Skip to content
    • Tour Homepage
    • PGA Tour
    • LIV Golf
    • DP World Tour
    • LPGA
    • LET
    • The Masters
    • The Open
    • The Players
    • US Open
    • PGA Championship
    • Ryder Cup
    • Solheim Cup
    • WITB
    • Betting
    • News
    • Features
    • Equipment Homepage
    • Reviews
    • Drivers
    • Fairway Woods
    • Hybrids
    • Irons
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Golf Balls
    • DMDs
    • Apparel
    • Shoes
    • Trolleys
    • Features
    • News
  • Buying Advice
    • Rules
    • WHS
    • Features
    • News
    • Instruction Homepage
    • Driving Tips
    • Long Game
    • Iron Play
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Learn from the pros
    • Course Management
    • Fitness
    • Mental Game
    • Nutrition
  • Giveaways
    • Top 100 Rankings
    • Travel
    • Top 100s Tour
    • Society Guide
    • NCG Golf Podcast
    • NCG Top 100s Podcast
    • Your Golf Podcast by NCG
  • Magazine
    • Why walking is how golf is meant to be played
National Club GolferNational Club Golfer Logo
  • TourHas submenu items

    Tour Homepage

    • PGA Tour
    • LIV Golf
    • DP World Tour
    • LPGA
    • LET
    • The Masters
    • The Open
    • The Players
    • US Open
    • PGA Championship
    • Ryder Cup
    • Solheim Cup
    • WITB
    • Betting
    • News
    • Features
  • EquipmentHas submenu items

    Equipment Homepage

    • Reviews
    • Drivers
    • Fairway Woods
    • Hybrids
    • Irons
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Golf Balls
    • DMDs
    • Apparel
    • Shoes
    • Trolleys
    • Features
    • News
  • Buying Advice
  • ClubHas submenu items
    • Rules
    • WHS
    • Features
    • News
  • InstructionHas submenu items

    Instruction Homepage

    • Driving Tips
    • Long Game
    • Iron Play
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Learn from the pros
    • Course Management
    • Fitness
    • Mental Game
    • Nutrition
  • Giveaways
  • CoursesHas submenu items
    • Top 100 Rankings
    • Travel
    • Top 100s Tour
    • Society Guide
  • PodcastsHas submenu items
    • NCG Golf Podcast
    • NCG Top 100s Podcast
    • Your Golf Podcast by NCG
  • Magazine
  • The Joy of WalkingHas submenu items
    • Why walking is how golf is meant to be played

Sign up here for our newsletter and you'll never slice a drive again. Promise.

Newsletter sign up

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
National Club Golfer Logo

© 2026 National Club Golfer | 2 Arena Park, Tam Lane, LS17 9BF

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Editorial Policy
  • Meet the NCG Team
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
Country: gb Page generated at: Thursday, 4 June 2026 at 6:27:46 British Summer Time
club
Glossary
NCG’s Golf Glossary: What is carry?

published: Jan 1, 2010

|

updated: Apr 17, 2024

NCG’s Golf Glossary: What is carry?

NCGLink

FacebookXInstagramYouTubePodcast0 comments

Don’t know your dormies from your doglegs? Or your stymies from your shanks? NCG’s Golf Glossary is here to help.

Dustin Johnson carry

Here at NCG we pride ourselves on being the publication for the everyday player, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to delve into the wonderful world of the golfing lexicon.

Sometimes the most obvious terms have the most interesting story, so you might find yourself an interesting conversation starter…

What is carry?

Carry is the distance that the golf ball travels from the club face to when it first touches the ground again.

How would I use it in a sentence?

“There is water in front of the tee and you will require 210 yards of carry to get over it”

What are the origins?

Well, carry in golf will have been around since the first ball was hit but back then it won’t have been known what carry was as it’s unknown when the term entered the golfing world.

Back when the game was first started they’ll have most likely just have referred to it as distance.

Any other business?

The improvement in Trackman and other ball flight trackers have helped us keep a record of how far golfers are hitting the ball.

The carry distance stat was first introduced in 2007. Bubba Watson led the stats that year with an average carry distance off the tee of 300.6 yards.

On the 2017 PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy led the carry distance stats with an average carry of 305.1 yards.

Click here to return to NCG’s Golf Glossary

Advertisement

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!

What's Popular

First place individual champion, Captain Jon Rahm of Legion XIII celebrates on the 18th green after the final round of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Naucalpan, Mexico. (Photo by Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf)

Jon Rahm has finally made the right call on the DP World Tour – but is his biggest decision yet to come?

By Matt Chivers | May 5, 2026

Read full article Jon Rahm has finally made the right call on the DP World Tour – but is his biggest decision yet to come?
Garrick Higgo looks over a putt at the PGA Championship | Source: Getty Images

Garrick Higgo’s PGA Championship penalty is a warning for every club golfer

By Steve Carroll | May 14, 2026

Read full article Garrick Higgo’s PGA Championship penalty is a warning for every club golfer
Major champion Aaron Rai | Source: Getty Images

Who is PGA Champion Aaron Rai?

By Matt Coles | Jul 1, 2024

Read full article Who is PGA Champion Aaron Rai?
golfers private jets

Which golfers own private jets and how much do they cost?

By Matt Coles | Oct 16, 2025

Read full article Which golfers own private jets and how much do they cost?
MGP Nutrition giveaway | Source: MGP Nutrition and NCG

Golf Giveaways! Win a MGP Fuel to Max bundle

By Paul Miller | May 13, 2026

Read full article Golf Giveaways! Win a MGP Fuel to Max bundle

Best Golf Balls for Seniors 2026: Distance and feel for those with slower swing speeds

By Max Mcvittie | May 22, 2026

Read full article Best Golf Balls for Seniors 2026: Distance and feel for those with slower swing speeds
foursomes Golfers at a green | Source: Adobe Stock

What does ‘equity’ mean in the World Handicap System?

By Steve Carroll | May 21, 2026

Read full article What does ‘equity’ mean in the World Handicap System?
Three golfers on the tee | Source: Adobe Stock

WHS allows you to play from different tees in competitions – so why do some golf clubs still ignore this?

By Max Mcvittie | May 28, 2026

Read full article WHS allows you to play from different tees in competitions – so why do some golf clubs still ignore this?

Best Budget Irons 2026

By | Mar 5, 2026

Read full article Best Budget Irons 2026
Dustin Johnson. Peter Uihlein and Branden Grace | Source: LIV Golf

How much has each LIV golfer made compared to their PGA Tour earnings?

By Matt Chivers | Jun 3, 2026

Read full article How much has each LIV golfer made compared to their PGA Tour earnings?
richest golfers of all time

Who are the richest golfers of all time?

By Matt Chivers | Oct 1, 2025

Read full article Who are the richest golfers of all time?
Bryson DeChambeau at LIV Golf Korea | Source: LIV Golf

Show me the money! How much has each LIV player made since signing up?

By Matt Chivers | Jun 3, 2026

Read full article Show me the money! How much has each LIV player made since signing up?