C
Clarity News Hub

Do I need a golf yardage book?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 12, 2026

Yes, some yardage books can help you read greens too. Not only do they help you with full swing shots, but more yardage books also offer tons of information about the green. A lot of them have slopes, arrows showing the break, and even more features.

What do you put in a yardage book?

They will use a yardage and a greens book.
...
These should include:

  1. Tee boxes – there are probably more than 1 on most holes.
  2. Fairways.
  3. Greens.
  4. Green fringes.
  5. Bunkers.
  6. Trees and bushes.
  7. Water hazards.
  8. Buildings.

What is yardage book in golf?

What is a yardage book? Yardage books are a handbook used by golfers when playing a round. These books contain information about distances, hazards, and green complexes for every hole on the golf course. Typically, yardage book offer a little bit more information than the average scorecard.

How do pro golfers get their yardage?

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.

Do 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.

26 related questions found

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.

When did pro golfers start using yardage books?

YARDAGE BOOKS HAVE BEEN A STAPLE ON THE PGA TOUR SINCE JACK NICKLAUS STARTED USING THEM IN THE 1970'S. FOR YEARS TOUR CADDIES WOULD ARRIVE AT THE COURSE OF COMPETITION WEEKS BEFORE AND PACE OFF ALL THE YARDAGES TO AND FROM IDENTIFIED TARGETS AND MAP GREEN COMPLEXES BY SIGHT.

Are caddies allowed to use rangefinders?

Players or caddies may use rangefinders on the course during practice to help create or modify a yardage book that they may consult during the actual tournament.

Are green reading books legal?

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.

How is distance measured in golf?

How to Calculate How Far I Hit the Golf Ball

  1. Take your tee shot as per normal, and then find your ball and stand directly beside it.
  2. Turn on the range finder, hold its sight to your eye and aim it directly at the flagstick. ...
  3. Subtract the distance to the flagstick from the total yardage of the hole.

What do PGA players write down?

A yardage book is provided to each player by the golf course management. The golf course will provide general information on each hole. The information a golf course provides can differ between courses, but in general they will provide slopes of greens, size of the greens, and length of each golf hole.

What do golfers have in their book?

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.

Are rangefinders worth it?

Laser Rangefinders are definitely worth the money if you are looking to improve you game. There are budget options for under $100 that will give you a reliable and accurate reading of distance and if you play regularly, you will get value for money from the rangefinder.

Is the PGA doing away with yardage books?

The ban became official on January 1 and goes into effect Thursday at this week's Sentry Tournament of Champions. Tour veteran Kevin Streelman, who used the books religiously for the past several years, was a member of the Tour's 16-member Player Advisory Council that voted unanimously in May that the books had to go.

Can you use binoculars in golf?

— Binoculars are a common sight at PGA Tour events; fans often use 'em to check out the action from long distance. Rarer is seeing them in the hands of a player. Still, binoculars were exactly what Rickie Fowler needed on the 6th hole Friday when his ball got stuck in a tree.

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.

Does PGA Tour allow rangefinders?

Week to week on the PGA Tour, players are not allowed to use laser rangefinders during tournament rounds, but they are able to use them to scout the course during practice rounds.

Why do golfers have notepads?

Golfers make lots of notes about how the greens break and which the grain flows on the green. If a putt is headed down grain, it will roll much faster than if it is into the grain. Many golf greens also have two tiers. Golfers need to know the yardage difference between the first tier and the second tier.

Do most golf courses have yardage books?

No, not every golf course has a yardage book, which is very unfortunate as they are super helpful for some golfers. But just because your local golf course doesn't offer yardage books in the pro shop, doesn't mean you can't get them. Instead, you just need to find them online.

What is a trap in golf?

Basically, you are 'trapping' the ball between the face of the club and the ground. By hitting down through the shot, you can compress the ball against the face of the club, which will provide the shot with both power and spin.