
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 does Greens in regulation mean in golf?
What Does Greens in Regulation Mean in Golf? Greens in Regulation 67% Fairways Hit 53% Putts Per Hole 1.67 Scrambling 54% Sand Saves 59% 1 more rows ...
What does hit 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.
What counts as a green-in-regulation golf hole?
Par-6 holes are rare, but getting your ball on the green in four or fewer strokes on a par-6 also counts as a green-in-regulation. Why That Many Strokes for a GIR?
What is the difference between fairways in regulation and Greens in regulation?
Therefore, you’ll track your Fairway in Regulation statistic out of 14. Greens in Regulation, however, will be out of 18 since you are attempting to hit the green every hole. The next time you play a round of golf, track how many fairways you hit off the tee shot.

What does in regulation mean?
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.
How many greens in regulation 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.
What does fairway in regulation mean?
The term fairways in regulation or driving accuracy refers to the number of fairways that you successfully hit with your first stroke on each hole from the tee. FIR can only be achieved on par 4s and par 5s. FIR is normally displayed as a percentage.
What does it mean to reach a green in regulation?
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.
How far should an average golfer hit a 7 iron?
172 - 215 ydsThe average distance golfers hit each club varies widely. A PGA Tour player hits a 7-iron between 172-215 yards....Average Distances for PGA Tour Players.ClubAverage Distance7 Iron172 - 215 yds8 Iron160 - 200 yds9 Iron148 - 185 ydsPitching Wedge136 - 170 yds7 more rows
How far do you hit a 7 iron?
Average 7 Iron Distances are following: Beginning golfers- 100 yards (men) or 60 yards (women) Intermediate golfers- 135 yards (men) and 75 yards (women) Advanced golfers- 165 yards (men) or 140 yards (women) PGA Tour Players- 185 yards (men) or 160 yards (women)
Does driving the green count as a fairway in regulation?
The PGA Tour counts hitting the green from your tee-shot as a Fairway hit.
What is a green in regulation on a par 5?
A Green in Regulation is when you hit the green in two strokes less than Par for that hole. On a Par 5, you must hit the green in 3 shots. One a Par 4, you have 2 shots. On a Par 3, you have to hit it off the tee.
What does greens mean in golf?
Definition of putting green : a smooth grassy area at the end of a golf fairway containing the hole also : a similar area usually with many holes that is used for practice.
What is sandbagging in golf?
Sandbagging is a self-presentation strategy involving the false claim of inability. A golfer sandbags by intentionally inflating his or her handicap. Over 2,400 active recreational golfers participated in the study.
What is the difference between a 4 and 7 iron?
As Golf.com's Jonathan Wall explains, a 7-wood aids you in getting the ball in the air and traveling to achieve consistent distance. Plus, it lands softly into greens where needed. Even if you do not strike your ball in the sweet spot, you will still enjoy moderate carry and distance. A 4-iron delivers a lower launch.
How many putts does it take to break 80?
(Putts are strokes taken on the putting surface.) For comparison, the typical 95-shooter on average takes 37 putts a round; the typical pro (shooting about 71) takes 29. To break 90, get your putts down to 34 or so. To break 80, get to 31 or 32.
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 ...
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 ...
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 a green in regulation?
Green in Regulation (GIR): A green is considered hit in regulation if any part of the ball is touching the putting surface after the player has taken at least two fewer strokes than par for that hole.
How many strokes are allowed on a par 3?
For instance, regulation on a par 3 is one stroke; on a par 4, two strokes or fewer; on a par 5, three strokes or fewer.
How many holes are there in regulation golf?
Most golf courses have 18 holes but only 14 of them have tee shots to a fairway. The other 4 holes are often par 3 holes where your tee shot is attempting to land on the green. Therefore, you’ll track your Fairway in Regulation statistic out of 14. Greens in Regulation, however, will be out of 18 since you are attempting to hit the green every hole.
What is a FIR in golf?
One of the first metrics you need to start tracking on your journey to scratch golf is the Fairway in Regulation , also known as FIR. A fairway in regulation occurs anytime your tee shot lands in the fairway! Most golf courses have 18 holes but only 14 of them have tee shots to a fairway. The other 4 holes are often par 3 holes where your tee shot ...
How many fairways does a golfer hit per round?
As you can see, the best golfers in the world who score par or better average 8.8 out of 14 fairways per round which results in hitting the fairway roughly 63% of the time. Surprisingly, the data doesn’t differ much across handicap levels. This tells me that hitting the fairway is important but not as important to your golf score as short game.
Is hitting the fairway important in golf?
This tells me that hitting the fairway is important but not as important to your golf score as short game. For example, a 30 handicap golfer could hit 6 fairways on average, 2 less than a par golfer, but they are still shooting 30 strokes worse than the par golfer. Boom. You’ve been served.
