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What is a yardage book

A yardage book is the pocket map of a golf course: one hole per page, with the measurements that help you choose the club and the line.

What is inside

• The hole map, with fairway, green, bunkers, water, trees and the shape of the ground.
• The distance from each tee to the middle of the green, and to its front and back.
• Carries: where each hazard starts and ends, from the tee. "199 | 216" means the bunker starts at 199 m and carrying it takes 216.
• Lay-ups: where the 100 and 150 m marks to the green are.
• Blind spots: the stretches where you cannot see from the tee where the ball lands.
• The elevation profile and how long the hole plays uphill or downhill.
• The green page, with slope, tiers and a grid to place the flag.

How to use it during a round

On the tee

Before you pick a club, check what the shot has to carry and where you want to finish. On a par 4 the goal is rarely maximum distance: it is leaving the ball where the approach is easiest.

In the fairway

Add up what is left to the green and check where the flag is: front, middle or back. A back flag on a deep green can be worth two clubs.

Before the green

Look at the green page: which side to leave the ball on for an uphill putt, and which areas to avoid. How to read a green.

What about rangefinders?

They are allowed by the Rules unless the competition bans them by local rule. A rangefinder gives the distance to one point; the book tells you what is around it: the bunker carry, the slope, the side of the green to avoid. They work best together.

Why clubs offer them

Visitors who do not know the course play faster and enjoy it more with a good guide. For the club, it is a product sold in the pro shop, with the club's name and logo on the cover.