I read the stats and opinions.  However, how can your GIR'S be the most important or your putting if it takes you 6 or 7 or 8 strokes to get to the green?  Driving has to be more important. I use my own play, if I am driving well, I score low. I think a lot of comments are generated by individuals who read "golf expert's" and feel that they must echo their comments.  Just think GIR'S and putting does not come into play if your drive is not in a location where you can go to the green.

I play on a course that has no adjacent  fairways so if you push or pull your drive you are in jail. Driving counts.

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I totally do not agree. The average golfer normally does not find the green in regulation. I think putting average should be more important because if you are left in a situation then if you one putt you have got out of the predicament without one or two more strokes.

I tend to agree with the article, with a couple comments.  You cannot have low GIRs without driving it well.  Hit is too short and you can't get to the green in regulation.  Hit it in trouble off the tee and most folks cannot "get well" with the next shot.  The highly manicured courses and the wide fairways on Tour have resulted in the "bomb and gouge" discussion.  Most of us don't play those courses on a regular basis.  You have to get off the tee to have respectable GIRs.

Putting averages are greatly dependent on the size of greens on the course you play... and your GIRs.   Our home course has postage stamp greens.  My GIRs are low, but so are my putts per round.  Why?  I have had much practice with a chipping game that can find the first putt close to the hole.  When I play courses with larger greens, my GIRs go up and so do my number of putts.

At most of our level of play, we have to remember how great this game is... and how this game can kick us in the shins.  We can practice on aspect of the game until we have it mastered.  Have one or two excellent rounds with that aspect.  The next time out, it can be as if we've never held a club in our hands.  I love this game.....  :>)

Seems when I hit the faiway I  hit the greens more often. Long in the fairway is always good

How did the ball eval come out

To improve my G.I.R i am working on driving it down the middle and swinging nice and steady with my approach shot to knock it close. This should result into getting out with a par or maybe catch a break and get birdie.

i think the driving distance is more important than 9%!

I think both driving catagories should be higher.  You can average 2 putts every green all day, but if your chopping along out of the rough, you'll be seein' snowmen.

And not the really cool Titleist snowmen!! LOL

Deno

"I read the stats and opinions.  However, how can your GIR'S be the most important or your putting if it takes you 6 or 7 or 8 strokes to get to the green?  Driving has to be more important. I use my own play, if I am driving well, I score low. I think a lot of comments are generated by individuals who read "golf expert's" and feel that they must echo their comments.  Just think GIR'S and putting does not come into play if your drive is not in a location where you can go to the green.

I play on a course that has no adjacent  fairways so if you push or pull your drive you are in jail. Driving counts." - Quoted from Vincent a

Guys I guess you aren't reading the question.  If you are getting to the green in regulation then you are making it to a par 4 in 2 and a par 5 in 3.  So you must be driving ok at least.  I will take a good GIR stat over a 325 yard drive stat or a 100% of fairways hit.  Because a good GIR means I'm doing EVERYTHING to the green well and not just driving.  You hit every green in regulation, unless you are a terrible putter, will shoot under par.  But the long drive champs usually have a very high handicap.

Todd.P

I read your comments.  Using your conclusion, then putting is the most important.  If you are putting for a low score then you must have hit the ball well off the tee, next shot on  or  very close to the green.    Which means your putting is critical .

Of course this is just my opinion.

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Actually the putting above is putting average.  Which means the average number of putts it takes you per hole.  So you could average an amazing 1.5 putts per hole but if it takes you 17 shots to get to the green it means nothing.  So again greens in regulation is by far the most important stat of the 4 listed above, and hence why it received the most votes.

For Vincent (frist Comment)  GIR stands for Greens in Regulation.  In order to shoot par the goal is to hit GIR the majority of the time and then to 2 putt everytime your on the Green in Regulation.  SO Driving looses its value if you think of golf in making the green in regulation.  SO for example:  The hole is 350 yards to the green.  If you hit your first shot only 200 yards and are in the fairway and can get on the green with a trusty 150 yard shot you have made the green in regulation if it is a par 4 hole.  (only took 2 shots to get on the green)

Tracking how many times you are at the GIR is a very critical stat for being a scratch golfer.  

Avg. putting strokes then becomes your second most important stat as this tells you how many shots it will take to sink the ball once on the green.  Usually when you're avg. is over 2 it is either because your too far from the hole to keep the ball within 2 feet on the first putt or you are just not landing putts due to where you are landing on the green.  Upslope putting, Across slope, downslope, etc...  

Sounds simple but it's not, because everyone wants that first shot to be as close to the green as possible to make the second shot count.  If you're money shot is 120 to 150 yards you don't need to worry so much about the Bombs off the tee.

Definetly GIR! If your all over the place with your driver, but you can still hit the green in regulation you will do just fine.

Tough to make birdies if you miss the green.  Tough to shoot a good score if you don't make any birdies.  I would say GIR is most important without a doubt.

definitely the putting average. You can get on the green in one every time but if you four putt youre shootin 90's.

Obviously the short game is important, but if a golfer can't get his tee shots into play, i.e., in bounds, than that makes the game that much more difficult.

I agree. If you hit every green and 2 putt you shoot even par. If you miss a green you have to chip close and make the putt for a par. The more greens you hit the more birdies and lower scores!

true

I agree because that means you at lease have a birdie putt, so 2 putt for a par.

I think it depends on the player which one is most important cause you can 2 putt all day and take 4 or 5 shots to make the green or u can make the green in 2 or 3 shots and 3 and 4 putt all day.For me I feel if I hit the green in 2 or 3 shots I should make it in 1 or 2 putts and get a decent score