Birdie Book
A birdie book is a small booklet with overview plans of all the holes on a golf course.
The birdie book, also called a yardage book, shows every hole from a bird's-eye view. It contains distances to hazards, the position of the bunkers, dogleg angles and often the contours of the greens with flag positions. Professionals and their caddies use it at every tournament to plan strategies and check distances. For amateurs many facilities sell such booklets at the club office or in the pro shop. It is the printed alternative to the GPS watch and to laser measurement.
In practice the booklet helps you above all on unfamiliar courses. An example: you play a hole with invisible water behind a ground swell. Without the plan you hit away unsuspectingly and find your ball wet. With a look into the birdie book you know the hazard lies at 220 metres, and you choose an iron instead of the wood. The look is also worthwhile for approach shots: the green depth and the position of the catch bunkers decide your target flag and the safe side.
A typical mistake is blind trust in the numbers. The figures in the booklet usually refer to the middle of the green and to fixed measuring points such as marked trees or posts. In between you have to estimate yourself. If, alongside the booklet, you also master reading the green, you get double out of it. The birdie book does not replace course knowledge, it only accelerates it. You can often find out which facilities offer such aids directly at the club office or via the golf course search.
FAQ
Where do I get a birdie book for an unfamiliar course?
Many facilities sell the booklets at the club office or in the pro shop, some also provide the plans as a download. Just ask before the round — especially on courses with hidden hazards the booklet is worth it. It is the printed version of the yardage book.
Birdie book or GPS watch — which is better?
Both have strengths: the booklet shows strategy, dogleg angles and the position of the hazards at a glance, the watch delivers quick distances from your current position. If you want it precise, combine both — the plan beforehand, the watch for the moment. Professionals, by the way, almost always work with the booklet.
Which points do the distances in the birdie book refer to?
Usually the middle of the green and fixed measuring points such as marked trees or posts along the edge of the path. In between you have to estimate yourself. If you can also read the green, you get noticeably more out of the figures.