Tracking and Understanding Golf Statistics
Tracking and Understanding Golf Statistics
Understanding your golf stats is key to tracking your performance and improving your game. Stats like fairways hit, greens in regulation, and putts per hole give you insights into what’s working—and what needs work—both on and off the course.
All of this makes it easy to build a detailed performance history, track progress toward your goals, and see how your game is improving—round after round.
Table of Contents
Why Stats Matter
Starting a Round
Playing a Round
After a Round
Round Summary
Why Stats Matter
Golf stats like Fairways Hit, Greens in Regulation (GIR), putts per hole, and others provide critical insights into your strengths and weaknesses, both on and off the course. By understanding these numbers, you can:
- Identify areas of weakness (e.g., missing fairways or approaching shots) and adjust accordingly.
- Set and achieve specific goals to improve your game.
- Learn patterns and make informed strategic decisions during future games.
18Birdies makes the process simple and efficient by offering tools for real-time stat monitoring, automated data collection, stroke tracking, and more.
How 18Birdies Helps Track Your Stats
18Birdies offers several powerful features to capture and analyze your performance data:
- Real-time stat tracking during rounds with both GPS scoring and scorecard scoring options
- Automated data collection through features like auto stats and swing detection
- Comprehensive history of your performance data to track goals and improvement over time
Getting Started - Play
Starting a Round
When setting up a new round in 18Birdies, you'll configure several important settings that affect how your stats are tracked and displayed:
Round Type
- Choose between 18-hole or 9-hole rounds, which will filter how your stats are displayed in your profile stats (Me).
- Access leaderboards to compare your performance with others
Tees (Slope/Rating/Gender)
Selecting the correct tees is crucial as it impacts your course handicap and net scoring calculations.
Scoring Mode
Your choice of scoring mode affects how detailed stats are collected, particularly for Strokes Gained Statistics. You can choose between:
- Strokes Gained tracking
- Classic Shot Tracking
Scramble Round
Toggle this option when playing in a scramble format to ensure proper stat tracking.
Playing a Round
Entering Scores & Stats
Tracking your stats in the 18Birdies app is a great way to better understand your golf game and identify areas for improvement. Below is a breakdown of each stat you can track, what it means, and how it can help you on the course
Greens in Regulation (GIR)
A green is considered “in regulation” when you land your ball on the putting surface with enough strokes remaining to make par using two putts.
Examples:
- Par 3: Reach the green in 1 shot
- Par 4: Reach the green in 2 shots
- Par 5: Reach the green in 3 shots
Why it matters: Tracking GIR helps you monitor how well you’re setting yourself up for scoring opportunities.
Fairways Hit
Tracks whether your tee shot lands in the fairway (excluding par 3s).
Why it matters:
- Helps you assess your driving accuracy
- Provides insight into your common miss tendencies (left, right, or short)
- Identifies consistency off the tee
Chip Shots
Tracks the number of chip shots you take around the green.
Why it matters: This helps you better understand your short game and how effective your approach shots are from close range.
Greenside Sand Shots
Track shots played from bunkers near the green.
Why it matters: Monitoring your sand saves alongside putting stats can give you a clearer picture of your performance from the bunker and how often you're able to recover.
Penalties
Tracks any penalty strokes taken during the round.
Why it matters: Penalty tracking can help you spot patterns and reduce costly mistakes. Below are common types of penalties and how they’re applied:
Penalty Definitions
| Penalty Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Lost Ball or Out-of-Bounds | Results in stroke and distance: add one penalty stroke and replay the shot from the previous spot. |
| Hazard (Penalty Area) | Hitting into a red or yellow marked area results in one penalty stroke. Relief options vary depending on the type of hazard. |
| Unplayable Lie | You may declare your ball unplayable anywhere except in a penalty area, then take relief with a one-stroke penalty. |
| Rules Infractions | Penalties for rule breaches, such as:
|
Advanced Features During Play
Club Recommendations:
Get intelligent club suggestions based on True Distance calculations, which take into account factors that affect how far your shot will travel.
Tracking Shots:
- Record shot locations and distances
- Remove tracked shots when needed
- View shot dispersion patterns and aim points
Strokes Gained Shot Tracking:
Monitor your Strokes Gained statistics during your round to see how your performance compares to benchmarks.
Helpful Tools (Link to each article)
- Notes: Record observations about the course or your round.
- Targets: Set specific targets to improve your aim.
- Hole Insights: View helpful information about each hole.
Settings Customization
Enhance your 18Birdies experience and tailor it to your preferences through a range of customizable settings:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Score Display | Display your score relative to par directly on the GPS screen and compatible smartwatch for quick, in-round reference. |
| Club Recommendations | Toggle AI-powered club suggestions on or off based on your preference during the round. |
| Strokes Gained – Club Info | Choose whether to include specific club data for your Strokes Gained shots to get more detailed performance breakdowns. |
| Strokes Gained – Putt Tracking | Track each putt individually for more granular insights into your putting performance. |
| Tee Shot Planner | Customize how tee shot planning information is delivered using your preferred Tee Shot Planner settings. |
| Automatic Stats Calculation | Automatically calculate key stats from your score and putts to streamline post-round analysis. |
| Missed GIR & Fairway Details | Track additional details for missed Greens in Regulation (GIR) and Fairways Hit to highlight improvement areas. |
| Automatic Drive Distance | Enable automatic calculation of drive distances to avoid manual tracking. |
After a Round
Once you complete your round, 18Birdies provides comprehensive analysis tools to review your performance.
Key Performance Indicators
Review essential metrics to identify strengths and weaknesses in your game. This analysis helps you understand which aspects of your game contributed most to your overall score and where you should focus your practice time.
Round Summary Overview
Scorecard: View your complete scorecard with hole-by-hole scores.
Basic Stats: Access an overview of your round's statistics and dive deeper with detailed charts for each metric.
| Stat | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gross Score | Your total score before any handicap adjustments. |
| Distribution | A breakdown of how many pars, birdies, bogeys, etc., you recorded during the round. |
| Par 3, 4, 5 Performance | Your scoring averages on par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s. |
| Fairways Hit | Tracks whether your tee shots on par 4s and 5s land in the fairway. |
| GIR (Greens in Regulation) | Measures how often you reach the green with enough strokes left for two putts to make par. |
| Average 1st Putt | The average distance of your first putt on each green. |
| Average Approach | The average distance remaining to the pin after your approach shot. |
| Total Putts | The total number of putts you took during the round. |
| Putts Per Hole | Your average number of putts taken per hole. |
| 3 Putts | The number of holes where you recorded three or more putts. |
| Sand Saves | The percentage of times you made par or better after hitting a greenside bunker. |
| Up & Down | Your success rate when missing the green but still making par (typically from chipping and putting). |
| Penalties | The number of penalty strokes you incurred during the round (e.g., out of bounds, water hazards). |
Benchmarks: Compare your performance against your historical averages or other golfers using filters to refine the comparison.
Additional Round Information
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Game Stats | Review targets hit and betting results. |
| Round Recap | Add text, photos, and videos to document memorable moments. |
| Scoring Goal | Track your progress toward your scoring goals. |
| Hole by Hole GPS | Review your path and shots on each hole. |
| Handicap | View how the round affects your handicap or remove the round from handicap calculations. |
| Tracked Shots | Analyze all shots tracked during your round. |
| Notes | Review or add notes about your round. |
Round Summary Navigation
Round Duration
The details set at the beginning of the round, including the date and duration (time played), are displayed at the top of the Round Summary. Generally, 4 - 4.5 hours for 18-hole rounds and 2 - 2.5 hours for 9-hole rounds are considered acceptable playing times.
Many golfers advise staying one shot behind the group in front of you at all times and not worrying about the groups behind you to maintain a good pace of play.
Basic Stats
Tapping "Basic Stats" gives you a complete overview of your round and how it stacks up against other golfers on the same course. You'll find details like:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Score Distribution | See how your scores break down across the round. |
| Gross Score | Your total score for the round. |
| Par Averages | Your average scores on par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s. |
| Fairways Hit | The percentage of fairways you hit off the tee. |
| Greens in Regulation | The percentage of greens you hit in regulation. |
| Total Putts | The total number of putts you took. |
| Putts per Hole | Your average number of putts per hole. |
| 3-Putts | The number of times you took three putts on a hole. |
These stats help you understand your performance on the course and identify areas for improvement.
Benchmarks
The Benchmarks tab allows you to compare the following stats to your personal average, the course average, and your overall ranking:
| Stat | Description |
|---|---|
| Gross Score | Your total score without handicap adjustments. |
| Net Score | Your score after applying your handicap. |
| Front 9 | Performance over holes 1–9. |
| Back 9 | Performance over holes 10–18. |
| Par or Better | Percentage of holes played at par or better. |
| Fairways Hit | Percentage of fairways hit off the tee (excluding par 3s). |
| Greens in Regulation | Percentage of greens reached in regulation. |
| Putts per Hole | Average number of putts per hole. |
| Total Putts | Total number of putts taken during the round. |
| Holes with 3+ Putts | Number of holes where you took three or more putts. |
| Up and Down | Success rate when missing the green and saving par. |
| Sand Saves | Success rate of saving par after being in a greenside bunker. |
| Penalties | Total number of penalty strokes. |
Filters for Benchmarks include the following:
| Filter Type | Options |
|---|---|
| Hole Selection | Specific holes or full round |
| Handicap Ranges | < 0, 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, > 30 |
| Player Group | All players |
Leaderboards
In the Leaderboards tab, you can see how you rank against your friends. Compare both 9-hole and 18-hole rounds with various timeframes as well as Stats. You can compare rankings based on the following timeframes:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Most Recent Round | Rankings based on your most recent completed round. |
| Live Today Rounds | Rankings updated in real-time for rounds currently being played. |
| Last 3 Rounds | Rankings averaged over your last three rounds. |
| This Year | Rankings based on rounds played in the current calendar year. |
| Last Year | Rankings from the previous calendar year. |
| Tournaments | Rankings based only on tournament rounds. |
| Leagues | Rankings based on rounds played in league formats. |
Rankings are available for the following statistics
| Stat | Description |
|---|---|
| Gross Score | Total strokes taken per round without handicap adjustment. |
| Par or Better | Percentage of holes played at par or better. |
| Handicap | Estimated playing ability used for ranking comparisons. |
| Fairways Hit | Percentage of tee shots landing in the fairway (excluding par 3s). |
| Greens in Regulation | Percentage of greens reached in regulation. |
| Putts | Total number of putts per round. |
FAQs
Why is tracking golf stats like Fairways Hit and Greens in Regulation (GIR) important?
Tracking stats helps identify strengths and weaknesses, set improvement goals, and make better strategic decisions on the course
How do I track my scores and stats using the phone app?
While playing your round, you can use your phone to easily input performance data for each hole. Key stats like Fairways Hit and Greens in Regulation can be recorded as you go.
You can switch between the GPS View for yardages and course visuals or the Scorecard View to focus on score input—whatever works best for your game.
Need to make a correction? No problem—you can edit stats during the round without interrupting play. The app is designed to help you enter data quickly so you can maintain a smooth pace.
At the end of your round, you can either finalize your total score or save an incomplete round to finish later. And don't forget—18Birdies offers automated stat tracking for select features to help streamline your experience even more.
Can I use a smartwatch to track my round?
Yes! Pairing your phone with a compatible smartwatch enhances your experience by enabling automatic shot detection. This feature makes it easy to track your shots throughout the round without needing to interact with your phone.
It’s a great hands-free option that keeps your focus on the game while still capturing important performance data.
How do I track specific stats like Fairways Hit or Greens in Regulation?
When entering stats, you can mark if you hit or missed the fairway/green. For misses, you can specify the direction (e.g., left, right, short, long)