Scratch Vs 18 Handicap - How The Stats Compare
Data from Arccos Golf shows how and where scratch players make up a shot per hole on 18-handicappers


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We know the stats behind a scratch golfer, with zero digit players hitting 10 out of 18 greens, making a total of 2.2 birdies a round and 5.2 putts per round. But how does that compare to an 18-handicapper and which are the main areas where the biggest differences occur?
The stats in this article come courtesy of Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds worldwide using its Smart Sensors.
The first and most obvious area of difference between scratch and 18-handicap players comes with scoring, with scratch players averaging 2.2 birdies per round, 10.5 pars, 4.6 bogeys and just 0.7 doubles or worse, compared to 18-handicappers averaging just 0.4 birdies, 4 pars, 8.9 bogeys and 5.7 doubles or worse.
Scratch players play par-3s in 3.1 shots, par-4s in 4.2 shots and par-5s in 4.7, with 18-handicappers 0.8 shots higher on par-3s, 1.1 shots higher on par-4s and 1.3 shots higher on par-5s, illustrating that the longer the hole is, the more strokes a scratch golfer gains compared to an 18-handicapper.
The strokes are gained throughout the round of golf across all aspects of the game, whether it's putting, chipping, approaches and driving. A scratch player hits 56% of greens for example, with an 18-handicapper finding just 23%. Scratch players get up-and-down from inside 25 yards 57% of the time compared to 26% for an 18-handicapper.
The scratch golfer is also unsurprisingly significantly better off the tee, too, with an average distance of 259 yards, finding 51% of fairways versus 217 yards for an 18-handicapper, who finds 42% of fairways.
SCRATCH HANDICAP VS 18 HANDICAP - THE STATS
AVERAGE PUTTS PER ROUND
Scratch
- 1 putts: 5.2
- 2 putts: 11.5
- 3 putts+: 1.3
18-handicap
- 1 putts: 3.1
- 2 putts: 11.1
- 3 putts+: 3.7
AROUND THE GREEN
Scratch
- Average distance to pin 0-25 yards: 12ft
- Up-and-down 0-25 yards: 57%
- Average distance to pin 25-50 yards: 20ft
- Up-and-down 25-50 yards: 35%
18-handicap
- Average distance to pin 0-25 yards: 20ft
- Up-and-down 0-25 yards: 26%
- Average distance to pin 25-50 yards: 29ft
- Up-and-down 25-50 yards: 12%
SAND
Scratch
- Average distance to pin 0-25 yards: 17ft
- Up-and-down 0-25 yards: 39%
- Average distance to pin 25-50 yards: 24ft
- Up-and-down 25-50 yards: 27%
18-handicap
- Average distance to pin 0-25 yards: 27ft
- Up-and-down 0-25 yards: 15%
- Average distance to pin 25-50 yards: 35ft
- Up-and-down 25-50 yards: 9%
APPROACH
Scratch
- Greens in regulation: 56% (10/18)
- GIR approaches: 26ft
- All approaches: 44ft
18-handicap
- Greens in regulation: 23% (4/18)
- GIR approaches: 35ft
- All approaches: 81ft
OFF THE TEE
Scratch
- Distance off the tee: 259 yards
- Driving accuracy: 51%
18-handicap
- Distance off the tee: 217 yards
- Driving accuracy: 42%
SCORING
Scratch
- Par 3: 3.1
- Par 4: 4.2
- Par 5: 4.7
18-handicap
- Par 3: 3.9
- Par 4: 5.3
- Par 5: 6
Scratch
- Birdies: 2.2
- Par: 10.5
- Bogeys: 4.6
- Doubles+: 0.7
18-handicap
- Birdies: 0.4
- Par: 4
- Bogeys: 8.9
- Doubles+: 5.7
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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news, features, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as four Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 2-5. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max
Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM Max
Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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