I am for deeper data. Hits earned, patterns and distribution trends are great tools, especially when trying to practice smarter. But if you want to understand why your results look the way they do on the card, you don’t need to complicate it.
You have to accept the boring truth.
Statistics that explain scoring better than anything else are not exciting. You will read them and think, yes i know. Fairways, greens and putting. But the reality is this: if you focus on just one of these areas, you’ll likely make more progress than following swing changes or tracking a dozen different numbers.
We asked Shot Scope to analyze scoring data at various scoring ranges, and these three statistics consistently explain why players shoot in the 100s, 90s, 80s, 70s, or 60s.
Tee shots in trouble
This is the most influential statistic in amateur golf.
Tip shots that land in trees, deep rough, bunkers or penalty areas immediately apply more pressure, often turning a routine first chance into damage control.
Average tee shots in trouble per round
- 100 years: 6.5
- 90’s: 4.9
- The 80s: 3.3
- The 70s: 2.0
- The 60s: 0.9
If you’re shooting in the 100s, you’re hitting roughly seven times as many problematic tee shots as players shooting in the 60s. This gap alone accounts for a large part of the difference in results.
Green in regulation
Green in regulation remains one of the purest indicators of scoring potential. We just did a deep dive into the greens in regulation (Does GIR really help your score?) and how much impact it has on your score.
Hitting more greens means fewer scramble attempts, fewer one-sided misses, and far fewer holes that turn into big numbers. Where the ball lands on the green is important, but getting it on the green is the biggest part of the battle.
Average greens in regulation per round
- 100 years: 1.8
- 90’s: 3.6
- The 80s: 5.4
- The 70s: 9.0
- The 60s: 10.8
Golfers who shot in the 70s hit five times more greens than golfers who shot in the 100s. Greens in regulation and fairway shots also go hand in hand. If you’re five tee shots in trouble, you likely have a shot at five fewer greens in regulation.
Three shots
Many higher scores are often caused by poor distance control rather than missed short shots. Long shots that miss the hole well or come up short create stress-filled second shots that add up quickly.
Average of three shots per round
- 100 years: 3.2
- 90’s: 2.3
- The 80s: 1.5
- The 70s: 0.9
- The 60s: 0.5
If you’re shooting in the 100s, you make at least two more strokes in each three-shot round than players shooting in the 70s. Preventing three shots doesn’t require a perfect shot, just better pace control and awareness.
Final thoughts
None of these statistics are exciting.
However, if you narrow your focus to just one of these areas, you’ll likely see improvement sooner than you expect. I’ve always hated the general advice given to golfers to “work on your short game”. Yes, it’s important and will save strokes, but keeping the ball in play off the tee may be the first project you want to tackle.
Post Don’t overcomplicate golf statistics. These 3 explain why you score what you score appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
