Scratch Handicap Golf Stats: Average Score, Driving Distance & Strokes Gained
Measured golf statistics from scratch golfers.
Scratch golfers average 76.8 strokes over 18 holes (47 complete rounds). Their total strokes gained is -8.0 per round versus the PGA Tour baseline. Approach is the biggest leak at -3.3 SG per round (47 rounds).
Based on 47 rounds from scratch golfers. 18 players. Last updated 2026-10-30.
What does a scratch handicap shoot?
The average is 76.8, with a best recorded score of 70 and a worst of 84 (47 complete 18-hole rounds). These are actual full-round scores, not nine-hole scores multiplied by two.
Scratch is not a promise to shoot par every time. These handicaps are estimated from tracked play, not official WHS indexes.
| 18-hole score | Share of full rounds |
|---|---|
| <68 | 0% |
| 68–71 | 4% |
| 72–75 | 28% |
| 76–79 | 51% |
| 80–83 | 15% |
| 84–87 | 2% |
| >87 | 0% |
How often does a scratch handicap make birdies, bogeys and doubles?
| Result | Per 18 holes | Per hole |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle or better | 0.1 | 1% |
| Birdie | 2.0 | 11% |
| Par | 9.8 | 55% |
| Bogey | 5.0 | 28% |
| Double or worse | 1.1 | 6% |
| Hole | Average score | Vs par |
|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | 3.43 | +0.43 |
| Par 4 | 4.36 | +0.36 |
| Par 5 | 4.94 | -0.06 |
Where does a scratch handicap lose strokes?
| Area | SG / round |
|---|---|
| Driving | -2.1 |
| Approach | -3.3 |
| Around the green | -1.2 |
| Putting | -1.3 |
| Total | -8.0 |
| Approach distance | SG / shot | SG / round |
|---|---|---|
| 50–100 m | -0.13 | -0.5 |
| 100–150 m | -0.14 | -1.2 |
| 150–200 m | -0.21 | -1.0 |
| 200+ m | -0.15 | -0.6 |
| Around the green | SG / shot | SG / round |
|---|---|---|
| Fairway · 0–10 m | -0.02 | 0.0 |
| Fairway · 10–30 m | -0.08 | -0.2 |
| Fairway · 30+ m | -0.19 | -0.1 |
| Rough · 10–30 m | -0.17 | -0.4 |
| Rough · 30+ m | -0.07 | 0.0 |
| Sand · 10–30 m | -0.26 | -0.3 |
| Putt length | SG / shot | SG / round |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 ft | +0.02 | +0.2 |
| 3–7 ft | -0.02 | -0.1 |
| 7–16 ft | -0.15 | -0.7 |
| 16–40 ft | -0.09 | -0.6 |
| 40+ ft | -0.04 | -0.1 |
What are putting make rates for a scratch 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 | 100% |
| 3 ft | 99% |
| 4 ft | 80% |
| 5 ft | 76% |
| 6 ft | 55% |
| 7 ft | 54% |
| 8 ft | 29% |
| 9 ft | 36% |
| 10 ft | 27% |
| 10.5–12 ft | 14% |
| 12–14 ft | 24% |
| 14–16 ft | 14% |
| 16–18 ft | 17% |
| 18–20 ft | 4% |
| 20–25 ft | 7% |
| 25–30 ft | 7% |
| 30–35 ft | 11% |
| 35–40 ft | 0% |
| 40–50 ft | 3% |
| 50–60 ft | 0% |
| 60+ ft | 0% |
How far does a scratch 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 | 244 | 267 |
| Median of longest 25% | 277 | 303 |
How many penalty shots does a scratch handicap take?
| Penalty strokes | Per 18 holes |
|---|---|
| Tee shots | 0.6 |
| Approach | 0.3 |
| Other shots | 0.0 |
| Total | 0.9 |
How many Tiger 5 mistakes does a scratch 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 | 0.8 |
| Double bogey or worse | 1.1 |
| Three-putt | 1.0 |
| Bogey with approach ≤135 m | 2.7 |
| Blown up & down (adapted) | 1.7 |
| Total | 7.3 |
What should a scratch handicap work on first?
Start with approach: it accounts for 3.3 lost strokes per round, ahead of driving at 2.1 (47 rounds). A group average can hide very different strengths, so these are group priorities, not a prescription for every golfer.
Approach · 100–150 m is the costliest measured bucket within that area: -1.2 SG per round from 393 shots in 47 rounds. Use this to choose a focused practice block, then check whether your own pattern matches.
Scratch Handicap questions
What does a scratch handicap shoot?
Scratch golfers average 76.8 over 47 complete 18-hole rounds. These are estimated handicaps, not official course-adjusted indexes.
Is a scratch handicap good?
Yes. Scratch describes a strong amateur level, but scratch is not Tour level. Handicap and strokes gained measure different things; SG here uses the PGA Tour baseline.
How far does a scratch golfer hit a driver?
The logged distance reduction averages 244 m (267 yd), from 394 driver shots in 44 rounds. It is not measured carry distance.
How many putts does a scratch golfer take?
Scratch golfers average 31.6 putts per round, based on 846 finished holes in 47 rounds. Putts alone do not account for starting distance.
Why can a scratch golfer shoot 84?
Handicap reflects playing level, not a guarantee for each round. This sample includes scores from 70 to 84 across 47 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?
Scratch golfers 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: Plus 5 Handicap · 5 Handicap · 10 Handicap · 15 Handicap
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