Arccos, one of the best golf shot tracking apps, has unveiled a full refresh of its in-play screens, a brand new mapping solution and detailed the launch of its Gen 4 Smart Sensors.

Available from March, the new in-play experience aims to deliver a sleek, modern interface to help its users gain smarter and faster access to essential insights on the course. Arccos uses Sensors inserted into the tops of grips to mark club selection and shot locations. It then uses this data to provide a wealth of information about your performance, including Strokes Gained for every area of the game.

The upcoming enhanced course mapping introduces high-resolution 2D and 3D hole visuals, plus a new pinch-to-zoom functionality to help golfers navigate the hole they're playing. The company has also announced a new and improved A.I. Rangefinder feature, with the updates hoped to produce "a more intuitive way to think, plan, and play smarter golf."

“We set out to create the most seamless game-tracking experience, and this is a huge leap forward,” said Dave LeDonne, VP of Product at Arccos.

“The new in-play interface is smarter, more visually compelling, and incredibly intuitive. It’s just the beginning of an exciting wave of innovations we have planned for 2025.”

The upcoming Gen 4 Smart Sensors, which will replace the Gen3+ Smart Sensors, come in either Green or Smoke colorways and go on sale on February 18th (Green) and March 18th (Smoke) with an RRP of $249.99. They come in packs of 16 - featuring two extra sensors for those who switch clubs in and out of the bag. They also come with Arccos' annual free sensor replacement program.

Arccos has now tracked over 1.2 billion shots and has "trillions" of data points recorded from over 22 million tracked rounds. As well as being the Official Game Tracker of the PGA Tour, it also has US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, European Ryder Cup vice captain Edoardo Molinari and presenter Erik Anders Lang among its ambassadors.

Driving distance is of the most significant factors that influences a player's handicap index, with golfers who are able to crush it off the tee tending to play off lower numbers.

According to the latest Arccos data, released as part of their 2023 distance report, the difference in driving distance between the average scratch golfer (245 yards) and the average 30-handicapper (187 yards) is more than 50 yards, but how does age affect those numbers?

The same report suggests that as an amateur golfer reaches their 40s, their driving distance average tends to start declining, and that trend continues throughout the rest of their lives.

So, what happens to the correlation when you compare age and handicap index together? In this article, we explore whether the average 30-year-old 15-handicap golfer hits the ball further than the average 50-year-old scratch golfer...

30-Year-Old 15-Handicapper vs 50-Year-Old Scratch Golfer (Male): Who Drives It Further?

According to the Arccos driving distance report, the average 15-handicap 30-year-old drives the ball 227 yards, whereas a 50-year-old amateur playing off scratch will drive the ball 241 yards on average.

A 50-year-old playing off scratch actually drives the golf ball further on average than players of any age that play off a handicap of 10 or higher.

There is also no difference between a 60-year-old scratch golfer and a 30-year-old 15-handicapper in terms of driving distance, with both averaging 227 yards off the tee.

30-Year-Old 15-Handicapper vs 50-Year-Old Scratch Golfer (Female): Who Drives It Further?

In a similar patter to the data for male golfers, a 50-year-old female amateur who plays off scratch will drive the ball further than a 15-handicap 30-year-old on average.

The 50-year-old has an average driving distance of 203 yards, while the 15-handicapper is coming up 11 yards shorter at just 192. The 50-year-old scratch player also outdrives the average 10-handicap 40-year-old, again highlighting the importance of driving distance in maintaining a low index.

How Can I Increase My Driving Distance Average?

The quickest wins in terms of increasing driving distance come at setup. To gain extra yards, you need to increase your ball speed and make a centred strike with the optimal launch angle.

Having the incorrect stance width is a huge power leak, so avoid being too narrow at address as this can reduce your range of motion and impact negatively on your stability.

To fix this, make a nice wide stable base with your feel outside of your shoulder line. This will create a more natural tilt, improving your launch angle and reducing spin with your driver.

When you consider the size of the Arccos community, which collects shot data from hundreds of thousands of members around the world, you can learn some really interesting and valuable lessons from the information it collects.

I was recently shown one particular example, which looked specifically at the clubs most frequently registered with the shot-tracking service. When a member joins, they are asked to register a set number of clubs that they will use to record their data on the course... and it appears some are far more popular than others.

In Layman's terms, If you put every registered golf club from every Arccos member on a fairway (yes - you would need to be a pretty large fairway), and counted up the quantity of each club into smaller sub-sections, you would be able to see which selections amateurs make most often when collating their preferred golf bag setup.

Fortunately, we don't have to go through that laborious process, and instead I can share with you some stark data which could spell the end for long-irons...

What Are The Most Popular Clubs For Amateur Golfers?

Unsurprisingly, the driver remains king. Over 10% of all registered clubs through Arccos are drivers, further exemplifying not only their importance to the amateur golfer but also their almost gravitational appeal.

Let's face it, as soon as we hear about the best Black Friday deals or the latest product launches, we all head straight for the big sticks in a bid to hit the ball further and play better golf. But, sadly, not all clubs receive the same love and affection.

The 'scoring clubs' appear next in the list, maybe due to positive experiences associated with their ability to setup a birdie opportunity or to help us get out of trouble when needed.

The fact that these clubs often come included as part of a standard set, it's unsurprising that the 7-iron (7.25%), 8-iron (7.19%) and 9-iron (7.18%) tend to appear in the majority of amateur's bags.

Sadly, the further down the irons-spectrum you travel, the rarer their sighting becomes.

Once upon a time, most golfers around the world would have carried a long-iron or two in the bag, but with the introduction of hybrids and a wider variety of fairway woods, this appears to no longer be the case.

While some long-irons appear to be hanging on in there, with a 4-iron accounting for 3.41% of registered clubs with Arccos members, a 3-iron is chosen far less often (0.8%) - ranking as the 25th most popular selection.

Interestingly, a 3-hybrid and a 5-wood at 2.64% and 2.32% respectively, appear to be the preferred choices for golfers as they curate their perfect set up and look for options at the bottom end of the bag, likely due to their ease of use in relation to their iron counterparts.

The biggest casualty of this particular data set is the trusty 2-iron.

I've had a short but intense affinity with this particular club, derived from witnessing Rory McIlroy majestically stinging one to 11-feet from 202 yards, as he pipped Robert MacIntyre to the Scottish Open title in 2023.

It would appear, however, that many amateur golfers do not share my enthusiasm for this iconic club. With the 2-iron accounting for just 0.31% of all clubs registered by Arccos members, perhaps we are finally witnessing the death of the long iron.

With both 3-woods and 5-woods taking a much chunkier share of the pie, and four different hybrids ranking in above the 2-iron in the popularity standings, the future looks bleak for this once sought-after club.

We all know that increasing distance off the tee is a key factor in reducing your handicap, but if you aren't able to keep the ball in-play then you will run into problems later down the line.

Hitting driver is great to impress your friends or attack the passive holes on the course, but dispersion can often be a casualty of increased power. According to Arccos data, over 72% of all tee shots in amateur golf are taken with driver, making it the overwhelming favourite in the club selection pool.

While missing the fairway in the rough doesn't necessarily have a hugely negative impact on your scoring, putting yourself way out of position in the hazard, trees or native areas will. Hitting a fairway finder with a club that still provides a decent punch of distance is therefore a great alternative, but surprisingly only 9.4% of tee shots are hit using a 3-wood... and I can't understand why.

Driver vs 3-Wood: Distance From The Middle Of The Fairway

I must say that I am surprised by the statistic, especially when you consider that over 88% of amateur golfers hit within 35-yards of the fairway centre line when using 3-wood. That figure is only slightly higher than the 85% success rate with driver, but marginal gains in this game can make a big difference.

Almost 50% of players are able to hit within 15-yards of the fairway centre line with the fairway wood in hand, and that to me seems like an absolute no-brainer for any holes where the fairway is tight or the reward for distance isn't overly significant.

My point here is not that amateur golfers should not hit driver (they absolutely should), and I am not disputing the importance of distance off the tee, but I feel that using it on almost three quarters of all tee shots is perhaps a little naive.

Take my home club, for example. At Sand Moor, the par-4 9th has out-of-bounds running all the way down the right side. The green is easily reachable with a wood and an iron (and a scoring club at that), but finding the fairway and avoiding the white stakes is crucial.

The same can be said for the 11th, the 12th (par-5 so needs a couple of nicely struck irons) and the 18th, with plenty of other opportunities to choose less than driver if you want to plot your way safely through the course.

I'd go as far as saying that pulling the big stick on more than 70% of tee shots is actually completely unnecessary, and in most cases counter-intuitive to good course management.

How Do I Hit A 3-Wood?

Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Peter Finch recently shared his top tips on how to flush your fairway woods, and they couldn't be simpler!

1. Don't try to help the ball into the air - there is enough loft on the club, even if you hit the ball with a descending blow.

2. Keep your sternum over the ball through impact - this will help to prevent you backing off and trying to scoop the ball into the air.

3. Control the low point of the swing - just bruise the turf after making contact with the ball.

Give them a try the next time you visit the range, and give the 3-wood some love next time you find yourself on the tee boxes

As amateur golfers, we often have misguided notions in our heads about how far we hit iron shots or how many 3-putts we are expected to make per round – but the reality is we need to cut ourselves some slack.

Being realistic on the golf course is one of the fundamental golf tips that many professionals will share with you, especially when it comes to our performance on the greens.

In this article, thanks to the latest Arccos data, we reveal how often amateur players hole their putts from key distance ranges and even break it down by handicap to help you manage your expectations...

How Many Putts Do Amateur Golfers Make From Key Distances On The Greens?

When faced with a putt from inside two feet, a scratch golfer is expected to hole out 97 percent of the time. This number reduces in line with the increase of a player's handicap index, with a 5-handicapper (93%), 10-handicapper (91%), 15-handicapper (86%) and a 20-handicapper (85%) all expected to make at least four out of five in that range.

That figure might shock a few, especially those towards the top end of the handicap spectrum, as plenty of amateur golfers will feel they are dropping shots on the field if they slide on past.

The picture from between three feet and five feet paints a similar picture in terms of correlation, but there is a much more alarming decline in make percentage for all golfers. As indicated in the graph below, a scratch golfer makes around 69 percent of putts from this range, while a 15-handicapper can expect less than half (47%) to find the bottom of the cup.

With that data in mind, perhaps it's time to shift the narrative when standing over a 'makeable' putt to reflect the increased odds of having to settle for a two-putt.

As I headed further into the data, looking at the putts from six to nine feet, I was shocked by the make percentage of what I would consider to be a decent chance on the greens, when In fact golfers at every ability level from scratch to 20-handicap make less than 40 percent of putts at this crucial length.

As someone who plays off a handicap at the top end of this data set, I initially struggled to accept that players of my ability make around a quarter (26%) of putts from six to nine feet – but upon further reflection I would say that is probably accurate.

Sometimes, amateur golfers can be guilty of inflating their perception of what success looks like on the golf course, and our previous performances, but ultimately the data doesn't lie.

As you can see in the graph above, things start to look rather bleak when you focus on any putt length between 10 feet and 40 feet. The difference in make percentage between a scratch golfer and golfers at any other handicap level, from 25 to 39 feet, is around 1 percent, and there is no difference at all for putts from over 40 feet.

That suggests that a 20-handicapper is just as likely to hole out from 40-feet as someone playing off a mark 20 shots better, exemplifying the lottery of long putts and the premium placed on distance control and three-putt avoidance.

The beauty of this data is that it shows you where to focus your attention, should you want to close the gap on golfers with a lower handicap index than your own. If there is little difference between the success rates of putts from outside 10 feet, perhaps attention on the best putting tips and expert putting drills from close range would be the sensible next step.

How Many Putts Should I Make Per Round In Total?

The USGA states that the 'average golfer' makes around 40 putts per round, which is just over two per hole. This emphasises the importance on maintaining a solid two-putt run wherever possible, as costly three-putts then increase the necessity for a few more to be made on the first attempt later down the line. Balancing the books with putting is all about marrying the line, speed and read... so be sure to put in the work away from the course if you want to see your scores drop!

There has always been a debate around 'youth vs experience' in sport, with opposing arguments for which provides the greater pathway to success.

Golf is a lifelong sport, played by participants across the age-spectrum at varying stages of ability – and for many it's a vital part of their existence . As a sport, there are certain scenarios where either youth or experience can be arguably more valuable, but how much does age impact on how far players hit the golf ball?

Thanks to the latest Arccos data, we are able to share a tee-shot-specific answer to that question, and reveal the age amateur golfers hit the longest drives...

At What Age Does An Amateur Golfer Hit Their Driver The Furthest?

Before we get into which age range of golfer hits the ball the furthest with their driver, it's important first to set out the parameters.

For this dataset, age categories have mostly been broken down into 10-year sections starting with golfers in their twenties and finishing with golfers in their seventies. The only caveat to that is a smaller cohort of golfers at the younger-end of the spectrum, ranging from 15-19 years old.

As the data graphics below indicate, the age range that male amateur golfers drive the golf ball the furthest on average is during their twenties. This can be said for every analysed handicap group, and while this might not come as a total surprise it is interesting to see a total dominance for this age category across the board.

With exception of the plus-figure golfers at the top end of the amateur game, where the 15-19 category ranked runner-up, the second highest ranking age category for driving distance was the thirties.

15-19 assumed bronze for any golfers at scratch or above and, as probably expected, the driving distance averages followed a trend of driving distance averages decreasing in line with your age.

Interestingly, however, their is proof in this data that age is just a number – with the driving distance average for a plus-figure handicap golfer in their 70s (213 yards) being longer than that of any age golfer in the 25-handicap and up group.

That theme continues with single-figure golfers in their sixties having a higher driving distance average than a golfer of any age playing off 25 or higher, while a single-figure golfer in their fifties averages a longer driving distance than a player of any age who has a handicap index of 15 or higher.

When you consider that the lowest age-related average driving distance for a plus-figure handicapper is 213 yards, and 209 for a golfer with a handicap less than 5, the correlation between driving distance and handicap index becomes even more obvious.

How Can I Improve My Driving Distance?

So, if you want to improve your driving distance, and ultimately your handicap, what can you do about it? Firstly, generating more power in the golf swing should be a priority, while also ensuring that you create the correct driver launch angle.

Adding a few yards to your tee shots might not solve all of your problems, but the data suggests that the further you hit it off the tee; the more chance you have got to reduce your handicap and shoot lower scores.

Game-tracking platform Arccos has announced it has recorded the one billionth shot since launching in 2012.

The official game tracker of the PGA Tour says its on-course data set now includes 2.5 trillion data points recorded during 20 million rounds played by its hundreds of thousands of worldwide members.

According to Arccos, the milestone strike was taken by an Australian amateur golfer called Jordan Cook on Sunday, July 21. Playing the seventh hole at Beverley Park Golf Club in suburban Sydney, the 31-year-old hit an 8-iron from 145 yards out.

Reacting to the news, Arccos' CEO & co-founder Sal Syed said: “One billion shots is a massive number, but it’s really just the beginning of the journey we are on to revolutionize the game by connecting every golfer and the entire golf industry to what’s happening on the course.

“Arccos was born from the belief that on-course data is the game’s most valuable data. We’ve made huge strides toward capturing that data simply, accurately and at scale and are leveraging it to drive the performance of our members from top tour players to everyday amateurs, as well as our business partners across the OEM, club fitting, retail, green grass and instruction segments.

"The opportunities before us are seemingly boundless and we have the team in place to achieve many, many great things.”

Arccos - whose ambassadors include Matt Fitzpatrick, Edoardo Molinari, and Scottie Scheffler's caddie, Ted Scott - recently introduced a new aspect to its shot-tracking product called 'PGA Tour Quality Approach Shot' which highlights when a player has equalled or bettered the PGA Tour average from the same distance and terrain.

The shot-tracking company says it "allows amateurs to contextualize their best shots from each round versus the performance of the world’s greatest players."

The Arccos app allows players to better understand their own game while offering in-depth analysis and tips which can help golfers lower their scores and their Handicap index.

Are you reluctant to go to the practice ground or have no time or inclination to hit balls? You’re not alone. Many men and women admit that they never practice, yet according to the latest Arccos data, the typical mid-handicapper would benefit enormously from choosing to practice, rather than playing golf for an extra hour or two a week.

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I find practicing boring. It doesn’t matter how much of a fun spin I try to put on it by aiming at targets, experimenting with shaping shots, trying to ‘play the course’ on the range by using different clubs, it simply doesn’t excite me. Beating a bucket of balls is still boring! Yet I’m the first to admit that when I do put in a small amount of time at the practice ground, even just one basket of balls a week to work on a swing move, it pays dividends.

While playing may be the more convenient and fun choice, it certainly isn’t the choice that will reward you with improvement. You won’t magically hit more greens or make more putts just by playing more. That’s where practice comes in. The beauty of practice is the monotony of repetition builds muscle memory. Practicing gives you the opportunity to figure out what feels right and what works before you are out on the course. There’s no point trying to fix a fault during a round of golf, you are better off just trying to play with it and scramble your way round.

Know WHAT To Practice

Keeping a record of your stats, like the number of fairways and greens you hit in regulation, is the only true way to understand the areas of your game that are the weakest and where you can make the most improvement. Thankfully there are some cracking golf apps that take the chore of keeping analytics alongside your scorecard away. One of them is Arccos Golf.

The statisticians among you will be fascinated to know some of the facts that prove the benefits of practice based on the performance of different handicap groups. Performance data benchmark numbers supplied by Arccos Golf certainly makes compelling reading. Did you know, for instance, that women playing off a handicap of five or below hit 56% of greens in regulation, versus a 20-handicapper who hits just 20%

These stats are compiled using sophisticated software that tracks the shots Arccos users hit with every club in the bag via a smart sensor cleverly installed in the grip of the club. The averages are taken from Arccos users who clock over 3.5 million rounds of golf (that’s 180 million shots) over 12 months.

Another one that stands out for me is the percentage of birdies, pars and bogeys made by different handicappers. The most interesting take-out here is that making more birdies per round isn’t the key to lower scores, it’s actually just keeping the big numbers off the scorecard. This is proven by the fact that a single figure golfer playing off five only averages one or two birdies per round, but what they do best is make a minimum of 9 pars - that’s triple the number of pars that the 20-handicapper makes. And guess what? In order to achieve this level of consistency takes practice.

Plan Your Practice

Structure is the key to improving. That means heading to the driving range, short game area or putting green with a plan. Instead of just hitting a basket of balls, set yourself targets before you start like the number of shots you hit within X yards of a flag. To improve your skills, try to hit five draws (right-to-left), five fades (left-to-right), five high shots and five low shots. The last five balls can be used for a nearest the pin challenge or simply working on a swing move or feeling.

The same applies to the short game. Don’t just chip mindlessly at flags. Have a purpose. On the putting green you might set the goal of holing 10 two-foot putts in a row before leaving or lagging 10 30-foot putts within tap-in range. The Arccos scratch golfer holes 97% of 0-2 foot putts. The 20-handicapper just 85%. The gap gets even wider the further from the hole you putt from, which explains why the average scratch golfer takes no three putts, versus a 20-handicapper who records four  a round. The difference of putts per round between a scratch and 20-handicapper is a whopping six putts! All those shots were wasted on the greens.

No Time? No excuse!

You’ve got a busy job and work long hours, or you’re just busy doing other things. Well there’s always a spare hour in every week if you make the time and schedule a practice slot. It could be on a set day to give you structure and make things easier. Plan your practice and you’ll make real progress.

I'm Not Good Enough, It Won't Benefit Me...

Stop making excuses - yes it absolutely will. At any age and any starting ability. I hear high handicappers lamenting their terrible scores all the time, blaming their age on their inability to perform. “I’m too old to improve” is always said with a certain tone of inevitably in sad acceptance of the decline of their game, as if they are one golfing step away from the grave of giving up. Stop the despair. Not being good enough to practice is nonsense. If you’re a high handicapper you have even more reason to hit a basket of balls every week. The stats don’t lie. You’ve got plenty to work on. 

Short Game Secret

I talk about practicing the short game with every woman I play with because many are shamefully poor on the greens, usually terrible at lag putting and fail to convert those ‘must-make’ short putts (remember that critical Arccos scoring stat above - scratch golfers have NO three-putts.) 

And don’t get me started on how many women I know hate bunkers and tell me they can’t get out! I actually see them aiming away from greens to avoid them! Spend time working on your sand skills as these shots are a scorecard saver. The Arccos average scratch woman gets up and down 39% of the time from a sand shot of 0-25 yards in length. The 20-handicapper makes a feeble 13% of the same saves. 

There’s no physical effort required in hitting a chip or a putt and these are the skills that anyone, no matter age or physical ability, can be as good as a tour professional at. So stop making the excuses and take 30 minutes out of your week to head to the short game area with a wedge or two in hand. Putt on the carpet every night. Get one of those fun ball retriever machines that fires the golf ball back at you. Vow to keep the three-putts off your scorecard next round.

No matter what your handicap or ability, the fact is golf is hard and it can take a long time to get good at this game. There’s no secret to getting better at golf. Without a doubt, the more you practice, the better you will get and the more confident you will become. Shooting lower scores and winning the occasional competition is fun! Surely that’s reason enough to practice.

In the modern era, there are many, many ways to help improve your golf game, with one of those being monitoring your data to find your strengths and weaknesses.

The best golf accessories have the ability to do just that and, right now, during Amazon Prime Day, one of our favorite brands, Arccos, has multiple discounts on grips and Caddie Link devices. We have also included a modest deal from the Arccos site on the outstanding Smart Sensors as well. 

First things first, though, what is Arccos? Well, it is designed to help golfers understand their golf games even more. It works via sensors being screwed into the top of the club and, when paired with your mobile phone device, allows users to keep their statistics throughout the round. All you have to do is create an Arccos account, pair the sensors and, when you arrive at the course, open the Arccos app on your smartphone or Apple watch and select the correct golf course you're about to play.

To begin with, there are the sensors themselves which, once connected and paired, are activated as soon as the golf club is taken out of the golf bag. The information provided takes into account real-time yardages including slope, wind speed, temperature, humidity and even altitude. Where it stands out is when you get back into the clubhouse, as you gain access to a whole host of interesting stats. Aside from how far you actually hit each club, it also tells you how many strokes you gained compared to typical performances from those of the same handicap.

The only slight negative is that you need to have your smartphone in your pocket to detect club selection and the impact sound that signals a shot rather than a practice swing. However, this is where the Caddie Link comes in, as it can be clipped onto the belt, or pocket, to help with the comfort aspect.

In testing, the Link meant our phone could stay in the bag and not cause a distraction. Throughout the 20 rounds we tested it for, it had an almost 100% shot detection success, with the only misses being a couple of finesse greenside wedge shots - a definite improvement on the previous method.

Finally, along with the Caddie Link, Arccos even offer Smart Grips, which are also reduced this Amazon Prime Day. There are 13 in total, as well as a putter sensor that goes into the grip. The model in question is the Golf Pride MCC Plus4, which is regarded as one of the best golf grips on the market.

Along with the MCC Plus4, there is also the Golf Pride Tour Velvet, with each particular grip offering a different material and look. Importantly, all provide excellent feel and possess the Arccos technology that we know and love!

Finally we have included a link to the Arccos site because there is a modest deal from them on the Smart Sensors as well which provided excellent insight and analysis in our testing. You can also get the black Smoke Smart Sensors at a discount too which look great.

Even for the most talented and consistent amateur golfers, finding the green in regulation on every hole is not a realistic ambition. The PGA Tour average is just 64 percent, so taking time to assess the danger and find the 'good' miss is crucial.

Rough and bunkers are common foes for golfers around the world, but which is the lesser of two evils? Thanks to the latest Arccos data, we can now answer this important question and help you avoid needless bogeys on the golf course...

Rough Or Bunker... Which Is The Better Miss?

Often the answer to questions like this depend on a number of factors, like distance to the hole and handicap index of the player, and while the former is true in this case, I was surprised to find the data was pretty consistent irrespective of ability level.

Ultimately, whether you are a scratch player or a 20-handicapper, playing from the bunker as opposed to the rough from anywhere inside 20 yards will cost you at least 0.2 shots on average. So, if you are a player that consistently finds the sand traps, those small margins can quickly add up and lead to a bigger score than you had hoped for.

The graph below shows the data in more detail, specifically the amount of shots gained by playing from the rough as opposed to the bunker at varying distances. Interestingly, the correlation suggests the further away from the hole you get, the less significant the impact on your scoring becomes.

What Are The Chances Of Getting Up-And-Down?

When missing the sand, and facing a shot of up to 25 yards to the green, a scratch player (59%) is more than twice as likely to get the ball up-and-down in comparison to a 20-handicapper (23%). 

This upward trend, while slightly slower, continues with a 15-handicapper (29%), 10-handicapper (37%) and 5-handicapper (46%).

When you introduce sand to the equation, the numbers decrease slightly. A scratch player is now only expected to get up-and-down 39 percent of the time, and the gap to a 20-handicapper (13%) increases further as they are three times less likely to achieve this.

The gap between a 15-handicapper (17%), 10-handicapper (21%) and 5-handicapper (28%) also closes, evidencing further the difficulty increase when playing from the bunkers for amateur golfers.

How Does That Compare To The PGA Tour?

While we are regularly treated to the totally unrelatable sand save sorcery from PGA Tour golfers, it appears they really aren't so different from us – at least not in this case.

From inside 10 yards, PGA Tour players get up and down from the bunker 65 percent of the time, but that number shoots right up to 87 percent when playing from other lies (including rough).

The discrepancy reduces drastically for any distance between 10 and 30 yards from the green, as demonstrated in the graph below, but the data exemplifies the benefits of avoiding the greenside bunkers where possible.

For all amateur golfers, shooting lower scores is the overall goal... and one that can be quite elusive. It's a good idea to read the best golf tips, understand how far you hit the clubs in your bag and work on the fundamentals, like the perfect golf grip, but ultimately much of the improvement you are searching for can be found in the latest Arccos data.

The obvious conclusion would be to make more birdies, but it's not quite as simple as that. In fact, for a 10- to 15-handicapper, there are other aspects of the game that you should be working on to find those gains.

In this article, we share the key areas you should be focusing on to successfully shave five shots off your handicap...

10- vs 15-Handicap: How To Save 5 Shots

It's important to note that irrespective of your handicap index, data suggests that the most effective way to improve your handicap is by improving your long game. Unsurprisingly, this correlates with the path to improvement for a 10- to 15-handicapper, with 67% of the potential gains being found with the driver or on approach to the green.

These areas account for 3.35 of the 5-shot difference, with approach play ranking as the most significant. As you can see in the graph below, approach play accounts for almost two-fifths (39%) of the gap between a 10- and 15-handicapper, with short-game providing less than one stroke (0.7).

There is also a strong link between scoring and handicap index, but perhaps not in the way you might think. Similarly to the difference between a 15- and 20-handicapper, making less bogeys or worse is actually more important than making more birdies.

When comparing a 10- and 15- handicap, the lower-indexed golfer shoots fewer bogeys (0.9) and double-bogeys or worse (1.6), equating to a disparity of around 4.1 shots.

The amount of birdies made is surprisingly close, with a 10-handicapper averaging 0.7 and a 15-handicapper averaging 0.5 per round.

Greens in regulation percentage also presents a stark difference in the data. A 15-handicap golfer hits 27% of greens on average, while a 10-handicap golfer finds an average of 36%.

That equates to a contrast of 1.6 greens per round, and when hitting the greens a lower-handicap golfer will hit it closer to the pin. The data suggests that difference is around two-feet between a 10- (31ft) and 15-handicapper (33ft) on average.

That could be down the fact that it's more likely that the lower-handicap golfer will be playing from the fairway, or that they have achieved a slightly longer tee shot and being closer to the green for their next shot.

Arccos data suggests that a 10-handicapper (46%) will hit the fairway marginally more often than a 15-handicapper (44%), and produce longer drives on average (233 yards) than a player who is indexed five shots higher (222 yards).

The most distinct differentiation between the two profiles of golfer comes down to scoring, and limiting the big numbers on scorecards. Combining that with improved clubhead speed and a focus on the long game will yield the required results to shave those five shots off your index.

Former US Open champion, Matt Fitzpatrick, has teamed up with Arccos, the Official Game Tracker of the PGA Tour, as an investor and Tour ambassador.

The Englishman, who is well known for collecting stats whenever he plays, would appear to be the perfect match for Arccos, a company that provides real-time on-course data to deliver golfers powerful insights.

The World No. 14 will continue to use Arccos to analyze his performances, and he’ll also play more of a role working with the company, with a view to helping golfers of all abilities to shoot lower scores.

“I’ve always had a huge interest in the power of data and how it can help me play my best. That’s why I started to work with Edoardo Molinari and what drove me to use Arccos,” said Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion.

“I’m thoroughly impressed by how much they've helped golfers make smarter decisions and shoot lower scores. On Tour we use the data to shave a fraction of a stroke so you can imagine the impact Arccos insights have for amateur players.”

The eight-time DP World Tour winner is the first client of Molinari’s analytics service, now called Arccos Pro Insights, which he credits as key to his US Open victory at Brookline Country Club.

Arccos Pro Insights counts more than 35 Tour professionals as clients – including Viktor Hovland, and Nelly Korda – with Molinari serving as Arccos’ Chief Data Strategist and Lead Tour Ambassador.

Arccos, which launched its Link Pro shot tracking assistant earlier this year, has built the sport’s largest on-course dataset, and encompasses over 900 million shots and more than 1.5 trillion data points across 18 million rounds recorded by Arccos members.

The system, which features a smart sensor in each club grip and is paired with a mobile app, is a trusted tool for both amateurs and elite players worldwide.

“Matt’s success to this point and the role data has played is so impressive to me and speaks to the authenticity of his relationship with Arccos,” said Sal Syed, Arccos CEO & Co-Founder.

“He is a user and true advocate for the power of what we have built, especially through his accomplishments while working with Edoardo.

“With Matt now an investor in Arccos and using the system to capture his data, the insights he provides will help fuel our product development and further accelerate our growth.”

When speaking to other amateur golfers about the most important aspects of the game to focus their improvement efforts on, the responses are often conflicting. Some believe that finding the fairway with your tee shot is the crucial factor in lowering your handicap, while others believe tightening up your performance on and around the greens is the key to success.

Well, rather than spending anymore time hypothesising, I went straight to the data to settle the argument once and for all. Using the latest Arccos data, I explored whether it would be be better to hit 75% of fairways or three-putt just once per round, which threw up some interesting results...

Is It Better To Hit 75% Of Fairways Or Three-Putt Only Once Per Round?

The logical place to start here would be to separate the data for each aspect and understand its value in helping you to shoot better scores on the golf course. So, let's start with hitting fairways.

As you can see in the graphic below, the difference between the number of fairways hit by a scratch player and a 20-handicapper is just 10 percent. In fact, for every 5 shot difference in the handicap index, the average improves by just two or three percent, and the overall difference across the entire spectrum is around one fairway per round.

The PGA Tour average for fairways hit is just 54 percent, which would potentially indicate that hitting the fairway isn't necessarily a strong separating factor across the different ability levels.

So, what is it that sets them apart? Let's take a look instead at the three-putt percentage stats.

As you can see in the graphic below, a scratch golfer makes around 1.3 three-putts per round as an average, compared to 4 three-putts for a 20-handicapper. That's a significant difference of 2.7 shots per round, if you assume a 2-putt is the baseline for all golfers.

For every five shots on the handicap index, this figure increases by around 0.7 shots, which at face value would appear more detrimental to scoring than the differentiation between the number of fairways hit.

That becomes even more apparent when you factor in the distances that players are putting from. On average, a golfer with a 10-handicap or higher three-putts a third of the time when leaving a putt of longer than 30ft.

This value rises more quickly with higher handicap golfers, as might be expected, but that same sharp increase doesn't necessarily exist with the amount of fairways hit per round.

While there is only a ten percent difference between the number of fairways hit by a scratch golfer compared to a 20-handicapper, the difference in the number of three-putts from outside 30ft is more like 20 percent.

That would indicate that three-putting just once per round, which would be lower than the average for a scratch golfer, would have a more positive impact on your scoring than hitting 75 percent of fairways. So, next time you arrive early for your weekend comp, you might want to head to the putting green for a bit of lag putt practice.

As many low-handicappers will know, the journey towards becoming a scratch golfer can be a daunting and arduous prospect. Despite the best tips and expert drills, finding those marginal gains can be very tricky if you don't know where to start.

It doesn't have to be this way, however, as the latest Arccos data highlights the key areas you should be focusing on in your pursuit of progress – and it could help all amateurs to get better at golf...

How Do I Get From A 5-Handicap To Scratch?

The first thing to mention is that getting from a 5-handicap to scratch is not a linear process, and is certainly not the same for everyone. That being said, there are plenty of things you can focus on that will help to maximise the peaks, and according to the latest Arccos data, cleaning up the bogeys could actually be more important than adding birdies to your game.

The average scratch golfer makes just 2.2 birdies per round, one better than a 5-handicapper's 1.2, but the disparity in scoring lies in the bogeys.

Scratch golfers make almost two less bogeys per round (4.6) than a 5-handicapper (6.4), which is the biggest difference across all four measured outcomes (birdie, par, bogey, double-bogey).

The data provides further context to the differentiation when you focus less on 'averages' and more on real-world examples. To evidence this, Arccos took a sample of real golfers making the journey from 5-handicap to scratch, and plotted their progress.

The golfers were selected using the following criteria:

From a database of almost 17 million rounds, just 14 golfers were left – providing some additional insight into just how hard it is to achieve scratch in golf.

The average time taken to get to scratch was 26 months, with an average of 66 rounds per year (143 total) to get to that target. The graph below tracks the annualised stroke improvement of the 14 golfers in each major statistical category.

When you dive deeper into the improvement of the 14 golfers, the key to progress becomes clearer. On average, the selected golfers improved by 2.5 strokes per year, with that improvement split into the areas highlighted in the graph below.

Interestingly, this aligns somewhat to the 'typical golfer' based on data accumulated from over 870 million recorded shots. This indicates that, as well as a key focus area for low-handicap golfers, developing your long game (driving and approach) could be the most effective way to drive lasting improvement in your game.

Accounting for 69% of the required improvement for typical golfers, and 73% for the sample of 14, this shows a clear correlation with the importance of this key area for all ability levels.

So, contrary to the popular saying 'drive for show, putt for dough', it could really pay to spend some extra time and energy on driving the long game forwards.

When analysing their performance, most golfers will look at how far they hit their drives or how many greens in regulation they hit on average, but spending some time reviewing the less glamorous side of the game could help you to save shots in the long run.

While hitting fairways isn't the most important thing in the world, keeping the ball in-play is. Amateur golfers will be more than aware of the damaging impact penalty strokes and recovery shots can have on your scorecard, but now the latest Arccos data reveals just how often we put ourselves in this position...

How Many Strokes Do Amateur Golfers Lose Each Round Due To Wayward Shots?

While we do our best to avoid them, penalty strokes can be damaging to a player's momentum, confidence and score. In a good round we might avoid the penalty areas all together, with a few lucky bounces that allow you to get out of trouble on the course, but data suggests that the potential for bigger numbers lurks no matter how well you are playing.

As you can see in the chart below, the difference between an amateur golfer's best round and worst round is significant in relation to penalty strokes. As expected, those numbers increase in line with the handicaps, with the disparity between a 15-handicappers best and worst round being the greatest at 1.22 strokes.

At the other end of the spectrum, a scratch golfer accumulates roughly half the amount of penalty shots of a 10-handicapper, when both golfers are playing their relative 'best' rounds.

That gap greatly reduces when the same players play their 'worst' rounds, standing at a difference of 0.59 penalties, which could be due to the increased average distance off-the-tee taking wayward shots further into the hazards for the lower handicap golfer when the swing doesn't behave itself.

It isn't just penalty shots that cost us, however, as the graph below highlights. Recovery shots can be frustrating and require you to get creative, especially when you don't have a direct line to the green and find yourself in undesirable positions.

Scratch players hit an average of 0.39 recovery shots in their best rounds, which is almost half that of a 5-handicapper (0.71). A 10- (1.18) and 15-handicapper (1.85) play between one and two recovery shots per round on average in the best performances, so it's important not to get disheartened the next time you find your ball nestled at the base of a tree.

Similarly to penalty strokes, the gap isn't as wide between lower handicap golfers when you analyse recovery shots in their worst rounds, as the contrast between a scratch golfer and a 5-handicapper is just 0.56 strokes.

The variability between scratch players and 10-handicappers is exactly double in the same scenario (1.19 vs 2.38), and is almost three times as high when you compare scratch players to a 15-handicapper (1.19 vs 3.25).

From the data it's hard not to conclude that these things are going to happen no matter how good you are, but keeping the ball in-play as often as possible is far more important than finding the short grass off the tee. It's time to celebrate that squeezy slice that nestles in the rough and take the small wins on your way to banishing big scores from your card.

Viktor Hovland has been one of the most impressive golfers in the world recently, reaching the top-5 in the Official World Golf Rankings thanks to 10 professional wins in just four years.

A lot of his success appears to be down to his incredible consistency, natural ability and commendable attitude to the game, but, irrespective of his undeniable talent, even the best players need great coaching.

That's where stats guru Edoardo Molinari comes in. After recently announcing a new partnership with golf data giant, Arccos, the Ryder Cup vice-captain revealed an interesting insight that he used to develop Hovland's approach play...

In a recent interview with three-time DP World Tour winner Edoardo Molinari, the Italian revealed that his stats-informed coaching is now being used by a number of the world's best players – including Matt Fitzpatrick, Nelly Korda and Viktor Hovland.

In what can only be described as a truly fascinating insight, Molinari explained that his use of data analytics helped him to spot that Viktor Hovland was "being way too aggressive into the greens".

He went on to add: "Eventually we decided together, you (Hovland) need to be much more conservative, especially with your shorter irons. And then off it was, off to the races and winning tournaments like never before."

According to stats from the PGA Tour, Hovland has improved his birdie or better percentage from the fairway each year from the 2019-20 season through to his memorable FedEx Cup winning year in 2023. He ranked 7th on tour in that category last season, and 4th for birdie average, which suggests that this strategy appears to be paying off.

Describing how he hopes these insights can help more golfers in the future, Molinari said: "We want to create something that is not out there yet, which is basically scaling what I'm doing for the PGA tour, and being able to give pretty much the same service to others like Korn Ferry or NCAA teams, and elite golfers".

Based on the evidence, it appears this service is likely to be a popular one among professionals at all levels, especially when you consider Molinari's track record of success in the playing and coaching spheres so far.

Following the announcement of an exciting new partnership between golf data giants, Arccos, and European Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari, the three-time DP World Tour winner had a clear message for all amateur golfers.

In an interview with Edoardo, and Arccos founder Sal Syed, the pair shared the importance of data analysis for making progress in the amateur game, and outlined how the combination of Arccos technology and the brilliant stats mind of Molinari will help to 're-define analytics in golf'.

How Embracing Data Can Support Amateur Development

As the new Chief Data Strategist and Lead Tour Ambassador at Arccos, Edoardo Molinari believes all amateurs should embrace data in their pursuit of improvement on the golf course.

"I feel like if you if you're not tracking data on your own game, you're just losing an edge. These days, you know, especially for for the top players, but even for the weekend golfers.

"If you don't know where you're leaking shots, or where you're making shots on the field, you're just not going to spend your time efficiently enough on the range. 

"They (amateur golfers) go to the office Monday to Friday, and then come Saturday morning they warm up and they go play most of the time. So you need to find an easy way for them to shoot better scores without asking them to spend three hours a day on the range, because they simply don't have time to do it."

This theory was supported by Arccos Founder, Sal Syed, who suggested that data tracking will become the norm in the future at all levels of the game.

"In my mind, when you look at the future, which might be like 10 or 20 years out, it will be inconceivable to not be capturing and tracking your data because you will literally be giving up strokes to everybody else. You will not be able to compete with players who actually have that information."

Using the insights that Edoardo has developed throughout years of supporting tour professionals to develop their game, it amplifies the potential gains that amateurs could make with access to this information.

Sal explained: "Edoardo is on the cutting edge. He has to help golfers gain fractions of strokes, which translates potentially into major championship victories. Now, when you scale that to the amateur golfer, those insights will deliver a lot more strokes, so I think that's what we're very excited about."

When looking to improve their performance, many amateurs will immediately set about trying to correct swing faults or look to improve the power in their golf swing, but Molinari believes there might be some much quicker wins that they aren't accessing.

"It's easy to say, oh, if you gain 10 yards off the tee, you're going to shoot one shot better per round. But then how long is that going to take you to to gain 10 yards off the tee? You need to go to the gym for six months, or you need to make a swing change, while other times there's some lower hanging fruits that are easier to to catch for the amateurs."

Understanding course management, like how to navigate a tight tee shot or how far you need to lay up to give yourself the chance to score, can be game-changing for golfers at all levels, and this is something that has helped Edoardo in his professional career.

"I was convinced that I was extremely good from like 80 to 100 yards with the wedges. Then, I found out that actually my proximity is better from 100 to 115 yards, historically. So then I always keep an eye on it.

"If that doesn't change, when I lay up on a par five, I'm not taking more risk to have a shorter third shot, If then I know that I'm going to hit it further away from the pin."

For golfers at all levels those don't currently track their data, it can be very hard to accurately pinpoint areas for improvement in their game. While many might think they have a good idea of what they need to work on, Molinari believes that often this can be misleading.

"It doesn't matter how good you are, even at our level, it's very difficult to get a clear understanding and a clear picture of what your game is like, and where you're making shots or losing shots.

"I mean, it's absolutely impossible, and I get examples of this every day. Usually the first time I send a report to the players, I always ask them, what's your feedback? What's your idea of your game? And every time, I promise you, it's completely wrong because you're influenced by, you know, maybe you hit it one driver to the right in the trees, and you miss the cut by one, and then, oh, I'm always missing to the right.

"But then, you miss the last four fairways to the left and you forget about it. So, it's having an objective way to measure your golf game and understanding what you need to do. I think it's very, very important."

European Ryder Cup vice captain Edoardo Molinari has joined Arccos Golf to become the brand's Chief Data Strategist & Lead Tour Ambassador.

The DP World Tour pro is known as a stats guru and currently works as an Analytics advisor to more than 35 tour pros including Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and Nelly Korda as well as the European Ryder Cup Team.

In his new role, Molinari will become an investor in Arccos and his StatisticGolf service will be renamed Arccos Pro Insights.

Molinari will also use the Arccos Golf system – which was recently approved for use on the PGA Tour – to record his own shot data during tournaments and practice rounds. The Italian will also showcase the Arccos logo on his apparel.

“I’m very impressed with the Arccos game tracking system as it is delivering tremendous benefits to so many players around the world,” said Molinari.

“It’s the perfect complement to the platform I’ve built for the game’s most elite pros. Joining forces with Sal Syed and his team of amazing data scientists, analysts, engineers and designers, will make an immediate impact.

"I know we’re poised to pioneer groundbreaking advancements in analytics, helping every golfer become smarter about practice, preparation, and on-course decision-making.”

A graduate of a five-year engineering program at the Polytechnic University of Turin, Molinari began recording and analyzing his own stats in 2003.

He launched his own 'StatisticGolf' system during the pandemic, which has become the most used and trusted analytics platform on professional tours. His clients have captured 27 worldwide wins including a Major, the Ryder Cup, the FedEx Cup and DP World Tour Championship.

“The sophistication of what Edoardo has built surpasses anything that I’ve seen in the field of golf analytics,” said Sal Syed, Arccos CEO & Co-Founder.

“Edoardo is not only brilliant with data, he has the perspective that comes from being one of the world’s best players. That combination is totally unique and a big reason why major champions and Ryder Cup winners give so much credit to his work.

"By pairing Edoardo’s approach with what we’ve built at Arccos, we’ll redefine analytics, to perfectly address the needs of pro golfers, as well as elite amateurs, junior golfers and recreational players.”

Arccos has built the game’s largest on-course dataset with almost 900 million tracked shots recorded during 18 million rounds by its members.

Traditionally, one of the most common measures of a good round for amateur golfers is the amount of fairways hit. I often hear this stat being referenced in conversations, both on the course and in the clubhouse, but should we be obsessing about finding the short grass?

Well, thanks to the latest data from Arccos, it appears we may be placing to much emphasis on the importance of finding fairways...

How important is it to hit fairways in golf?

There is no denying that crushing your driver down the middle of the fairway is one of the greatest feelings in golf, but the impact it has on your performance is not actually as profound as you think.

As referenced in the graph below, the average number of fairways hit by a scratch player in comparison to a 15-handicapper (best rounds) is less than one per round. That is also the case when you look at the worst rounds shot by the same players and when you consider the number of strokes gained, the number is even less significant.

As you can see in the table below, if a 10-handicapper misses the fairway with 200 yards remaining it will only cost them 0.06 shots on average. If that same golfer missed every fairway on the golf course, say 14 in total, they would only lose 0.84 strokes.

Losing less than one stroke across an entire round, for not hitting a single fairway, certainly suggests that our obsession with putting it down the middle might be misinformed.

The difference increases slightly as you get closer to the hole, but a 5-handicap golfer, with 100 yards remaining on average at each hole, would still only lose one and a half strokes across the entire round.

Interestingly, the number of shots lost by missing the fairway varies very little across the entire spectrum of measured handicaps. With 100 yards remaining to the hole, golfers from scratch to 20-handicap lost around 0.1 strokes per hole.

It would be inaccurate to suggest that hitting fairways doesn't provide golfers with a scoring advantage, but the impact appears to be negligible and perhaps we should focus our attention instead on the plethora of stats that can significantly affect our performance on the golf course.

What about the pros?

When you think about some of the best ball strikers in the world, like World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, you might assume that they practically hit every fairway. The truth in fact is very different, as the former Masters Champion found less than two thirds of fairways last season. In fact, Scheffler has not managed to achieve more than 62 percent of fairways hit in any season across his entire PGA Tour career.

The PGA Tour average currently stands at 59 percent, so give yourself a break the next time you see your ball wander into the rough.

Golf is a game of fine margins, and that is certainly the case when trying to improve your handicap. Many of us will have been in a situation where we feel stuck on a certain number, and aren't getting any better, so we start to wonder what we can do differently to get closer to our target.

Thanks to the latest data from Arccos, we can now reveal the main differences between a 15- and 20-handicapper, which you can use to fast-track your progress...

The main differences between a 15 and 20-handicapper

First of all, let's swiftly move past the obvious. Before I receive the 'very original' comment about the skill difference between a 15- and 20-handicapper being 5 shots, this data is designed to go much deeper into the nuances of where you need to improve your game to get to that lower number.

For starters, the dispersion isn't equal across the key facets of the game (Driving, approach, short game and putting). In fact, one of the crucial differences lies within the long game, with driving and approach play accounting for two thirds. That suggests that your quick wins could be powering up your golf swing or improving your ball-striking.

To go into a bit more detail on this, around 38 percent of the five-shot difference comes from approach play, and 26 percent from driving, while short game covers a much smaller portion (16%). 

The difference in terms of putting between the two players is around 1 stroke per round on average, or 20 percent of the five shots, which is almost half of the premium placed on approach play.

There is also a clear contrast in scoring for each player, with the number of double bogeys or worse made being the biggest factor. A 20-handicapper (6.6) makes just over 2 more double-bogeys or worse than a 15-handicapper (4.5) on average per round, whereas there is just a 0.2 shot difference between the number of birdies made (0.3 vs 0.5). This clearly suggests that reducing the big scores is far more valuable than relying on a flurry of birdies.

The emphasis on approach play becomes clearer when you look at the number of greens in regulation made in the average round. A player with a 20-handicap finds just 3.6 greens per round, while someone with a 15-handicap performs slightly better with 4.9. 

While it's great to say you have hit the green in regulation, proximity will also always be an indicator of scoring performance. The difference in proximity between the two ability levels is around 3 feet, with a 15-handicapper leaving themselves around 33 feet to the hole in comparison to the 36 feet left by a 20-handicapper.

So, what do I need to do to improve?

There are many ways to shave five shots off your handicap. The data above is for the 'typical' golfer, so while one 20-handicapper could putt much better than another, they may have a much weaker short game.

The two key takeaways are to focus on improving your driving and approach play, whenever you head to the range for 30 minutes, and eliminate double bogeys from your card. Tracking your stats while playing will also help you to gain a better understanding of your game, and indicate the specific areas that you need to work on.

Breaking 80 is one of many golfing milestones that usually takes golfers years and years to achieve.If you shoot below 80, it means you're probably somewhere between seven-to-ten over par, so for this article we'll be looking at the statistics of an eight handicap golfer to see how they compile their rounds and what you can learn.

We've already written about the stats behind a scratch golfer as well as how scratch vs 18 handicap golfers compare, so what can we learn from eight handicaps? We take a look through various different aspects of the game.The stats in this piece from Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds worldwide.

Video: How to break 80 - What the stats say

Break 80 stats - scoring

The most important numbers to consider if you're trying to break 80 relate to scoring. On average, 8 handicap golfers make just 0.9 birdies per round, 7.7 pars, 7.2 bogeys and 2.3 doubles or worse. 

These numbers show that to break 80 you clearly don't need to make birdie after birdie, but need to limit the doubles, triples and blobs. Eight handicappers average 3.6 on par-3s, 4.5 on par-4s and 5.4 on par-5s, suggesting that they play the longer holes slightly better and probably make the odd birdie on the par-5s. If you have more than three or four double-bogeys per round, limiting them to just two would make a huge difference to your scores.

Break 80 stats - driving

The average 8 handicapper averages 237 yards off the tee, finding 47% of fairways. It must be said, though, as important as distance, accuracy and driving are, this area is likely the least important when it comes to breaking 80. If you only hit the ball 220 yards or perhaps are a bit wayward from the tee, there are still plenty of opportunities to shoot in the 70s thanks to course management, well struck irons, a solid short game and good putting. 

Break 80 stats - approach

Typical 8 handicap golfers hit just 40% of greens in regulation, which equates to an average of 7.2 per round. Break that down per nine holes to 3.6 and it shows that if you're hitting 4 of 9 greens each half then you'll be on for shooting in the 70s. If you're only hitting between 4-6 greens per round, this is a real area to improve on if you want to break 80. Maybe your driving is costing you the chance of greens in regulation or perhaps it comes down to poor iron play. The average 8 handicap player hits their approaches to 30ft when finding the green in regulation, and 60ft on all approaches. 

Break 80 stats - short game

Short game is crucial when it comes to breaking 80, with 8 handicappers getting up-and-down 40% of the time from within 25 yards of the pin. If you're nowhere near 4 in 10 up-and-downs, then heading to the practice green will do you a world of good. From inside 25 yards, 8 handicappers only get it up-and-down from bunkers 24% of the time, but they find the green 81% of the time - likely pointing to the fact that they rarely leave it in the sand and waste shots.

Break 80 stats - putting

This is really where a round can turn from a 77 to an 81 - on the putting green. Typically, 8 handicappers one-putt 3.9 times per round, two-putt 11.7 times per round and have just 2.4 three-putts. Overall, they average 1.8 putts per hole, 33.4 putts per round and 3.1 putts per green in regulation.

As golfers, we find ourselves in the constant pursuit of increased distance off the tee. You might have spent time having lessons on how to create the optimal launch angle for your driver, or perhaps your athletic posture and powerful swing gives you the natural ability to step up and crush it. Either way, we can't help but compare ourselves to others.

There are few better feelings than being the longest driver in your social group, but are you in the top 1% for distance off the tee? Thanks to the latest Arccos data, we can go even deeper than that and reveal how far you need to drive the golf ball in order to be longer than 99.7% of male amateurs...

Arccos data suggests that if you have a median driving distance of 284 yards, you are longer than 99.7% of male amateur golfers. Let's not pretend that number isn't enormous, but if you want to be included in the top 0.3% you need to be one of the best drivers around.

Interestingly, not only would that figure put you in the upper-echelons of the amateur golf driving world, but it would also make you 4 yards longer than the average tour pro off the tee. Let that sink in for a moment.

For most golfers those figures might seem unattainable, but it's clear that there is a correlation between your driving distance and your handicap.

Driving distance by handicap – how do the numbers compare?

It will comes as no surprise that driving distance tends to increase as your handicap decreases. We know that increasing your distance off the tee is great tool to help you shoot lower scores, but how many of those precious extra yards do you need to gain?

According to the data, a scratch golfer drives the ball around 259 yards on average, whereas a 20-handicapper drives the ball around 213 yards. The trend is quite stable as you move through, increasing from 222 yards for a 15-handicapper to 233 yards for a 10-handicapper, and finally to 245 for a 5-handicapper.

Only 1.6% of amateur male golfers have an average driving distance of over 280 yards, so if that isn't you then the pursuit for longer tee shots continues. See you on the driving range.

The last time I went for an iron fitting was back in 2018. Despite my ball striking usually being a strength, I remember struggling at the time and the set I opted for, was the Mizuno JPX 919 Forged. This mid-profile model offered me the mix of feel and forgiveness I was looking for and over the last couple of years, I’ve seen a significant improvement in my iron game. The Arccos data below shows how my approach play compares to the average for a 3-index golfer:

Despite the improvement, as 2024 dawned, I began to think that a change was due. Was there an iron out there that would provide me with a higher level of performance? How has the fitting process itself changed, and could this be the key to lower scores? The video and article below reveal what happened when I went to see PING for my first iron fitting in five years.

My interest was peaked when I discovered PING had updated its Blueprint offering for 2024. In particular, the brand introduced a new Blueprint S model that is a modern day take on the popular PING S55 that dates back to 2013. That S55 model was the first time I’d ever played a PING iron and I loved them. 

Alongside the ‘S’ is the Blueprint T. This is as classic, slimline and blade-like as you will find anywhere in 2024 and whilst I thought I’d enjoy testing them, realistically (I’m a 3.9 index golfer), my sights were set on its’ slightly larger and more forgiving relative.

So in December I headed to PING’s European Fitting HQ at Thonock Park GC and met up with expert fitter, Billy Rymer. After a full warm-up, I hit a series of shots with my own Mizuno JPX 919 Forged 7-iron. Below you can see the launch data:

This shot pattern is indicative of my iron game. I tend to hit a lot of shots out of the bottom groove and this causes a significant drop off in distance. Interestingly, the difference in carry distance between this and my best strike was 20-yards! Unsurprisingly, as my Arccos data below shows, my most common miss is short - that’s because I often find myself clubbing for my best strike and then hitting the one that comes up short and right. 

And so, the challenge was clear. Was there anything in the PING range and any setup tweaks Billy could make, that would help? As you’d expect, we started with the static measurements (height and wrist to floor). Using PING’s colour code chart, Billy immediately advised going 3˚ upright and .5in longer than standard. Whilst the length was what I was accustomed to, the lie angle was more upright - this should help guard against the ball starting too far to the right, something I often struggle with. 

He then matched up the shaft in my Mizuno irons with the nearest option in the PING offering. This was the Dynamic Gold X100 (a shaft I’ve used a few times in the past). Whilst we tested a range of other options, this ended up being the best fit for my swing. Below you can see how both the Blueprint S (dark blue) and the Blueprint T (light blue) compared with my Mizuno irons (white). 

What’s clear is that, with both new irons the front-to-back dispersion was reduced. Surprisingly, it was the Blueprint T that performed best for me on the day. With slightly less offset, I was a little straighter and there was a slight improvement in the average distance too. The evidence was clear, Blueprint T was the way to go. 

However, this is where, as the player who will ultimately be using them on the course, I needed to make a decision. It might not look it in the photographs but to my eye, the Blueprint T is significantly more compact than the S model. The topline is thinner, but more worryingly for me, the heel-to-toe blade length is shorter. Would looking down on such a compact blade at address affect my confidence? 

At this point Billy and I discussed the options and we opted to replace the 4 and 5-irons with the Blueprint S to provide a more confidence-inspiring look at the top end of the bag, as well as some additional forgiveness. PING's co-pilot fitting technology was able to project my club-by-club carry distances with this set composition. 

 PING Blueprint 2024 Fitting Verdict

Having not been through an iron fitting for 5 years, it was enlightening to see how some new processes have improved the experience. In particular, Billy’s use of the PING co-pilot was fascinating. This helped us get to the right options faster and from there, Billy made smaller adjustments to see the affect on performance.

Interestingly, there is a ‘strokes gained’ metric on PING’s co-pilot that was predicting Blueprint T would save me 3.5 shots per round. Honestly, I think that’s slightly wishful thinking but if true, would get my handicap down towards scratch... which would be a massive personal milestone!

The end result was a true surprise but, as the Arccos data showed, my biggest opportunity for improvement was to tighten up my distance control. The Blueprint T was the clear winner. Moving into a more compact blade might take some adjustment but I now have a stunning set of golf clubs that I know are dialled in to help my own specific requirements. I can’t wait to see where they take me. 

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 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.

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.

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...

More or less everyone wants to lower their handicap - and some may even harbor aspirations of getting down to scratch one day. These 10 statistics could dispel some unrealistic expectations you have about the top amateur players and what they are capable of while also teaching you a thing or two about your own game.

The stats in this article come courtesy of Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 800 million shots worldwide using its Smart Sensors.

1. CHANCES OF GETTING UP AND DOWN FROM 150 YARDS IN THE FAIRWAY

7% OF THE TIME

Despite their obvious quality, scratch golfers still struggle to hole out in two shots with a short iron in their hands from the middle of the fairway. That's usually because, while they will often successfully aim for the centre of the green with their approach, the pin is rarely located there as well. And from just 10 yards further back (160), a scratch player will hit the green and be less than 20ft from the hole 19% of the time.

2. SCRATCH PLAYERS ARE FAR FROM PROLIFIC FROM OUTSIDE 15 FEET

Scratch players only make roughly 16% of their putts from outside 15 feet

With the first fact in mind, this stat goes some way to explaining that as Arccos data shows that even the best amateur golfers are very unlikely to hole out when the distance to the pin stands at greater than 15 feet. The difference in their scoring often comes with the avoidance of the dreaded three-putt. For context, the typical 12 index player will three-putt more than they will hole out from 15 feet. So if you can't get it in, get it close.

3. MORE LIKELY TO MAKE BOGEY (OR WORSE) THAN BIRDIE FROM 100 YARDS OUT

A scratch player is more likely to make bogey or worse than they are to make birdie from 100 yards out in the fairway

Almost an extension of the first fact, this stat is further proof that scratch players put a greater emphasis on keeping avoidable errors to a minimum over pin-hunting or trying the "glory shot." They find the middle of the green and take their chances with the putter, the smartest play given it is the least risky of all the clubs in your bag.

4. SCRATCH AMATEURS AVERAGE UNDER PAR ON SHORT PAR-4 HOLES

The typical scratch player will average around 3.99 strokes on a par-4 hole which measures circa 290 yards

Able to take advantage of their greater distance and accuracy off the tee, scratch players often consequently give themselves a better chance of securing birdie. 18% of scratch players are able to strike the ball over 275 yards off the tee, so even if the ball lands in the rough, they remain in with a chance of going under par. Out of the rough and with 40 yards remaining, scratch golfers' median finishing spot is 17'8" from the pin. That reduces by a foot or two with every five yards closer to the hole they are.

5. NO BIRDIE OR BETTER IN A ROUND LESS THAN 20% OF THE TIME

Scratch golfers make one birdie or fewer in 41% of the rounds they play and fail to go under par on a single hole in 17% of their total rounds

The best amateur golfers are able to score well across the board, but there are a handful of rare occasions where even a scratch golfer can come off the course frustrated at a lack of birdies. According to Arccos data, a scratch golfer averages 2.2 birdies and 10.5 pars a round. For a 20 handicap golfer, one lone birdie arrives every three to four rounds, on average.

6. THEY AVOID DOUBLES IN ALMOST HALF OF ALL ROUNDS

In 43% of their rounds, scratch golfers avoid making a double or worse

While the birdies might not always flow, scratch golfers keep their handicap down by limiting the number of double bogeys or worse that they make in a round. Instead of trying the hero shot for an unlikely four, they accept that five is a good score, take their medicine, and move on to the next hole. While scratch players avoid doubles in 43% of rounds, that number drops dramatically to just 7% for 10 index golfers. Stay away from the sevens and eights if you want to improve your score.

7. THE BEST AMATEURS MAKE BOGEY OR WORSE ALMOST 30% OF THE TIME

Scratch amateurs make bogey or worse on almost 30% of the holes they play (about 5.4 holes/round)

While scratch golfers do generally avoid doubles more often than your average player, they also are known to make bogey or worse on 5.4 holes per round. The stats break down to show 4.6 bogeys per round and just 0.7 doubles or worse. But as we've already mentioned, the 2.2 birdies a round - on average - can help rescue the occasional trip.

8. SCRATCH GOLFERS CAN HIT THE GREEN 50% OF THE TIME FROM FURTHEST OUT

Scratch players hit the green around 50% of the time from 165 yards out

It is not surprising that 0 handicap players can hit the green from further out more often, but it might be the distance that causes you to raise your eyebrows. With something like a 7 or 8-iron in hand, scratch golfers hit the green from 165 yards on around half of their attempts.

This drops to 147 yards for a five-index player, 129 yards for a 10-handicapper, 110 yards for a 15-index golfer, and just 92 yards for those with a handicap of 20.

9. A THIRD OF SHOTS OUT OF THE ROUGH REMAIN OUTSIDE 15 FEET

Playing out of the rough from 15 yards away, scratch golfers leave 32% of their attempts outside of 15 feet

While power and accuracy are clearly two key ingredients in any good golfer's game, having some kind of touch and ability around the greens is also vital. According to Arccos, though, a third of all close-range shots from around the green are being left outside of what might be classed as makeable range. That leads to two or three-putts, and potentially those aforementioned bogeys or worse.

10. SCRATCH GOLFERS ARE IN THE 1% CLUB

Scratch players are in the top 1% of all amateur golfers

Tens of millions of people around the world play golf - including almost 40 million in everywhere but the USA and Mexico. And, according to Arccos, those with a handicap of scratch are among the absolute greatest of them all.

So if you've managed to get down to scratch, our sincerest congratulations. As for everyone else, keep going and you too might be able to join that exclusive club.

If you spend a bit of time on 'Golf Twitter' or other social media platforms and forums, you may have come across handicap golfers bragging about their 300 yard drives.

Well, these stats from Arccos Golf - gleaned from over 800m shots tracked worldwide - may just put an end to some of those brags, as it turns out 10-handicappers aren't bombing it 300+ yards as often as they might let on.

The average driving distance for male golfers, at handicap level, is 225.9 yards with scratch players averaging 259 yards. These numbers might seem a bit short to you but remember these are measures on ALL drives, so even the ones in winter time, into wind and also the mis-hits.

The PGA Tour driving distance is average isn't even 300 yards, yet. For the 2022/23 season, the average was 299.9 yards, with Rory McIlroy topping the charts with 326.3 yards.

So, what about 10-handicappers? The average 10 index golfer drives it 233 yards - again that's throughout the year in good and bad conditions, taking into account their good and bad drives. 

But what about when they really crunch it? And maybe they're downwind, downhill and playing on firm fairways?

Well, 10-handicappers are certainly capable of 300+ yard drives and they do happen - just not all too often.

For amateurs with a 10 index who use Arccos Golf, a total of 1.7% of their drives travel over 300 yards.

This is 17 drives out of 1,000 and 0.238 per round assuming they're hitting driver 14 times. This does mean that a 10 index will hit one 300+ yard drive ever four-or-so rounds.

A very interesting tidbit from the data is that 10-handicappers are actually more likely to hit their drive less than 100 yards than over 300...

How many times have you sat in the clubhouse with a post-round drink and heard one of your playing partners mutter something along the lines of: “If I could just get the ball in play off the tee, I’d be a single-figure player.” Those sorts of comments are made the world over, for one simple reason: the majority of amateur players hit at least one wayward drive a round that leaves them hacking out of a bush, dropping behind a hazard or reloading off the tee. Surely if we could just find the short grass, even at the expense of distance, we’d all shoot better scores? That was the hypothesis we were keen to put to the test at West Hill Golf Club in early November - the video below shows exactly what happened...

The idea was to play a round as normal in the morning, then start every par 4 and par 5 from the middle of the fairway in the afternoon. However, the start distance would be bespoke to each player, with our four-ball comprising myself (9.6), Neil Tappin (3.9), David Taylor (18) and Alison Root (16) – four players from across the handicap spectrum.

In the afternoon, with the help of game-tracking software Arccos, we worked out our average driving distance and took 25 per cent off that figure, which roughly equates to how far we’d generally hit our ‘fairway finding’ club. We didn’t want to start at 3-wood length as Arccos stats show you’re less than one per cent more likely to find the fairway with 3-wood as opposed to driver. Neil, who averages 286 yards off the tee, started each hole at 214 yards in the middle of the fairway; I began at 189 yards from an average of 252; David started at 175 yards (233 average); and Alison began at 143 yards (190 average).

Once we’d worked all that out, the experiment commenced from the white and red tees. The weather was crisp yet sunny and West Hill was in great condition despite the recent heavy rain. As we contemplated our opening tee shots, thoughts turned to the challenge ahead. I felt, given the length of the course (6,309 yards), that distance would be more beneficial than accuracy. I expected better scoring in the morning on average, even with the odd lost ball built in, and was certain that Alison – who is known for her straight hitting off the tee – would be at least a couple of shots better in round one. The others weren’t so sure. 

First Round

Aptly, myself and Neil deposited our first drives into the heather, and David and Alison found the stream bisecting the 1st fairway with their second shots. But things improved after that and we all settled into a rhythm more or less akin to how we’d expect to play. There’s no doubt length is beneficial off West Hill’s white tees, but the wet rough and abundant heather also placed a premium on playing from the short grass. Myself and Alison both made double-bogeys on the relatively short 2nd after finding heather off the tee, while Neil and David made safe pars from the short grass.

However, it’s important to recognise that finding the fairway off the tee is by no means a guarantee of full-hole success, especially on the 469-yard 3rd (415 yards from the red tees). David and Alison made double and triple respectively from the middle of the fairway, the former finding a ditch some 50 yards in front of the green with his second.

After nine holes, Alison, myself and Neil were multiple shots worse than handicap, while David was level – perhaps not surprising given he hit 66 per cent of the fairways. Myself and Neil, on the other hand, were struggling off the tee, with a combined four fairways hit. I’m convinced that my front-nine 43 would have been 40 or better had I found the short grass a couple more times.

It was a similar story for me on the back nine, with my driver continuing to misbehave. I hit one fairway to come back in 44 and shoot an overall 87 – seven shots worse than my handicap. Alison matched her front-nine 51 on the back side to record a 102, despite hitting the majority of fairways. That said, West Hill is 5,593 yards off the red tees – a long course when combined with next to no roll and wet conditions. David continued to drive the ball well and returned an 86 for a 37-point outing, while Neil played the last seven holes in level-par – thanks, in part, to improved driving – to post a 78. 

Second Round

After a quick lunch, we were into round two. With the threat of darkness making 18 holes unlikely, we decided to skip the par 3s and replicate our morning scores as the short holes didn’t have any bearing on the experiment. Using Arccos’ hole maps and live GPS distances, we were able to position ourselves at the correct yardage in the middle of the fairway. 

Relieved at not having to play my second from heather on the 1st hole, I pulled my 5-iron and watched it sail towards a bush I’d never been anywhere near before. It came up short, but it was an early and timely message that amateur golfers are very capable of finding trouble from the middle of the fairway. On the 3rd hole, Neil pulled his approach onto the railway line en route to a double-bogey, while Alison got tangled up in the heather on her way to a triple-bogey at the 6th. 

As we walked off the 6th green, the heavens opened and a biblical deluge poured down on West Hill. Thankfully, it only lasted three holes, but it made the closing part of the front nine very tricky indeed. After the front side, I was one shot better than the morning round; David was two better; Neil was on the same score; and Alison was one stroke worse off – a good effort given how much longer the course was playing for her in the afternoon. 

Of course, the layout was longer for everyone. Of the 11 par 4s, nine of them play over 380 yards from the whites and four of them are longer than 415 yards, while only one is less than 370 yards. That meant myself, Neil and David were constantly standing over second shots with woods or hybrids in our hands, which brings a certain degree of risk. Yes, we always had perfect lies in the middle of the fairway, but it’s not easy consistently playing approaches from 200+ yards, especially when you factor in weather conditions, light conditions and fatigue from walking 36 holes in one day on a hilly course. 

So, how did we score over our second 18 holes? Remarkably, both Alison and David negotiated the layout in the same number of strokes as the morning round. Neil was one shot better and I was five strokes to the good. Even with harder weather conditions and fatigue, no one scored worse than the morning. But what conclusions did we draw?

The Verdict

Neil Tappin

It was a very interesting experiment that left me surprised my scores were so similar. In truth, on another day, my morning round could easily have been in the mid-80s. I drove it very poorly but largely got away with it (because the heather wasn’t too thick on the day). Having said that, the best stint of golf I played on that day was the last eight holes of round one. When playing my best, I’d certainly want the advantage of my full driving game. 

Whilst I felt I was lucky to shoot 78 in the morning, I should have been slightly lower than 77 in the afternoon. I was sloppy on the greens (-5 strokes gained putting in the afternoon vs -0.2 in the morning). One other interesting finding was that despite driving it poorly in the morning, my only lost ball was in the afternoon – a 3-wood into the 3rd. On a tree-lined course, hitting approach shots from a long way out makes this a real possibility! 

All in all, my feeling was the margin between my best and worst scores would be drastically reduced if I adopted a shorter, straighter strategy. When not hitting it my best, I’d definitely benefit from a more conservative strategy… that is, if I could hit every fairway at 214 yards – which is another question altogether! 

Nick Bonfield 

The reality is that while you can lose balls from the fairway, you’re far more likely to find yourself reaching for a fresh Pro V1 from the tee. If you’re gaining more strokes than a tour player when it comes to driving accuracy, you’re never going to be in bad shape, regardless of distance. Often, golfers can fall into the mindset that you can’t make par if you don’t hit a green in regulation and take needless risks because of it. That’s absolutely not the case. 

One of the motivations for hitting driver all the time is the perceived benefit in terms of making birdies, but according to the Arccos data, 10-handicappers make 0.8 birdies per round. Is it really something worth chasing if your driver can be temperamental? The answer to that question will largely depend on your motivations. If you tend to head out with friends in casual games, by all means pull driver every par 4/par 5 and give it a whack – you’ll probably have more fun, you will give yourself more short-iron approaches and you might just shoot your best round ever if you get on a roll. But if you compete in a lot of medals, I’d urge you to consider putting the ball in play off the tee at all costs. 

David Taylor

On the face of it, you’d think two rounds of 86 wouldn’t actually be that enlightening. However, now the dust has settled and I’ve looked at the Arccos data, there are definitely some interesting conclusions. I felt I drove it well in round one, but the stats say I only hit five of the 13 fairways and this led to three double-bogeys. I found the heather on five occasions, which led to a hack out each time. 

In round two, I ended up hitting a lot of second shots with my 7-wood, none of which got me into any trouble, so much so I only doubled one of the 13 holes, with two pars and ten bogeys. I came off the course feeling I’d played worse because I hadn’t really been able to attack many greens, but my scoring was much steadier. When I play, I love to get the driver out and try and make pars and even the occasional birdie. That’s where the fun comes for me and so this more conservative approach didn’t feel right, although the benefits are quite clear. 

Where I do feel this experiment paid the most dividends was on the par 5s. I found the heather on both in round 1 and ended up with a bogey and a double, but in round 2 I found both greens in regulation and it seemed really straightforward. It feels counter-intuitive to put the driver away on the longer holes, but it may well reap rewards.

Alison Root

I’m usually very straight off the tee, so finding fairways is not a problem. This was generally the case at West Hill, although I did find heather on a couple of occasions, as there were a few long carries. The problem was the rest of my game, particularly in the morning, including too many three-putts that contributed to my score mounting up.  

Driving is definitely the best part of my game and as I’m highly unlikely to spray the ball into the trees anyway, I obviously felt disadvantaged in the second round, placing my ball just 142 yards down the fairway. This made several holes feel significantly longer, especially with so many hazards to avoid. However, knowing the course better, I played certain holes, like the par-4 11th, which is stroke index 1 off the red tees, with far more accuracy, making par instead of a quadruple-bogey!

Like most women off a similar handicap, who generally tend to hit the ball straight off the tee, I don’t need to put my driver away, but this proved that I must work on all other areas for greater consistency to improve my scores.

Short And Straight Vs Long And Wayward: Overall Verdict

Just as you would expect, the verdicts vary. In truth, for shorter hitters, there isn't much debate here. Reducing distance is almost certainly going to reduce your scoring potential and whilst Alison shot the same score in both rounds, if she played as well as in round 1 as she did in round 2, the score would have been significantly better.

For the rest of us, the results weren't as clearcut. What's obviously true however is that big scores tend to come from wayward drives and so for Neil, Nick and David, finding the fairway would certainly reduce the number of lost balls and nightmare scores. 

Developing a better feel for when to attack and when to defend probably lies at the heart of the answer to the original question. Leaving the driver in the bag when things aren't going well but going for it when swinging your best, is probably the best overall strategy. Having said that, finding the middle of every fairway certainly makes for a much more stress-free round. 

The driving distance debate is never far from the conversation, with controversy in the elite game following proposals to use a rolled back golf ball from 2026.

Meanwhile, earlier in 2023, Arccos Golf stats confirmed that driving distances in the amateur game have decreased over the last four years. But what about the comparison between players from Europe and the USA? 

With perfect timing ahead of the biennial Ryder Cup between Team Europe and Team USA, the platform has now released average driving distances based on Arccos member tee shots comparing the results of European and US male and female golfers. The results, from a dataset in excess of 790 million shots hit during more than 16 million rounds, are fascinating.

Where it comes to the men’s game, the results are unequivocal – no matter what the handicap level, the average driving distances for men in the US are higher than their European counterparts.

For those with a scratch handicap or better, US males average 264.5 yards using a driver off the tee, compared with just 256.4 yards for Europeans. 

The trend continues as the handicaps increase. So, the 0 to 4.9 category sees US men hit the ball on average 249.6 yards against 242.8 yards from Europeans. Then, from 5.0 to 9.9 handicap, US males again leads the way, on 235.4 yards against 229.1 yards.

On the trend goes, all the way to the final category, assessing average male driving distances for handicaps of 30 or more, where US players manage 191 yards, compared to just 179.3 for those from Europe. Of the eight categories, that’s also the one with the largest gap between the two, at a sizeable 11.7 yards between US players and Europeans.

But what about women golfers? While the results are more inconsistent, overall, the roles are reversed with European women golfers tending to drive the ball further off the tee on average than their US counterparts.

However, there are two handicap categories where US players still emerge with the longest average drives. The 0.0 to 4.9 category sees US women achieve an average of 10.2 yards longer with 222.6 yards against 212.4 yards. Then, in the 5.0 to 9.9 category, US women average just shy of a yard longer, with 203.3 yards against 202.4 yards.

In the remaining six categories, European women drive the ball further on average. Not surprisingly, the longest is among 0.0 handicap or better golfers, with 238.9 yards off the tee with a driver against 229.8 yards among female golfers from the US.

Meanwhile, it’s the average female driving distances for handicaps of 30 or more that sees the biggest contrast, with the distance for Europeans at 152 yards compared to just 139.5 for US counterparts – a gaping 12.5 yard difference.

We've previously looked at scratch handicap golf stats and how zero digit index players compile their rounds, but how do they compare to 12 handicappers?

Thanks to data from Arccos Golf, gleaned from 750 million golf shots, we can see - and the numbers are fascinating.

The base numbers show where the differences lie in each department of the game, from off the tee to approach, around the greens and putting.

Where does the scratch handicapper excel the most? Many may think it is around the greens, but in actual fact it is hitting into them with their approach games.

Differences between the Typical 12 index player and a scratch player

• 40% of the stroke difference is approach play
• 28% is off the tee
• 16% is around the green
• 16% is putting

Scratch vs 12 handicap - approach

The numbers show clear superiorities in every department of the game, but approach play seems to be where the scratch players are truly elevating themselves above 12 handicappers, so let's take a deeper look.

A scratch player, based on Arccos Golf's numbers, hits 56% of greens in regulation (10.08) compared to 31% (5.58) from a 12 handicapper. That's consistently four or five extra greens per round.

When hitting into greens, scratch players unsurprisingly get the ball closer, too.

With a standard Green in Regulation, scratch golfers hit it to 26ft, which is 6ft closer than the 32ft that 12 handicappers hit it to. The gap is wider on 'All approaches' too, with scratch players averaging 44ft compared to 12 handicappers' 69ft.

Scratch vs 12 handicap - driving

Aside from being more technically skilled, scratch handicappers do have an advantage when hitting into greens. That's because they're on average 31 yards further down the hole and find 6% more fairways than 12 handicappers.

The average scratch player averages 259 yards (total) off the tee, compared to 228 yards for 12 handicappers.

For those who think those numbers aren't very high, remember the drives take into account poor strikes, drives into wind and also drives throughout the year, like in the colder, wetter winter months where the ball doesn't travel as far and doesn't run out much either.

Scratch players are also unsurprisingly more accurate off the tee too, finding 51% of fairways vs 45% for 12 handicappers. 

Conclusion - scratch players are longer and straighter than 12 handicappers.

Scratch vs 12 handicap - putting

Scratch players are better putters than 12 handicappers, you guessed it.

As well as being longer and straighter off the tee and better with their approach shots, scratch players have fewer putts than golfers who play off of 12 (as well as every other handicap higher than 0).

They average 3.3 fewer putts per round than 12 handicappers, with an average of 30.7 per round vs 34.

That's made up of 5.2 one-putts, 11.5 two-putts and 1.3 three-putts or worse. Interestingly, 12 handicappers also average 11.5 2-putts per round, but fewer one-putts and over double the amount of three-putts.

When both a scratch and a 12-handicapper find a green in regulation, the 12-handicapper averages over par with 2.2 putts per GIR compared to the scratch's 1.9. Throughout the round, the 12-handicapper averages 0.2 more putts per hole.

Scratch vs 12 handicap - short game

Thanks to their superior putting, as well as solid chipping actions, the average scratch player manages to make more up-and-downs than 12 handicappers.

From within 25 yards of the pin, scratch players get the ball up-and-down over half the time, with 12 handicappers getting it up-and-down just over a third of the time.

Scratch golfers average 12ft with their chips, with an up-and-down average of 57%. The average 12 handicapper averages 17ft with their chips for an up-and-down average of 34%.

From 25-50 yards, the chance of a scratch player getting it up-and-down is over twice as likely as a 12 handicapper.

Scratch players average 20ft from the 25-50 yard range, getting it down in two 35% of the time. For 12 indexes, it's 26ft for an up-and-down percentage of just 16%.

Scratch vs 12 handicap - scoring

Now we've seen how scratch and 12 handicappers compare throughout the main parts of the game, how does that translate to scoring?

Obviously scratch handicappers average around 12 fewer strokes per round but it is the bogeys and worse than cost the 12 handicapper, not their lack of birdies.

The average 12 handicap makes 0.6 birdies per round, just 1.6 fewer than a scratch player but makes five times the number of doubles or worse per round.

Scratch players average just 0.7 doubles or worse each round compared to 3.5 for 12 handicappers, who also make 8.1 bogeys per round compared to a scratch player's 4.6.

Play off 12, or similar, and want to shoot lower scores? Avoiding doubles, triples and worse is the key.

Like this article? Check out more data insights:

• Scratch handicap stats
• Scratch vs PGA Tour pro
• Scratch vs 10 vs 20 handicapper
• How far do male golfers hit their drives?
• How far do female golfers hit their drives?

When you go and play a new course you might think that you have an advantage of a free mind, not knowing where the danger is and without the memories of past disasters.

"I always mess up this hole" is likely something you'll hear in your usual four ball, with players sometimes mentally scarred by frequently struggling with certain holes or shots at their home club.

However, data from Arccos Golf, cleaned from over 750 million rounds, shows some very interesting insights when golfers with 30+ rounds at their home club travel to play other courses.

So, do you player better home or away? On the whole, the answer is home. Clearly course knowledge does pay off, knowing where not to go and having experience of which strategies work best for certain holes that you've played time and time again.

Whether it's knowing to take an iron off the tee on a certain par 4 or that left is dead on a certain green, clearly knowing the course you're faced with is an advantage - and the stats back it up.

Golfers average two or more strokes gained worse when playing away 39% of the time, Arccos data shows.

And players average over one strokes gained worse more than half the time, with the stats showing 1+ strokes worse on new courses coming in 55% of rounds recorded.

The numbers confirms that home teams have the advantage in matches against away clubs, and perhaps you should ask for one or two extra strokes when your friend is taking you round their course.

For those golfers who enjoy a new challenge and the freedom of not knowing where the trouble is, the stats show that golfers average 1+ strokes gained at a new course 19% of the time.

And those really good rounds of 2+ strokes gained come 11% of the time.

So it's not like you can't shoot a good round at a new course, of course, it's just more likely that golfers will find a new test trickier than one they know well.

Playing a new golf course - what the stats show

• Chances a player's strokes gained at the new course was 2 or more shots worse than their home course - 39% 
• Chances 1+ strokes worse - 55%
• Chances 2+ strokes better - 11%
• Chances 1+ strokes better 19%

* Data from golfers who have 30+ rounds logged at their home course.

If you want to improve your golf there are a couple of ways to do so. Lessons is avenue number one but another is general practice, as long as the practice is ensuring good habits and good technique. As such we have found training aids are a relatively cheap and simple way to embed those habits whether that be on the driving range or the putting green. 

What's more, there are some pretty neat gadgets out there, from some of the best golf nets to the best putting mats. Which leads us to this post in which we have collated some of our favorite training aid deals on Amazon Prime Day. We genuinely believe they could help save you shots, and if we can also save you some money, then it's a win-win situation for all.

Eight of the top 10 most played golf courses by Arccos users last year were in California, the shot tracking company has announced.

The majority of the eight were in the San Francisco area of the Golden State, with the Earth and Fire courses at Dubai's Jumeriah Golf Estates making up the other two courses in the top 10.

Top of the list was Baylands Golf Links. Formerly Palo Alto Municipal, the course was renovated in 2018 by Forest Richardson and renamed. Baylands Golf Links saw a total of 1,497 Arccos member rounds played last year – equating to almost 125 rounds each month.

“California is by far the most popular destination for the Arccos community and the courses around the San Francisco area in particular are clearly where golfers choose to leverage Arccos most often,” said Darren Feeney, Arccos’ Vice President of Marketing.

“We love seeing rounds from around the globe appear on our list as it clearly showcases why Arccos is golf’s #1 on-course tracking system,” he added.

Next on the ‘Most Played’ list came Presidio Golf Course (1,335) and Monarch Bay (1,211), followed by the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai (1,191), Rustic Canyon at Moorpark, CA (1,173), 2020 PGA Championship venue TPC Harding Park (1,153) and Boundary Oak at Walnut Creek, CA (1,147) in seventh place.

Rounding out the top 10 as the eighth most played course was Penmar at Venice, CA (1,130), closely followed by The Fire Course at Jumeirah Estates in Dubai (1,113) in ninth and San Jose Municipal, CA (1,086) in tenth.

Other notable courses high up the list included Trump International and The Els Club in Dubai, Foxhills and Royal North Devon in England, Royal Queensland and Tea Tree Gully in Australia, plus a host of top-ranked US courses such as Oakmont, Torrey Pines (North & South), Poppy Hills, Half Moon Bay, Westchester CC, and Chambers Bay.

Arccos members have now recorded more than 650 million shots during 13.5 million rounds in 162 countries worldwide - the largest on-course dataset in golf sourced from 700 billion separate data points.

Top 10 most played courses by Arccos users in 2022:

• Baylands Golf Links (1,947)
• Presidio Golf Course (1,335)
• Monarch Bay (1,211)
• Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates (1,191)
• Rustic Canyon at Moorpark (1,173)
• TPC Harding Park (1,153)
• Boundary Oak at Walnut Creek (1,147) 
• Penmar at Venice, CA (1,130)
• Fire Course at Jumeirah Estates (1,113)
• San Jose Municipal (1,086)

Arccos Golf – the pioneer of big data and Artificial Intelligence for golf – has announced a series of product innovations and platform extensions as it continues to leverage the power of its unrivalled and largest on-course dataset that now includes 700 billion data points and more than 625 million shots taken by Arccos users during over 13.5 million rounds.

Geared to help golfers and golf businesses harness the power of data to perform their best, Arccos releases for Q1 2023 will include:

• On-Course Data API – allows companies of all sizes to build products and services that leverage on-course data for any player in the Arccos ecosystem (SSO authentication process), with notable application to instruction, fitting, ecommerce, media & travel
• Launch Monitor Data Capture – phase 1 of Arccos’ work to combine on-course & off-course data allows players to simply & easily enter session parameters plus 8 key characteristics that help fuel Arccos’ A.I., including “smart carry” distances
• A.I. Rangefinder with Enhanced Personalization – leverage weather, slope & launch monitor data inputs to provide even more accurate yardages to any point on the course, including new “smart carry” distances and club recommendations
• New Arccos for Apple Watch – in addition to A.I. rangefinder and caddie for club recommendations it now allows Arccos users with Apple Watch to start and play a round without the need to access their iPhone (optimized for Series 5 and newer)

“We remain focused on developing products and services that help our rapidly growing membership play smarter and shoot lower scores, and providing our partners with access to the type of rich, contextualized data that fuels their R&D processes,” said Dave LeDonne, Arccos’ Vice President of Product.

“We’re now recording millions of shots every week, plus billions of data points that surround those events. This allows us to really lean into our data science and A.I. work to build some pretty amazing things,” he added.

News of these latest developments follows the recent announcement of a new partnership with Srixon and Cleveland Golf, which joined PING, TaylorMade and Cobra in providing customers with access to a free set of Smart Sensors and free 45-day trial of the award-winning Arccos Caddie platform.

Golf’s first Artificial Intelligence platform, Arccos Caddie automatically tracks your shots while delivering in-round insights and personalized Strokes Gained analytics for every game facet and each club in your bag. The system is highlighted by an A.I.-powered rangefinder, smart club distances and caddie advice for every golf hole on earth.

These innovations helped new Arccos members who played at least 10 rounds lowered their handicap index by an average of 5.71 strokes in their first year of membership.

Some non-golfers can be forgiven for thinking that a scratch handicapper is equal to a touring professional, but the truth is that there is miles between the two.

Thanks to numbers from Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 800 million tracked shots worldwide, we've been able to take a look at some vital scratch handicap stats and compared them with official PGA Tour statistics.

WATCH: Dan Parker outlines how scratch golfers and PGA Tour pros differ

As you can imagine, the differences are vast - after all the handicap of PGA Tour players has been predicted at around +5.4 (with Tiger Woods' handicap in 2008 estimated to be between +11 and +12) - and the PGA Tour pro numbers are quite frightening, especially when you consider that they play off the tips on some of the world's hardest golf courses with long rough, firm greens and challenging tournament hole locations. Not to mention TV cameras, large galleries and millions of dollars on the line, too.

A PGA Tour pro is obviously statistically better than a scratch player in every single department of the game, but a clear and obvious one is driving distance. Scratch golfers average 259 yards off the tee, which would leave them an awful long way back versus a tour pro. The PGA Tour average is 299.9 yards, meaning scratch players would be 40 yards back on every par 4 and par 5 where drivers are used.

When you compare that with the PGA Tour's longest player, Rory McIlroy, the scratch player would be a mammoth 67 yards behind on average, with the Northern Irishman leading the 2022/23 distance charts with more than 326 yards.

Unsurprisingly, PGA Tour pros are more accurate off the tee, too, so as well as being 40+ yards longer, they're also on the short stuff more often. The scratch golfer finds 51% of fairways while the average PGA Tour pro hits just under 60%. During the 2023 season, Russell Henley hit over 72% of fairways with a driving distance of 291 yards.

As well as more fairways off the tee, tour pros find more greens in regulation just as you'd expect. Scratch golfers hit an average of 56% of greens in regulation, with the PGA Tour average standing at 66.32%. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has led the Tour in GIR for the past two years, with 72.29% in 2022 and an incredible 74.43% in 2023. This equates to 13.4 greens in reg per round vs 10.08 for scratch golfers.

On the greens, touring pros are also well ahead of scratch players when it comes to the number of 1-putts, 3-putts and total putts per round. Scratch golfers average 1.3 3-putts per round, with the PGA Tour average standing at 0.49. Aaron Baddeley averaged just 0.24 3-putts per round during the 2023 PGA Tour season.

Zero digit golfers have 5.2 1-putts per round, again well behind the pro. During the 2023 PGA Tour season, the 1-putt average was 7.07, with Taylor Montgomery averaging 8.29 1-putts per round. Montgomery also topped the putts-per-round statistics, too, with an average of just 27.38 - almost 1.7 fewer than the Tour average of 29.02.

Scratch players average 30.7 putts per round, which is 1.7 more than PGA Tour players and 3.4 more than the Tour's best putter.

When it comes to scoring, tour pros pick up more birdies and make fewer bogeys than scratch golfers just as you would expect. Ludvig Aberg averaged 4.76 birdies per round in the 2023 season, which is well over double the amount scratch players make (2.2). The average PGA Tour pro makes 3.72 birdies per round, so 1.5 more than scratch golfers.

Now onto dropped shots. Scratch player make two more bogeys per round than PGA Tour pros, and around 2.8 more than the Tour leader. Scottie Scheffler made just 1.82 bogeys per round during the 22/23 season.

Surprisingly, the averages when it comes to par 3, 4 and 5 scoring are much closer than you might expect. The PGA Tour average edges the scratch player by a fairly small margin (3.07 vs 3.1 on par 3s for example), but this is likely where conditions come into play.

Scratch golfers tracking their games on Arccos are not playing extremely difficult 7,500 yard courses under tournament conditions, being followed by TV crews and playing for their livelihoods. It would be interesting to see how a tour pro would stack up on a regular golf course hitting wedges into par 3s with soft greens instead of 5-irons to tucked pins, where we're sure their stats would be even more impressive.

Take a look through some of the key scratch vs PGA Tour pro stats:

PGA Tour Pro vs Scratch Handicap - key stats

DRIVING DISTANCE

• Scratch: 259 yards
• PGA Tour pro: 299.9 yards
• PGA Tour leader: 326.3 yards (Rory McIlroy)

DRIVING ACCURACY

• Scratch: 51%
• PGA Tour pro: 59.09%
• PGA Tour leader: 72.57% (Russell Henley)

GREENS IN REGULATION

• Scratch: 56%
• PGA Tour pro: 66.32%
• PGA Tour leader: 74.43% (Scottie Scheffler)

3-PUTTS PER ROUND

• Scratch: 1.3
• PGA Tour pro: 0.49
• PGA Tour leader: 0.24 (Aaron Baddeley)

1-PUTTS PER ROUND

• Scratch: 5.2
• PGA Tour pro: 7.07
• PGA Tour leader: 8.29 (Taylor Montgomery)

PUTTS PER ROUND

• Scratch: 30.7
• PGA Tour pro: 29.02
• PGA Tour leader: 27.38 (Taylor Montgomery)

BIRDIES PER ROUND

• Scratch: 2.2
• PGA Tour pro: 3.72
• PGA Tour leader: 4.76 (Ludvig Aberg)

BOGEYS PER ROUND

• Scratch: 4.6
• PGA Tour pro: 2.59
• PGA Tour leader: 1.82 (Scottie Scheffler)

PAR 3 SCORING AVERAGE

• Scratch: 3.1
• PGA Tour: 3.06
• PGA Tour leader: 2.93 (Peter Kuest)

PAR 4 SCORING AVERAGE

• Scratch: 4.2
• PGA Tour pro: 4.03
• PGA Tour leader: 3.91 (Ludvig Aberg and Scottie Scheffler)

PAR 5 SCORING AVERAGE

• Scratch: 4.7
• PGA Tour pro: 4.63
• PGA Tour leader: 4.44 (Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Cantlay)

Scratch data: Arccos Golf

PGA Tour data: PGATour.com

As technology continues to evolve, the word "gadget" has become a staple in the golf world. GPS, Bluetooth and even AI in rangefinders, watches and handheld devices have transformed shot tracking and game improvement training aids.

With tech becoming more accessible and more affordable, the best golf launch monitors are no longer just for professionals. The abundance of golf gadget accessories can be overwhelming to navigate. To simplify things, we've picked out our favorite gadgets. These are models we have had our hands on and tested thoroughly, so their inclusion is based upon very good performance across a variety of factors

The Quick List

Best Golf Gadgets

Best watch

The Garmin Approach S70 is one of the most user-friendly GPS watches on the market, perfect for golfers who love feature-packed gadgets. As you'd expect , you get accurate yardage data, but with the S70 you can also track your score, see your shot distances, and select the clubs you are taking shots with.

We particularly enjoyed the ability to see what the weather is doing—giving you wind gusts and direction to aid your club choice. With all these great features, it is one of the best-equipped watches and the best golf watches on the market. The S70's large color screen displays the hole maps outstandingly and it even comes loaded with 43,000 courses.

Switching between golf mode and watch mode on the S70 is effortless. It also doubles as a fitness and sleep tracker, making it just as useful off the course. The S70 offers impressive battery life, lasting 20 hours in golf mode—easily enough for a couple of rounds. In watch mode, it delivers up to 16 days, setting a market-leading standard.

• Read our full Garmin Approach S70 Golf Watch Review

Best swing analyzer

My next pick is a training aid because let's face it, all golfers want to get better right? Well I have picked the HackMotion Swing Analyzer off the back of a recent review by my colleague Sam De'Ath. So what is it? Well it uses a clever sensor system to help you learn and implement correct wrist angles throughout the golf swing, which will then help you hit better golf shots thanks to a neutral, stable face.

In testing, the calibration of the device was simple and obviously a crucial part of the set-up procedure. Once done, the feedback was instantaneous which just shows how cutting-edge this device is, whilst the app experience was user-friendly as well. It gives easy to understand processes, and asks what you want to get out of your practice as well so it can pick out specific drills for you.

It is worth mentioning there are three packages to choose from: Core, Plus and Pro, each of which come with varying degrees of information and features, whilst also coming with different price points. But overall I think this device is worth the investment if you struggle with wrist angle, or you want instant feedback on how you move during the golf swing.

• Read our full HackMotion Golf Swing Analyzer Review

Best laser

My top pick laser-wise, and one of the best golf rangefinders on the market is the Bushnell Tour Hybrid. This model brings together the best features of Bushnell’s top rangefinders with a built-in GPS that shows yardages to the front, middle, and back of the green directly in the viewfinder. This innovative feature is sure to set a new standard in the rangefinder marketplace, giving golfers exactly the information they need before each shot to choose the right club, improve approach accuracy, and potentially lower scores.

Despite its advanced features, the Tour Hybrid is incredibly simple to set up and use. There’s no need to link apps or follow complicated setup steps - the GPS activates automatically and quickly recognizes the course you’re playing. We really do believe rangefinders from competitors will look a lot different going forward and the Tour Hybrid will be a big driving force in that.

• Read our full Bushnell Tour Hybrid Rangefinder Review

Best value monitor

My launch monitor pick from a value perspective is the Square Golf Launch Monitor, of which I was pleasantly surprised in testing. It is very lightweight and portable, coming in at only 470 grams with the battery.

Starting with the responsiveness and accuracy, I was impressed with the performance on both counts here. Some launch monitors have a somewhat annoying time delay from the time the ball impacts the screen to how quickly the software projects a ball flight, but with Square Golf this is almost instantaneous.

Additionally the gameplay on the courses was realistic, the overall speed of the monitor was excellent and the data is accurate enough to satisfy the majority of golfers. If you have the space for a home indoor setup, you will get a lot of fun and value for money from a Square Golf Monitor.

• Read our full Square Golf Launch Monitor Review

Best grip trainer

If you need help with consistency when it comes gripping the golf club then we might have found the training aid for you. Used by world number one Scottie Scheffler, this is a rubber grip that ensures he places his hands on the club the same way every single time. For testing and research purposes, our gear tester Joe Ferguson made a replica of his seven-iron and fitted one of these grips on it, to see if it could make a difference. After a period of time, Joe said;

"I personally believe that the training grip has had a monumental impact on my ability to place my hands on the club consistently and in turn my ability to control the clubface....With so many things that can and do go wrong within the golf swing, eliminating a variable such as the grip is both easy to do and will reap huge rewards in terms of consistency."

Therefore if you need help when it comes to the grip, then we cannot recommend this very affordable option enough.

• Read our full article on Scottie Scheffler's use of this grip

Best shot-tracking

An excellent shot-tracking product is the Link Pro from Arccos. When we tested the previous Caddie Link we noticed the battery life wasn't fantastic, and it was slightly awkward to use from a convenience standpoint, but these minor points have been rectified with the Pro.

It comes with a wireless charging case so you can get up to 12 rounds on a single charge, and importantly, this case is compact and can fit in most pockets in your bag. It is slightly weighty though so if you like a lightweight bag, then that is something to think about.

The gadget itself is the size of a key fob or so, and works inside your pocket so you can get your data without using a phone. The new GPS chip and multi-mic configuration has done wonders for the accuracy as well because there were fewer missed shots.

Overall if you want a convenient device to gain an understanding of your stats and where you can improve, then the Link Pro is definitely a model to consider. For more of the best shot-tracking devices, check out our guide.

• Read our full Arccos Link Pro Review

Best speaker

The Bushnell Wingman HD is a premium golf GPS speaker that takes course management into the digital age with its new, immersive 3.5-inch color screen. This display delivers precision yardages, hole flyovers, and green previews directly to your device, bridging the gap between a high-end rangefinder and a luxury Bluetooth speaker. It’s the ultimate tech-driven companion for golfers who want to track their shots with surgical accuracy while enjoying high-fidelity audio.

This device is a dream for regular riders of golf carts thanks to Bushnell’s powerful BITE magnetic strip for effortless attachment to any metal cart frame. While walkers might find it a bit cumbersome compared to a wearable, its IPX67 waterproof rating and magnetic mounting make it incredibly versatile. Whether you're navigating a rainy back nine or hosting a backyard BBQ, the Wingman HD is built to handle the elements.

In terms of using it as a regular speaker, be that on or off the course, the Wingman HD delivers an immersive 360-degree sound experience that rivals dedicated premium audio brands. It stands out as a high-value investment for social golfers who want a durable, multi-functional gadget that is as effective in the living room as it is on the fairway.

• Read our full Bushnell Wingman HD GPS Speaker Review

Best simulator

Our top pick in the simulator space is the Garmin Approach R50, which combines a launch monitor and simulator into one piece of equipment. As such it is a pretty sizeable unit, and yet it isn't overly heavy at just above 4kg. It has a 10-inch full color touchscreen which was bright, crystal clear and I felt very responsive too. Three cameras track 15 club and data points, as well as ball flight too, and in my testing the data stacked up nicely with competitors. I didn't see any real delay in getting the data although to get club data it was a little annoying having to apply a sticker to the top of each clubface.

I really enjoyed the Play feature. The graphics are outstanding and there are 43,000 courses to choose from, which is one of the highest numbers on the market. Importantly I found the courses to be realistic enough - it makes power deductions for different lies and it shows you the breaks on the greens.

All in all, my experience with the Approach R50 was an extremely positive one and it absolutely lived up to all the hype. It is not totally perfect, with a couple of minor points stopping it from getting the highest review verdict from me, but I really do think the R50 has moved the needle in the golf simulator space, as well as on the monitor market.

• Read our full Garmin Approach R50 review

How we test golf gadgets

At Golf Monthly we test a lot of products and golf gear because we feel that only by using a product for a good amount of time can you tell if it is a good product. When it comes to tech, we don't just unbox products - we put them through the same rigorous testing as we would with the likes of the best golf drivers and irons. Our testing process is designed to move past the initial honeymoon phase and see how these gadgets actually perform over the long haul. Whether it's a laser rangefinder or a complex shot-tracking system, we evaluate every device across several critical metrics to ensure it lives up to the hype.

Given the wide variety of gadgets out there, several members of the Golf Monthly gear team test these products. The gear team is run by Deputy Editor Joel Tadman and he is supported by professionals Joe Ferguson and Sam De'Ath. Additionally Staff Writers Dan Parker and Conor Keenan assist in gear reviews after testing golf equipment for a number of years, most notably on the tech side of things.

Finally I should also mention that no manufacturer can pay for a good review because our team tells it how it is.

What to consider when buying golf gadgets

Every golfer loves a new toy, and the right tech can turn a guessing game into a strategy session. The best golf gadgets are arguably as good as they've ever been but a lot come with a dizzying array of bells and whistles, as we like to say, that can make the buying process feel like reading a manual in a foreign language. To help you cut through the noise and find the gear that actually moves the needle on your handicap, we’ve outlined the essential factors you should consider before adding that next piece of kit to your bag.

What is it for?

Before you go down the rabbit hole of golf tech, start with a clear game plan. With the sheer volume of gadgets hitting the market, an aimless search is a guaranteed recipe for "gadget-induced paralysis." Identifying your specific pain points, rather than just buying the shiniest thing on the shelf, is the only way to narrow your focus and find kit that actually helps your score.

Usability

Next, you need to decide on your tech tolerance. Are you looking for a streamlined experience or do you want a high-performance command center with deep data and multi-functional capabilities? Our selection of gadgets for this guide spans the entire spectrum, from the very techy S70 watch to the simplicity of the G-Rip grip trainer which does one thing perfectly.

Versatility

Do you want to be able to carry around the gadget, a golf watch for example? Do you want to be able to use it at home as well as the local course? Many gadgets slot nicely into your bag, such as rangefinders, whilst others are more difficult to pack away and store. So have a think about how versatile and portable you want the gadget to be.

Durability

A gadget is only as good as its build quality. Since these devices are destined for a life of being rattled in carts and bags, dropped on fairways, and exposed to the elements, you need to look past the shiny exterior. Assessing durability and protection standards is the only way to ensure your tech doesn't become an expensive paperweight after its first encounter with a summer downpour or a concrete cart path.

Budget

Our final factor is budget. Importantly, in every category we picked out above, there are models at different price points. (We have also created value guides like the best budget golf rangefinders as well). So it is worth thinking about how much you are willing to spend on a golf gadget, instead of investing elsewhere on clubs, balls, lessons or whatever the case may be.

For more golf gadgets be sure to have a read of our guides on the best golf GPS, best golf watches for ladies, or best value golf watches.

FAQs

Arccos has announced a new partnership with the USGA that will allow members to seamlessly post scores and view their handicap index in the Arccos Caddie app for the very first time. Arccos has always been at the frontier of allowing golfers to seamlessly track their skill level and performance on the golf course, and this integration with the USGA is the next step in game and handicap tracking. This release follows recent updates that help players maintain accurate performance data on their own game, including enhanced putting statistics, approach stats, hotspot editing and strokes gained by club. 

This new experience sees players with a handicap index connect their Arccos account to the World Handicap Index and then leverage their on-course data to simplify the process of posting scores. These features are available at no charge for players with an active handicap index who are members of an Allied Golf Association (AGA) in the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico. Those in eligible regions who are not currently AGA members will also be able to locate and join the appropriate AGA via a portal within the Arccos Caddie app. For Arccos Caddie app users outside of these territories, the brand is also exploring similar integrations with golf associations around the world. 

“Given the large volume of Arccos members who maintain a handicap index, we’ve received a lot of requests to add score posting to the Arccos Caddie experience. In conjunction with the USGA, we’ve now made that a reality,” said Dave LeDonne, Arccos’ Vice President of Product. “We believe this integration will be a big benefit to Arccos members and will contribute to the growth of AGA memberships throughout the region.”

The update will be available in the coming weeks to Arccos members with a connected handicap index, users will now be able to submit total scores or hole-by-hole scores on rounds of 9 or 18; with detailed information for date played, course and tees.

5 Handicap Golfer Stats

A 5 handicap golfer can be considered a very accomplished player, with most golfers never getting their handicaps down to that level and dreaming of one day having an index that low.

While they are undoubtedly accomplished golfers, there are some surprisingly stats of how they compile their rounds and how they could even lower their handicaps across all areas of the game, from driving to approach, short game and putting.

The stats in this piece from Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds worldwide.

So if you're a 5 handicapper and want to lower your handicap or if your goal is to reach a 5 index, take a look at these statistics...

1. From 150 yards in the fairway

From 150 yards in the fairway, wielding something like a 6-iron, 7-iron or 8-iron, the average 5 handicap golfer hits their shots inside 20ft just 19% of the time and inside 10ft just 6% of the time.

From the fairway, 5 handicappers find the green around 50% of the time from 148 yards out, showing just how crucial this distance is for low handicappers. Overall, they hit 46% of greens in regulation, which equates to 8.28 greens per round.

2. Fairways found with driver

Typical 5 handicap players miss more fairways than they hit with driver - although only just. With driver in hand, the 5 index players average 49.7% of fairways hit. That number only goes up 2.9% to 52.6% when using a 3-wood.

For those wondering, 5 handicap golfers average 245 yards off the tee.

3. Three-putts

From 30ft away, most 5 handicap golfers will be looking to, or thinking of, holing their putt for birdie or par. However, the data shows that they actually three-putt 20% of the time from that distance!

A one-in-five chance of three-putting from 30ft shows that 5 handicaps could shoot lower scores by working on their lag putting and from inside 5ft. In total, they tend to have two three-putts per round, with an average of 32.1 putts per round.

4. 300 Yard par 4s

According to the data, 5 handicappers average around 4.27 strokes on a typical par 4 of 300 yards - a surprising stat when nearly all players of that ability will be looking to birdie the shorter holes. Some might even try their hands at driving the green, or getting up close to it, despite the average distance off the tee of 245 yards.

If you're a 5 handicap, think of all the silly bogeys made on short par 4s and maybe look at taking an iron or hybrid off the tee to leave a simple wedge into the green.

5. Bogeys

The typical 5 index player makes bogey or worse on 44% of the holes they play. That equates to 7.92 holes of bogey or worse - and we know that 5 handicappers also make double or worse on roughly 1.6 holes per round yet make just 1.2 birdies per round on average.

It's clear that 5 handicappers looking to lower their indexes need to turn some of those bogeys and doubles into pars.

5. From 75 yards

From the fairway and just 75 yards out, a 5 handicapper is more likely to make bogey than birdie! 

The chance of them getting up-and-down for birdie is just 11%, while the likelihood of them taking four or more strokes to get down is double that at 22%.

6. Up-and-downs

You might think that 5 handicappers are short game wizards, but in actual fact they're just solid around the greens.

From within 25 yards, they only get up-and-down 46% of the time according to the Arccos data, but they find the green 94% of the time - meaning they rarely hit duffed or thinned chips shots. Overall, they average a distance of 14ft from the hole with chip shots inside 25 yards.

7. Inside 5ft

Another assumption about 5 handicap golfers might be that they hole everything from inside 5ft, but the statistics show that they only make 63% of putts between 3-5ft, which will certainly back up the data that they three-putt 20% of the time from 30ft.

They don't even hole everything inside 2ft either, with a make percentage of 93%.

5 Handicap Stats:

DRIVING DISTANCE: 247 yards

DRIVING ACCURACY: 49%

GREENS IN REGULATION: 46%

UP-AND-DOWNS 25-50YDS: 26%

UP-AND-DOWNS 0-25YDS: 46%

SAND SAVES 25-50YDS: 20%

SAND SAVES 0-25YDS: 28%

PUTTS PER ROUND: 32.1

PUTTS PER GIR: 2.0

PUTTS PER HOLE: 1.8

BIRDIES PER ROUND: 1.2

PARS PER ROUND: 8.9

BOGEYS PER ROUND: 6.4

DOUBLES+ PER ROUND: 1.6

PAR 3 SCORE: 3.4

PAR 4 SCORE: 4.5

PAR 5 SCORE: 5.1

Golf Monthly has also taken a look at scratch golfer stats, how a scratch vs 18 handicaps compare and 10 mind blowing amateur golfer stats.

Tracking devices are excellent tools to improve your game and lose strokes on the course. Crucially, they're affordable and many of these devices are simple, straightforward and easy to use.

Many of the devices and apps included in this guide are infused with A.I. as well as Stroked Gained Analysis to help you understand exactly where you can make up all those important shots. With that in mind, we've listed the best golf shot tracking apps and devices on the market to help you pick which is best for you. We recommend taking a look at our other golf GPS guides too—such as the best golf GPS apps, best golf launch monitors, or the best golf GPS.

The Quick List

Best Golf Shot Tracking Apps and Devices

Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors

Arccos is arguably one of the best game tracking systems on the market. With Arccos Smart Sensors in the end of your club, you can unlock all the key golfing metrics you could possibly need. In fact, some clubs—like Cobra and Ping—come pre-fitted into the grips. For right-handed players, the sensors typically require keeping your phone in your left pocket. However, if that's uncomfortable, you can opt for the Arccos Caddie Link, a belt clip that eliminates the need to carry your phone in your pocket.

Data it provides includes your real life distance for each club as well as real-time yardages that factor in slope, wind speed, temperature, humidity and altitude into question - a.k.a pretty much any variable that impacts how fare your golf ball travels in the air. It also acts as a mini caddie - this feature digests your data and shows your likely shot outcome whilst recommending clubs for you to hit based on previous performances. The features don't stop there - pairing the sensors to the brilliant Arccos Caddie app allows you to take full advantage of the data collection and learn unique analysis of your game through one of the best golf GPS apps you can get.

• Read our full Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Review

Blast Golf Swing Analyser

Just like Arccos Smart Sensors, attaching the Blast sensor to your grip unlocks a load of valuable and interesting analytical numbers. It measures everything from swing tempo to peak hand speed, streaming metrics directly to your phone.

While the technology is remarkable, beginners might find the mountain of stats a bit daunting at first. We recommend running the numbers by your local PGA pro or instructor for a quick breakdown of what the data means and how to address your specific game tendencies.

For data-minded players, however, the platform is remarkably intuitive. Ultimately, it’s an ideal tool to stop mindlessly beating balls on the range and start practicing with clear purpose.

• Read our full Blast Golf Swing Analyser Review

Shot Scope V5 Golf GPS Watch

Shot Scope's V5 builds on the already impressive Shot Scope V3 and we enjoyed the V5 so much it even made our Editor's Choice list.

Shot tracking is where this smartwatch truly steals the show. Simply screw the lightweight tags into the end of your club grips to unlock over 100 deep performance metrics, including Strokes Gained analytics that elevate how you analyze your game.

While the technology is top-notch, there is one key tip for flawless tracking: wear the watch on your lead arm. Because the tags and watch need to be within roughly 10 cm to complete a "handshake," lead-arm placement prevents the occasional missed shot. Out on the course, navigation is smooth and intuitive, even if the user interface has a few minor quirks.

• Read our full Shot Scope V5 Golf GPS Watch Review

Dewiz Golf Swing Monitor

Far from just another market gimmick, deWiz creators Markus Westerberg and Christian Bergh spent 15 years collaborating with neuroscientists to build a device that accelerates physical motor learning. Worn on your lead wrist, the motion-sensing band delivers instant 3D swing visuals to your smartphone along with real-time biofeedback, alerting you the moment your swing gets off-plane or over-extended.

Paired with the app, deWiz unlocks a deep set of analytics, including hand speed at impact, backswing length, swing plane, transition, and tempo. Slicers will find the transition analysis particularly revealing, as it measures exactly how far your hands cast out to the over-the-top position on the downswing. It replaces traditional blind practice with immediate feedback.

• Read our full Dewiz Training Aid Review

Arccos Link Pro

The Arccos Link Pro is another outstanding shot-tracking device, addressing a couple of minor issues found in its predecessor, the Caddie Link—namely battery life and convenience.

Included with the Link Pro is a wireless charging case that provides up to 12 rounds on a single charge. It's compact and will easily fit in your golf bag but it is fairly heavy. The on/off button has moved to the side and become a sliding mechanism, which is a little fiddly but means there’s no chance of accidentally turning it on or off.

This gadget is about the size of a key fob and works inside a front pocket so golfers are able to easily get data without using a phone. We noticed improved functionalities such as the new GPS chip and multi-mic configuration. In testing, we also noticed more accuracy and fewer missed shots as well. On the whole, if you want a convenient device to gain an understanding of your stats and where you can improve, then the Link Pro is definitely a model to consider.

• Read our full Arccos Link Pro Review

How we test

At Golf Monthly we have a comprehensive testing procedure around golf shot tracking apps and devices. As you would expect, this involves using different models on the course, over a number of rounds and importantly in different conditions too because this gives us an idea on how particular models deal with sunlight, rain and wind.

As the entire team are regular golfers and we these devices usually get a thorough testing and often get compared to others that are available on the market, that way we can give honest and insightful feedback to you, the reader. The final thing we wanted to mention in this section is no manufacturer can buy a good review. Our testing team reviews golf equipment and makes its own opinion on how good or bad the product is. For more information on how Golf Monthly tests its products read our guide.

How to choose shot tracking apps and devices

1. Ease of use

Because these tracking tools are loaded with technology, ease of use is critical. To get maximum value out of your device on the course, seamless, distraction-free operation is key.

2. Features

Unreliable tracking is a total deal-breaker, with missed shots meaning tedious manual data entry post-round. To preserve the fun of the game, stick to devices that work well and provide stable, repeatable performance round after round.

3. Compete and share rounds with your friends

Golf apps are now dynamic social hubs where you can easily share scores and performance data with friends. With built-in online tournaments and global leaderboards, you can challenge players anywhere in the world.

4. GPS maps

Before you commit to a device, check the course library it possesses - if your home course isn't on the device you're about to buy, it registers it a little pointless. While most big brands now offer over 40,000 courses, you want to be sure it has the right ones for you. You should also look for an app that provides 'smart' course maps. Being able to see a clear, detailed overhead view of the hole helps you plan your shots and avoid trouble.

If you're looking to improve as a player, why not also check out our buyers guides on some of the best golf gadgets, best golf rangefinders and best golf watches that you can use alongside these apps to help you play.

FAQs

Golf is becoming more and more of a statistics game, and these 10 stats dispel some myths you may have about golfers and may teach you a thing or two about your own game too. 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.

1. 5 handicappers from 150 yards in the fairway

Inside 10ft: 6% of the time

You might think that 5 handicappers are lethal from 150 yards in the middle of the fairway with a 7 or 8 iron, but according to the stats they only get it inside 10ft of the pin 6% of the time, averaging 1.2 birdies per round. They hit 46% of greens in regulation and average 28ft with GIR approaches and 54ft with all approaches to the green. If you play off 5 and don't get it inside 10ft with your 7 iron, go easy on yourself.

2. What distance to hit the green roughly 50% of the time

20 index: 92 yards
15 index: 110 yards
10 index: 129 yards
5 index: 147 yards
0 index: 165 yards

Golfers hitting the green around about 50% of the time differs drastically with skill level unsurprisingly, with a 73 yard gap between 20 handicaps and scratch players. The average 20 handicapper has around a one in two chance of finding the green from 92 yards, going all the way back to 165 yards for scratch players. The distance changes by around 18 yards for every five strokes on handicap.

3. Fairways found with driver - 5 handicaps

5 handicaps find the fairway 49.7% of the time with driver

You might think that 5 handicappers find fairway after fairway, but the data shows that they actually hit just under 50% of fairways with driver. Taking a 3 wood ups that chance by just under 3% at 52.6%, showing that maybe 3 wood isn't always worth hitting compared to driver. Overall, 5 handicaps average 245 yards off the tee but are probably more wayward than you might think.

4. Chipping - 10 handicaps

The typical 10 handicapper is more likely to leave it outside 20ft than to hit it inside 5ft from 15 yards in the rough

When it comes to chipping from the rough 15 yards from the hole, 10 handicaps are more likely to leave their ball outside of 20ft than inside 5ft. From inside 25 yards, 10 handicaps average 16ft and get it up-and-down 37% of the time. Play off of 10? Work on your chipping and your handicap should come tumbling down.

5. BOGEYS - 5 HANDICAPS

The typical 5 handicap makes bogey or worse 44% of the time

5 handicappers make bogey or worse on 44% of holes, although that does mean that they make par or better 56% of the time. This equates to 6.4 bogeys around, with 5 handicappers averaging 1.2 birdies, 8.9 pars and 1.6 doubles or worse.

6. From 75 yards - 5 handicaps

5 index players more likely to make bogey than birdie from 75 yards

A 5 handicapper is more likely to make a bogey from 75 yards than birdie from the fairway. They get up-and-down for birdie just 11% of the time and go on to make bogey or worse 22% of the time. If you play off 5 and want to get your handicap down, make sure you work on your wedges from inside 100 yards to help you avoid bogeys.

7. From 15ft - 12 handicaps

From 15ft, 12 handicappers 3-putt more than they hole out

A 12 handicapper is more likely to three-putt than hole-out from 15ft...yes you read that right! Overall, 12 handicaps average a total of 2.9 three-putts per round, 1.9 putts per hole, 2.2 putts per GIR and a 34 putts per 18 holes.

8. Drives over 275 yards

Percentage of driver shots hit 275 yards or longer:

• Scratch - 18%
• 5 index - 13%
• 10 index - 6%
• 15 index - 3%
• 20 index - 2%

The data on how far golfers hit their drives shows that lower handicappers hit the ball longer off the tee on average and these numbers offer up some fascinating insight. If you play off of 20 and drive it over 275 yards, you're doing very well!

9. 90 yards - 10 handicaps

10 index player from 90 yards in the fairway: 6% chances they get down in two

10 handicaps get up-and-down from 90 yards just 6% of the time, and take four or more to get down 36% of the time. Play off of 10 and want to get to single figures? Work on your wedges.

10. Scratch players from 160 yards

From 160 yards in the fairway, a scratch player will hit the green and be less than 20ft from the hole 19% of the time

Scratch players, from 160 yards in the fairway, get it inside 20ft just under one in five times. Zero index golfers average 56% of greens in regulation, with an average of 26ft on GIR approaches and 44ft on all shots into the green. Learn more about scratch handicap golfer stats and see how scratch vs 18 handicappers compare.

Most golfers are constantly seeking ways to improve, whether that’s low-handicappers on a mission to get to scratch or better, or higher-handicappers looking to break 80 or 90 for the first time. In almost all cases, getting lessons with a qualified professional will accelerate the process, but it’s also vital to have an accurate insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your game.

That’s where data comes in very handy. Shot-tracking technology allows users to review every round they play and identify the areas that are costing them shots. Coaches too can use this information to inform their lessons and potentially expedite the pupil's journey towards lower scores. Two coaches who have already felt the benefit when trying to guide and track golfers’ progress are Lewis Bird and Olivia Pearson of Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. 

And it all starts before a ball has even been struck. Rather than spending precious minutes during a lesson trying to diagnose an issue, they are using data gained from Arccos Caddie to prepare ahead of time, ensuring pupils get value for money as well as the best advice possible.

“We've got the dashboard up in the shop all the time,” Lewis says. “So every time someone plays a round that we've got linked to the system, it just channels them through so we can have a look. 

“You can flick through it super easy and you can go into a client’s last round and see that their strokes gained driving and iron play was great, for example, but their approach play or short game might have been terrible. 

“So I can look before I go to the lesson and then say, ‘I looked at your data, it shows that you've played quite well on the weekend, but it looks like there's a couple of bits we need to iron out’. 

“And then you get the occasional student who gets massively into it and looks at their Arccos stats every time. Once you get people into it, they end up understanding the data themselves as well, which obviously helps.”

Olivia agrees and has also noticed a common trap golfers fall into, adding: “It definitely informs the lesson. Arccos provides data that actually is going to help their games rather than when people just come and say, ‘Oh, my driving was shocking’. Well, actually, if we look at your putting, you’re losing a lot more strokes and you’ll probably improve quicker if we look at that.”

This is made all the easier now with the constant improvements Arccos is making to the user experience. This includes a more detailed suite of putting stats that means there is no excuse for golfers to neglect the flat-stick, or any part of the game for that matter.

Such is the precision of the analysis that amateurs now have the same information at their fingertips that the best players in the world use to gain an edge. Strokes gained remains a relatively new phenomenon but has quickly replaced traditional stats, helping coaches paint a full picture of their pupils’ games.

“Strokes gained isolates shots much more than traditional stats and shows where you’re going wrong,” says Olivia. “For example, you might have three-putted somewhere but is that because your approach game is leaving you too far away? It really highlights the weaknesses.”

“Definitely, 100%,” Lewis affirms. "It's measurable as well, so you can actually see if you're getting better. When I was a junior I used to come off the golf course and check how many putts I had, how many greens I hit, and how many fairways I hit - those were the three really that everyone used to focus on. It’s alright saying you've had 22 putts but if you've had 17 chips, it doesn't make a difference. 

“I teach people who are quite good at chipping and putting, but put them in a bunker and they struggle. With this you can actually categorise it. Rather than going, ‘I made three up and downs today’, you made two up and downs from the edge of the green, but in a bunker or over a bunker you only make one out of five.”

And it’s not just strategy and practice habits that can be better honed using Arccos, Lewis and Olivia are able to gain an understanding of potential swing issues plaguing a golfer just by tracking their recent tendencies.

“It's good to know somebody's miss, right? I think you get quite a lot of people that say their iron play is rubbish or whatever it is. Well what’s the common bad shot and where's your miss? Generally, probably 60% of the time, it's right due to a bit of a slicing motion.

“So you can definitely look at the data and you could give a pretty good estimate on what the path is doing and what the face is doing. You obviously wouldn't know a few other bits but you can probably look at a person versus how far they're hitting it and realise if something's not quite right.

“For example, if you get a guy who's six foot two and ripped who's only hitting it to 240 yards, there's got to be something a little bit wrong with strike or something else. So I think you can make a pretty good estimate, especially if you're a half-decent coach, of knowing people’s golf swings.”

So, from two Arccos users to the masses of others out there, what are some of the best stats to track?

“With Arccos you can obviously see if your miss is short or long,” comments Olivia. “I don’t think people quite take into consideration how important being pin high is. It shows you which distances that you’re weakest at, so you might not struggle from 50 yards but be rubbish from 100 yards and it really pinpoints where you are losing those shots. Proximity to the hole either long or short is really important.”

On a slightly simpler note, Lewis adds: “Nobody comes to a lesson and says, ‘I only hit 10 greens at the weekend’. I can't tell you the last person who said that to me, or anything like that. 

“And then I think what people don't realise is if they hit two more greens in reg a round, they're going to save themselves as much as five shots because they'll have two less chips and whatever else. I think that's an important one.”

Ultimately, as both Olivia and Lewis tell me repeatedly, the reason Arccos is such a useful tool for golfers and coaches in the lesson environment is because it removes the uncertainty. It allows for evidence-based coaching, void of bias and wasted pursuits, and gives golfers the best chance of success, whatever that may be.

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.

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

It's every golfer's dream to become a scratch handicapper, but what exactly do you have to do to get to the fabled zero index?

Thanks to stats from Arccos Golf, we can now see just how scratch golfers compile their rounds, with data gleaned from more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds worldwide.

Some of the numbers might look lower, or perhaps less impressive, than you might think but they're layered under a level of consistency that sees them on the whole avoiding penalty shots, blow-out holes and destructive shots like shanks and big slices and hooks. Scratch players aren't tour pros after all so they're certainly not making seven birdies a round, averaging 320 yards off the tee and getting it up-and-down from within 25 yards every time. There are also things you can't necessarily see or appreciate from scratch golfers either, like their mental strength and course management abilities.

The first obvious starting point for how scratch players perform would be on and around the greens, as that's where they likely save shots versus the average 12-or-18 handicap players.

The average scratch handicapper who uses Arccos averages 5.2 one-putts per round, 11.5 two-putts and can even afford 1.7 three-putts during an average 18 hole round.

Scratch players get it up-and-down 57% of the time from inside 25 yards, although they only average 12ft from the pin, so it's not like they're chipping it to a foot every time. From 25-50 yards, scratch golfers average 20ft and get it up-and-down 35% of the time.

And by no means do they leave their ball in the bunker like many higher handicaps do. Scratch players get it up-and-down from the sand 39% of the time from inside 25 yards and 27% of the time from between 25-50 yards.

These numbers are clearly very solid so what else do scratch players do well?

Scratch golfers who use Arccos find 56% of greens (10 out of 18), with GIR approaches coming to rest at an average of 26ft away from the hole.

The average 18-handicapper hits just 23% of greens (4.14) and hits it to 35ft when they do find the putting surface. Meanwhile they'll average 3.7 three-putts per round versus just 1.7 for scratch players.

All of these impressive greenside and approach stats come after the tee shots, so what are scratch players like off the tee? Averaging 300 yards every time? Think again.

The average scratch player hits their par-4 and par-5 tee shots 259 yards and finds the fairway 51% of the time.

These numbers lead to scratch players making 2.2 birdies per round, 10.5 pars, 4.6 bogeys and 0.7 double bogeys.

Scratch golfer key stats

AVERAGE PUTTS PER ROUND

• 1 putts: 5.2
• 2 putts: 11.5
• 3 putts+: 1.3

AROUND THE GREEN

• 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%

BUNKERS

• 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%

APPROACH

• Greens in regulation: 56% (10.08)
• GIR approaches: 26ft
• All approaches: 44ft

DRIVING

• Tee shot distance: 259 yards
• Fairways hit: 51%

SCORING

• Birdies: 2.2
• Par: 10.5
• Bogeys: 4.6
• Doubles+: 0.7

Golf has moved on so much in recent years and the technology we see in equipment, clothing and shoes has translated into the apps we can now access to accompany our golf. Not long ago, the best golf rangefinders and best golf watches were a luxury item. Nowadays, you can get course yardages straight to your smartphone for free, with GPS apps becoming incredibly popular!

Put simply, there are lots of them on the App Store and, in this guide, we have selected a handful of our favorites. Like the millions of apps on the App Store, some of these are free and some are paid for. What we do know is that they are accurate and genuinely helpful out on course. What's more, we've also included some of our favorite golf games on iOS devices, as well as some great utility apps such as the PGA Tour app and the official England Golf app for those living in the UK.

Best Golf Apps For iPhone 2026

How we test golf apps

When it comes to product testing, our reviews and buyers' guides are built upon a rigorous testing procedure as well as the knowledge and experience of the test team. Product reviews on golf applications are carried out by all members of the Golf Monthly team. All of our writers are able to efficiently test the vast majority of the biggest product releases while conveying the pros and cons of each item eloquently.

Getting into specifics, we test golf applications outdoors on premium golf courses with premium devices to get a thorough understanding on what features each application offers.

Ultimately, we aim to be as insightful and honest as possible in our reviews, so it is important to acknowledge that no manufacturer can buy a good review. This is because our team tells it how it is. To learn more about our testing methodology, see our guide on how Golf Monthly tests products.

What to consider when downloading a golf app

Golf apps come in all different types, so it can be hard to figure out which app you need to help you improve your performance on the course. We've set out a few things to consider when downloading a golf app.

Price

A lot of golf apps can cost money and some even operate via a subscription payments system. Some don't come cheap either, so it's always wise to check on the price of the application you're downloading and whether the features it can provide you are of sound quality.

Pairing with hardware

You may often want to link a certain app up to a piece of hardware you have, like a launch monitor or a GPS Watch. It's always wise to check the compatibility of that device to the application you're downloading before you go ahead and download the app. Its also important to make sure that you know what hardware you need to buy before you download an app to use it correctly.

Data and battery usage

Some apps can chew through a lot of your data and battery life on the course. That can often be a pain if you need to use your phone after your round or don't always have a lot of data to play with. For that reason, it's good to check with each app how much data and battery life they use before you download them.

Course coverage

If you're looking for an app that will provide you with GPS views of the course and hole you are playing, then make sure to check how many golf courses that app covers and whether it covers golf courses in your country. While some apps profess to give GPS locations on thousands of courses around the world, they can sometimes miss a few out. So be sure to check the coverage of the GPS on the app and its reliability.

For more information on golf GPS technology and equipment, take a look at our guides on the best golf launch monitors, best portable launch monitors, or best budget rangefinders.

FAQs

The Apple Watch is one of the most popular wearable tech devices in the world. One of the best ways to use your Apple Watch out on course is through the use of a great golf app. Whether it's automatic shot tracking or to give you GPS yardages, there are loads of ways to use your Apple Watch to its fullest on the golf course and, in this handy guide, we've explained how golfers can get the most out of their Apple watch.

You can also check out our guide on the best golf apps for iPhones if you don't have an Apple Watch, which also features some of the best golf games you can enjoy. Alternatively, if you're after even more reliable yardages out on course, check out our guide on the best golf rangefinders or best golf GPS devices and best golf watches.

Best Golf Apps For Apple Watch 2026

How we test golf apps

When it comes to product testing, our procedure is rigorous and built upon the knowledge and experience of the test team. Product reviews on golf applications are carried out by all members of the Golf Monthly team. All of our writers are able to efficiently test the vast majority of the biggest product releases while conveying the pros and cons of each item eloquently. Getting into specifics, we test golf applications outdoors on premium golf courses with premium devices to get a thorough understanding on what features each application offers. Specifically, many of the Golf Monthly team also have Apple watches which allows us to properly test golf specific apps on the watches as well.

Ultimately, we aim to be as insightful and honest as possible in our reviews, so it is important to acknowledge that no manufacturer can buy a good review. This is because our team tells it how it is. To learn more about our testing methodology, see our guide on how Golf Monthly tests products.

What to consider when downloading a golf app

Golf apps come in all different types, so it can be hard to figure out which app you need to help you improve your performance on the course. We've set out a few things to consider when downloading a golf app.

Price

A lot of golf apps can cost money and some even operate via a subscription payments system. Some don't come cheap either, so its always wise to check on the price of the application you're downloading and whether the features it can provide you are of sound quality.

Pairing with hardware

You may often want to link a certain app up to a piece of hardware you have, like a launch monitor or a GPS Watch. It's always wise to check the compatibility of that device to the application you're downloading before you go ahead and download the app. It's also important to make sure that you know what hardware you need to buy before you download an app to use it correctly.

Data and battery usage

Some apps can chew through a lot of your data and battery life on the course. That can often be a pain if you need to use your phone after your round or don't always have a lot of data to play with. For that reason, it's good to check with each app how much data and battery life they use before you download them.

Course coverage

If you're looking for an app that will provide you with GPS views of the course and hole you are playing, then make sure to check how many golf courses that app covers and whether it covers golf courses in your country. While some apps profess to give GPS locations on thousands of courses around the world, they can sometimes miss a few out. So be sure to check the coverage of the GPS on the app and its reliability.

For more information on golf GPS technology and equipment, take a look at our guides on the best budget golf rangefinders, best golf launch monitors, and best Garmin golf watches.

FAQs

Arccos Golf has introduced a new limited-edition ‘Smoke’ finish version of its new Gen3 Smart Sensors to offer golfers a modern, fresh look. Combining this with the new Link (Gen2) wearable, Arccos is set to provide golfers with a rare opportunity to track on-course data with its new dark grey and black sensors instead of the distinctive Arccos green for the first time.

- Buy the limited-edition Arccos Smoke Smart Sensors bundle for £264.98

“The new Smoke edition of our industry leading Smart Sensors provides something different for golfers wanting to use Arccos and we see it as a great extension to our line-up,” said Steve Obsitnik, Arccos President & COO.

“We’re excited for players to experience this limited offering as we look to further enhance our platform,” he added.

Those golfers choosing the new sleek design will receive 13 club Smart Sensors, plus the all-new P3 Putter Sensor that is more than 40 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor. The system features the latest automatic shot tracking technology powered by A.I. machine learning that tightly integrates Arccos hardware and software to help golfers gain a precise understanding of their game and improve faster.

Smoke Smart Sensors can be purchased at arccosgolf.com while supplies last, at an MSRP of £199.99. All purchases include the first-year membership -  billed annually thereafter at $12.99 per month. Existing members are entitled to a discounted price of £139.99, while the limited-edition set is also available as part of a bundle with the new Link for £264.98. These offers provide savings of £60 and £70 respectively.

Arccos Golf offers one of the best golf shot tracking apps and devices on the market, and Arccos members have recorded more than 10 million rounds and 525 million shots while playing courses in 194 countries since the inception of the brand. This feeds the world’s largest on-course dataset, now including over 35 billion separate data points, which powers Arccos’ Strokes Gained engine that allows a player to select their personal handicap goal, then provides personalized analysis for every game aspect and each club in the bag.

Technology is such a huge part of golf these days and your smartphone has the ability to download a whole range of top golf apps to help you play better golf and just make the game a little easier whether that's on the course, or when practicing. The best golf GPS technology combines with your smartphone to give you a clearer picture of the golf hole ahead.

A great golf app nowadays is like having a pro caddie in your pocket. You get highly detailed satellite maps that pinpoint every bunker and water hazard, plus the front, middle, and back yardages everyone needs to hit more greens and shoot lower scores. Some apps even feature A.I Club Suggestions which learn exactly how far you hit each iron and tell you what to pull for your next shot.

All of this is designed to make your life easier and so you are better informed on what is ahead of you. That way you can focus on the important stuff, like specific swing thoughts and the shot you want to play. From standard GPS yardages to detailed hole maps and cutting-edge shot tracking data, there is an app for you. Here, we take a look at the best golf GPS apps available to download to help you find the right one for your golf game. And while you're here, why not check out our guides on the best golf shot tracking apps and devices, or the best value golf watches as well.

Best Golf GPS Apps

How to choose the right golf GPS app for you

Features

While most apps provide basic yardages and hazard locations, the level of visual detail varies significantly. You must decide whether you prefer a minimalist 2D layout with clean, easy-to-read numbers for quick decisions, or an immersive 3D interface that offers high-resolution course flyovers and a deeper perspective on hole architecture.

Ease of use

An app is only useful if it’s easy to navigate while you’re standing on the fairway. We suggest downloading a few of our recommended picks to see which one 'clicks' for you. Look for a clean design where the yardages are bold and the menus are simple.

GPS maps

The value of a golf GPS app is directly tied to the breadth of its database and the depth of its tactical mapping. While global leaders like 18Birdies and Hole19 now boast coverage for over 43,000 courses, you should verify that your specific local tracks are mapped with high-resolution detail.

Shot tracking features

Shot tracking and smart scorecards are becoming essential for any golfer who wants to improve, as they reveal the real-world stats behind every round. By capturing your true club averages and miss patterns, these apps take the guesswork out of your game.

Compete and share rounds with your friends

Apps like 18Birdies feature dedicated social feeds . You can post photos of your round, share your ;shot of the day' and follow other golfers, including pros and celebrities, to see their live stats. It unlocks another layer of features for those who look for it.

If you're looking to improve as a player, why not also check out our buyers guides on some of the best golf gadgets and best golf launch monitors that you can use alongside these apps to help you play.

FAQs

Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Gen3+ Review

The latest release of the Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Gen3+ features enhancements to the third generation, hence why they are called Gen3+. As covered in our previous Arccos Smart Sensors review, the general function of the sensors to track your shots remains the same.

The Gen3+ Arccos Smart Sensors feature a new smaller P3 putter sensor that is 40% smaller and 20% lighter at 6.2g. It now fits more easily into the end of a pistol putter grip without getting in the way. This is a big improvement if you use this type of putter grip both when using the club and visually.

VIDEO: See the 2023 Arccos Caddie experience in action

Simply screw the sensors in the end of the grips of your clubs and pair them with the Arcoss Caddie app, one of the best golf GPS apps around by the way, and it will track the GPS position of shots you take on each round and the club you used. This information is then analysed using strokes gained metrics both for your round, and now also by individual club, so you can see which parts of your game you need to work on. The all-round improvement made on these sensors, alongside their accuracy when tracking see's them feature in our 2023 Editor's Choice. 

The Artificial Intelligence in the Caddie software has also been updated to improve the quality of the tracking so that fewer shots are missed. Arccos claim that it will now capture 98% of all tee shots and having used the system on course for the last 6 months, the tracking since the update has been a lot better and there is less need to add in shots manually after the round.

Some of the functions, such as marking a putt off the green as a chip to remove it from your putting stats, have moved menus so if you are a long term user, then look around as the features are still there. You still need to have your phone in your pocket when you play as Arccos relies on the microphone to hear the sensors in action. If this is not for you then the Arccos Caddie Link review shows how this Bluetooth belt clip device will do the tracking instead.

Personally I have been using the Arccos Caddie app on the Apple Watch, which not only does the tracking, but also displays the actual GPS distances, Caddie adjusted distances and suggested club on your wrist so you never have to get your phone out at all. There is also a tournament mode to switch the club advisory function off if playing in a competition as it is not legit for that yet.

When you buy the sensors you get the first year’s membership free and then it is currently $12.99 per month billed annually. This is quite steep but you are getting real insight into your game and a free GPS that suggests clubs back to you based on your past performance – just like having a caddie on tour. So if you are serious about improving your game then the Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors Gen3+ are a worthwhile investment.

Related: Read our Best Golf GPS Guide

There is a wealth of information in the app about your performance by round, club, course and date, even type of ball and if you like your stats you can lose hours trying to find the magic cure for your golfing ills. Usually the answer is always the same golfer’s adage – just practice more and play better! 

After recently unveiling its next generation Smart Sensors, Arccos Golf has today launched a new and improved Link device to meet growing demand for its automatic shot tracking wearable first introduced two years ago. Designed to be worn on a player’s belt, waistband or pocket the new Arccos Link (Gen2) offers golfers improved performance thanks to the capacity to automatically record shots without having to carry a phone on the course.

As well as its sleeker look and improved clip functionality, the new Link incorporates advanced microphone enhancements versus the original Arccos Link device with GORE protective vents to deliver better reliability.

“When we launched Link back in 2020 it gave golfers the freedom to play golf without their phone and still get their powerful data. It was a game-changer and helped us to achieve explosive growth worldwide,” said Sal Syed, Arccos CEO and Co-Founder. 

“Now, with technical improvements the new Link is even better. More golfers will play the game their way, with or without their phone and be able to harness personal on course data, understand strengths and weakness leading to faster improvement and more fun,” he added.

The weather-resistant device weighs less than an ounce (25 grams) and is smaller in length than a bank card - measuring approximately 2.25” in length, 1.25” in width and 0.75” deep. It boasts a battery life of up to 10 hours, with quick charging via a micro-USB cable and players using Link will extend their phone battery life by up to 25 percent.

Once paired with the Arccos Caddie app, one of the best golf GPS apps around, the Arccos Smart Sensors seamlessly sync with the lightweight wearable to provide golfers with the ability to track shots in real time. Link then automatically transfers scoring data to the phone app via Bluetooth, either during or after the round depending on player preference. Arccos members using Link can either keep their phone in a golf bag, cart, trolley or back pocket for quick access to Arccos' A.I. powered rangefinder and Caddie advice.

Additional functionality of Link includes the option for a player to mark the exact hole location on the green with a push of main button when standing next to the pin. This provides more accurate putting insights and pinpoints areas for player improvement via the Strokes Gained Analytics software. Arccos has also expanded the remote programmable features of Link, so it will always provide the most current shot tracking models - something previously unavailable with the original device.

In addition, Link will deliver enhanced shot tracking thanks to new Arccos automatic shot tracking technology introduced last month. Like the new Smart Sensors (Gen 3+), the latest device is now packaged in a more sustainable box, as the brand continues its drive toward more environmentally friendly products.

Compatible with iPhone and Android devices, the new Link retails at £134.99. Gen3+ Smart Sensors are sold separately, while the first year membership is included for $12.99 per month billed annually. Arccos Golf undoubtedly offers one of the best golf shot tracking apps and devices on the market.

Arccos Golf already offers one of the best golf shot tracking apps and devices on the market, and it is only getting better with the launch of the next generation Smart Sensors. Golfers looking to gain a better understanding of their game and improve faster will benefit most from the next generation of Smart Sensors, the brand says. The latest Gen3+ Smart Sensors feature new automatic shot tracking technology powered by A.I. machine learning that is said to tightly integrate Arccos hardware and software to pinpoint a player’s shots more accurately than ever before.

The advanced technology has been developed over the past three years by Arccos Data Scientists and Engineers, after analyzing more than 500 million shots hit using Arccos sensors in 194 countries worldwide.

“Arccos is the world’s #1 automatic shot tracking system and we’ve made it even better with these technological improvements,” said Sal Syed, Arccos CEO and Co-Founder. “Arccos now captures 98 percent of all tee shots and delivers the most accurate shot tracking experience the game has ever seen.” 

Once paired with the Arccos Caddie app, the result is the most complete on-course data tracking and analysis system in the game, providing users with Strokes Gained insights for every game aspect and each club in their bag. This delivers a clear, personalized picture of where a player needs to focus practice sessions, lessons or equipment selections to achieve lower scores.  

With the new system, golfers will receive 13 sensors that boast a sleek new design, plus an all-new P3 Putter Sensor that is more than 40 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor. Created specifically with pistol grips in mind, the putter sensor fits most standard grips for a seamless shot tracking experience on the greens. The new sensor kit is also now packaged in a more sustainable box that reflects the brand’s drive toward eco-friendly products.

The new Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors (£179.99/$199.99 RRP) offer extensive battery life and deliver hands-free, fully-automatic shot capture for every club in the bag. All purchases include the first-year membership – billed annually thereafter at $12.99 per month. Existing Arccos members can purchase the updated P3 Putter Sensor separately and can benefit from new automatic shot tracking when using current generation sensors.

This latest release follows the introduction of Strokes Gained by Club, a software feature that premiered earlier this month. It represents the first time that personalized advanced analytics have been applied to on-course equipment and allows players to see which clubs in their bag are gaining or costing them strokes on the course. Arccos members can now make more informed decisions on club set-up via head-to-head comparisons.

Golf’s first Artificial Intelligence platform, Arccos automatically tracks shots while delivering incredibly comprehensive in-round insights. The system is highlighted by an A.I.-powered rangefinder, smart club distances and caddie advice for every golf hole on earth. These innovations helped new Arccos members who played at least ten rounds lower their handicap by an average of 5.78 strokes in 2021. In total, Arccos members have now recorded more than 10 million rounds and the world’s largest on-course dataset consists of over 35 billion separate data points.

Arccos, the pioneers of data analysis and artificial intelligence for golf, has announced a revolutionary new product feature titled: Strokes Gained By Club. This groundbreaking new feature allows players to see which clubs in their bag are gaining or costing them strokes on the course, and to make more informed purchasing and set-up decisions via head-to-head product comparisons.

The term "Strokes Gained" is often used on television coverage as a means to demonstrate why a Tour player is playing well, or perhaps, not so well. That level of insight can now help millions of amateurs across the world; all with the common goal of getting better.

Set to premiere in April for all users of the Arccos Caddie app, Strokes Gained by Club represents the first time that personalized advanced analytics has been applied to on-course equipment performance.

It was Einstein that said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" and as golfers, we're all too guilty of that. This new system allows golfers to tailor their approach to playing the game so they can make conscious decisions which will ultimately see them improve. 

Strokes Gained by Club was built by Arccos’ in-house data and engineering teams, which leveraged the company’s dataset that includes more than 500-million shots and billions of related data points recorded during over 10-million rounds played by Arccos members.

- Related: Arccos Caddie Link Review

Designed for use by golfers of all skill levels, Strokes Gained by Club assesses equipment performance versus the target handicap a player selects, thereby offering a precise view of which clubs are contributing to better scoring, and those that are holding them back. Among the key applications of this tool are the ability for a player to easily compare their performance with a current club to a prospective purchase (i.e. Driver A vs. Driver B), or determine the impact of a set-up adjustment (i.e. loft, face angle, shaft, grip). No more guessing game at the driving range.

"As coaches, we’re always working to identify how to help students improve their performance as efficiently as possible,” said Erika Larkin, Arccos Ambassador, PGA Professional and one of the Golf Digest 50-Best Teachers in America. “Until now, we never had a tool that allows us to use on-course data to quickly and easily pinpoint the need for equipment adjustments. This will be a huge asset when it comes to focusing instruction and consistently setting players up for success.”

A technological introduction that is sure to take the golfing world by storm. After all, it's a continuation to a product that has helped Arccos Caddie members, who played at least 10-rounds, lower their handicap index by an average of 5.78 strokes in 2021. Who doesn't want that? 

- Related: Arccos Launches Golf Ball Data Capture And Analysis System