Ava Romero
Golfers often focus on their final score, but tracking key statistics can help players improve their performance and lower their scores. These stats can reveal areas of weakness and help golfers practice more effectively. Some of the most important golf stats to track include greens in regulation (GIR), fairways hit, total putts, scrambling, and strokes gained. GIR, for example, indicates a golfer's ability to reach the green in a set number of strokes and is strongly correlated with scoring potential. By tracking this stat, golfers can understand their approach shot accuracy and distance control. Similarly, tracking fairways hit can help identify trends in driving accuracy, while counting putts can highlight issues with speed control. These stats provide golfers with actionable data to inform their practice routines and improve their game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Greens in regulation (GIR) | Refers to the number of greens hit in two strokes less than the par for that hole. |
| Fairways hit | Tracking this helps identify trends in driving accuracy. |
| Total putts | Tracking putts per hole and total putts for the round can help amateur golfers improve their game. |
| Scrambling | Refers to a golfer who missed the green, chipped on, and putted the ball in. |
| Strokes gained | An advanced stat that can help choose the best way to practice on the driving range. |
| Ball-striking | Tracking ball-striking stats can help identify a focused golf practice routine. |
| Double bogeys | Keeping stats on double bogeys can help with course management and setting realistic expectations. |
| Three-putts | Tracking three-putts can help identify issues with speed control. |
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Greens in regulation (GIR)
To achieve a GIR, a golfer must get their ball onto the putting surface in two strokes fewer than the par for that hole. For example, on a par-4, a golfer would need to get their ball onto the green in two shots, and on a par-5, three shots. GIR is important because it strongly correlates with a golfer's scoring potential. The more greens a golfer can hit in regulation, the more birdie opportunities they will have and the fewer difficult up-and-downs they will face.
GIR is a popular statistic for golfers of all skill levels to track and can be done so through a golf app or by marking a GIR on a scorecard. Tracking GIR can help golfers understand their approach shot accuracy and distance control. For instance, if a golfer is consistently missing greens by being short, they may need to adjust their club selection. Similarly, if a golfer is consistently missing left or right, they may need to work on their accuracy.
A good GIR percentage for amateur golfers is generally considered to be above 33%, while for low handicappers, it is more than 50%. The PGA Tour record for GIR in a tournament is 69 out of 72 holes, achieved by Peter Jacobsen in 1995 and Jerry Kelly in 1996. Even the worst golfer on the PGA Tour typically has around a 60% GIR percentage over the course of a year.
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Fairways hit
'Fairways hit' is a key statistic in golf, referring to how many times a player's drive lands in the fairway. This is an important stat because hitting the fairway makes it easier to subsequently hit the green in regulation (GIR), which in turn increases birdie chances and improves scores.
When tracking fairways hit, golfers can identify trends in their driving accuracy. For example, they may notice that they consistently miss to the right or left, or that they are hitting the ball thin or fat. This information can then be used to make adjustments to their game, such as improving their alignment or wrist control.
The importance of hitting fairways is emphasised by the fact that, on average, golfers who hit the fairway are around 15% more likely to hit the green in regulation. Additionally, a golfer's score will be about ~.37 shots better when they hit the fairway compared to when they miss it. As such, tracking fairways hit can help golfers to lower their scores and decrease their handicap.
However, some sources argue that the importance of hitting fairways is overstated. While it is generally agreed that, all else being equal, it is better to hit the fairway, this is not always the case. For example, a golfer might be better off hitting the ball 250 yards into the rough rather than 225-235 yards into the fairway. This is because the added distance may give them an advantage that outweighs the benefit of hitting the fairway.
Ultimately, the importance of hitting fairways may depend on the layout of the course. On some courses, there may be obstacles such as trees or water hazards that make it more important to hit the fairway. Additionally, the width of the fairways can vary, with some courses having much narrower fairways that are more difficult to hit. As a general rule, low-handicap golfers should aim to hit the fairway 60% of the time or more, while high-handicap golfers may expect to hit the fairway less frequently.
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Total putts
Putting is a critical aspect of the game, and tracking your total putts can provide valuable insights into your putting skills and overall performance. By monitoring this statistic, you can identify trends and make informed adjustments to lower your scores.
The goal is to minimise the number of putts per hole and per round. For example, with two putts per hole, a golfer can achieve a total of 36 putts per round. According to the USGA, the average male golfer has around 40 putts per round, or 2.2 putts per hole. Amateur golfers often exceed this number, while professional golfers average about 1.8 putts per hole and 32 putts per round.
Improving your putting skills can significantly impact your overall score. By focusing on getting closer to the pin and reducing your first putt length, you can decrease the number of putts per hole and round. This is a crucial skill, and even leading tour pros only achieve 49% of their putts from 8 feet. Therefore, working on your putting skills and tracking your total putts can help you refine your game and lower your scores.
In addition to total putts, other key putting statistics include putts per hole, putts per round, and first putt length. By tracking these statistics, you can gain a deeper understanding of your putting performance and make more informed decisions about your practice routines and strategies.
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Scrambling
A successful scramble is achieved when a player misses the par but still manages to get onto the green and save par within the regulation number of shots. For example, on a par-4 hole, if a golfer hits their tee shot into the water, they would take a penalty stroke. If they then hit their third shot onto the green and sink the putt for par with their fourth shot, they have successfully scrambled.
Calculating scrambling statistics is straightforward: divide the total number of successful scrambles by the number of attempted scrambles and multiply by 100 to get a percentage. For instance, if a player attempted 40 scrambles and succeeded in 8, their scrambling average would be 20%.
While scrambling is a valuable skill, a high scrambling percentage can also indicate issues with a player's long game, as they are frequently finding themselves in difficult positions. Therefore, while it is an important statistic to track, it should not be the sole indicator of overall performance.
Additionally, scrambling is also a term used to describe a format of team play in golf tournaments, particularly in amateur competitions. In this context, scrambling refers to a team of three or four players, where each member's ball placement after the initial drive is used as the starting point for the rest of the team on that hole. This format promotes equalisation and allows players with varying strengths to contribute to their team's success.
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Strokes gained
The strokes gained equation uses the start and end position of the shot to work out a value. Once that value is determined, you need to take off the shot that has just been hit. This equation is used for all shot calculations, whether it is tee shots, approaches, short game or putting. Every shot has its own unique strokes gained value, which is determined by distance, accuracy, and location/lie type on the golf course.
For example, a pro golfer will sink an 8-foot putt about 50% of the time. So, if golfer A makes an 8-foot putt and golfer B misses an 8-foot putt, golfer A gains half a stroke against the field, and golfer B loses half a stroke against the field. If you were to compare them to each other, it would be a whole stroke. However, golfer A isn't trying to beat golfer B, but rather the field.
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