Scratch Vs 18 Handicap - How The Stats Compare
How and where scratch players make up a shot per hole on 18-handicappers
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 one-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.
VIDEO: Dan Parker details the key statistical differences between 18 handicap golfers and scratch golfers
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.
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.
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
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five 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 off of a six handicap. 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: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
-
'15 Seconds Too Late' - Former LIV Golfer Misses Out On Earning Start At PGA Tour-Sanctioned Event In Gut-Wrenching Style
Turk Pettit is a former member of Niblicks GC and was trying to earn a Korn Ferry Tour start after being dropped by LIV Golf following the League's first season
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
8 Things You May Have Forgotten About The 2023 LIV Golf Adelaide Event
LIV Golf's first visit to Australia was incident-packed in more ways than one - here are eight things you may have forgotten about the 2023 tournament
By Mike Hall 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
-
Revealed... The Distance You Need To Hit The Golf Ball To Outdrive 99.7% Of Male Amateurs
We all want to be the longest driver in our weekend four-ball, but only a select few can hit the ball far enough to be considered the longest amateurs. Here's that data that proves it...
By Barry Plummer Published