Scratch golfers gain shots in this key area – and the stats prove it

Getting your handicap index to scratch is all about shaving off shots in key areas on the golf course.

Sure, getting to single figures can be done largely by eliminating penalty shots and cutting out some poor decisions, but if you want to be shooting close to par, you’re going to need to dial in your game.

So, where exactly do scratch golfers make up the ground on, say, a five handicap golfer?

Distance off the tee is a factor, as is greens in regulation, but one thing in Shot Scope’s database that caught our eye is three putt avoidance.

Through tracking stats from golfers around the world, Shot Scope has a healthy set of stats from serious golfers. A quick look at putting data paints an interesting picture.

It’s no surprise that scratch players average less putts per round than their five handicap counterparts, but the biggest discrepancy comes in the average holes per three putt column.

The number of holes per three putt rises gradually through the handicap ranges. For 25 handicap golfers, they can expect to take three with the flatstick every 7.6 holes.

That number improves for five handicap golfers, to 16.7 holes per three putt, almost one three putt per round.

However, there is a huge jump in that number for scratch golfers, as they average 35.7 holes per three putt. Essentially, scratch players can, on average, go two rounds without three putting.

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This might not be the most exciting part of the game, but it’s certainly one we can all improve on. Gaining 20 yards off the tee is something that not all of us are going to be able to achieve.

But, working on speed control and holing out on the greens is something everyone can be better at.

What’s also interesting in this data is that three putt avoidance doesn’t come from scratch players having shorter first putts. While zero handicappers average 16 feet for their first putt on the green, that distance only increases by a foot for a five handicap player.

There’s a reason you see the club champion working on putting drills before they head out on the golf course. If you copy them, you’ll see your scores move in the right direction too.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor