A 390 yard par 4

A 390 yard par 4 costs the tour average 3.975 strokes from the tee, 0.03 under par. A 250 yard drive leaves 140 yards, from where the fairway table needs 2.910 strokes and the rough 3.150, so a par from the fairway is better than the average player manages.

What the hole costs

The published tee table prices a par 4 by its length alone: 3.975 strokes to hole out from 390 yards. The tour average beats par here by 0.03, which makes the hole a scoring chance. Everything below is how those strokes are spent.

The tee shot

The tee shot model prices a driver of 250 yards with a 22 yard side spread, a 3 wood and a long iron on this hole twice: once open, with nothing to fear inside 90 yards of the line, and once with water 32 yards from it. On the open version the driver prices lowest at 4.017 strokes; with the water in play the driver prices lowest at 4.138. The trouble is not close enough to change the club on this hole.

Three clubs off the tee on a 390 yard par 4

Three clubs off the tee on a 390 yard par 4
HoleClubFairways hitPenalty rateAverage approachExpected strokes
OpenDriver57%0%140 yards4.017
Open3 wood65%0%170 yards4.117
OpenLong iron69%0%200 yards4.264
Water 32 yards outDriver53%7%140 yards4.138
Water 32 yards out3 wood57%4%170 yards4.200
Water 32 yards outLong iron61%3%200 yards4.316

Expected strokes counts the tee shot and the hole from where it finishes, with a penalty priced as the stroke plus a replay.

The approach it leaves

Each club off the tee leaves a different approach, and the published fairway and rough tables price the difference. A driver leaves a short iron or wedge, which is where pars are made. From the driver’s leave the average player is expected to need more than two, so a par is a gain.

The approach left on a 390 yard par 4

The approach left on a 390 yard par 4
Tee clubTee shotApproachFrom the fairwayFrom the rough
Driver250 yards140 yards2.9103.150
3 wood220 yards170 yards3.0303.270
Long iron190 yards200 yards3.1903.420

By handicap

The benchmark model adds a fixed per shot gap to the tour figure for each handicap, labeled Modeled. On a 390 yard par 4 the tour average is 3.975 from the tee; a 20 handicap starts at about 4.950. The whole hole gap is larger than the tee figure shows, because every later shot carries its own gap too.

Expected strokes from the tee, by benchmark

Expected strokes from the tee, by benchmark
BenchmarkExpected strokes
Tour3.975
Scratch4.021
10 handicap4.486
20 handicap4.950

In PinFlag

On a 390 yard par 4 PinFlag prices the tee shot before you hit it: put the aim on the fairway, the corner or the lay up and read the strokes gained of each with your own driver dispersion drawn on the hole by Shot Cloud, hazards priced with the penalty included. The approach is priced the same way from the leave, with the lie read from the course map, and Insights files both by distance band afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average score on a 390 yard par 4?
The tour average needs 3.975 strokes from the tee on the published table, 0.03 under par; a 20 handicap starts at about 4.950 on the benchmark model before the gaps on the later shots are added.
Should I hit driver on a 390 yard par 4?
On the open version of the hole the tee shot model prices the driver lowest; with water 32 yards from the line the shorter club takes the penalty out of play and usually wins. The table on this page prices all three on both versions.
What does a 250 yard drive leave on a 390 yard par 4?
140 yards, from where the tour average needs 2.910 strokes from the fairway and 3.150 from the rough.
How many strokes does a 20 handicap need on a 390 yard par 4?
About 4.950 from the tee on the benchmark model against the tour’s 3.975, before the gaps on the approach and the putts are added; the benchmark lenses in PinFlag reprice every shot on that scale.
Which golf app does this on the course?
PinFlag, on iPhone. It prices any target on the hole you are playing before you swing, with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, draws your real shots on the hole with Shot Cloud, logs a shot in two taps with nothing to buy, and breaks every round down shot by shot. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.

Related

Sources

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 tee figure is the published tour table for a hole of this length; the tee shot rows come from the site’s dispersion model with a stated driver distance and spread on two versions of the hole.

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.