‘1 In 53,000 Rounds’ - This Incredible 10-Handicapper Stat Shows Just How Good Tour Pros Are
According to Arccos data, a 10-handicap golfer could play every day for over a century and still never achieve the feat...
As 10-handicap golfers, you regularly shoot in the mid-to-low 80s, you're careful to keep the number of penalty strokes to a minimum, and you average around 230 yards with driver in hand.
But according to data from Arccos, a 10-handicap golfer is also only likely to hit all 18 greens in regulation once in every 51,000 rounds they play. That equates to playing golf once a day for 139 years. So if you have managed it, that is quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime achievement!
The stats in this article come courtesy of Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 800 million shots worldwide using its Smart Sensors. Another statistic from Arccos which makes our headline fact seem all the more head-scratching states that 10-index players only hit large greens (10,000 square feet or bigger) from 150 yards out in the fairway with a 51% success rate. That drops to 35% when the green is 3,000-4,000sq ft. or larger.
And when those players do miss the putting surface, their usual 15-yard shot from the rough takes the same number of average shots to hole out as a 91-foot putt. Using a similar example, a player with a handicap of 10 takes an average of three shots to hole out from around 35 yards in the fairway. That highlights the importance of trying to hit greens in regulation as often as possible to lower your score.
But be warned about going for the green regardless when there are bunkers around. For a 10 handicapper, a 15-yard bunker shot has a scoring average that is 0.25 strokes higher than its equivalent from the rough. A 15-yard bunker shot is also roughly 0.66 strokes higher than a 15 yard putt from approximately 45 feet.
To further illustrate our point at the difficulty behind hitting all 18 greens in regulation in a round, according to stats guru, Lou Stagner, you are more likely to see an ace on the PGA Tour than to see a player hit all 18 greens. The chances of a PGA Tour player hitting every GIR happens once in every 582 rounds, while it takes an average of 563 rounds per hole-in-one.
On the PGA Tour you are more likely to see an ace than to see a player hit all 18 greens. 🤯Chances a player hits all 18 greens▶️Once every ~582 roundsChances of a hole-in-one▶️Once every ~563 roundsNovember 19, 2021
On average, a PGA Tour golfer hits around 12 GIR per round and, as such, instances of even the best completing the mind-blowing feat are few and far between. Recent examples include Adam Svensson at the 2022 Honda Classic, Russell Knox at the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, and Akshay Bhatia in the same year at the 2021 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Also during 2021, LPGA Tour pro Jin-young Ko recorded an utterly astonishing 60 consecutive greens in regulation. Golf journalist Justin Ray pointed out that Tiger Woods' longest streak during his incredible 2000 season was 29, while the last PGA Tour player with a streak of 50+ was Mike Heinan in 1995.
LPGA doesn't have historical GIR streak numbers, but a couple notes for a broader perspective:Tiger's longest streak during his incredible 2000 season was 29Last PGA Tour player with a streak of 50+ was in 1995 (Mike Heinen)November 21, 2021
And not to dampen the mood further of those 10-handicappers who still believe it's possible, but amateurs often play far friendlier courses from the yellow or white tees while pros have completed the full set of GIR off the tips of some really difficult championship layouts.
It is certainly possible for amateurs to achieve 18 GIR in a round, but you might just have to forgo a few birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas parties to make it happen. And live until about 150...
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. An improving golfer who still classes himself as ‘one of the worst players on the Golf Monthly team’, Jonny enjoys playing as much as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Opens and is keen to make it an annual pilgrimage.
-
12-Time Simulator Golf Champion Claims Victory On Asian Tour
Nicknamed King of the Screen, Hongtaek Kim defeated Chonlatit Chuenboonngam in a playoff to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Tiger Woods' Iconic Red Polo Sells Out Within Hours Of Release On Sun Day Red Website
If you wanted to get hold of the famous red polo that Tiger dons, you would have had to be quick, as the first batch of the 'All Things Red' Collection sold out rapidly!
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Is It Better To Hit 75% Of Fairways Or Three-Putt Only Once Per Round? New Data Reveals All...
Using the latest data from Arccos, we explore which of these key areas could have the biggest impact on your scoring...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Fascinating Data Reveals How To Get From A 5-Handicap To Scratch... And It Could Also Hold The Key To Improvement For All Amateur Golfers!
The latest Arccos data suggests how to get from a 5-handicap to scratch, but could the answer also point to progress for all golfers?
By Barry Plummer Published
-
How Many Strokes Do Amateur Golfers Lose Each Round Due To Wayward Shots? The Numbers Paint An Interesting Picture...
For most amateur golfers, penalty strokes and recovery shots are inevitable, but how many do they chalk up per round? The latest Arccos data reveals the damage...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
REVEALED... The Coaching Tip That Golf Stats Guru Edoardo Molinari Used To Improve Viktor Hovland's Approach Play
The new Chief Data Strategist and Lead Tour Ambassador at Arccos revealed a key piece of advice that helped Hovland to win like 'never before'
By Barry Plummer Published
-
'If You're Not Tracking Data On Your Own Game, You Are Losing An Edge'... Arccos Stats Guru Edoardo Molinari Reveals Why Amateurs MUST Analyse Their Performance On The Golf Course
The three-time DP World Tour winner and new Chief Data Strategist at Arccos believes all amateurs should embrace statistics on the golf course...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Is Hitting Fairways Overrated? According To The Data, Obsessing Over The Short Grass Could Be A Mistake...
Every golfer wants to hit the fairway with as many tee shots as possible, but is it really as important as we make it out to be?
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Want To Save 5 Shots A Round? New Data Reveals The Key Differences Between 15- And 20-Handicappers
The difference between a 15- and 20-handicapper is much more nuanced than the obvious five shots...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
How To Break 80 In Golf - What The Stats Say
We take a look at some Arccos statistics for 8 handicappers to see what they do to regularly break 80...
By Elliott Heath Published