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Hitting more greens in regulation is a great way to cut your handicap, but how many do golfers actually hit?. | Credit: Paul Severn
If, like me, you watch a lot of top tour golf, you will see some of the best golfers in the world hitting greens in regulation for fun – making it all look incredibly simple.
The reality is that it isn’t, for most amateurs at least, and even the top PGA Tour pros only average around 66%. Wallowing in self pity won’t help though, so what can you do to improve your own green in regulation numbers?
Investing time in studying the best ball striking tips is a great place to start, but there is also value in understanding where your game is currently at in relation to other players at your handicap level.
To move forwards, you need to your starting point after all. Below, we use the latest 2026 Shot Scope data to share how many greens in regulation the average golfer hits at different handicap indexes to help you benchmark and strategise this season…
How Many Greens In Regulations Do Amateurs Hit In 2026?
A green in regulation is where a player hits (and holds) the putting surface with their tee shot on a par 3, their second shot on a par 4 and their third shot on a par 5.
When we break this down into different handicap index bands, however, there is a vast gap between single figure golfers and high-handicappers.
You can see how you compare to other amateur golfers at different handicap indexes below using our ‘versus’ data comparison tool.
Greens In Regulation % (By Handicap Index Band)
How many greens in regulation amateur golfers hit on average based on their handicap index
Attribute
0-handicap
5-handicap
10-handicap
15-handicap
20-handicap
25-handicap
Greens In Regulation %
59
41
32
21
14
9
0-handicap5-handicap10-handicap15-handicap20-handicap25-handicap
VS
0-handicap5-handicap10-handicap15-handicap20-handicap25-handicap
Greens In Regulation %
+44%59
41
Golf Monthly Logo
A 5-handicapper hits an average of 41% of greens in regulation – which is roughly seven per round.
That number decreases when you analyse the average performance of 15-handicappers, who hit just 21% of greens in regulation.
That translates to three greens in regulation, four less than a 5-handicap golfer.
A 25-handicapper, perhaps predictably, hits even fewer. With an average green in regulation return of just 9%, they are able to find the putting surface in the outlined number of shots just once per round.
While I obviously anticipated that trend, with more capable players clearly expected to hit more greens in regulation, I’m not sure I thought it’d be quite that stark.
So, what can amateurs do to hit more greens? Let’s take a look at some other Shot Scope measures for some clues.
How do you compare to golfers in your handicap bracket for greens in regulation? | Credit: Paul Severn
What can amateurs do to hit more greens?
The average amateur golfer comes up short of the green around 30% of the time with approach shot from 100-150 yards. That number increases to 40% for approach shots from 150 to 200 yards and 65% from 200+ yards.
Therefore, improving your strategy and taking enough club to find the back of the green could negate any minor mis-strikes and give you a better chance of finding the putting surface.
Moreover, taking a hybrid instead of a long-iron is statistically the sensible play from 175 yards+, according to the Shot Scope data.
Ultimately, working at the driving range on achieving a centred strike is always going to help with consistency on the course – so perhaps it’s time to go back to basics as you search for a way to cut your handicap in 2026.