How do the stats compare between scratch, 10 and 20 handicap golfers? Find out...

How do the stats compare between golfers that regularly shoot in the low 70s (scratch players) to those who shoot in the low 80s (10 indexes) and those in the low 90s (20 handicappers)?
In this piece we take a look at the stats and numbers on how the different abilities compare and contrast in all areas of the game - and there's some really interesting findings. The numbers are from Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 750 million shots around the world.
We'll start with the vital scoring data and then work from the tee all the way up to the green to see how each of these different abilities of golfers fare.


Obviously scratch players shoot lower scores, make more birdies and fewer bogeys, but just what do those numbers actually look like?

Scratch golfers who use Arccos to track their stats make on average 2.2 birdies per round, which is a whopping 1.5 more than 10 handicappers and a huge 1.9 more than 20 handicappers.
Zero index golfers make an average of 4.6 bogeys per round, which is 3.1 fewer than 10 handicappers and almost half the number that 20 handicappers make, who bogey half the holes they play on average.
There's even bigger differences when it comes to doubles or worse, with scratch golfers making just 0.7 per round, compared to 2.9 for 10 handicappers and 6.6 for 20 handicaps.

Want to shoot lower scores? Avoid doubles!

But how do scratch golfers shoot those lower numbers? Let's take a look at the data from drives, approaches, short game and putting.
Driving isn't always considered the most important part of the game but hitting it long and straight definitely helps, as these numbers show.
Scratch players average 259 yards off the tee with 51% of fairways found, while 20 handicappers are 46 yards shorter on average and hit 10% fewer fairways. The 10 handicap numbers are in the middle of those, as you'd expect, with a 233 yard average and 46% of fairways found.

Scratch golfers' ability to hit longer, straighter drives then translates into more greens in regulation, closer approaches and therefore more birdies.
The average scratch golfer hits 56% of greens in regulation, which equates to 10 per round. That number drops down to 36% for 10 handicappers, around 6.5, and even further to 20% for 20 handicappers, which equals 3.6 greens in reg per round on average.
That means scratch golfers hit more than six greens per round on average versus 20 handicappers.

And on the eight occasions when scratch golfers miss the green in regulation in each round, they can rely on sharp short games to get them up-and-down to save pars.
From within 25 yards, on grass, scratch players get it up-and-down a very impressive 57% of the time, compared to 37% for 10 handicappers and just 23% for 20 handicappers.
From bunker shots inside 25 yards, scratch golfers make sand saves 39% of the time compared to just 21% for 10 handicappers and 13% for 20 handicaps. That means a scratch player is three times more likely to get it up-and-down from a greenside bunker than a 20 index golfer.
Scratch players are also more likely to get it up-and-down from a 25-50 yard bunker shot than 20 handicappers are on chips within 25 yards!

When it comes to the greens, this is where the scratch player really excels. As important as every aspect of the game is, it's the putting green where the birdies are made and the pars are saved.
Most scratch golfers will also devote more of their practice to short game and putting than just beating balls on the driving range - one of the biggest golf practice mistakes made by higher handicappers.
Thanks to the practice, and skills, scratch players rarely three-putt. They three-putt just 1.3 times per round to be precise, which is half the amount that 20 handicappers have - 2.6.
Over an average 18-hole round, scratch players have just 30.7 putts compared to 33.5 for 10 handicappers and 36.2 for 20 handicappers. That means that scratch players save 5.5 shots every single round on the greens compared to the average 20 handicapper.
Play off of 20 and want to shoot lower scores? Work on your putting!

Hopefully this data has been helpful to illustrate just where the differences lie between these three different abilities of golfer.
If you want more stats, take a look at our PGA Tour pro vs scratch, scratch vs 18 handicapper and how to break 80 stats articles, or if you want to improve your game head to our golf tips section for expert instruction and drills to help you shoot lower scores.

A 15 handicap hits a wedge from 50 yards to 20 feet, drops his head in disappointment.
Would his reaction be different if he learned that shot was actually much better than average?
Of all the mistakes golfers make, the ones tied to their expectations can be the costliest. Why? Because when players don’t understand the relative difficulty of certain shots, they tend to make decisions that get them in trouble. Maybe worse, they also get frustrated with outcomes that, relative to their level, might not be as bad as they think.

The good news is this is a problem you can solve without a second of practice, and that’s why Golf Digest has created their new "How Do You Compare?"

Powered by their partners at Arccos Golf, golf’s #1 on course performance tracking system. Golf Digest has poured through Arccos' data which consists of more than 750 million shots hit from more than 16 million rounds across the world to provide some benchmark around a wide range of handicaps. Then we layered in stats from the PGA Tour to see how you might match up against the best players in the world.

This innovative feature will help shed new light for golfers on their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they compare to golfers everywhere.

Each year, the winner of The Masters is presented with the famous "Green Jacket." Slipping on the green jacket is the golden moment for many winners of the tournament, and the jacket is far more famous than the tournament's trophy. But how did a green jacket come to be such a big deal? What is the story behind the venerated Green Jacket?


Key Takeaways: Masters Green Jacket

• The Masters Green Jacket, which is exactly what it sounds like, is given annually to the tournament champion. It is one of the iconic mementos of professional golf.
• The tradition of Augusta National members wearing the Green Jacket dates to 1937, but the first time one was presented to the Masters Tournament winner was 1949.
• The Masters winner keeps his Green Jacket for one year, then returns it to the club.
• The winner of the previous year's Masters Tournament is responsible for slipping the Green Jacket onto the new champion.

Origins of the Masters Green Jacket Let's face it: If you saw someone walking around in public in a shamrock green jacket, you might wonder if that person was fashion-challenged. But the Green Jacket presented to the Masters champion is one beautiful piece of outerwear.
The tradition of the Green Jacket at Augusta National Golf Club dates to 1937. That year, members of the club wore green jackets during the tournament so that fans in attendance could easily recognize them if a fan needed to ask questions.
One of the inspirations for the idea was provided by a dinner that Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones attended at Royal Liverpool. The English links club's captains were adorned in red jackets during that dinner, to stand out.
Augusta National co-founder and club chairman Clifford Roberts embraced the idea of an identifying piece of clothing for club members — something that would make it easy for non-members (and tournament attendees) to recognize an Augusta member.
According to the tournament's official website, Masters.com:
"Jackets were purchased from the Brooks Uniform Company, New York City ... Members were not initially enthusiastic about wearing the warm, green coat. Within several years, a lightweight, made-to-order Jacket was available from the Club's Golf Shop. ... The single breasted, single vent Jacket's color is 'Masters Green' and is adorned with an Augusta National Golf Club logo on the left chest pocket. The logo also appears on the brass buttons."Presenting the Green Jacket to the Masters Winners Soon after its public debut in 1937, the Green Jacket became the symbol of membership in the ultra-exclusive Augusta National Golf Club.
And winners of the Masters Tournament began, themselves, receiving green jackets at the 1949 Masters. The winners all become members of the Champions Club at Augusta. From 1937 through 1948, only Augusta National members wore the green jackets; from 1949 onward, the tournament winner also got one.
By the way, in those early years it was just as common to hear Masters players and Augusta members refer to the garment as the "green blazer" or "green coat," as it was for them to use "green jacket."
Who Was the First Masters Champ Presented with the Green Jacket? You already know the jacket was first presented to the Masters winner following the 1949 tournament. And the winner that year was Sam Snead. At that time, the club also had jackets made for each of the previous winners of the Masters. 
Does the Masters Winner Get to Keep the Jacket? The short answer: The Green Jacket stays with the new winner for one year. When they return to Augusta National the following year for the next Masters, they return the jacket. But each winner can have his own version of the jacket made to keep at home. For more, see:

• Do Masters champions get to keep the Green Jacket?

Last Year's Champ Puts the Green Jacket on the New Winner Following the completion of each Masters Tournament, the Green Jacket ceremony is held, where the new champion is presented with the green jacket. That jacket is one that tournament officials have retrieved from the locker room, guesstimating what will fit best the new winner. Later, the champ is measured and a jacket custom made for him.
As for who puts the jacket on the new winner at the post-tournament ceremony: The previous year's champ slips the Green Jacket onto the new winner.
Ah, but what if a golfer wins back-to-back Masters? He can't present himself with the jacket the second time around. In that case, the Augusta National Golf Club chairman has the duty of slipping the jacket onto the winner.

Effective course management is essential if you are to use your skills to shoot low numbers on the links.  In this step you will learn how to plan the best strategy to play each hole.  When combined with the skills you developed in Steps 3 through 10, you will have the best chance to become a great golfer.  Good course management allows you to apply your skills to go from the tee to the green in the fewest number of strokes, no matter what the situation-narrow fairways, dog-legs, deep traps, water hazards, and so forth.  This step helps you develop your game strategy by presenting a three-step approach (AIP: assess, identify, and plot) to course management.
 
Why Is Course Management Important?
Can you imagine a coach preparing for a game without a game plan?  Just as a coach matches players’ strengths against the weaknesses of the other team, you must match up your skills with the golf course’s characteristics. Your ability to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a hole, along with the knowledge of your current golf ability, helps you develop a strategy for course management by carefully analyzing each hole and selecting your best route to the green.  Through course management, you match your strengths as a player against the weaknesses of each hole you play.  This is “percentage golf” and is important in becoming a consistent player because it puts you in control of your game.
 
How to Select Shots and Manage the Course
Course management is the real challenge in golf.  Many golfers are good practice players because there are no consequences.  The conditions in practice remain the same, and it is easy not to have to make many decisions.  To become a good player, though, you must learn to think yourself around the course.  Use the AIP course-management strategy:  assess your current strengths and weakness as a player, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the specific golf hole you are about to play, and plan the best strategy by plotting a route to the green, given these considerations.
The first step in course management is to assess your own strengths and weaknesses as a player.  When you practice and play, use the drills that were presented with each step to help you in this assessment.  How close do you come to the Success Goals?  When you use the charts to record your ball flights, do you have any biases in your shots?  For example, do you tend to hit more balls to the right or left of your target with your irons or woods?  Do you tend to hit more chip shots long, short, or on target?  Step 12: The 19th Hole, provides a systematic way to develop an awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, and plan for progress.
The second step in effective course management is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each hole.  The tough things about a hole are referred to as the hole’s strengths.  Strengths include such things as the hazards (water and sand), out-of-bounds areas, small fairways and greens, dog-legs, and high roughs.  Most holes have specific strengths that were designed by the golf course architect to give the golfer trough.  On the other hand, there are weaknesses in most holes, which should tell you where to aim.  For example, find the widest part of the fairway, aim away from the hazards, look for an opening to the green where there are no traps, find the largest part of the green to aim at rather than always aiming at the flag (see Figure 11.1).
   The identification of a hole’s strengths and weaknesses can often take place from the tee.  Carefully look at the entire hole.  Where are the weaknesses of the hole?  Where are the strengths?  Are there any distinguishable yardage markers?  For some holes, you may not be able to see the entire hole from the tee.  Often the scorecard has a printed layout of the course with yardage marked, or one of your playing partners may be familiar with the course. 
   The third step is to compare your strengths to the weaknesses of the hole and plot a path or route to the green.  For example, standing on the tee, look first at both the strengths and weaknesses of the hole.  If you see a sand trap on the right side, you probably want to select a landing area on the left side of the fairway.  By determining a good strategy, you avoid the trouble built into the course and take advantage of the good landing areas.  This strategy will then dictate the clubs you choose to hit (see Figure 11.2).
(Figure 11.1  Potential trouble areas determine the strengths of a hole, ranging from few trouble areas to many trouble areas.)
 
COURSE MANAGEMENT:  ASSESS, IDENTIFY, AND PLOT
 
Assess Your Strengths
1. Control of ball direction           
2. Ball trajectory per club           
3. Distance hit per club          
4. Ball curvature tendencies (slice and hook)          
5. Psychological characteristics and mental control            
6. Tension control            
7. Concentration            
 
Identify Hole’s Strengths and Weaknesses
1. Hazards (water/sand)           
2. Out-of-bounds          
3. Tight fairway          
4. Small green          
5. Narrow opening to green            
6. High rough          
7. Trees and shrubs            
 
Plot a Route
1. Locate safe landing areas, as opposed to hazards or other trouble          
2. Consider width of fairway (tight or open)           
3. Consider location and height of rough          
4. Find opening to green (free of hazards)          
5. Select appropriate clubs
  a. Lie of ball    
  b. Trajectory of desired shot     
  c. Distance ball must travel     
 
   Your club selection is based on the position or lie of the ball, the trajectory of the shot, and the desired distance to your target or landing area.  Each of these aspects is important to the golfer, and are sometimes referred to as the LTD process:  the lie of the ball, the needed trajectory, and the desired distance.  The lie of the ball is determined by its position in the sand, grass, divot, or on a bare spot.  For example, is the ball on the top of the grass or sand or resting in a divot, buried in the sand, or on a hill?  The lie can also be influenced by the height or texture of the grass.
   Ideal shot trajectory is a matter of how high or low you wish to hit the shot.  Is the normal trajectory for a particular club adequate?  Are there trees or shrubs to go over?  Do you need to stop the ball quickly?
   The distance is determined by how far you wish to hit this shot and the next shot.  It is important to remember that it is not always necessary to hit the ball as far as you possibly can.  Sometimes you wish to hit a controlled, shorter distance in order to be in a good position to hit your next shot.  For example, if there is a water hazard in from of the green and you are 190 yards away, you may wish to hit short of the water and then h it your next shot onto the green.
   Your club selection ultimately must depend on all three elements of LTD-lie, trajectory, and distance.  For example, a wood is not recommended from high grass, yet the distance might naturally call for that club.  In such a case, an iron might become the preferred club because of the grassy conditions.
 
COURSE MANAGEMENT SUCCESS STOPPERS
Many of the problems in course management come from not taking the time to make good decisions.  Outstanding golfers allow themselves time to analyze the situation and match each hole’s demands with their skills.  They use the AIP strategy of assessing, identifying, and plotting.
 
 
ERROR
CORRECTION

1. Ball generally lands short of green when you use 4-iron.
1. Take “one more club” than you think; that is, if you believe you should hit with a 4-iron, choose a 5-wood or 3-iron.

2. Tee shots usually miss fairway.
2. Tee off with a 5-wood or long iron.

3. When you try to hook ball around dog-leg, ball ends up in woods.
3. Play for middle of fairway, particularly if you tend to slice.

4. When there is a lateral water hazard on hole, ball always seems to land there.
4. Use tension control to feel level-3 grip.  Be sure to use routine and focus on the good landing areas rather than being distracted by water.

COURSE MANAGEMENT
DRILLS
 
1. Imaginary Hole Drill
It is important to be able to match your strengths and weaknesses with those of a golf hole.  To begin practicing this skill, imagine that you are on the first tec of a golf course, though you’re actually on a practice tee.  Determine the desired landing area in an open space.  Use the obstacles or flags in the field to represent “trouble” on the hole.  Select the safe landing areas and then actually hit a shot toward each one.
 
2. Alternate Strategies
   In your mind, create an imaginary hole.  Imagine that each obstacle in your practice field is a hazard or trouble spot on a real hole.  For example, pretend that the area between two flags or cones is really a lake.  Find a landing area away from that “water hazard.”
   Pretend you are three different golfers, with different characteristic strengths and weaknesses.  As each golfer, determine a different strategy for playing the hole.  Identify the safe landing area, and choose the club to be used for your first shot.  As golfer#1, assume that you are a long hitter with a good short game.  What landing area would you choose, and what club would you hit?  As golfer#2, assume that you hit short and tend to slice the ball.  Golfer#3 is really you.  Describe yourself and determine your preferred route.
 
3. Listing Strength and Weaknesses Drill
   Given the sample of three golf holes (see Figures a-c under the Success Goal), identify the strengths and weaknesses of the holes.   Write a brief description of each and mark their locations on the diagram.  Mark each hole’s strengths as s1, and s3; indicate the locations of the weaknesses as w1, w2, w3 (see example hole).
 
4. Managing an Entire Hole Drill
   When you plan a strategy for a given hole, you must match your strengths as a golfer with the weakness of the hole.  Identify your preferred landing area for each shot by marking and X over the spot.  Indicate the club you should use to hit the ball from that location by placing a symbol adjacent to the X (e.g., 4i = 4-iron; 3w = 3-wood; pw = pitching wedge).  See the example hole below.
 
5. Managing a Round Drill
   Ultimately, the task in golf is to plot your strategy for a round of golf.  Get the course diagram from a local or famous course layout, and determine how you would ideally play each hole, given your strengths and weaknesses.  Lay out the shots you would make on each hole.  Mark an X on the landing area and indicate the club you should hit from each location.  If possible, actually play the course and keep track of your planned strategy compared to what actually happens.
 
COURSE MANAGEMENT SUCCESS SUMMARY
   In determining your ability to match your skills(strengths) against the weaknesses of a golf hole, use the 3-step AIP approach; assess, identify, and plot your best path to the green for each hole.  When you actually play a round, plan the strategy for the entire round, and before teeing off on each hole, check it.  If your plan needs to be changed after any shot, do so- but always stop to replan and refocus before hitting the next shot.  Use the checklist in Figure 11.2 to be sure you are carefully planning.  Place a check on the line for each element you consider when you attempt to determine your strategy for each hole.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Do you have a presupposition about the toughness of the golf course you are going to play? Are you visually intimidated by the many water holes, fairway bunkers, tree lined fairways, mounds, railroad ties, tiered or severely undulating greens? Intimidation can lead to indecision, which will most likely result in a missed shot.
Have you looked at a sprinkler head and then said, "It looks farther than that (yardage)." Golf course architects can create indecision in your mind by the way they sculpture the golf course. For instance, a green surrounded by tall trees will look closer than it actually is. Donald Ross was famous for building bunkers with a raised front lip 20 yards in front of the greens so they look like they are greenside bunkers. He created an illusion so you would begin to doubt the yardage to the pin.

When an architect designs a par 5 hole that is reachable in two and looks like an easy birdie and possibly an eagle, your mind defines it as a 4 on your scorecard. If you go for the green, wind up in the bunker, and make bogie, you are deflated and have let the golf course beat you. If you lay up to your favorite approach distance and hit it close to make the birdie putt, you have used good course management. You have then outsmarted the golf course and feel satisfied.

A good mental game includes good course management. Course management is the ability to play around the golf course the way it was designed by the architect, avoiding the trouble and placing each shot in the best position to hit the next shot.
The golf course is set up so you will make hundreds of decisions. Course management is smart golf; thinking positively to avoid mistakes. The game of golf is about managing imperfection. Golf is about managing yourself around the golf course without letting your ego take over (Tin Cup experience).

When you change the way you see the world, your world changes! When you change the way you see the golf course you can see opportunities. You see the obstacles and make plans to avoid them.
Your course management depends upon a myriad of things including your skill level, your personality, course conditions and the pressure of the situation. It is important to have a strategy for playing each hole so you will be prepared ahead of time to handle the feelings that might arise to deter you.

You have learned from experience how to manage your own golf course well because you know your plan. You don't have to do so much analytical thinking and can concentrate on creating the shots you want.
You can be a genius at course management if you are confident with your wedges and putter. Then it won't matter if you miss greens.

"Positive thinking is working for something and believing that it will happen. Wishful thinking is waiting for something and hoping it will happen." -Joe Tye

Here are some tips for good course management:

1. Have a game plan.
   • Plan your strategy according to your ability. Less than 1% of all golfers have shot an even par round of golf or better. Measuring your performance against par is a set-up for failure for the average golfer. Decide which holes you can par and which you can bogie, etc. and set your own par on each hole.
   • In a match play tournament, play your own game and play the golf course, not your opponent.
   • In a scramble where you have three partners, you will probably want to swing all out, unless at least one other ball is not in a good position.
   • In a stroke play tournament, you will want to play consistently and perhaps conservatively.
   • On a team playing for one best ball, you might want to think about the best ways to make birdies.
2. Use the same pre-shot routine on every shot. You will have more consistent results if your routine is consistent. Then your brain will know exactly what you want to do.
3. Be positive. Be decisive. Indecision is the enemy of golfers. There are many ways to be indecisive, not just in club selection. Make a mental blueprint of your path to the hole. Decide on a specific target area for each shot and aim at it. Believe in your ability to hit it there!
4. Eliminate tension. If too many thoughts are going on in your mind, you become tense. Make up your mind where and how you are going to hit the shot and just do it! When you get over the ball, all of your thoughts and emotions should be on the ball and where you are going to hit it. And just do it! A little anxiety is all right because the desire will get you slightly aroused and anxious to play.
5. Golf is a game of managing your misses. If you hit five to seven shots per round just the way you want, that is a great achievement. The rest of your shots should be playable, or good misses. Don't dwell on a bad shot; concentrate on the shot at hand and stay focused. Then you can turn it around quickly.
6. Aim for the side of the fairway that opens up the approach to the green.
7. Check the pin placement to determine how aggressively to hit to the green. There are usually six "sucker" pins, six easy pins and six medium pin placements. Hit to the pin when it is in the middle of the green. When there are "sucker" pin placements tucked behind the bunker or on a shallow part of the green, hit to the middle. Take enough club to hit over the greenside bunkers.
8. Put approach shots below the hole on a course with fast, undulating greens.
9. Take the shortest route out of trouble to avoid multiple errors. Trouble means trees, unplayable lie, deep bunkers, deep rough, severe stance, bare or wet ground, out of bounds.
10. On long putts, think distance. To avoid 3-putts, think 95% distance and 5% direction. Putt the ball to a three-foot circle around the hole.
11. Short par fours usually have subtle trouble. Use less than a driver for position play. Hit your tee shot to a full shot distance into the green.
12. On short approach shots go for the flag. Divide the green into thirds or quarters and get the ball into the right segment for the best chance at a one-putt..
13. On long approach shots, aim for the center of the green. Take enough club to carry over the greenside bunkers.
14. Carefully balance what you are risking against the reward. When you plan your shot, allow for a margin of error. Play the percentages. Make up your mind before you use your muscles. If you miss the shot, make sure you can recover.
15. Know your best lay-up distance. Know when, and how to lay up. Don't try to hit it as close to the green as possible leaving a three-quarter wedge shot. Leave 80 to 100 yards to make a full swing.
16. Look to see where the trouble is. Then turn your attention to where you want the ball to go. If your last look or thought is the trouble, there's a good chance that is where your ball will end up.
17. Be prepared for bad shots and bad breaks. Let go of bad shots and bad breaks as they are over and done. Stay confident and focused to hit the next shot.
18. Be flexible with your game plan when it is windy/raining. Have a positive attitude that the conditions are the same for everyone, and you will play better than they do.
19. Look at the clouds when you are throwing up grass. Trees may surround you. Looking at the clouds will give you an indication of how strong the wind is.
20. Make sure you get the ball out of a fairway bunker. Look at the lip of the bunker and make sure you have a club with enough loft to get over the lip. Make sure you hit it clean, not fat. Take one more club to make up for no body movement. Pick the ball out.
21. If your shot is half way between clubs, use the longer club and choke down an inch or so.
22. Master one approach shot so you can play it under pressure. Choose one approach shot you are comfortable with; pitch and run, chip shot, lob shot, etc. Don't try and execute a shot you don't know how to hit or have any confidence in.
23. Use the putter from off the green for highest percentage shot. Most people think their worst putt is as good as their best chip shot. If you putt to four feet you think you have hit a poor putt, but if you chip to four feet, it feels good. Play every shot you can with the putter just to get it close enough for a one putt.
24. When in trouble, maintain your equilibrium. Take your time to figure out all your options, what the percentage shot is, what you have confidence doing and carefully exercise your preshot routine.
25. Manage your downtime. Since playing the ball only takes about 10-20 minutes in a four-hour round, decide how you will spend the time between shots to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind, loose and relaxed.
26. Stick to your game plan. If you are behind, don't press and try harder. Be patient. Make up your mind that everything happened to help you.
27. Plan to finish well. Most tournaments are won on the last three holes. Play your game. Let your opponents match your performance.

GOLF IS A GAME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANEUVER THE BALL AROUND THE COURSE AND HAVE FUN DOING IT!
Entrain Your Heart & Brain for Peak Performance!