If distance measuring devices are not allowed for a tournament (so that would rule out GPS or rangefinders) you can use a home-made yardage book, correct? That is - if you played at the course before the tournament and wrote notes for your own use later?

Aimee,
Yes, because you're not using a device for measuring, you're using notes and must figure the measuring points yourself.

Bill, Do I see the PGA guys carrying what seems to be isometric or topographical (is that the word?) map of the course?

They, and/or their caddie are carrying note books that have notes taken from the practice rounds. Most of them keep the notes for next year.
Typically a note book will read. Front of green 176 paces from cypress tree on right of fairway, etc. So, if my tee shot is 15 yds. past the tree, I know I have 161 yds. to the front of the green.

In a tournament, at the starters table on the first tee, the PGA posts flag distances on each green because the player, or their caddie, is not allowed to walk the green and get measurements on tournament days. The sheet would read kind of like this:

Hole #1 41 back 12 from left
meaning the pin is 41 ft. from the front of the green and 12 feet from the left edge.

When a player acquires a new caddie, or they have a local caddie from the tournament, the first item is to make sure the caddie's steps match the players, so they are stepping off the same yardage.


Now, if Don were caddying for me, I'd be in serious trouble. I have him telling me he hits his 9 iron 180 yds. So when I think I have a 140 yd. shot, he would tell me it was 180 yds. Which leads me to believe he takes yardage steps like a little chinese guy.

Hey, I'm a 5'7" chinese guy. I'm not little. Oh wait, you're talking to someone else.

Doc, I'm a 5'10" Chinese guy. That's why I can type things like that.

Aimee; You might want to ask about range finders for the tournement. The USGA passe a ruling that ALLOWS range finder for use in a tournement, UNLESS the use of them is forbidden. So if they haven't stated that you CAN'T use a range finder, by USGA rules, you CAN. But I'd still recommend you ask before you do it.

You can alos use all the toys you want in practice rounds to get your yardages for use in the tournement. This is what the pros do. They use a laser or GPS to measure the yardages and write them all down in the book that Bill mentioned.

What was interesting last year was that one of the caddies for the Senior Open came out to Denver early, and used a complete set of surveyors' tools to make a Contour Map of every green on the course. Then during the round, the player and caddy went over the map in his book, and could figure out the exact contour of the green and figure out the break of every putt based on elevation change from ball to cup for every putt. Rumor was that AFTER the OPen was over, the contour map green guide would be going up for sale for any future events played at the Broadmoor. That includes the Womans Open in a few years if I remember correctly.

Don, you are correct, a GPS device that does not measure slope is generally allowed. Just doing some advanced thought since I signed up for a tournament at a course I've never played. I intend to get one round in beforehand and I just downloaded the course into my SkyCaddy.

I always asked before hand but for events at my home course, I use both my GPS and my on yardage book. My book also has drawings of each green with putts tracked on how they broke. Using that I get a good idea of how the green will break. Plus my book has notes in like how elevation changes affected previous shots.