Golf Metrics

Strokes gained approach sounds technical, but the meaning is simple: it grades every shot you hit at a green against what an average player would do from the same spot.

You sit between beginner and advanced, using analytics tools built around tour pros. Here is what your strokes gained should actually look like, and what your numbers tell you to do next.

Ten rounds is the point where your golf data starts becoming actionable. This audit shows exactly what to review and what to do next.

A handicap number tells you what you shot. Strokes gained tells you why you shot it. One scores the round, the other diagnoses the player — and you genuinely need both.

Strokes gained against a PGA Tour pro tells you the size of the mountain. Strokes gained against a 10 handicap tells you which step to take next. Here is when the smaller benchmark is the better one.

You add up off the tee, approach, around the green, and putting — and the number does not quite match the total. It is not a bug. Here is what is really going on under the hood.