how to make a yardage book for a golf course

by Brooklyn Daugherty III 6 min read

The process of making your own yardage book can be fun and act as a chance to study your course management skills. How to make a professional golf yardage book: Open Google Earth and zoom into the golf course that you are making the yardage book of. Use the ruler function (make sure you set to yards) to measure distances from the back of the tee box to important points.

Table of contents
  1. Yardage book background and information.
  2. What you will need.
  3. Find your course.
  4. Screenshot images of each hole.
  5. Create a map of each hole and features.
  6. Add in the yardage book distances.
  7. Export your hole maps for printing.
  8. Printing and binding your yardage book.
Jul 7, 2019

Full Answer

How do I create my own golf yardage book?

This is free to download and provides all of the features you need to create your own yardage book. Google Earth provides many of the tools needed to create your own golf yardage book. Once you have Google Earth Pro installed on your machine, the next step is to find the golf course you are looking to create your yardage book for.

Do all golf courses have yardage books?

No not all golf courses have yardage books. Most prestigious courses carry them. However, it never hurts to ask the club pro if they have any laying around. Are Yardage Books Legal? Yes, yardage books are legal for tournament play.

What is a yardage book and how do I use it?

For course operators, yardage books are an opportunity to generate revenue both with ad placements and sales of the yardage book itself in the pro shop. Just make sure any advertisements placed in the book don’t overwhelm or distract from the important content. Each page in a yardage book usually features three key areas:

What yardages should be included in a golf course map?

This should contain the yardages off the tee to the points on the fairway or to the front and back of the green for par 3s. The second image for each hole should be a closer image of the shape of the green, including any major slopes which you can mark on your image and the landing zone in the fairway.

How do you make a homemade yardage book?

0:2629:57[Guide] How To Make A Free Golf Yardage Book - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipClick on the first link make sure it's from Google go. To the bottom of the page download Earth ProMoreClick on the first link make sure it's from Google go. To the bottom of the page download Earth Pro and desktop and that'll take a couple seconds to download.

What should be in a golf yardage book?

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 I make a yardage book like a pro?

2:0815:25How to make a yardage book just like the golf pros use - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou need a graphics package. I use affinity designer. But lots of them will do the same thing.MoreYou need a graphics package. I use affinity designer. But lots of them will do the same thing.

How do I print a yardage of a book?

1:228:21Printing Books - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipClick on the download. Link and once you get that it'll pop up in the bottom left hand of yourMoreClick on the download. Link and once you get that it'll pop up in the bottom left hand of your screen typically. And here you go Lantana. Now you'll notice these first pages are upside down that's.

Are yardage books worth it?

But if you're someone who can break 90 and wants to lower your handicap, then yes a yardage book is so worth it. A yardage book might help you have 3-5 (or more) strokes as you can have a better strategy on each shot and keep the momentum going.

Where do pros get their yardage books?

Ben Hulka helps players and fellow caddies each week on the PGA Tour by selling yardage and green contour books for each course produced by former caddie Mark Long. Yardage and green contour books are a staple at PGA Tour events.

What is the notepad golfers carry?

If you watch golf on the television, you may see golfers writing in a small notebook. This notebook is usually a yardage book. Golfers consider this yardage book to be their primary source of information while on a golf course.

How do golfers know their 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 a new ball on each hole?

Professional golfers will change golf balls every five to six holes. The modern golf ball technology can last for quite some time as the materials used to make these golf balls are more durable and resistant to cuts.

How do you make a decade yardage book?

0:163:16DECADE Yardage Books - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMen college d1 women college driving distance ring I can make the distance any number that I want itMoreMen college d1 women college driving distance ring I can make the distance any number that I want it to be let's say hey like it was hot out there. Last week and my us made em qualifier.

How do you staple a yardage book?

FOLDABLE POCKET-SIZED YARDAGE BOOK INSTRUCTIONS: Print out the foldable yardage book, using the print feature in the Adobe Reader. Trim off the white area to the right of the dashed box. Staple the left side of the trimmed yardage book. Do NOT put a staple near the center since this is where the book will be folded.

How do you map a golf course?

0:098:47Golf Course GPS Mapping - How It's Done - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBasically sprinkler heads in the fairway carry distances to bunkers over to them water hazard it'sMoreBasically sprinkler heads in the fairway carry distances to bunkers over to them water hazard it's basically any hazard that would come into a play as far as for a golfer offering each tee box.

Do All Golf Courses Have Yardage Books?

Making a yardage book will require a few materials. Physical: Yardage Book Paper Paper Cutter Stapler Hole Punch Optional: Leather Yardage Book Sof...

Do All Golf Courses Have Yardage Books?​

No not all golf courses have yardage books. Most prestigious courses carry them. However, it never hurts to ask the club pro if they have any layin...

Are Yardage Books Legal?​

Yes, yardage books are legal for tournament play. In fact, professional golfers are not allowed to use any rangefinders or GPS devices - they have...

Are Green Reading Books Legal?​

Yes, green reading books are legal for tournament play.

How to use a golf yardage book?

Now you have produced the perfect yardage book, you can use it to really help you out on the course when you are playing a round of golf. Firstly, look at the yardages to where you want your tee shot to finish.

Why is yardage important in golf?

Perhaps the most important part of the yardage book of course is the distances. Distances are important for golfers as they help massively with club selection.

How many yards is hole number 2 in golf?

Above is an example for the Pleasington Golf Course yardage book I created. This was hole number 2, a par 4 measuring 366 yards.

What is the first picture of a par 3 hole?

The first image is the hole overview (see the left image above). This is a birds eye view of the entire hole from tee to green. This should contain the yardages off the tee to the points on the fairway or to the front and back of the green for par 3s.

Why do you need a screenshot in yardage?

The screenshot is going to be used to effectively trace the features off and therefore you need to make sure that you have in the image you take all of the features you want to add to the yardage book .

What do golfers use to plot their way around the course?

All these papers are the documents and guides they use to help plot their way around the golf course. They will use a yardage and a greens book.

What should the second image of the hole be?

The second image for each hole should be a closer image of the shape of the green, including any major slopes which you can mark on your image and the landing zone in the fairway. This image contains the yardages to the front of the green from some of the major features.

Why use yardage book in golf?

There are multiple benefits in using a golf yardage book: Chance to record your intended targets, landing areas, what club to hit, and the slopes of the greens. Increase your confidence, knowing you have a secret weapon that no other golfer has.

Why is it important to know the yardage of everything on the golf course?

Getting the exact yardage to everything on the golf course helps with club selection and confident decisions.

How to find yardage on Google Earth?

Open Google Earth and zoom into the golf course that you are making the yardage book of. Use the ruler function (make sure you set to yards) to measure distances from the back of the tee box to important points. (distinct tree’s in fairway, sprinkler heads, hazards, green depth)You can get as detailed as you wish. Try to add as much detail as possible, getting the yardages to the front edge of bunkers and clearing yardages to trouble spots. I would suggest taking the yardages from the back of the tee box that you intend to play. You can then pace off and subtract however many yards it is from the markers you are playing. Skills Required When Using Your Feet To Find Distances Each yardage book will have its own means of measuring distance. Some golf courses decide to show distances on sprinkler heads measuring to the center of the greens while others show distances to the front edge. Whichever the case, make sure you know before calculating the distances. If a pin sheet is provided before you start your round of golf, finding distances to the flag stick will become much easier since they are also measured by the number of paces. (usually from the front or middle of the green) Just recently I have decided to stop using any golf distance finder. This means any gps or laser rangefinder to determine the distance. I have found that after using such distance finder you become dependent and cannot play freely any other way. If you decide to play in a golf tournament not allowing rangefinders you will lack the skills necessary for using a golf yardage book. With a yardage book I can also get more information about my landing area which leads to better club selections. (front of the green, middle, back, and exact distance to the pin) It would be hard for a laser distance finder to determine an exact distance to these spots on the golf course.

What is yardage book?

A yardage book can help you review not only specific yardages but personal notes about past wind directions and help you to stick to your game plan and strategy.

Does a caddy make yardage books?

Below I have included a video that shows exactly how a caddy on the PGA tour creates professional yardage books for his players and other players on tour. It may surprise you the technology involved. Since this equipment may be a bit expensive google earth will do just fine.

Can a rangefinder improve your golf game?

Obviously playing with a rangefinder will dramatically speed up pace of play and is a excellent golf distance finder but a yardage book can improve your game in many ways that a rangefinder device cannot. A golf GPS system can be distracting and give incorrect yardages.

Why do golfers use yardage books?

Typically, yardage book offer a little bit more information than the average scorecard. Golfers use yardage books to develop a strategy for playing each hole, and they use the distances and hazards mapped in the yardage book to determine the optimal ball placement based on their level of skill.

How to make yardage book look professional?

If you want your yardage book to look professional, don’t use PowerPoint or Word. You need something that gives you flexibility and can perform some complicated tasks. Programs like Photoshop or Sketch are design tools that professionals designers use every day, and their price is well worth it if you want to create something truly professional.

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. Golfers use yardage books to develop a strategy for playing each hole, and they use the distances and hazards mapped in the yardage book to determine the optimal ball placement based on their level of skill.

What are the features of a golf course?

The icons you use should clearly illustrate what they represent and be consistent and uniform across the entire yardage book. You’ll need images and diagrams to represent the many features typically found on a golf course including: 1 Tree lines 2 Tee boxes 3 Fall lines 4 Rough 5 Bunkers 6 Water hazards 7 Green and hole placement 8 Boundaries 9 Drop zones 10 Lateral hazards 11 False fronts 12 Trees, rocks, and shrubs 13 Cart paths 14 Yardages 15 Carry distances 16 And more, be creative!

How to measure yardage on Google Earth?

Google Earth is handy for quickly and accurately determining yardage distances. Measure distances by clicking the ruler icon in the left-hand menu and map your yardages. Once you know distances to critical points on the fairway and green, take a screenshot or mark the distance in your design mockup.

Why is yardage important in golf?

Giving golfers the knowledge they need to be successful is essential for creating an incredible player experience, plus it makes your golf course look professional. Having a high-quality yardage book for sale (or as a complementary perk) makes an immediate impression that your golf course is serious about the sport.

What should be on a green map?

The green map should ideally have a grid that reflects yardage and includes fall lines to show where players can expect a shot to break. If there are standard hole placements that your courses uses, you may consider representing potential hole locations with a flag on the green map.

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