Greens in regulation: Why is this statistic so vital to lower scores?

The term ‘greens in regulation’ is one of the most used statistics in the world of golf. If you are new to the sport or you have always wondered what the commentators are talking about when mentioning it, this article will explore the meaning, why it’s so important to professional and amateur golfers in achieving low scores, and why data is such a big deal for golf in the modern day.

The reality is that, like most sports, golf is becoming more about numbers with every passing year. Greens in regulation is a term used to denote how often a player can reach the green in the necessary number of strokes. On a par three hole, this would be one stroke. A par four hole would be two strokes and a par five hole would be three strokes. In essence, it’s how often a player can land the ball on the green to be in with a chance of putting for a birdie.

Although statistics are normally reserved for professional golfers, greens in regulation are one aspect that could be adopted by recreational players keen to improve their scores and bring down their respective stroke handicaps.

Of course, greens in regulation on their own are unlikely to fix leaks in your golf game overnight. In fact, it can even highlight particular flaws in your game, such as if your greens in regulation average is quite impressive but you’re still struggling to get your typical score down. This would suggest that your putting leaves a lot to be desired. Alternatively, you may be landing the ball on rather large greens that, despite being technically on the green, are still a two-putt from the hole.

How to improve your greens in regulation percentage

If you are a recreational player with a greens in regulation percentage of between 30-40%, let’s look at some of the options you have to make inroads into that percentage and drive it over 50% and beyond.

One of the easiest ways to improve your greens in regulation percentage is to shave strokes off your par four and five holes. This usually means improving your performance off the tee. The further you can drive the ball off the tee, the closer you will be to reaching the green. Of course, without direction and course management, distance off the tee is worthless. The key is to drive the ball as far as possible, whilst leaving it in play on the fairway. A ball 30-40 yards further back on the fairway is far easier to control with an iron shot than a ball 30-40 yards further forward in the rough.

After your tee shot, it’s all about focusing on your approach shots. Addressing the ball for your second shot with the correct strategy is key to landing more greens in regulation. One of the biggest failings among recreational golfers is they adopt an aggressive approach to their club selection. They opt for a lower iron in a bid to aim directly at the pin when, in reality, a higher iron and focusing on the green itself would suffice.

So, are we saying stop aiming your approach shots directly at the flag? Yes, absolutely. In many cases, the flag is there for a reason. It’s designed to entice recreational players to go directly for the pin, despite there being multiple hazards in the way, be it bunkers, trees or even water. Those players that have the discipline not to be enticed by the pin position and focus firmly on the middle of the green or the back yardage inevitably experience an improvement in their greens in regulation percentage.

It might seem boring or overly basic as strategies go, but over-aggression will always bite you in the backside in the end. Course designers carefully position hazards for a reason – to penalize and hurt those who cannot avoid the temptation of hitting that extra club and attempting the most direct angle.

If you’re a beginner when it comes to the greens in regulation concept, take some time to study the strokes gained statistic that’s equally misunderstood but increasingly relied upon in the professional game.