A “ green in regulation,” also abbreviated GIR, is a statistical category on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main professional golf tours played primarily by men in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, as well as PGA Tour Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour…
What counts as a green in regulation on a golf course?
Greens In Regulation and Recreational Golfers To claim a green in regulation, your ball must be on the putting surface. Being 1-inch off the green, in the fringe, but still able to putt the ball does not count. The ball must be on the putting surface.
What does “Green in regulation” mean?
In today’s brief article we’ll discuss what it means and why it’s important. A “green in regulation,” also abbreviated GIR, is a statistical category on the PGA Tour that tracks the number of greens the professional golfer reached within the allowed amount of strokes.
How do the best golfers hit Greens in regulation?
The best golfers are able to strike the ball and hit plenty of greens in regulation and then save par when they don’t hit their green at a 54% or higher clip. If you are playing from the trees all day, you will struggle to hit greens in regulation.
What is the difference between Green in regulation and par?
In golf, a player hits a green in regulation when their golf ball hits and remains on the putting surface of a hole in 2 shots less than the par of the hole on the scorecard. Par is the number of strokes a scratch player is expected to score on a given hole.
What is a good percentage of greens in regulation?
What is a good percentage of greens in regulation? It depends on your handicap and skill level more than anything else. Some players might average a few greens in regulation. While others might have a green in regulation number between 6-9 and highly skilled players will be 10 or more.
What is green in regulation on a par 4?
Hitting a green in regulation (GIR) is defined as the following – if any part of your ball is touching the putting surface and the number of strokes taken is at least two fewer than par.
What are fairways and greens and regulation?
On your scorecard, the 'fairways' box stands for fairways hit on the drive, and the 'greens' box stands for greens hit in regulation. Note that to they are not required to calculate your handicap - only for purposes to tracking statistics.
How many greens in reg should I hit?
So how many greens in regulation should amateurs strive to hit per round? Tina Tombs, a former LPGA pro and a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, said a high-handicapper should set a goal at seven greens in regulation, while a lower handicap should strive for 10 per round.
How do you count greens in regulation?
We calculate a Green in Regulation by subtracting the number of putts you recorded from your total score for a hole. For example: if you are playing a Par 5, and took a total score of 5, with 2 putts, then you have a Green in Regulation. However, if you scored a 6 with 2 putts, you did not get a GIR.
What is a green in regulation on a par 5?
On a par 4, a player has to hit the green with their first or second shot to hit the green in regulation. On a par 5, a player has to hit the green with their first, second or third shot to hit the green in regulation.
Does the fringe count as green in regulation?
To achieve a green in regulation, your golf ball must be on the putting surface in the expected number of strokes in relation to par. And the par number for a hole always includes two putts. If the ball sits on the fringe, it does not count as a green in regulation. It has to be on the putting surface.
How many Greens does a scratch golfer hit?
Most people think that a Scratch player is always in regulation, and are surprised with this, since the graph only shows 10.26 greens per round on average for a Scratch golfer. The reality is that Scratch golfers are better because they are good at making up and down and at avoiding disaster scores.
What is a green in regulation golf?
What is a green in regulation in golf? In golf, a player hits a green in regulation when their golf ball hits and remains on the putting surface of a hole in as many or fewer than the number of shots prescribed by the par of a hole.
What is par in golf?
Par is a measure of what an expert player is expected to score on a golf hole, and it's a measure largely based on the distance of a hole, with the expectation that a player will hit a green in regulation and then hole the ball with two putts. Therefore, determining how many strokes a player has on each hole to hit the green in regulation is ...
What shot to hit the green on par 4?
On a par 4, a player has to hit the green with their first or second shot to hit the green in regulation. On a par 5, a player has to hit the green with their first, second or third shot to hit the green in regulation.
Can you miss a green in regulation?
A player can miss a green in regulation and still be close to their target, but they could leave themselves with a difficult shot from off the green to make par or better. However, if a player is hitting a lot of greens in regulation during the round, they are typically playing a comfortable round of golf that shows they are hitting their intended ...
What does "greens in regulation" mean?
What Does Greens in Regulation Mean in Golf? Hitting in a green in regulation is defined as hitting a par 3 in 1 shot, a par 4 in 2 shots and a par 5 in 3 shots. Greens in regulation will typically be counted as a number such as 11 out of 18. The best golfers hit on average 12 greens in regulation. In our post on how to become a scratch golfer, I ...
How many drivers do you need to hit a green in a golf game?
If you are playing from the trees all day, you will struggle to hit greens in regulation. Most golfers will hit between 12 and 14 drivers per round. Of those 12 to 14 greens, you want to be able to have a full swing with no tree restrictions or bunker barriers on at least 90% of your swings.
What are the most important stats in golf?
One of the most important stats in all of golf is how many greens a golfer can hit in regulation. I believe the two most important stats to lower your handicap, your scores and to get close to scratch are Greens In Regulation (GIR) and Scrambling around the greens.
What does "scramble" mean in golf?
This often means hitting a chip shot on the green and one putting. These two numbers when combined as a strength can lead to some low scores. Let’s look at a potential round of golf.
Why is knowing your distances important in golf?
Knowing your distances in golf is essential to take your game to the next level. Of course there are variables such as the wind, uphill or downhill and the lie you are faced with. Overall, the key is to know what you carry a stock shot with each club in your bag and have a chart.
How many bunkers are there in a green?
Most greens will have at least one bunker or some sort of barrier short or long. The key is to select the right club and right shot for the situation that you are faced with. If there is a bunker short, make sure you take enough club to carry it.
How important is hitting a par 4?
Your performance off the tee on a par 4 or par 5 is crucially important to increasing your GIR. Hitting tee shots that put you in position to score is your main goal. It is mainly a function of your distance and dispersion. Generally speaking, the farther you hit the ball off the tee, the greater your chances of hitting a green in regulation.
Why do golfers break 80?
The reason for this is because your chances of making a par (or better) dramatically increase when your ball is on the putting surface versus being in the rough or a sand trap.
What are the hazards to avoid when hitting a green?
However, you have to avoid major hazards such as out of bounds, trees, water, and fairway bunkers. Additionally, the conditions of the rough at your course could make it even harder if you miss the fairway.
What does it mean to hit a green in regulation?
Hitting a green in regulation (GIR) is defined as the following – if any part of your ball is touching the putting surface and the number of strokes taken is at least two fewer than par. This simple definition does not do it justice though. I believe this is the most important statistic for golfers to measure themselves by if they want to shoot their lowest scores.
What does "tightening your dispersion" mean?
To me, this means tightening your dispersion (how far right or left you typically hit the ball), and distance control. I can’t responsibly tell you how to do that in an article because it means doing work on your swing. Each golfer has their own unique challenges at improving their swing.
Can you hit more greens in regulation?
Overall, it will be very hard to hit more greens in regulation per round if you shoot yourself in the foot. You have to do your best to evaluate the major trouble and avoid it with smarter target and club selection. Stepping up to the tee without a plan is not going to help you.
Should amateur golfers shoot at pins?
There is not one good reason amateur golfers should be firing at pins by default. The payoff they believe exists is truly not there because putting is much more difficult than we think. Instead, you should be evaluating the area surrounding the green and its actual shape.
Why is the green in regulation important?
The greens in regulation statistic is a great way to measure your ability to hit your approach shot onto the green. On a par 4 hole, you would hit your drive into the fairway and then hit your second shot to the green. You then have two putts to get the ball into the hole to make par on ...
What happens when you hit a lot of greens in regulation?
If you’re hitting a high percentage of greens in regulation but still bogeying the hole, then it’s your putting letting you down.
What happens if you miss the green on your second shot?
By missing the green on your second shot, you’re jeopardizing your ability to still make par as you can no longer two putt and still make par. Instead you have to hit your 3rd shot onto the green and hopefully make the putt on your 4th shot to save par. At the end of your round, you’ll be able to see how many greens in regulation you hit ...
How many greens does a golfer hit in a four round tournament?
Since the tour began tracking GIR, no golfer on the PGA Tour has hit all 72 greens in regulation in a four-round tournament, but two have come close. Peter Jacobsen at the 1995 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and Jerry Kelly at the 1996 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic each hit 69 of 72 greens, the tour record.
Does a ball on the fringe count as a green?
If the ball sits on the fringe, it does not count as a green in regulation. It has to be on the putting surface. I’ve had some close calls before where the ball is sitting an inch onto the fringe, just missing out on being on the green and unfortunately I can’t count this as a green in regulation.
What is GIR?
To count a green in regulation, your ball must finish on the green in two strokes fewer than the par of a hole. Greens in regulation are measured in this fashion for each hole:
What About the Fringe?
In order to count a green in regulation, you must hit the putting surface, the fringe does not count. Being on the putting green comes with its own set of rules that also don't apply when you're on the fringe.
Why is GIR Important?
Greens In Regulation is an important statistic because it measures how well you hit your approach shots to the green. It also indicates your ability to keep the ball in play off the tee, because if you hit an errant tee shot, your chances of hitting the green in regulation plummet. Hitting GIRs leads to more birdies and pars on your scorecard.
Track GIR
There are some great ways to track your green in regulation. Here are a few suggestions.
GIR By Handicap
Of course, greens in regulation statistics vary by skill level and handicap. Beginners don't hit as many greens as more accomplished players. Here’s a look at how many greens in regulation each handicap level should hit. If you hit fewer GIRs than your handicap range, you can really improve your scores by becoming more accurate with your irons.
Professional GIR
Cameron Percy led the PGA Tour in GIR in 2021 GIR hitting 72.58% of greens, which is about 13 greens per round. Jon Rahm was just behind him, hitting the green in regulation 71.93% of the time.
Ways to Improve GIR
The best way to improve your GIR number is to concentrate on your iron play. Improving your distance control and ball striking with your irons will help you whether your approach shot is from 50 yards out or 200 yards out.
