golf book

Question
I am a weekend golfer and was wondering about the book most pros carry in their back pockets. I assume they contain notes about the courses where they play as well as information about the clubs they use.
I would like to put together a book about my clubs and how I hit them in different situations.
Do they make this type of book for weekend golfers?
And if so, does it have a format to follow or do the books the pros use made up by themselves, for themselves?
Thanks,
Dave

Answer
Hey Dave,

What you're seeing those guys pull out of their pockets are yardage books.  These are course specific and contain detailed information about each hole.  Each hole has a diagram, showing hazards, bunkers, out of bounds and other information.  The guys have exact yardages from any possible point on the hole.  The can tell you how far it is to carry the ball to a dogleg, or through it, or how far it is both to the front of a bunker and how far it is to carry it.  They typically have a set of yardages from one set of tees, then just add or subtract the yardage according to which tee box they're playing from.  Usually the caddie has a similar book.  The books are usually provided at tournaments, though a lot of the guys use the same ones from year to year, with their own notes and comments in there as well.

I would bet that there is almost never any information in there about the clubs they use, or how they hit them.  The caddies know exactly how far those guys can hit a choked- up knock down 8 iron into a slight breeze. Most scratch golfers know a range of distances they can hit a club, rather than one specific yardage.

I've never seen any kind of template for this sort of thing.  Ask in the pro shop if your course has one for sale.  They're usually not lying around, because most folks never use them.  If you don't play a lot it might be a good idea to put some information in there about how you hit different clubs, or maybe swing thoughts or tips on how to help yourself hit a hook, or a fade.

You could even make your own yardage book using a small note pad and borrowing laser range finder from a friend.  Just shoot from a tee box at the front of a bunker, then the back of it to determine the yardage to write in your book.  Do this for every trap, pond, lake, dogleg, etc. and you'll have your own yardage book for your home course.