What are the pros and cons of each? I am in zone 9a. Which is a prettier more collector type bamboo?

Both require significant maintenance to see the yellow trunks, they'd rather be a bush. I personally like the Asian Lemon better but can't tell you exactly why, just a gut feeling. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the two right now. The Golden goddess does make a good screen though and grows a little faster I think.

Is there another bright yellow bamboo I should consider?

The Hawaiian sunburst is the prettiest yellow but I think they die to the ground in bad years in 9a. I’ve never tried it outside in 9a

Bambusa pervariabilis 'Viridistriata'- Sunburst Bamboo   Yes .... this on looks nice

To me Sunburst and Asian Lemon are nearly identical with a few minor differences.  Both need to be trimmed of lower branching to enjoy the beauty of the culms.  The picture is mine planted three years ago from a single culm division.  I'd estimate the footprint of the stand to be 10x6 with 20+ foot height

 

Not sure if this will be of any help because I am not completely certain which species/cultivar it is and the nursery owner I bought it from years ago also was unsure, but I've been assuming it is Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata'   Anyhow, it survived the freezes of 2009-2010 without a hitch and survived Hurricane Irma nearly unscathed! I do quite a bit of grooming (Sawzall to the reachable branches and older/smaller culms) on it to expose the culms. It did have a recent infestation of bamboo scale (noted in the pic of my hand on a culm for scale...with scale...) but that has been cleared with a systemic.

First pic new giant twin culms from this fall.
Second pic just before Hurricane Irma.
Third pic just after Irma.
Third pic large culm infested with bamboo scale.

@CB Lisa would have some wonderful input on this topic. Her brother owned a bamboo nursery!

Way to put me on the spot, @Missi!   I am by absolutely no means any kind of an expert...just lucky that my brother had propagated some great varieties!  

My brother’s been gone a while, and alas, I haven’t personally grown either of these but from my recollection, Asian Lemon has a bit ‘cleaner’ look than Golden Goddess? And I honestly am unfamiliar w/ Hawaiian Sunburst!

 @Missi, yours does look like Bambusa vulgaris ‘vittata’ (I just call it Hawaiian stripe) but has a much more open growth habit than the clump I have at my old house. Mine stays very tight.  Btw, that one has survived long term, although temporarily defoliated on occasion, in a very cold microclimate in inland NE Central Fla.! 

One of the most beautiful yellow bamboos I’ve ever seen is Sacred Bali, but it’s sort of a specialized bamboo in terms of care, and I believe pretty cold sensitive? Almost lost mine in Irma, but after I dug it up and put it in a pot, it’s slowly limping back! Worth checking out if only to drool at the photos! 

Good luck finding just the right bamboo for your application, @Alicehunter2000!

That's pretty....and tropical...really like the large leaf.

My wife has nixed yellow bamboo ... so I am looking at Bambusa tuldoides cv 'Swollen Internode' - Cool Buddha

 

If I were to get yellow...it would probably be Asian lemon....think that one would be better for my situation here.

What would be a clumping bamboo that has large leaves....cold hardy to 20f...or at least would come back from roots? 

Ghost bamboo is that for me

Bambusa chungii (blue culms!) 

Bambusa oldhamii

Bambusa textilis var. gracilis looks nice too 

Oh yeah ghost bamboo looks nice...love the big leaves.

According to bamboo sites it can only take down to 24 F. ..... is this accurate...anybody growing north of Gainesville? 

Xenon...I'm growing chungii and barbelatta ....OldhamI looks like it might be big for my yard....barbelatta has tiny leaves 

On 11/29/2018, 9:03:01, CB Lisa said:

 @Missi, yours does look like Bambusa vulgaris ‘vittata’ (I just call it Hawaiian stripe) but has a much more open growth habit than the clump I have at my old house. Mine stays very tight.  

Mine is more open because, at the end of each growing season, I sawzall the older, smaller culms out. I prefer the open look  My chungii, on the other hand...Not sure if I could get a saw between the incredibly tightly growing culms! Hmm...perhaps an experiment for this winter...

On 12/2/2018, 5:10:25, Alicehunter2000 said:

According to bamboo sites it can only take down to 24 F. ..... is this accurate...anybody growing north of Gainesville? 

I’ve never had damage on mine. Overall what’s nice about bamboo is even if they damage they grow back fast...