What cpunts as GIR and total putts?

[ILLZ]

I just started keeping these stats for my round. Obviously fairways hit is black and white, but does the fringe count as a GIR? I would assume no. Does a putt count if it's from the fringe? I couldn't putt to save my life yesterday on the front. Shot 46 at my home course with 5/7 fairways hit, 3 GIR, and 21 putts! (4 3-putts!) YUCK!

[Norm66]

To me, the fringe is off the green and only putts from the green count as putts.

[$2 Nassau]

Fringe does not count as a GIR.

A putt is only a putt if it is struck while the ball is on the green. Putting from the fringe, the short rough just off the green, etc. does not count as a true "putt."

[hurley9192]

I agree that fringe is not GIR. However, for stats I would record a shot that was on the fringe as GIR and the putts because it gives a better picture. If you hit it on the fringe 16 times and 1 putted all of those, but shot even par, your stats would look out of whack. Also, if a ball if in the second cut, but easy to hit and only 6 inches in the rough, then I'll count that for purposes of analysis as a fairway. I wouldn't do it in a competition or anything, but if you have a near perfect lie 6 inches off the fairway or green, you essentially hit the green or fairway when talking about your ball striking. If you are a foot off the fairway or green, but in nasty rough, then you missed it. I'm really only talking about if you are within a foot or so and your lie is near perfect.

[WhiteSoxFan]

I understand what you are thinking hurley, but I totally disagree. It's only on the green or in the fairway if it's on the green or in the fairway. It's only a putt if the ball is on the green. The stats are what they are. You can obviously treat them as you'd like, but you are cheating yourself. If you hit your approach to within a centimeter of the cup, do you count it as an eagle because it was "near perfect"?

[ILLZ]

What constitutes a putt, GIR, or fairway hit is only relevant in assessing one's game. Part of that assessment is comparing your stats to other golfers. With that in mind, I don't think it matters what you deem a putt, GIR, or fairway hit, so long as everybody else is assessing the same way. It seems that the general consensus is what the previous poster's have outlined.

[hurley9192]

yeah, I knew that came out wrong...I meant in terms of doing it when analyzing my game. If I hit 10 fairways and 4 are in the deep rough vs. 6 fairways and 6 are in the short first cut and 2 are in the 2nd cut, it would be easy to say I hit the ball better with 10 fairways, but the analysis would probably be off. Maybe it would easier to give you points when analyzing it...2 pts for actual fairway, 1 pt for just off the fairway and then 0 for 2nd cut and negative points for OB or water or sand.

Also, the goal of the game isn't scoring your GIR or fairways, so it's different from counting strokes for eagles, etc. If I hit a laser to a front pin that lands near the pin and spins back off the green 3 inches and I have an uphill 15 footer, that's a better shot than hitting the back of the green and having a downhill 50 footer.

I meant it in terms of analyzing my shots vs. comparing myself against others.

[iacas]

I agree that fringe is not GIR. However, for stats I would record a shot that was on the fringe as GIR and the putts because it gives a better picture. If you hit it on the fringe 16 times and 1 putted all of those, but shot even par, your stats would look out of whack. Also, if a ball if in the second cut, but easy to hit and only 6 inches in the rough, then I'll count that for purposes of analysis as a fairway. I wouldn't do it in a competition or anything, but if you have a near perfect lie 6 inches off the fairway or green, you essentially hit the green or fairway when talking about your ball striking. If you are a foot off the fairway or green, but in nasty rough, then you missed it. I'm really only talking about if you are within a foot or so and your lie is near perfect.

I understand what you are thinking hurley, but I totally disagree. It's only on the green or in the fairway if it's on the green or in the fairway. It's only a putt if the ball is on the green. The stats are what they are. You can obviously treat them as you'd like, but you are cheating yourself. If you hit your approach to within a centimeter of the cup, do you count it as an eagle because it was "near perfect"?

I score mine the same way the pros do: fairways are fairways, putts are putts.

If a ball hits a tree deep in the rough and comes back into the fairway, why, that's a fairway just as much as a ball an inch from the fairway is NOT a fairway hit. It all evens out in the end. Good luck getting up-and-down from a horrible lie in the rough 99 yards away - the putts from the fringe to a foot even those ones out, I figure, too. A GIR is a GIR, not an GOFIR (green or fringe in regulation). There's no such stat as a "FIR" or an "AFH" (almost fairway hit).

[MGP]

The problem I see with counting putts from the fringe as a GIR (or as a putt) is where do you draw the line? 6"? A foot? Heck, I've hit putts from 20 ft. off the green but on the fringe. Is that a GIR? A putt? I've chipped the ball from less than a foot off the green too.

I think Erik's right, it all evens out over time. For my own stats if I'm not on the dance floor then it's not a GIR, even if I'm 2" off the green.

[iacas]

I think Erik's right, it all evens out over time. For my own stats if I'm not on the dance floor then it's not a GIR, even if I'm 2" off the green.

Right. And the advantage to doing it this way is that you're not having to redefine where the line is - you're using the literal lines on the course. The demarcations between one thing and another.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Along those lines, if you hit a green in regulation, then your first putt rolls off the green does your subsequent shot to get back on the green count as a putt even though it may not have been made with a putter and was played from off the putting surface?

If it does not count as a putt, then would you "lose" your GIR since (if the hole were a par-4) you would then have 3 shots that were not putts?

Not saying I've ever done that . . . .

[ILLZ]

That's a good question.

Also, what are some generally good stats for fairways hit, GIR, and total putts? I'm sure it's relative to your handicap, but I can't seem to find anything on the internet about "good" stats versus bad.

[jb1982]

Along those lines, if you hit a green in regulation, then your first putt rolls off the green does your subsequent shot to get back on the green count as a putt even though it may not have been made with a putter and was played from off the putting surface?

Yup, it's a terrible feeling when you have to put the putter down and go get your wedge back out!! Not that I'd know or anything!!

I think it still counts as a GIR, and your shot back onto the green is not a putt. I'm not sure though. But what if you are on the green in 2 on a par 5 but putt your 3rd off the green?? hmmm

[iacas]

Also, what are some generally good stats for fairways hit, GIR, and total putts? I'm sure it's relative to your handicap, but I can't seem to find anything on the internet about "good" stats versus bad.

Some are, some aren't. For example, no matter your handicap, you can be a reasonably good putter (total putts). Anyone can hit about the same number of fairways, though obviously GIR is one of the stats that probably improve with the player.

A lot of things can affect a person's stats. I play on a course with somewhat small greens, so my up-and-down percentage is perhaps higher (because some of my attempts are from just off the green after a reasonably good shot), my putts might be a little lower (same reason - putts from just off the green), and my "average distance from hole when green hit in regulation" is going to be lower because it's impossible to hit the green and be more than, say, 60 feet away. My course has narrower fairways than almost anywhere, too, so my fairways hit will be lower. And so on...