Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Yards Golf Book.
How does Yards help me score lower?
Yards is a stats-powered caddie that builds a personalized game plan for every hole. It simulates hundreds of shots with each club you carry, checks every landing spot against the hazards on the hole, and finds the club and target that give you the lowest expected score. Same strokes gained methodology the PGA Tour uses, applied to your game. Plan your round at home and walk to the first tee knowing the play on every hole.
How does the caddie decide which club is best?
For every hole, your caddie simulates hundreds of shots with each viable club using your handicap-calibrated dispersion pattern. Each simulated shot lands somewhere on the hole, fairway, rough, sand, water, trees, OB, and the model calculates expected strokes to hole out from that spot. The club and aim point with the lowest average expected score is the recommendation. It's a Monte Carlo simulation backed by the same strokes gained data the PGA Tour uses.
Why does my caddie sometimes say to lay up?
Because the numbers say it scores better. Shot dispersion shows where your shots actually land, not where you aim, but where they end up given your handicap. Your driver isn't a laser. The model shows the full scatter pattern and checks what each miss costs you. Sometimes the shorter club that avoids the water scores 0.3 strokes better than the longer club that reaches the green 40% of the time. That's not playing it safe, that's playing it smart.
Can I try the caddie before I pay?
Yes, you can try the full caddie experience on select courses for free, no account needed. Strokes gained heatmaps, shot dispersion, club recommendations, strategy text, everything. Create a free account to access scorecards for all courses. Full yardage book access is $6.99/month or $49.99/year, cancel anytime. You can also earn free access by mapping courses.
What courses are available?
248 courses are fully mapped with strokes gained game plans, shot dispersion, and personalized yardage books. 1,057 more across North America are being mapped, each with GPS hole layouts, hazard positions, and scorecard data. New courses go live every week. You can request any course and we'll notify you when your caddie is ready.
How do I set up my profile?
Go to your Profile page and enter your handicap index, select your clubs and their carry distances, choose your play style (aggressive, neutral, or safe), and set your dominant hand and shot shape (draw, straight, or fade). All strategy and club recommendations are personalized based on these settings.
What is Pick Target?
Pick Target lets you tap anywhere on the hole map to place a custom target. Yards Golf Book will find the right club for that distance, simulate 1,000 shots aimed at that spot, and show you the expected shots and outcome breakdown. Use it to compare different strategies, layup vs. go for it, safe side vs. aggressive line.
Can I download a yardage book PDF?
Yes, subscribers can download a personalized PDF yardage book for any course. It includes hole-by-hole maps, your club recommendations, key distances, and strategy notes. Take it to the course and play phone-free.
How do I request a course?
Click "Request a Course" on the home page or courses page. Enter the course name, city, and your email. We'll GeoMap the course and notify you when it's ready. Most courses are added within a few days.
How does the Earn It program work?
Map or improve any course using our satellite mapping tool and you get free access to that course permanently, it's yours forever. On top of that, mapping a new course earns 30 days of full site access to every course, and improving an existing course earns 7 days. Map 5 courses and you get a full year of access to the entire library. Rewards stack, so you can keep contributing and keep playing for free. Most courses are partially mapped already from open-source data, completing one typically takes 5 to 30 minutes.
How is the expected shots number calculated?
Expected shots uses a strokes gained model based on the PGA Tour's expected strokes data, adjusted for your handicap. From every landing position, we look up how many strokes it typically takes to hole out given the distance, lie type (fairway, rough, sand, recovery, green), and your skill level. The number shown is the average across 1,000 simulated shots, lower is better.
How accurate is the elevation data?
Elevation profiles are sourced from a global digital elevation model with approximately 90-meter resolution. This works well for most courses, but may be less precise on holes with steep, narrow terrain changes, such as coastal cliffs, ravines, or sharp ridgelines, where the elevation grid can average land with adjacent water or low ground. The "plays like" yardage adjustment uses this elevation data, so on courses with dramatic terrain features the adjustment may understate the true elevation change. We're working on integrating higher-resolution elevation sources in the future.