletes get the best transfer from training.

Do PGA players talk to each other?

Most players have a bit of a chat with their playing partners during a round. If they are buddies, they may talk a lot, it just depends on the pairings.

How do PGA caddies calculate yardage?

However, I would say that the general rule of thumb would be: Pace off the distance to the front. Add the distance that the pin is on to give your total yardage to the flag. Calculate any other numbers your player may need like cover numbers (over bunkers or obstacles), back edge, ridges or tiers, etc.

How do you walk off golf yards?

Measure the length of your stride with a tape measure or ruler to determine what kind of stride -- bigger, smaller or regular -- you need to adopt on the golf course to walk off yardages. Use your adjusted stride so each step corresponds to 1 yard.

Is sure Putt Pro Legal?

There are apps you can download on your phone that you can use or you can buy an electronic device like the BreakMaster Digital Green Reader ($109 on Amazon.com) or the Sure Putt Golf Putting Aid ($30), which is just a level designed for golf course greens. None of these types of devices are legal for play, of course.

Are Green maps legal?

Golfers may continue to use a putting-green map or other putting-green information, except that: Any image of a putting green must be limited to a scale of 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) or smaller (the “scale limit”).

Can amateurs use green-reading books?

The PGA Tour's local rule banned notes gained from any type of measuring instrument, asserting that players must use “committee approved” yardage books and any handwritten notes about the greens must come directly from the naked eye. (Amateurs are still free to use the books or other green-reading apps.)

What's a green book in golf?

Employing the latest technology our Green Book provide golf players and their caddies with detailed information about the green slopes, taken from high precision scans just before the event starts, enabling them to boost their performance and competitive edge.

Who makes green-reading books?

It was at Torrey Pines that Jim Stracka first heard the news of a likely ban. Alongside his son, Chase, the duo co-founded StrackaLine, one of two major producers of green-reading books (the other is Tour Sherpa).