Making a 3-putt has got to be up there with topping the golf ball and duffing your bunker shot as one of the most annoying occurrences on the golf course, but unfortunately for most amateur golfers they are tricky to banish from the scorecard.
It's all well and good knowing how far you hit your irons, or how far you hit your drives, but if you can't get off the green without racking up another handful of shots you will struggle to reduce your handicap.
Sometimes, putting these things into perspective is all we need to help us feel a little better about our game. So... How many 3-putts does an amateur golfer make per round?
The latest Arccos data reveals all.. and it might surprise you!
How Many 3-Putts Do Amateur Golfers Make Per Round?
Let's start with the players who are likely to make the most 3-putts, according to the data. A 20-handicapper makes an average of four 3-putts per round, therefore leaking shots on more than 20 percent of greens.
The outlook is only marginally better for a 15-handicapper, who averages 3.3 per round, while a 10-handicapper is looking at 2.6 over 18 holes. A 5-handicapper is somewhat more frugal on the greens, producing just two 3-putts per round, while a scratch golfer (obviously) is the least likely to experience the heartache... with an impressive 1.6 three-putts on average.
When you compare those figures to a PGA Tour player, it's easy to appreciate how they've reached the top of the professional game. The PGA Tour average is just 0.47 per round, with recent Champion Golfer of The Year Xander Schauffele leading the way with an average of just 0.16 per round.
How Does Distance Impact The Chances Of A 3-Putt?
It won't surprise you to know that longer putts increase the chance of a 3-putt occurring for players at all handicap levels. From inside 14-feet, all players with a handicap index of 20 or below make a 3-putt less than 10 percent of the time.
However, increase that distance to between 25-feet and 39-feet and the odds shoot up considerably. A scratch player and a 5-handicapper are now expected to make a 3-putt 10 percent of the time, while a 10-handicapper (18%), a 15-handicapper (22%) and a 20-handicapper (25%) are all going to be fighting a little harder for a welcome 2-putt.
Anything above 40-feet escalates the risk once again, as the data below evidences...
- Scratch golfer - 24%
- 5-handicapper - 24%
- 10-handicapper - 32%
- 15-handicapper - 36%
- 20-handicapper - 40%
In terms of proximity to the hole on approach shots, the average 20-handicap golfer struggles to get the ball inside 40-feet from any distance, so it becomes very obvious why some players struggle to reduce their handicap and shoot lower scores.
In order to reduce the risk of a 3-putt and buck the trend, working on pace control and how to read the greens correctly is a proactive solution to the otherwise harrowing scenario that faces amateur golfers.
