Of the many stats that can help golfers track and improve their performance, one of the most revealing is greens in regulation. 

Greens in regulation is a measure all golfers should understand and use to improve their game, especially their approach to the putting green. To help you understand more, in this blog, we explain what greens in regulation in golf is. We’ll look at how to calculate greens in regulation, why it’s an important measure to use, and what you can do to hit more on the course.

What does greens in regulation mean?

So, what is greens in regulation? Also called green in regulation, or often just abbreviated to GIR, it’s a golfing statistic based on how many strokes you take to reach the putting green of a hole based on its par.

Put simply: A green in regulation is when you land your ball on the putting green in two strokes less than the par for that hole.

To count as a green in regulation, your ball must be on the green with:

• 1 stroke for a par 3 hole
• 2 strokes for a par 4 hole
• 3 strokes for a par 5 hole

By hitting a green in regulation, you give yourself a good chance at a birdie, or at least an easy two-putt for par. Greens in regulation is all about giving yourself a chance to complete the hole on par or better, by reaching the green early enough.

Why is greens in regulation important?

Greens in regulation is one of the best indicators of your overall performance, because it shows how often you’re giving yourself a realistic opportunity to make a par or a birdie.

GIR reflects consistency in ball striking, approach play, and course strategy. High GIR numbers usually correlate with lower round scores, as:

• You successfully avoid hazards and tricky chip shots
• You reduce the pressure on your short game
• You increase your chances of making putts that count

Think of GIR as a stat that tells you how often you’re “doing the hard part” right – getting to the green efficiently so that putting becomes your main focus.

What’s the origin of greens in regulation as a measure?

We don’t know for certain who first came up with the greens in regulation measure, but we know it arose as a statistic during the mid-20th century as the professional game became more competitive and data-driven analysis came more to the fore.

GIR quickly became a foundational metric because it clearly indicated a player’s ability to approach greens effectively, something that very much separates amateurs from pros. Today, greens in regulation is a key stat used in both professional and amateur golf. It has become a benchmark for measuring strategic play and a fundamental stat used in player development.

How does greens in regulation relate to my handicap?

Your greens in regulation stat can be a strong indicator of your handicap.

Generally, lower handicap golfers can expect to hit more greens in regulation during a round. According to Shot Scope, the average greens in regulation achieved by handicap are:

• 0 handicap: 59% GIR
• 5 handicap: 41% GIR
• 15 handicap: 21 GIR
• 20 handicap: 14% GIR
• 25 handicap: 9% GIR

Because greens in regulation reflects your ability to reach putting greens efficiently, improving this stat almost always leads to a lower handicap. Conversely, if you’re hitting fewer GIRs than others with a similar handicap, it might reveal a weakness in your approach play or your tee shots.

Tracking GIR can help give you an insight into why your handicap is where it is and what to work on to improve your game.

What are the benefits of using greens in regulation?

Learning how to calculate greens in regulation isn’t just about logging a number. Using GIR is about understanding your game, especially your approach to the green. By keeping greens in regulation in mind, and by tracking it, you can:

• Identify strengths and weaknesses in your game: You’ll quickly see if your iron play or long game needs work.
• Set measurable goals: Whether you aim to improve from 4 to 6 GIRs per round or hit double digits, it’s a stat you can track and aim to achieve with every round you play.
• Plan your practice play better: If you’re missing greens from 150 yards out, you can dedicate time to your mid-irons. If you’re struggling from further out, you can work on your driving.
• Lower your scores: More greens hit in fewer shots usually means fewer chips and short-side scrambles, translating to fewer bogeys or worse.
• Improve your mental game: Knowing you’re consistently reaching greens in regulation gives you confidence in your approach play and strategy.

How to calculate overall greens in regulation for a round

To hit a greens in regulation, you need to land on the green in two shots fewer than the par for that hole.

To calculate your GIR rate for your round: 

• Count how many times you make a GIR
• Then divide it by 18 for a whole round of golf (or 9 for a half)
• And then multiply that number by 100 to get a percentage rate

For instance, if you achieved 4 GIRs in a full round: 4 / 18 equals 0.22, multiplied by 100 gives 22%. 

How can I hit more greens in regulation?

Improving your GIR rate involves focusing on a few key areas of your game:

• Improving your tee shots: The further and more precise your driving, the easier it is to hit greens. “Fairways hits” (FH) are typically the first step to achieving good GIR stats.
• Knowing your distances: Understanding your club yardages is crucial. Use a rangefinder or GPS to know exactly how far you are from the pin.
• Playing with smart targets: Don’t always aim directly at the pin if there’s a clever shot to make, such as aiming for the centre of the green or the safest part, especially if hazards are nearby.
• Working on your iron play: Accurate approach shots from 100–175 yards are key to hitting greens in regulation. Practice swing tempo, alignment, and ball striking on the driving range.
• Managing your course strategy: Play within your limits. Sometimes, laying up short of trouble and hitting a full wedge is smarter than going for a risky long iron.

Golf can be played in a variety of formats, and one of the most popular of those is a Texas Scramble – a rewarding approach to team-based golf that’s favoured by players of all skill levels. 

A Texas Scramble is a fast-paced, team-oriented way to play golf, ideal for various occasions, from charity golf days and corporate tournaments to casual weekend outings with friends.

But what is a Texas Scramble? In this guide to Texas Scramble golf, we’ll explain what it is, the rules, how to play it, and look at the origins of its intriguing name. 

What is a Texas Scramble?

Texas Scramble is a team-based golf format usually played by groups of two, three, or four players. 

Rather than playing with individual scores, each team works together in a Texas Scramble to achieve the best possible score on each hole. All the players in a team tee off, and then the team chooses the single best shot. From there, everyone plays their next shot from that chosen location, and again, the best shot amongst them is chosen. This continues until the ball is holed, with the team recording only the single best shots as the team score for that hole.

A Texas Scramble is a format that allows for a strategic and collaborative experience. It takes the pressure off individual players, which is why it’s popular for occasions like friendly competitions, amateur events, and charity days.

How to play a Texas Scramble

One of the best aspects of a Texas Scramble is that it’s easy to play. All you need to do is:

• Form teams: Texas Scramble teams are usually made up of four players, but there’s no reason you can’t play with two or three, or even more than four, as long as everyone involved agrees.
• Tee off: On each hole, every team member will hit their drives.
• Choose the best shot: The team then selects the best-positioned ball after everyone has taken their initial drive.
• Play from the chosen position: All the team members place their ball within one club’s length (but no nearer to the hole) of the selected shot and then take turns to play their next stroke.
• Repeat until the ball is holed: You continue selecting the best shot and playing from a club’s length of that location, until the first team member sinks their ball.
• Record the score: If the team collectively took four strokes to complete the hole, you record your score as four, rather than counting each individual stroke (so not a score of 16 if you had a team of four players each taking four strokes).
• Move on to the next hole: Repeat the above process until you’ve finished your round.
• Total and compare your scores: Once your team has a total score for your round, you can compare against other teams to see who got the lowest total and is the winner.

What are the rules of a Texas Scramble?

The rules of Texas Scramble are pretty simple to master and are usually reasonably flexible, too. The most important ones to be aware of are:

• Drive contribution: Often, every member of a team is required to contribute a set number of tee shots during a round, commonly at least three or four per player.
• Best shot choice: When it comes to choosing the best shot each time, you can either take a quick vote as a team or pick one team member to be the captain and have them make the decision.
• Ball placement: When placing your ball after the team selects the best shot, you must stay within one club’s length of the chosen ball, but you can’t move closer to the hole. Your ball must remain in the same condition as the chosen one, such as in the rough, on the fairway, or in a bunker.
• Order of play: Once a ball is selected as the best shot, the order in which players play the next shot is up to the team. It can be a strategic choice, especially as you get closer to the green.
• Putting: On the green, all players usually putt from the same spot until the ball is holed.

As you can see, there’s scope for flexibility in the rules of a Texas Scramble. What’s most important, though, is that the precise version of each rule is agreed upon beforehand and clearly communicated to everyone involved, so that each team plays by the same set of Texas Scramble rules.

Why is it called a Texas Scramble?

The format was actually called “Captain’s Choice” originally, as the captain of the team was the one who most often chose the best shot.

Whilst there’s no agreed-upon explanation as to how and why this format got a name change to Texas Scramble, it’s generally thought that it became popular in Texas from the 1930s to the 1950s thanks to its casual, player-friendly nature. The word “scramble” reflects the non-traditional, more relaxed style of play. 

Though often shortened simply to just Scramble, the “Texas” in Texas Scramble helps differentiate it from other team formats, like Florida Scramble or Las Vegas Scramble, which each have their own variations and rules.

What are the origins of Texas Scramble?

Just as with its name, the exact origins of the Texas Scramble aren’t clear. We know it existed as “Captain’s Choice” from at least the early 1900s, but it became popular in Texas in the first half of the 20th century. It’s thought that it first became widely played thanks to the rise of amateur and corporate golf events, where organisers wanted a format that was inclusive, fast-paced, and suitable for players with varying skill levels.

Texas Scramble spread quickly across the US and internationally from the 1950s onwards, and today, it is a staple format for more relaxed golf competitions. Of course, there are a variety of other golf team formats that can be played, too, including the popular Foursomes and Greensomes.

What are the benefits of playing Texas Scramble?

Texas Scramble golf has various benefits, especially for team play and less competitive settings. 

• A focus on teamwork and camaraderie: Texas Scramble golf introduces a strong team element to play, with the final team score based on the group’s combined effort. 
• A fast pace of play: Because only the best shot is played each time, rounds are often quicker than individual stroke play, especially useful in large field events.
• It’s inclusive for all skill levels: New golfers can enjoy the game without the pressure of having individual scores and can rely on stronger players, especially during tougher shots.
• It rewards strategy and decision-making: Texas Scramble involves more than just good shots; it requires strategic thinking. Choosing which ball to play, who tees off when, and how to approach each hole becomes a team effort.
• It’s less punitive: Because the worst shots are usually ignored, the Texas Scramble golf format is more forgiving. This keeps frustration low and enjoyment high, particularly for more casual players.

The article below was written by Steve Carroll of National Club Golfer.

Eyes watering? Can’t stop sneezing? We all know the tell-tale signs of hayfever. But it can be a bind for those of us who love their golf and right now – late May, June and July are peak season for pollen sufferers.

It’s said 95% of hayfever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen but there are ways golfers can tackle their allergy symptoms and still enjoy their rounds without it affecting their performance.

Airborne allergens expert Max Wiseberg, who has created barrier balm HayMax, offers eight nuggets of wisdom for golfers this summer.

“Hay fever is a result of our immune system’s overreaction to innocuous allergens such as pollen,” he said. “The body’s reaction to pollen is to produce histamines. Normal amounts of histamines in your brain are good – they keep you alert, attentive and awake.

“But, when there are too many in your body, they produce the various symptoms common to hay fever sufferers including sneezing, a runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, watery eyes, streaming eyes, swollen eyes and an itchy nose and throat.”

How can golfers deal with hayfever this summer?

Playing the game definitely helps

Getting plenty of exercise can help reduce symptoms, so a round or two of golf will help with this one. You should try to do two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week.

Time your round to avoid peak pollen

You should avoid going out when the pollen count is highest, generally first thing in the morning and early evening, especially on dry, warm, sunny days.

Wear clean clothes

If you wash your golfing gear after each round, you will have clean, pollen free clothes each time. Make sure you dry it indoors rather than on an outdoor clothes line or dryer to prevent pollen particles being blown onto it by the wind.

Stop pollen getting in your hair

Tie up long hair and wear a cap whilst playing. A cap or other head cover will help stop pollen particles being caught in your hair.

Stop pollen getting in your eyes

Wear wraparound sunglasses during your round. Not only will this protect your eyes from the sun, but will help stop pollen particles getting in your eyes. And apply an allergen barrier balm around the sockets of your eyes to help trap pollen.

Stay well hydrated

Make sure you drink plenty of water while playing, as this will help symptoms; being dehydrated makes symptoms feel worse.

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables

This will help you stay healthy and support your immune system. Red onions, kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries and apples are good sources of quercetin, which is thought to limit the release of histamine, the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body.

Shower and change your clothes after your round

Take a shower after your round or when you get home to wash away allergens so that they can’t cause a reaction. If you change your clothes when you get back home, this will reduce the amount of pollen you bring back indoors.

The article below was written by Steve Carroll of National Club Golfer.

Play it as it lies – it’s all anyone seems to go on about. But there are times when that’s just not an option. Perhaps you’ve drilled your ball into a gorse bush. Maybe you’ve become entangled in some cactus.

Or let’s say your golf ball is the rose between quite a lot of thorns. Yes, there is nothing to stop you having a go at it and trusting your fate to luck or your skill at the game. Sometimes, though, we must admit defeat.

This is catered for in the Rules of Golf with the unplayable ball rule. It allows you to extricate yourself from a tricky situation – at a price of course.

So what is it? How can you use it out on the course, and what are the pitfalls for the unwary golfer? Let’s get stuck in…

Everything you need to know about the unplayable ball rule

What is the unplayable ball rule?

It’s Rule 19 in the Rules of Golf and gives you a trio of relief options, all of which come with a penalty stroke, to get out of a tough situation on the golf course. You aren’t allowed to use unplayable ball relief in a penalty area.

Only you can decide whether your ball is unplayable or not. It is entirely at the discretion of the player.

What are my options?

It depends on what part of the course in which you’ve found yourself in trouble. In the general area, which is everywhere except the teeing area, bunkers, penalty area or putting green, you can take stroke-and-distance relief, back-on-the-line relief or lateral relief.

Stroke-and-distance means playing from where your previous stroke was made. With back-on-the-line, you keep the “spot of the original ball between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped” and you can go back as far as you want. You then drop in a one-club relief area in any direction.

When taking lateral relief, you use the spot of the original ball and can drop in a two-club relief area. The rule says that “when the ball lies above the ground, such as in a tree, the reference point is the spot directly below the ball on the ground”.

In a bunker, the same three options apply. When taking back-on-the-line or lateral relief, the ball must be dropped in and must stay in the bunker. But there is another option, which allows you to take the ball out of the bunker altogether. It’s back-on-the-line relief once more, but this time it comes with a two-stroke penalty rather than just one.

What do I need to look out for?

There are three big things club golfers get wrong all the time with unplayable ball rule. The first is misunderstanding where the two club relief area, when taking lateral relief, starts. I’ve seen many players whose ball is in a big bush or wooded area just take their ball clear of that hazard and then measure out their club lengths.

This is very wrong. The two-club relief area starts at the spot of the ball. And if that two club lengths isn’t enough to clear the predicament – and the ball has been lifted – then you’ll be dropping back in the problem you thought you were trying to extricate yourself from.

As a clarification to the unplayable ball rule states, there is no guarantee a ball will be playable even after relief is taken.

If two clubs isn’t enough, you might have to take lateral relief again – at the cost of another penalty stroke. There is nothing to stop you taking lateral relief multiple times.

Each time a dropped ball comes to rest, “the player has a new situation” and you can take any option you wish under the unplayable ball rule.

The second concerns back-on-the-line relief. There was a small change to this rule in 2023 and it allows the ball to land in a one-club relief area in any direction. That means – and it only applies here – that the ball can bounce forward. As long as it stays in the relief area, it’s in play. Don’t pick it up thinking it’s closer to the hole and you have to drop again. You’ll inadvertently pick up another one-stroke penalty to the shot you’ve already added on for unplayable ball relief.

Finally, to use the back-on-the-line and lateral relief options in unplayable ball relief, you’ve got to know the ball is yours. That means you need to find it.

It’s no good hitting it into a bush and just saying ‘my ball is in there, I’ll take lateral relief’. Because the spot of the original ball is used for establishing a relief area, you must be able to find it and identify it.

This can become particularly challenging if your ball is in a tree. Some referees carry around binoculars, or players can use their rangefinders, to establish the identity of a ball that may be stuck in branches.