Which Golf Stats Should You Track? 7 That Matter

The golf stats to track are the ones that show where your strokes go: penalty strokes, putts per round, greens in regulation, fairways hit, scrambling, three-putts and your scoring average by par. Track them every round, compare averages over your last 10 to 20 rounds and you will see which part of your game costs the most strokes.

This guide lists the seven stats that matter for most golfers, what each one tells you and what to enter on each hole, then shows how to analyze your golf game after a round and turn the numbers into one thing to practice.

TheGrint works out stats from the scores you post, and phone score tracking and basic stats are free, so you can track your golf stats in TheGrint from your next round.

What golf stats should you track?

Track seven golf stats: penalty strokes, putts, greens in regulation (GIR), fairways in regulation (FIR), scrambling, three-putts and scoring average by par. Together they cover the tee shot, the approach, the short game and putting, and most of them come from four quick entries per hole.

GIR is worked out automatically. When your score minus your putts equals par minus 2, you hit the green in regulation, so a par on a par 4 with two putts counts. Read more in what GIR is and the target for your handicap.

How do you analyze your golf game after a round?

Analyze your golf game by looking at the same few numbers after every round, then judging them against your averages, not against one good or bad day. The aim is to find the one area that costs you the most strokes and practice that.

1. Enter four things on every hole: score, putts, fairway result and penalties. It takes seconds per hole when you do it on the course.
2. Start with penalties: count the strokes lost to out of bounds and penalty areas. These are usually the cheapest to save, through safer targets off the tee.
3. Check greens and putts together: few greens and few putts means your short game is saving you; many greens and many putts points to putting.
4. Look at scoring by par: a high par 3 average points to iron play; a high par 5 average often points to penalties or a long-game mistake.
5. Compare over 10 to 20 rounds: one round is noise. Watch the averages and the trend line.
6. Pick one thing to practice: then check the same stat again after five more rounds.

How many strokes do penalties really cost?

Penalties can cost several strokes a round, and the What-if Score on TheGrint shows how many they cost you. It subtracts your weighted average penalties from your average score: out of bounds counts as 2 strokes, a penalty area or drop as 1, and a greenside or fairway bunker as half a stroke.

For example, a golfer who averages 84.2 with 3.6 weighted penalties per round has a What-if Score of 80.6. That is an estimate, not a promise, but a gap that large says the fastest way to lower scores is keeping the ball in play.

See how the What-if Score works.

Which golf stats need more than a scorecard?

Shot distances and first-putt distance need extra input beyond the four basic entries. They are worth adding once you track the basics every round.

• First-putt distance: turn on the Advanced Score Tracker and enter how far your first putt was. Entering it is free; the make percentages by distance it builds are part of the advanced stats in Pro.
• Club off the tee: the Advanced Score Tracker also records your tee-shot club. Entering it is free; comparing driver with your other tee clubs is part of the advanced stats in Pro.
• Shot distance by club: use the Shot Tracker: mark where you hit from, then mark where the ball finished. Tracking shots on the phone is free; the Shot Distance views in Stats are Pro. TheGrint does not detect shots automatically.

For club distances, see shot tracking and distances by club.

How does TheGrint track your golf stats?

Millions of golfers have tracked tens of millions of rounds with TheGrint. It builds your stats from the hole-by-hole scores you enter, and works out GIR, par saves and bogey saves for you. Basic and Advanced score tracking on the phone are free, along with basic stats and the phone Shot Tracker.

• Free: score tracking on the phone, Basic and Advanced, plus basic stats and the headline numbers for stats such as Grints, the share of holes you play in par or better.
• Pro: more than 50 performance stats and Insights & Targets, which compare your putting, scrambling, approach play and more with golfers at a similar handicap.
• On a smartwatch: GPS distances are free; scoring and shot tracking on the watch come with a Pro Membership on TheGrint.

Insights is TheGrint's own benchmarking of strengths and weaknesses; it is not a Strokes Gained calculation. Scores and stats are golfer-entered; TheGrint does not auto-detect shots or putts.

For a stat that rewards good holes, see what a Grint is.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important golf stat to track?

For most amateurs, penalty strokes are the first stat to track, because they are the easiest strokes to save. A ball out of bounds or in a penalty area adds strokes no matter how well you hit the rest of the hole. After penalties, look at greens in regulation and putts per round together.

How many putts per round is good for an amateur?

Fewer than 36 putts per round, an average of two per hole, is a sensible first target for most amateurs. Putts per round depend on how many greens you hit, though, so compare putts after a green in regulation separately. Two putts after a GIR is solid; frequent three-putts point to lag putting.

How many rounds do you need before golf stats mean anything?

Ten rounds is a reasonable minimum, and 20 gives a much clearer picture. One round is too noisy: a single wet day or a hot putter can swing every number. Look at averages over your last 10 or 20 rounds and watch the trend, rather than reacting to the round you just played.

What is scrambling in golf stats?

Scrambling measures how often you save par after missing the green in regulation. On TheGrint, Par Save % counts the holes where your first putt was for par and the share of those you made. It is worked out from your score and putts, so you don't tag saves by hand.

Do you need sensors to track golf stats?

No. Most useful golf stats come from four entries per hole: your score, your putts, whether you hit the fairway and any penalty strokes. Greens in regulation and par saves are calculated from those. Shot distances need a shot tracker, which on TheGrint is manual: you mark the start and end of each shot.

Track your next round with TheGrint

Enter your score, putts, fairway and penalties as you play, and TheGrint works out your greens, saves and averages by the time you reach the clubhouse. Phone score tracking and basic stats are free. Get started with TheGrint.