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I personally like yardage books not only to plan my strategy for the round but also during the round, I turn my cell off as soon as I get to the field of play, nothing worse than a barrage of notifications and alarms going off because they use electronics on the course.

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Take one to the driving range, especially early in the season. Loosen up with 10-15 warm up shots and then play the course - calculate where your first shot went and then play the next from that position wherever it is (chips and all) up to the green and go to the next hole. Should take about a large bucket - you'll be done before you realize you're on 18.

I also collect them. I love the art and craft of professional books and also the beauty of the color resort books. So sorry to see them disappearing. It is an art form to create a great yardage book.

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The yardage books, especially the really good yardage books with a photo of hole on the left and the yardage shot on the right, are a fantastic way to remember how awesome the course was. Plus you may plot your strategy for revenge next time out. Nothing better, as far as golf satisfaction is concerned, than making a par on that tough par 4 after you tripled the first time out!!

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Have a few hundred books that I’ve collected and feeling sad that courses are no longer sticking them. Was in Orlando this March, and was very surprised that Celebration and Falcon’s Fire, two more-or-less high-end-courses, no longer had books.

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well written and well argued. However, couldn't disagree more. Yardage books are the scourge of the modern game, adding significant time to the Tours and spawning the ridiculous green books. Allow Distance Measuring Devices to speed up the game, as well as making it tech-cool. If not, ban everything and play as you see. Pro golf is 30/60 mins a round too long, DMD's would easily shave 15 mins of that

Jim, while everyone is entitled to an opinion, you are forgetting one very important point. If given the opportunity, a true professional golfer will never use hand held devices. They simply are not accurate enough for their level of play. A "Tour Yardage Book" is only done by a few guys who use equipment that costs thousands of dollars not $150 point and shoots. I do agree that the rounds are too long but the better solution is for the Tour Officials to be as tough on the name players as they are on the rookie's. For your average player of which most of us are..... the hand helds are more than sufficient. Hit em straight.

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Tim’s dad here. One thing he could have mentioned: His second grade teacher used to catch him sketching out holes in his lap under his desk. Thankfully, for him and us, she was more amused than perturbed.

Yardage books show more than just yardage, they show the layout of the hole when many scorecards do not or the depictions are so small you don't see little creeks crossing fairways, etc. I don't use electronic devises and find using sprinkler head markings or 200, 150 and 100 yard markers works just fine. If it's 155 or 150, it doesn't affect my 14 handicap game. I do think green reading books are taking part of the game of reading a golf course away however. Won't get into pace of play on use of extra devices, etc. but it isn't necessarily positive overall.

Have about 200 yardage books I would be glad to donate to your collection if of interest. Just email me.

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I agree about green reading books...nothing worse than watching the pros pour over these diagrams before attempting to hole a 6 foot putt...boring

Agree 100%