Yardage books

Good day

Just a question. Do/Does any of you mid-handicapers use a yardage book for the courses that you play?

I started creating my own (using GEarth and Inkscape) for a few of the courses that I play. My thinking process has changed drastically on how I play each hole.

I just wanted to know, so reply back if you do.

Regards

Here is an example....

Welcome to the site!

I'm sure you'll get some responses to your question here, but if you're looking for more, use the search function to search "yardage books" and you'll find a bunch of other threads that may interest you.

Good to have you here, stick around!

I don't use a yardage book for any course I play. I tend to play too many different ones. What I do carry is an informational book that pertains only to "my swings", "my individual clubs", and the playing conditions of the particular shot at hand. Now if the course I play offers a yardage book I will take it, and I might even use it.

"My swings" info show what yardage I hit an "my individual clubs" with my 1/2, 3/4, and full swings. It shows an average of both carry and roll.

Playing conditions info can be up hill/down hill, with/against the wind, cross winds, wet/dry conditions, hot/cold playing conditions.

So if I have 200 yard shot, up hill, my book would tell me shoulders matching the slope, and a 3 wood. If it's a really steep up hill shot, my book will say a driver, shoulders matching the slope, while aiming left of my target, with a little prayer thrown in for good measure. I don't remember the last time I hit my driver off the deck, but I know I have.

My book has about 80 pages in it, with quality info I have acquired over the years, that pertain only to my game. Do I use for every shot? No. Just when something I am not real familiar with might show up. It helps with new to me courses more than anything.

3 Up Golf

These guys are local to NH. Met Rob at the Boston show last year. Seemed like a good guy. Found one of their balls this weekend.....along with a ton of prov1s...

I have a yardage book or two, but with the new technology like Garmin watches and rangefinders, the books are not as necessary as they once were.  A good range finder will shoot distances to trees, traps, water, and of course the pin. The one advantage of having a yardage book is that you know where the "unseen" (to the naked eye) perils lie on the course.

But I have to admit that I am an "old-schooler."  I grew up without any sprinkler head markings, red-white-blue flags/fairway markers, or other technology. So, give me the good old 150 yard poles and I can figure out the proper club selection better than 80% of the time.

When I go to a new course and that course does not have a GPS display (on carts, of course), I always buy a yardage book even though I have a range finder regardless of whether I am walking or riding (I ride when the green fee includes cart).  Sometimes hidden hazards are hard to see or are not visible unless you have a yardage book.