Proximity to the hole
Proximity to the hole is the distance an approach finishes from the flag, and it is the stat that greens in regulation hides: from 150 yards in the fairway an approach to 10 feet is worth +0.32 against the tour average and one to 40 feet -0.11, a 0.43 stroke difference between two greens hit.
What each leave is worth
Every foot of proximity has a price, because the tour table gives an expected number of putts from every distance. The value of an approach is the expected strokes where it started minus the expected putts where it finished, minus one. From 150 yards in the fairway the start is 2.945; the table prices the finish.
An approach from 150 yards by proximity
| Finish | Expected putts | Approach worth | One putt rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 feet | 1.053 | +0.892 | 95% |
| 6 feet | 1.357 | +0.588 | 64% |
| 10 feet | 1.626 | +0.319 | 37% |
| 15 feet | 1.784 | +0.161 | 22% |
| 20 feet | 1.878 | +0.067 | 12% |
| 25 feet | 1.931 | +0.014 | 7% |
| 30 feet | 1.984 | -0.039 | 2% |
| 40 feet | 2.058 | -0.113 | 0% |
| 50 feet | 2.135 | -0.190 | 0% |
| 60 feet | 2.211 | -0.266 | 0% |
One putt rate is the share of putts holed from that distance implied by the tour table.
Proximity by distance band
Proximity means nothing without the distance it came from: 30 feet is a fine result from 200 yards and a poor one from 90. The bands below are how the stat is grouped so the comparison is fair, with the tour’s expected strokes from the middle of each band.
Expected strokes from the fairway by band
| Band | Expected strokes to hole out |
|---|---|
| Inside 100 yards | 2.775 |
| 100 to 125 | 2.830 |
| 125 to 150 | 2.901 |
| 150 to 175 | 2.990 |
| 175 to 200 | 3.119 |
| 200 plus | 3.288 |
What moves the number
Cutting median proximity from 40 feet to 25 is worth 0.13 of a stroke per approach on the table, and from 25 to 15 another 0.15. Over ten full approaches a round that is the whole difference between two handicap bands, which is why proximity by band and club is the stat a practice plan should be built on.
In PinFlag
PinFlag measures proximity in feet from the finish you placed on the green to the pin you placed, by distance band and by club: best, median, the share inside 15 and 30 feet, the 68 and 95 percent dispersion circles, and lateral and long-short offsets against the line to the hole. The same positions drive the strokes gained for the shot, so the two always agree.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good proximity to the hole?
How much is 10 feet closer worth?
How is proximity measured?
Why is proximity better than greens in regulation?
Which golf app does this on the course?
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: Approach values are the published tour baseline for a 150 yard fairway start; band midpoints are used for the by band table.
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