Driving distance has always been a big talking point in the professional game, but it's just as important at club level where it's often the focus of debates and jokes in and around the clubhouse. So, how how do male amateur golfers hit their drives?
Thanks to the latest Arccos data, harvested from their extensive driving distance report, we can now definitively answer this question - giving you the opportunity to compare yourself against the average golfer.
How Far Do Male Amateur Golfers Hit Their Drives?
We all want to be the longest in our social four-ball, but hitting it a long way is about more than just bragging rights, as there is a direct correlation between driving distance increases and handicap reductions.
The average male golfer hits the ball 225 yards with their driver, up almost a yard from the 2022 average. The female driving distance average for amateurs currently sits at 178 yards, relatively similar to the data from the previous year.
The 2023 male driving distance data sees the average at a six-year high, indicating that amateur golfers are taking advantage of the best driving tips to improve their performances off the tee.
For reference, the average PGA Tour driving distance average is an eye-watering 299.9 yards – again indicating the importance of driving distance.
It will come as no surprise that single figure handicap golfers have the highest driving distance averages in the amateur game. A plus-handicap golfer on average drives the ball a staggering 252 yards, while a 30+ handicap golfer is expected to drive the ball around 183 yards.
Interestingly, the driving distance average for all male golfers is also roughly in line with a 10- to 15-handicapper.
As you can see in the graph above, the differential between each handicap group increases in line with the index, further highlighting the importance of driving distance in playing better golf.
Players with a handicap of between 0 and 4.9 drive the ball an average distance of 245 yards, while golfers playing off 5 to 9.9 (245 yards), 10 to 14.9 (234 yards), 15 to 19.9 (211 yards) and 20 to 24.9 (201 yards) all drive the golf ball more than 200 yards on average.
It's only players with a handicap index of 25 and above that might see this distance drop below the 200 yard mark, and in order to surge above that threshold it would be well worth a look at the best driving drills to find those precious extra yards.
