How Far Do Male Amateur Golfers Hit Their Drives?
Thanks to the most recent Arccos driving report, we can now definitively say how far the average male amateur golfer hits their drives. But, how do you compare?
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.
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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.
Interested in discovering insights on your own game from Golf Monthly's data partner? Check out the Arccos website and use code: 'GolfMonthly' to save 15%
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.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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