The 105 yard shot
From 105 yards in the fairway the tour average needs 2.813 strokes to hole out, 3.035 from the rough and 3.225 from the sand. An approach from the fairway that finishes 15 feet from the hole is worth +0.03 against the tour average, one that finishes 40 feet away -0.25; anything inside 16 feet beats the average from there.
From every lie
The same yardage is a different shot from each lie, and the published tables price the difference: the rough costs 0.22 of a stroke more than the fairway at 105 yards and the sand 0.41 more. The benchmark columns add the per shot gap the benchmark model gives each handicap, labeled Modeled, so a 20 handicap can read the shot on their own scale.
Expected strokes to hole out from 105 yards
| Lie | Tour | Scratch | 10 handicap | 20 handicap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairway | 2.813 | 2.859 | 3.323 | 3.788 |
| Rough | 3.035 | 3.081 | 3.546 | 4.010 |
| Sand | 3.225 | 3.271 | 3.736 | 4.200 |
| Recovery lie | 3.795 | 3.841 | 4.306 | 4.770 |
What each finish is worth
The value of the approach is the expected strokes where it started minus the expected putts where it finished, minus one for the shot. From 105 yards the fairway start is 2.813, so the finish decides everything: inside 16 feet the shot gained on the tour average, outside it the shot cost. From the rough the break even is 36 feet, because the shot beat a harder average.
An approach from 105 yards, by finish
| Finish | Expected putts | From the fairway | From the rough | One putt rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 feet | 1.357 | +0.46 | +0.68 | 64% |
| 10 feet | 1.626 | +0.19 | +0.41 | 37% |
| 15 feet | 1.784 | +0.03 | +0.25 | 22% |
| 20 feet | 1.878 | -0.07 | +0.16 | 12% |
| 30 feet | 1.984 | -0.17 | +0.05 | 2% |
| 40 feet | 2.058 | -0.25 | -0.02 | 0% |
Pin or middle
On a typical 105 yard dispersion (6 yards side to side and 5 yards long and short, one standard deviation) to a green 30 yards across with rough around it, aiming at a flag 8 yards from the middle costs -0.039 strokes against aiming at the middle and 14% of greens hit. With the flag 12 yards from the middle the pin costs 0.022. The middle leaves an average of 30 feet to the hole against 21 feet at the flag; the pin is closer when it is hit and expensive when it is missed.
Which club it takes
On the handicap model, the shortest club whose carry reaches 105 yards: a 10 handicap takes a pitching wedge that carries 114 yards. The club matters less than the carry number behind it; a launch monitor session replaces the model with yours.
The club that carries 105 yards
| Handicap | Club | Model carry |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch | Gap wedge | 115 yards |
| 10 handicap | Pitching wedge | 114 yards |
| 20 handicap | 9 iron | 110 yards |
Ten yards either way
Ten yards closer, at 95, is worth 0.03 of a stroke on the fairway table; ten yards further, at 115, costs 0.03. The table is nearly flat here, so a comfortable full swing beats squeezing ten yards closer.
In PinFlag
On the course PinFlag prices this shot before you hit it: put the aim on the flag and read the strokes gained with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, then move it to the middle and read that. Shot Cloud draws your real shots with the club around each target, so the share of your spread that finds the bunker is your own pattern, and the plays like distance tells you what the club has to cover.
Afterwards Insights files the shot in the 100 to 125 yard band with its proximity in feet, so the range that costs you shows up as a number rather than a feeling.
Frequently asked questions
How many strokes does a 105 yard shot take?
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Should I aim at the pin from 105 yards?
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Related
Sources
- PGA TOUR statistics
- Mark Broadie, Columbia Business School (Wikidata entity)
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: The lie values are the published tour baseline at 105 yards; the pin figures use the site’s dispersion model with a stated spread and green, and the club column is the handicap speed model.
Get PinFlag for iPhone
PinFlag shows you this number on the course, for the shot in front of you, before you swing: any target priced with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, your real shots drawn on the hole, and two taps to log. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.