What Would You Shoot if a PGA Tour Pro Drove the Ball for You?

[oregongolfguy]

My home course is very short, pretty wide open....i would think that i would be right around par with a decent wedge day. I think that there would be alot of pars, a couple bogies and a couple birdies..

[late347]

I think I would shoot between high 80s and low 90s

Currently in the low 100s, so not exactly great.

[John333]

Probably right around even par, maybe a little below, especially on my home course. Putting is a strength for me and I very rarely 3-putt, so I can almost always make par at least if I hit the green in regulation. My problem is missing the green and having to scramble for my pars, which seems to happen most often when I'm out of the the fairway off the tee. So yeah, I think I could do pretty well if I had a pro driving the ball for me.

[Aguirre]

This is such a great question.  I've played in a half dozen shambles over the past ten years, and I've been in the 70s every time, -1 once, although I grant I had an exceptional putting day, the group was good, and it wasn't a difficult course.  Now, this is with amateurs, so a pro driving the ball would help with pretty much all those groups I played in.  My average score in the shambles is probably 76 or 77 so I'll drop it a couple strokes, say  73-75, which is about 9 strokes better than my average.

EDIT--I think most of you are giving yourself too much credit.  I see 12 handicappers saying even par.  I don't think so, unless you're regularly playing from 5800 yards.  Even then, I'm not sure.  I'm a really good putter.  I've even played with a pro several years in a scramble where he insisted I putt last, and I don't average 2 putts per GIR.

[chasm]

.  I'm a really good putter.  I've even played with a pro several years in a scramble where he insisted I putt last, and I don't average 2 putts per GIR.

Curious about this. You mean that if you hit the green in regulation, you're more likely to three-putt than one-putt? That is (just) my experience also, but I'm a poor putter. I'd be interested in other people's stats on this.

[scorpion12]

So you're telling me that I'd be able to reach a par 5 in 2, some par 4's in 1, and I'd be on my own off the tee on par 3's?

I think I'd have a chance to break 100... maybe like a 95 or something... putting would hurt me and unless the approach shots were within 75 yards, I think my short iron play would cost me a few strokes.

I'll be confident and say I'd shoot 98 if a pro were driving for me off the tees on par 4's and 5's.

[zipazoid]

Back in the day, like when I was in my 20s & 30s, I could confidently say I would shoot under par playing a tour player's drive, as I had a pretty damn good short game back then. My nickname on my high school golf team was "Hack Hack Plunk" - in other words, an iffy golf swing but could get it up & down from a ball washer - the closer to the hole I got the better my game was.

But now, in my mid-50s, not so much. I waste too many shots around the green now.

[late347]

I would definitely shoot in the 80s with Bubba pounding teeshots for me...

And yes - My local course is only  6000 yards from the tips. It's a public course only 9 holes, so they had to use all the land available.

rating / slope = 68.3 / 117 @ 6000 yards

Bubba's teeshots from the middle tees would just obliterate that course hehe... middle tees would be only 5000 yards or so.

Even at the longest hole 521 yard par5, Let's say bubba pounds 320 yard drive... Now your second shot is only 200 yards to the pin. Go for eagle or birdie with a comfortable layup shot.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Probably a few stokes better, because I hit lots of fairways. Now if he would take over the second shots into the green, that would make a huge difference -- more pars and lots more birdies, because I can putt some.

[CarlSpackler]

To expand on my earlier post in this thread, I will use my second hole last night as an example. I hit my drive 276 (thank you hard fairway) and proceeded to thin my GW over the green short siding myself which led to bogey. Otherwise, I would say that a tour grade drive would have saved me 3-4 strokes.

[cfritchie]

Being a 1.7 I bet I'd be a +1 or +2 if I could hit the driver like the guys ranked in the top 10. I suspect the par 5's would be reachable with my hybrid, long iron and mid iron. The real long par 4's would mean a 3-4 club difference...

I personally think it would be huge...for my game anyway. I'm not a real long hitter...

[rkim291968]

I am distance challenged (210 yard drives) and good around green.   I'd save at least 10 strokes if not more.

My wife and I played in 2 player scramble, alternate shot tournaments.  Women hits from Red tee which is 50 - 100 yards closer to green than Blue tees.   We ended up using her drive on almost every hole.   It was equivalent to hitting 250 - 270 drive for me.   Based on that experience, I'd say 50 - 70 yard more on drive can save me about 5 strokes.   100+ yard more will cut another 5 strokes for sure.

[cipher]

1.3 strokes better(LSW).

[MasonAsher2014]

I don't think my score would change much really. I tracked my drives yesterday and my longest was 320 and my shortest was 284. I play tips at my home course from 7028 and I usually have no more than an 8 iron in to par 4s.

[CBFore]

I saw this on FB the other day and have been thinking about it.

Last weekend, I played a course from about 6300 yards and shot a stellar 85.  The next day I played a local decent par 3 course that ranged from 60-125 yard tee shots.  I played it twice and shot +1 once and +2 the second time.  With Rory's distance, I wouldn't have many approach shots longer than that on the par 4s.  So that would be +2-+4 for 18.  On the four par 5s, I'm at worst even and more likely 2 or 3 under.  That leaves the par 3s.  If I'm hitting those tee shots, I'm +2-+3 probably, but if Rory hits them, I'm -1-Even.  So for the round, I'm best case -2 and worst case +7.  That's 6 to 13 shots better.  I would have guessed about 5-6 before I went through the analysis probably.

OK I'm ready for Rory to come play my ball!

[Aguirre]

Curious about this. You mean that if you hit the green in regulation, you're more likely to three-putt than one-putt? That is (just) my experience also, but I'm a poor putter. I'd be interested in other people's stats on this.

Yes.  Not much more, but a little more, I think.  I probably average close to two three puts per round, and one birdie per round.  I haven't been keep accurate short game stats this year.

[clutchshot]

I'd shoot under par but not sure how far under.

I feel like unless you are already shooting around scratch, you won't be under par.. Shooting under par is all about approach shots and short game, if you don't have that, doesn't really mater how far you drive...

[Golfingdad]

I feel like unless you are already shooting around scratch, you won't be under par..

Shooting under par is all about approach shots and short game, if you don't have that, doesn't really mater how far you drive...

His handicap index is 0.8, sooooooooooooooo ...