Can the typical golfer hit the green from 150?

[Dave2512]

Yeah if my stat tracker could sort by course/hole my guess is my par 3 GIR would be worse than my overall GIR stats. At the course I've been playing most I rarely if ever hit the green on the longest par 3 (210). We have 5 par 3's and none are less than 150 from the tees I play. In order 179-155-210-160-186. My par performance at that course is 3.4 strokes on the par 3's so I have to get up and down a lot. With amateur GIR stats as low as they are makes me wonder why people don't move up.

[FooFader]

Yeah if my stat tracker could sort by course/hole my guess is my par 3 GIR would be worse than my overall GIR stats. At the course I've been playing most I rarely if ever hit the green on the longest par 3 (210). We have 5 par 3's and none are less than 150 from the tees I play. In order 179-155-210-160-186. My par performance at that course is 3.4 strokes on the par 3's so I have to get up and down a lot. With amateur GIR stats as low as they are makes me wonder why people don't move up.

I agree that for the typical golfer, par 3s should be shorter than they usually are (or people should move up). I believe that for the typical golfer the 4 par 3s on the average course should be yardages such as: 110yrds (a wedge for most people), two in the range 130-155 (maybe a 9iron and a 7 iron) and then one at around 175 (a 4/5 iron).

I would move up at my home course as all par3s play longer than 170 but there are only two sets of tees for men and they are within 2 yards of each other on all the par 3s.

[14ledo81]

Yeah if my stat tracker could sort by course/hole my guess is my par 3 GIR would be worse than my overall GIR stats. At the course I've been playing most I rarely if ever hit the green on the longest par 3 (210). We have 5 par 3's and none are less than 150 from the tees I play. In order 179-155-210-160-186. My par performance at that course is 3.4 strokes on the par 3's so I have to get up and down a lot. With amateur GIR stats as low as they are makes me wonder why people don't move up.

My par 3 GIR is actually probably better than the rest.  On my home course the par threes (from the tees I play from) are 131, 135, 160, 180.  I would guess that I hit close to 50% of them in a given round.  I don't hit the 160 or 180 to often, but I don't miss the shorter ones to often.  I have a fair bit of confidence with a PW or 9 in my hand, especially on a perfect lie (tee box).

[Big C]

Can they? Yes. Do they? Generally, no. Or so the statistics say...

[turtleback]

Can they? Yes. Do they? Generally, no. Or so the statistics say...

Which is why I think you will have very different responses from people who actually keep real stats as compared to people who are relying on their memory and perception, both of which are incredibly deceiving in most cases.  As demonstrated by @iacas 's book LSW.

[Big C]

Which is why I think you will have very different responses from people who actually keep real stats as compared to people who are relying on their memory and perception, both of which are incredibly deceiving in most cases.  As demonstrated by @iacas 's book LSW.

I have no doubt that if you asked a cross sample of mid-skill golfers what their green % is from 150 out, they would overestimate their skills with alarming frequency. For me, I just try to think about my home course, which has par 3's of 146, 155, 180 & 190.

When I recall the rounds I play in my head, I usually find that I've hit 0 or 1 greens. 2 greens means I was playing pretty well. And 3 or 4 is a world class (for me) ball striking day. And that's with a perfect lie!

Most of my GIR's tend to come on par 5's, or on shorter par 4's where I have a good drive and a short wedge in. Hitting the green from anything over about 120 is really quite hard for the average golfer.

[Dave2512]

Which is why I think you will have very different responses from people who actually keep real stats as compared to people who are relying on their memory and perception, both of which are incredibly deceiving in most cases.  As demonstrated by @iacas 's book LSW.

No doubt.

[dkolo]

I agree that for the typical golfer, par 3s should be shorter than they usually are (or people should move up). I believe that for the typical golfer the 4 par 3s on the average course should be yardages such as: 110yrds (a wedge for most people), two in the range 130-155 (maybe a 9iron and a 7 iron) and then one at around 175 (a 4/5 iron).

I would move up at my home course as all par3s play longer than 170 but there are only two sets of tees for men and they are within 2 yards of each other on all the par 3s.

If I play a par 3 under 120 yards, I feel like I'm getting away with something. I think par 3s ought to be at least a full PW or 9, depending on how good the green's defenses are. There's a 122 yard par 3 with a pretty wide opening and an uphill behind it. One of these days, I'm just going to try to play a punch into it for the lolz.

[dkolo]

I have no doubt that if you asked a cross sample of mid-skill golfers what their green % is from 150 out, they would overestimate their skills with alarming frequency. For me, I just try to think about my home course, which has par 3's of 146, 155, 180 & 190.

When I recall the rounds I play in my head, I usually find that I've hit 0 or 1 greens. 2 greens means I was playing pretty well. And 3 or 4 is a world class (for me) ball striking day. And that's with a perfect lie!

Most of my GIR's tend to come on par 5's, or on shorter par 4's where I have a good drive and a short wedge in. Hitting the green from anything over about 120 is really quite hard for the average golfer.

I would get more GIRs on par 5s if I didn't try to go for them in 2, duff my second shot 20 yards, and have to launch a 200 yard hail mary for GIR every time.

From 150, I'd estimate that I hit my 8 iron somewhere on the green or fringe a third of the time, get hole high but off a third, and be praying to have a chance for up and down the other third.

[vangator]

I had 3 approach shots of approx. 130 yards tonight. I was 3 for 3 GIR. 150 yard par 3 to about 6 feet. 165 yard par 3 I was long off the back. The one hole that would normally yield a 150 approach, I hit a fairway bunker off he tee and had to wedge out.

[Spitfisher]

Typical or average golfer should be able to hit the green from 150, 1 out of 5 times from the fairway, not using a Tee. Typical or average golfer , does not have a handicap and likely shoots around 100

[Crim]

There's a 122 yard par 3 with a pretty wide opening and an uphill behind it. One of these days, I'm just going to try to play a punch into it for the lolz.

A fun little par 3 course I play all the time has two 120 yard holes. When my full swing was a little bit on the fritz I would punch a 8 iron into those greens. It was awesome, haha.

[Cool Breeze]

I do pretty good to about 130 yds.  I can hit the green half the time or so.  Now, the course I play at does have fairly large greens, and I'm not saying I leave good birdie opportunities, just that it's on the green.  Rarely is it within 20 ft.

Past that, and I'm hitting the green much less than half of the time.  I've never put a pen to it, but I'm guessing 30% or so.

[CarlSpackler]

Eventually, yes.

[MasonAsher2014]

Crazy that Henrik Stenson only hits the green 75% of the time from 75-100 yards.

[Dave2512]

Surprised it's that high considering they aren't just trying to land on the green but close to the hole. Pros miss green trying to stick it not because they lack ability to hit a routine shot.

[MasonAsher2014]

Surprised it's that high considering they aren't just trying to land on the green but close to the hole. Pros miss green trying to stick it not because they lack ability to hit a routine shot.

True but still. You think pros from that range wouldn't miss their spot so badly that they miss the green.

[Zeph]

If shooting at a pin tucked towards the edge of the green, they can be on the fringe or fairway and putt the ball, but it doesn't register as a GIR.