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

[flopster]

Well it depends on how long the course is.Playing 6500 or less as I do since im not a long hitter id say id save probably 4-5 strokes with pro giving me the extra distance off tee.I  should be able to shoot 72-76 most of the time but on a 7000 yard course id shoot more my handicap around 80.

7000 yards is considered a short course by today's touring pro's standards, I think you would not notice much difference between 6500 and 7000 if he was hitting the tee shots.

[JP golf]

WOW ....  I way over thought this....   At first I was going to say 3 strokes better than average...   but no it's more like 5-6 Strokes Better!!!

My last 4 rounds have been 83, 78, 79, 83 ...   I would honestly say that I think I would save 5-6 strokes . ..  Out of each of those rounds I have probably averaged 2 doubles a round and those doubles start with the drive in a very bad location...   That's 4 strokes if I simply par those two holes on those rounds...  I would estimate that I average about 1.25 birdies a round...  I would say I convert a minimum of 1 more birdie opportunity based on having more approaches from closer yardages...   I would also think my proximity to the hole on nGIR's would be a little closer allowing me to convert at least 1-2 more par saves or up & downs....

WOW - After really thinking about this...   I'm surprised just how much I think I would benefit from a Pro's drives...  Wow, I suck off the tee box!!

I would easily say those same four rounds would look like this: 76, 73, 73, 76 ...    I'm actually really surprised...  I think my largest inconsistency comes off the tee box

Again - pure guess but that was interesting to think about... makes me want to go work on the driver some lol...

[JP golf]

In general, I believe some are underestimating the importance of the short game in this thread.  You still need to hit the GIR....if not, chip/putt to save par.

Also keep in mind that on many holes, the pro's won't hit driver.   In many cases, they will target the same landing areas as we do albeit with a different club.   Even if playing your 6500yd home course, if a hole is designed for a 150yd approach, they will hit much less club from the tee to hit the desired landing area.

My initial thought was the same as you....   Maybe 2-3 strokes...  then I looked at my last 4 rounds (small sample I know)...  Out of those four rounds I had (2) balls OB off the tee, (1) Unplayable, at least (2) Water Hazards off the box (kind of embarrassing when I lay it out like that but it's true and I'm probably forgetting something)...  Not to mention, better angles into greens & closer approach shots lead to more GIR's, more GIR's and closer Proximity to the hole = more birdie opportunities....   kind of eye opening for me because I'm like you in that you still have to hit the Green and you still have to convert...  but I still think it would save me 5-6 strokes after all is considered...   an interesting thought...   I didn't realize how bad I was off the tee box lol..

[Big Lex]

I am a 10.7 index golfer. If we could calculate handicap indexes on different phases of my game, I am probably about a 6 or 7 in driving, probably 12-13 with iron and hybrid/fairway wood play. My average score is a little under 90, and I post all my scores and don't take gimmes and so forth. In other words I think my handicap is an accurate one and not a low vanity hcp or a high sandbagger number. I think if a tour pro drove for me, on my course, assuming he would probably hit 10-11 fairways, average about 280, and maybe hit one really errant drive, I think I would probably shoot between 78 and 81. In other words, no better than my current best score. Unlike most replies in this thread, I don't think the pro would help me much, at least not much over a good score for me (which is 80-81). I would hit maybe 2-3 more greens than my ordinary "best" round....meaning I might hit 13-14 instead of 10. I don't think I'd be that much closer to the hole overall....maybe a little on a couple of holes where the pro might help me reach a par 5 in 2 or get me inside 60 yards on a par 4. I'm still going to have some bad putting holes, and probably a couple of terrible iron shots. How many times have all of us nutter the drive and then chunked the second shot and made bogey or worse? Now....if I could have the pro make ONE swing for me per hole, and that swing were the approach shot, I think I would come close to shooting par or maybe one or two under. I figure I would be much closer to the hole overall, and would either be on the green in regulation or within 5-10 yards of it on at least 16 holes, possibly all 18. If I have 12-13 good birdie chances, I have the chance of making 5 or 6 birdies, and then I can score.

[Lihu]

I am a 10.7 index golfer. If we could calculate handicap indexes on different phases of my game, I am probably about a 6 or 7 in driving, probably 12-13 with iron and hybrid/fairway wood play. My average score is a little under 90, and I post all my scores and don't take gimmes and so forth. In other words I think my handicap is an accurate one and not a low vanity hcp or a high sandbagger number.

I think if a tour pro drove for me, on my course, assuming he would probably hit 10-11 fairways, average about 280, and maybe hit one really errant drive, I think I would probably shoot between 78 and 81. In other words, no better than my current best score.

Unlike most replies in this thread, I don't think the pro would help me much, at least not much over a good score for me (which is 80-81). I would hit maybe 2-3 more greens than my ordinary "best" round....meaning I might hit 13-14 instead of 10. I don't think I'd be that much closer to the hole overall....maybe a little on a couple of holes where the pro might help me reach a par 5 in 2 or get me inside 60 yards on a par 4. I'm still going to have some bad putting holes, and probably a couple of terrible iron shots. How many times have all of us nutter the drive and then chunked the second shot and made bogey or worse?

Now....if I could have the pro make ONE swing for me per hole, and that swing were the approach shot, I think I would come close to shooting par or maybe one or two under. I figure I would be much closer to the hole overall, and would either be on the green in regulation or within 5-10 yards of it on at least 16 holes, possibly all 18. If I have 12-13 good birdie chances, I have the chance of making 5 or 6 birdies, and then I can score.

The difference between a pro and you driving is pretty significant. 10 strokes per round on average is huge.

[caniac6]

I think I would rather have a pro putting for me.

[iacas]

I think I would rather have a pro putting for me.

Highly, highly unlikely you'd shoot better (or even roughly the same) if the pro putted for you.

[Dave2512]

After seeing them in person last week I have a completely different opinion. Playing the same courses I do now if a pro drove the ball for me my scores would be significantly lower.

[Lihu]

After seeing them in person last week I have a completely different opinion. Playing the same courses I do now if a pro drove the ball for me my scores would be significantly lower.

Even if the 17 year old Junior PGA players drove for me I would score a lot lower.

[JP golf]

Quote:

I am a 10.7 index golfer. If we could calculate handicap indexes on different phases of my game, I am probably about a 6 or 7 in driving, probably 12-13 with iron and hybrid/fairway wood play. My average score is a little under 90, and I post all my scores and don't take gimmes and so forth. In other words I think my handicap is an accurate one and not a low vanity hcp or a high sandbagger number.

I think if a tour pro drove for me, on my course, assuming he would probably hit 10-11 fairways, average about 280, and maybe hit one really errant drive, I think I would probably shoot between 78 and 81. In other words, no better than my current best score.

Unlike most replies in this thread, I don't think the pro would help me much, at least not much over a good score for me (which is 80-81). I would hit maybe 2-3 more greens than my ordinary "best" round....meaning I might hit 13-14 instead of 10. I don't think I'd be that much closer to the hole overall....maybe a little on a couple of holes where the pro might help me reach a par 5 in 2 or get me inside 60 yards on a par 4. I'm still going to have some bad putting holes, and probably a couple of terrible iron shots. How many times have all of us nutter the drive and then chunked the second shot and made bogey or worse?

I think your answer actually falls inline with "most replies in this thread" .  That said, I understand why it doesn't seem like that much help... Personally, I thought 5-6 shots for me but I wouldn't be surprised if I shot those scores without the pro's drives...

Let's look at why it doesn't seem like that much of a difference:  I'll use me as an example:  I average just over 82 with my last 20 rounds.  5-6 strokes better would be 76-77.  On the surface I would not be surprised one bit if I went out and shot 76-77 tomorrow as 7 of my last 20 scores are in the 70's currently with 6 of those at 78 or lower (within 1-2 strokes of what I would shoot with a PGA pro's drives anyway).  So when we say, "I don't think the pro would help me much, at least not much over a good score for me"...  That is misleading- If we consistently shot our good scores, that would help a lot... - realistically we don't shoot our good scores as often as we think.  Here is where it gets interesting...  for me 76-77 for a 7.5 handicap isn't anything that would blow you away.  Neither is 78-81 for a 10.7 handicap.  But when you look at your average score, and how better that actually is....  It's surprising.  7-11 strokes off your average is quite a lot!

88-89  improving to 78--81 = 7-11 strokes saved off your average score is a lot. I was blown away when I realized just how much a pro's drives would help!  It doesn't seem like that much when in reality, the bonus you would get is huge...

[phan52]

I recently had a chance to experience this. I played a neat little nine hole golf course at the Philadelphia Cricket Club that is about 2600 yards long. They actually played two US Opens on this course over 100 years ago (the other nine is gone) and the length is the same as it was then. It is in great condition, the greens were small and tricky and it was a treat to play.

Anyway, I drove the ball well (for me). I had a 6 iron once, an 8 iron once and the rest of the holes I had one of my wedges in my hand. Unfortunately I did not handle it well and shot 40 on the par 35 course, missing way too many greens from short distances and missed two birdies inside 6 feet. I want to play it again, now that I know the terrain, and I think I would do much better.

[RH31]

I'm a 6.6 index. I'd shoot right around par if I used a pro's drives. The majority of my mistakes on the course are off the tee.

[Lihu]

I'm a 6.6 index. I'd shoot right around par if I used a pro's drives. The majority of my mistakes on the course are off the tee.

For me, that's just the starting point of my mistakes.

[Pretzel]

Since I drive the ball reasonably well, long enough and with ~50% accuracy, I'm more interested in knowing what I would shout if a pro hit my approach shots for me. Being consistently closer to the pub and having better misses I would imagine might help more than a good tee shot that I can still easily screw up.

[14ledo81]

Since I drive the ball reasonably well, long enough and with ~50% accuracy, I'm more interested in knowing what I would shout if a pro hit my approach shots for me. Being consistently closer to the pub and having better misses I would imagine might help more than a good tee shot that I can still easily screw up.

closer to the pub huh???

That would probably make you play worse...

[Pretzel]

closer to the pub huh???

That would probably make you play worse...

Whoops, this is why I don't usually post on my phone. Closer to the pub would probably make you play worse, unless you're usually a tense person I guess.

I meant closer to the pin!

[Crim]

I average mid-90's on most championship courses (from the whites) with my main trouble being my driver length which results in a lonnnnng 2nd shot which results in my score being in the mid-90's. I feel like my GIR within 140 yards is pretty damn good so with me personally, I think a pro's drive would cut down on a lot of strokes. It'd probably save me around 10 strokes over 18 holes.

[billm408]

Interesting idea... I had the opportunity to do this once.

I used to play the occasional round with Casey Martin (during the great golf cart debate era) and played one round using each other's tee shot.

I had commented that his near 300 yard drives gave him a distinct advantage. He called bullshit.

This was at Poppy Ridge in NorCal- as I recall, the two 9's we played measured near 7000 yards with a 140 slope.

Funny but we both shot the same (+/=) that we shot the week before. It amounted to about a 2 club difference on the approach and he was as accurate with a 6 as I was with an 8.

The differences were not in the distance but the short game. I agree with caniac6.... my scores would have been lower if he had chipped & putted for me.