The short answer
- A yardage book maps each hole of one course, with distances to hazards, landing areas and the green.
- It's allowed under the Rules: distance and direction information is fine (Rule 4.3a(1)).
- Green maps have limits: a page no bigger than 4¼ × 7 inches, and green images no more detailed than 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) (Rules of Golf Clarification 4.3a/1).
- Your own notes from a practice round are allowed (Rule 4.3a(3)). Handwritten notes about the greens must be written by you or your caddie.
What's in a yardage book
- A top-down drawing of each hole: the tee, fairway, rough, trees, bunkers, penalty areas and the green.
- Distances from fixed points you can find on the course, such as sprinkler heads, markers and the edges of bunkers, to the front, middle and back of the green.
- Carries: how far it is to clear a bunker, a creek or the edge of a penalty area.
- Often a page for each green showing its slopes, within the size and scale limits below.
How to read one
- Find your reference point. Stand on or next to a sprinkler head, marker or other point printed on the page, and read its number.
- Read the green, not just the flag. Note the front, middle and back numbers and where the trouble is.
- Check the carry. If there's a bunker or penalty area in play, read how far it is to clear it, not just to the green.
- Pick a target and a miss. The book shows where the trouble is, so choose the side of the green where a miss is still easy.
Make your own for your home course
- Draw each hole on a small card or in a pocket notebook.
- On a practice round, add distances from a rangefinder or GPS, plus the carry over each hazard.
- Write a plan for each hole: the club off the tee, the target and the safe miss.
- Using notes gathered before your round is allowed (Rule 4.3a(3)). What isn't allowed during the round is processing today's numbers into club advice, such as an app that recommends a club from today's distances.
- If you write notes about the greens, keep them in a book or paper no bigger than 4¼ × 7 inches (Clarification 4.3a/1).
What the Rules allow (Rule 4.3)
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| A yardage book with hole maps and distances | A green map on a page bigger than 4¼ × 7 inches (a hole location sheet showing 9 or more holes on one sheet may be bigger, if each green image meets the scale limit) |
| A rangefinder or GPS for distance, unless a Local Rule bans them (Model Local Rule G-5) | A green image more detailed than 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) |
| Notes and information gathered before the round | Magnifying a green map (apart from your normal prescription glasses or lenses) |
| Asking someone for a distance: distances are public information, not advice (Definition of Advice) | Handwritten green notes written by anyone other than you or your caddie |
| A digital green map that stays within the same size and scale limits | Zooming a digital green map past the limits, or a device that gives you a recommended line, or that measures elevation (Rule 4.3a(1)) |
A Committee can restrict green-reading materials further by Local Rule (Model Local Rules G-11 and G-12), so check the competition's terms.
Penalty (Rule 4.3): the general penalty for the first breach (two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play), and disqualification for a second breach after an intervening event.
Why is this site called Yardage Book?
We named the site after the little book that turns a golf course into a plan. We make plain-English rules guides and course-management videos, not course yardage books, but the idea is the same: know the course before you play it.
Frequently asked questions
Are yardage books legal in golf?
Yes. Distance and direction information is allowed under Rule 4.3a(1). Only green maps have limits: no larger than 4¼ × 7 inches, no more detailed than 3/8 inch to 5 yards, and no magnification.
How big can a yardage book be?
Any book or paper containing a map of a putting green can't be larger than 4¼ × 7 inches. A hole location sheet showing 9 or more holes on one sheet may be larger, as long as each green image meets the 3/8 inch to 5 yards scale limit (Clarification 4.3a/1).
Can I use a green-reading book?
Yes, within the limits, unless a Local Rule restricts it: green images at 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) or smaller, in a book no bigger than 4¼ × 7 inches, with no magnification. Handwritten notes about the greens must be written by you or your caddie.
Can I use notes from a practice round?
Yes. Information gathered before the round is allowed (Rule 4.3a(3)). What you can't do is process information from the current round into recommendations, such as club advice based on today's distances.
What's the penalty for using a green map that breaks the limits?
The general penalty for a first breach (two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play), and disqualification for a second breach (Rule 4.3).