Little black book:

When I played my best golf, I always followed a game plan. 

I would prepare my game plan, the day before the round and I would use my little black book, as shown in the image on your right. 

Let me show you how to make your own ”Little black book”. This little black book is a quick reference guide for you to glance at what you should be doing in particular areas on the course. 

These references are as follows:

• Help you on how to play the shot (hole per hole strategy);
• Help you select the proper club;
• Remind you to check the wind;
• Check the lie of your ball;
• Check weather conditions;
• Check if the ground is dry or wet;
• Drawings of every hole from hole 1 through 18;
• Indicate how you should play the hole;
• What club to use at the beginning of the hole;
• What club to use for the second shot and so on;
• How far you hit the ball with each club (club yardage chart);
• Eat your snacks and drink lots of fluids; and
• Quick reference guide.

Knowing how far you hit every club is vital information in order for you to play your best. This specific information will allow you to play at any golf facility with greater confidence.

Golf is a distance game:

The golf course and the scorecard, as shown in the image on your right, provide you with all the necessary information on the distance and the description of each hole in order for you to play the game. These are as follows: 

1. The distance of the entire course;
2. The distance of each hole; 
3. The distance on all fairways of              each hole; and
4. Description of each hole.

1. Distance of the                entire golf course:

A golf course can have 9, 18, 27, or more holes and will be surrounded by hazards such as trees, water, and sand. The length of the course varies between 4,000 and 8,000 yards. If the golfer walks during his/her game, he/she would walk a distance of approximately 3.69 miles to 4.26 miles, as shown in the image on your right.

2. Distance of each            hole:

This is an example of a sign indicating the layout of the hole and the yardage at every starting position, as shown in the image on your right.

1. Red tee box 345 yards
2. White tee box 395 yards
3. Blue tee box 395 yards

3. Distance on all fairways        of each hole:

Distance is found on all golf courses, on every hole indicated by red, white, and blue markers, as shown in the images on your right and above. 

1. Red markers indicate 100 yards to the middle of the putting green, as shown in the image above.
2. White markers indicate 150 yards to the middle of the putting green, as shown in the image above.
3. Blue markers indicate 200 yards to the middle of the putting green, as shown in the image above.
4. Yellow markers indicate 250 yards to the middle of the putting green, as shown in the image above.

Range finders:

The golf course has provided you with all the distances, from start to finish. You must now do your part by knowing how far you hit the ball with every club. It is important to document this vital information in your little black book.

The range finders, as shown in the images above, are tools that can help you determine the distance from your position to the flag. Using these tools will provide you with data every time you hit your club.

Club yardage chart:

Definition: CLUB YARDAGE CHART is a chart where you document the average distance of how far you hit the ball with every club in your golf bag.  

Before documenting your final yardage chart, you must play several games and keep track of the distance of each ball you hit with every club. This information can also be documented at the driving range instead of playing on the course.

Eventually, you will have all the data you need in order to understand which club should be used for the appropriate distance. After receipt of sufficient data, you will have enough information to average out  (figure out the average) the distance for each and every club.

Your final step is to document your findings in your CLUB YARDAGE CHART, as shown in the image on your right. 

Apps for your phone:

Many apps for your phone are also available to help with your game. Using GPS and Google maps will show you aerial view shots of the holes you are playing in order to calculate the distance needed to reach your target, as shown in the image on your right. Many players prefer this technology and others prefer pen and paper.

Average Range

The Average Range chart on your right shows how far the average player hits the ball with every club. You can compare your findings to see if you are average.