Plus 5 Handicap Golf Stats: Average Score, Driving Distance & Strokes Gained
Measured golf statistics from plus handicap golfers around +5.
Plus handicap golfers around +5 average 71.4 strokes over 18 holes (46 complete rounds). Their total strokes gained is -2.4 per round versus the PGA Tour baseline. Putting is the biggest leak at -1.2 SG per round (46 rounds).
Based on 46 rounds from plus handicap golfers around +5. 13 players. Last updated 2026-10-30.
What does a plus 5 handicap shoot?
The average is 71.4, with a best recorded score of 64 and a worst of 78 (46 complete 18-hole rounds). These are actual full-round scores, not nine-hole scores multiplied by two.
A handicap describes typical playing level, not a promise for every round. These handicaps are estimated from tracked play, not official WHS indexes.
| 18-hole score | Share of full rounds |
|---|---|
| <64 | 0% |
| 64–67 | 17% |
| 68–71 | 30% |
| 72–75 | 41% |
| 76–79 | 11% |
| 80–83 | 0% |
| >83 | 0% |
How often does a plus 5 handicap make birdies, bogeys and doubles?
| Result | Per 18 holes | Per hole |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle or better | 0.1 | 1% |
| Birdie | 3.6 | 20% |
| Par | 10.9 | 60% |
| Bogey | 3.1 | 17% |
| Double or worse | 0.3 | 2% |
| Hole | Average score | Vs par |
|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | 3.17 | +0.17 |
| Par 4 | 4.06 | +0.06 |
| Par 5 | 4.64 | -0.36 |
Where does a plus 5 handicap lose strokes?
| Area | SG / round |
|---|---|
| Driving | -0.3 |
| Approach | -0.7 |
| Around the green | -0.3 |
| Putting | -1.2 |
| Total | -2.4 |
| Approach distance | SG / shot | SG / round |
|---|---|---|
| 50–100 m | -0.03 | -0.1 |
| 100–150 m | -0.04 | -0.3 |
| 150–200 m | -0.06 | -0.3 |
| 200+ m | +0.01 | +0.0 |
| Around the green | SG / shot | SG / round |
|---|---|---|
| Fairway · 0–10 m | +0.03 | +0.0 |
| Fairway · 10–30 m | -0.06 | -0.1 |
| Rough · 10–30 m | -0.04 | -0.1 |
| Sand · 10–30 m | -0.14 | -0.1 |
| Putt length | SG / shot | SG / round |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 ft | +0.01 | +0.1 |
| 3–7 ft | -0.08 | -0.4 |
| 7–16 ft | -0.12 | -0.7 |
| 16–40 ft | -0.05 | -0.3 |
| 40+ ft | +0.06 | +0.1 |
What are putting make rates for a plus 5 handicap?
Distances up to 10 ft are rounded to the nearest foot: 4 ft includes putts from 3.5 ft up to, but not including, 4.5 ft. Longer putts use wider ranges, starting at 10.5 ft; each range includes its lower limit but not its upper limit.
| Distance | Made |
|---|---|
| Under 0.5 ft | 100% |
| 1 ft | 100% |
| 2 ft | 99% |
| 3 ft | 97% |
| 4 ft | 71% |
| 5 ft | 74% |
| 6 ft | 42% |
| 7 ft | 56% |
| 8 ft | 32% |
| 9 ft | 33% |
| 10 ft | 23% |
| 10.5–12 ft | 20% |
| 12–14 ft | 29% |
| 14–16 ft | 14% |
| 16–18 ft | 14% |
| 18–20 ft | 15% |
| 20–25 ft | 6% |
| 25–30 ft | 6% |
| 30–35 ft | 9% |
| 35–40 ft | 0% |
| 40–50 ft | 6% |
| 60+ ft | 13% |
How far does a plus 5 handicap drive it?
Driver-club tee shots on par 4s and 5s only; penalty finishes are excluded. Distance is the logged reduction in distance to the hole, not measured carry or a GPS ball-flight length.
| Driver measure | Metres | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Average | 255 | 279 |
| Median of longest 25% | 288 | 315 |
How many penalty shots does a plus 5 handicap take?
| Penalty strokes | Per 18 holes |
|---|---|
| Tee shots | 0.3 |
| Approach | 0.1 |
| Other shots | 0.0 |
| Total | 0.4 |
How many Tiger 5 mistakes does a plus 5 handicap make?
“Blown easy up & down” is an altered, measurable definition: a non-putt starting within 30 m finishes more than 5 m from the hole, so it does not mean every failed scramble.
| Mistake | Per 18 holes |
|---|---|
| Bogey or worse on par 5 | 0.3 |
| Double bogey or worse | 0.3 |
| Three-putt | 0.7 |
| Bogey with approach ≤135 m | 1.6 |
| Blown up & down (adapted) | 0.8 |
| Total | 3.6 |
What should a plus 5 handicap work on first?
Start with putting: it accounts for 1.2 lost strokes per round, ahead of approach at 0.7 (46 rounds). A group average can hide very different strengths, so these are group priorities, not a prescription for every golfer.
Putting · 7–16 ft is the costliest measured bucket within that area: -0.7 SG per round from 290 shots in 46 rounds. Use this to choose a focused practice block, then check whether your own pattern matches.
Plus 5 Handicap questions
What does a plus 5 handicap shoot?
Plus handicap golfers around +5 average 71.4 over 46 complete 18-hole rounds. These are estimated handicaps, not official course-adjusted indexes.
Is a plus 5 handicap good?
Yes. A plus 5 handicap is elite amateur golf, close to the level of top college and amateur tournament players, but still well short of the PGA Tour.
How far does a plus 5 handicap golfer hit a driver?
The logged distance reduction averages 255 m (279 yd), from 494 driver shots in 46 rounds. It is not measured carry distance.
How many putts does a plus 5 handicap golfer take?
Plus handicap golfers around +5 average 31.1 putts per round, based on 828 finished holes in 46 rounds. Putts alone do not account for starting distance.
Why can a plus 5 handicap golfer shoot 78?
Handicap reflects playing level, not a guarantee for each round. This sample includes scores from 64 to 78 across 46 full rounds.
Are these groups based on player or round handicap?
Players are grouped by their typical playing level across eligible completed rounds, not by any single round. Only their complete 18-hole rounds are counted, and every one stays in the group, even a particularly good or bad one.
How is this data measured?
Plus handicap golfers around +5 here are players whose estimated handicap sits in this group - an estimate of the player, never a measured result. Every figure uses complete 18-hole rounds only; the handicap estimate comes from each player's average across all their tracked rounds. Every metric requires at least two players; shot-count minimums are unchanged. Small samples are omitted rather than widened. This is a self-selected tracked sample, not a survey.
Other levels: Scratch Handicap · 5 Handicap · 10 Handicap · 15 Handicap
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