How Close To The Pin Do Amateur Golfers Hit Their Approach Shots?
We're used to seeing the best players in the world go 'pin hunting' - but here's how close club golfers hit their approaches...


Barry Plummer
The best players in the world only have eyes for the pin with their approach shots, right? Actually, that's a bit of a misconception.
Yes, it's not unusual to see professionals firing straight at the flag, especially if they're trying to make up ground on a Sunday afternoon.
However, there are occasions when they're just happy to find the center of the green and make a safe par with two putts.
Ask the average club golfer whether they'd take the center of the putting surface and two putts and most of them would bite your hand off every time.
To find out how close club golfers hit their approach shots from a range of yardages, we asked our official data partner, Shot Scope, to run some numbers.
In the table table below, you can see how you compare.
To get a good idea on approach play quality, we've displayed proximity to the pin for a range of distances.
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.
It should come as no surprise that the lower the handicap, the lower the average proximity to the hole.
Generally speaking, better players aren't only able to rely on better technique, be it from wedge range or with a mid to long iron in hand, but they're also able to hit the ball further.
And when you can hit the ball further with each club, you have a better chance of hitting the ball closer to the pin.
We know that scratch players hit the ball longer distances than mid to high handicap players, so this is another strength that helps them to hit the ball closer.
For example, a scratch player 150 yards from the pin might only need to hit a wedge to get it close; whereas a 20-handicap golfer might be hitting an 8-iron.
Handicap | All Distances | 50-100 Yards | 100-150 Yards | 150-200 Yards | 200 Yards + |
0 | 65 | 26 | 38 | 54 | 92 |
5 | 95 | 36 | 50 | 82 | 150 |
10 | 104 | 41 | 57 | 92 | 190 |
15 | 155 | 48 | 72 | 122 | 264 |
20 | 163 | 49 | 81 | 132 | 291 |
25 | 211 | 57 | 91 | 168 | 362 |
If this is hard to picture, the table below is another way of showing the difference in proximity to the hole by handicap level.
Again, these numbers have been supplied by Shot Scope.
Handicap | 0-15ft | 15-30ft | 0-30ft |
0 | 17% | 25% | 42% |
5 | 11% | 18% | 29% |
10 | 10% | 15% | 25% |
15 | 7% | 10% | 17% |
20 | 6% | 9% | 15% |
25 | 6% | 7% | 13% |
The bottom line is that the better the golfer, the closer they hit the ball to the pin from short, mid and long range, which will come as no surprise.
And when you can hit the ball closer to the pin with your approach shots, you're going to make more birdies.
Well, you should do.

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. A multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the England football team, The FA Cup, London 2012, and FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment, travel and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including seven World No.1s, and has attended and reported on numerous Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. He's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, UK.
- Barry PlummerStaff Writer
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
‘From The First Weekend In April Until About Last Week, You Didn’t Want To Be Around Me. It Drove Me Nuts. It Ate At Me. I Haven’t Been Happy. It’s Been Very Irritating’ – Brooks Koepka Opens Up On Recent Major Struggles
Brooks Koepka opened up on the frustrations of some poor recent Major performances after bouncing back in the first round of the US Open
-
LIV Golf Leaderboard At The 2025 US Open
A total of 14 LIV Golfers are present at Oakmont Country Club, with all enduring different levels of success over the first round at the US Open
-
Follow These 8 Rules To Keep Double Bogeys Off Your Scorecard
Joel Tadman runs through the 8 rules golfers need to follow if they want to keep double bogeys off their scorecard, with the help of data from Shot Scope
-
Golf's Putting Precipice: At What Distance Is A 3-Putt More Likely Than A 1-Putt?
We all would like to improve our proximity to the hole, but at what distance is a 3-putt more likely than a 1-putt? This data reveals the putting precipice...
-
Do You Drive The Ball Further Than Other Golfers In Your Country (And What About Other Nations Too)?
Thanks to the latest Shot Scope Data, we can now reveal which country has the longest amateur driving distance average. See the full top-10 leaderboard here...
-
How Far Does The Average Amateur Golfer Hit Their 3-Wood?
Hitting a 3-wood is a valuable skill in golf, but how far does the average amateur golfer hit this versatile club? The latest Shot Scope data reveals all...
-
Do You Play Par-3s Better Than The Average Amateur Golfer? Compare Using The Latest 2025 Data....
Amateur golfers can make or break their round based on par-3 scoring, but how well does the average player navigate these tricky tests? This data reveals all...
-
How Far Does The Average Amateur Golfer Hit Their 4-Iron?
The 4-iron is a versatile ally to amateur golfers, helping to escape trouble and eat up distance, but how far does the average golfer hit this useful club?
-
How Often Would An Amateur Golfer Hit The 12th Green At Augusta National?
The stunning 12th hole at Augusta National is an iconic Masters test, but have you ever wondered how you might fare against the famous par 3 at Amen Corner?
-
How Far Does The Average Female Club Golfer Hit Their Driver?
We've looked at the data... Find out if you are hitting your driver an average distance