Strokes Gained Putting Calculator

How to Use This Putting Calculator

Step 1: Gather Your Data

For each hole, you'll need two pieces of information:

• First putt distance: How far (in feet) was your first putt on each green?
• Total putts: How many putts did you take to hole out?

If you didn't hit the green in regulation, estimate the distance of your first putt after chipping on. If you chipped in, enter the chip distance and 0 putts.

Step 2: Enter Your Data

Fill in each hole where you have data. You don't need to complete all 18 holes—the calculator will work with whatever you enter.

Step 3: Interpret Your Results

For each hole, the calculator shows:

• Expected Putts: PGA Tour average putts from that distance
• Strokes Gained: Expected minus actual putts taken

What the Numbers Mean

Positive Strokes Gained Putting

A positive total means you putted better than a PGA Tour player would have from those same distances. For example, if you had +2.0 strokes gained putting, your putting alone saved you 2 shots compared to tour average.

Negative Strokes Gained Putting

A negative total means you lost strokes with your putter. This is common for amateur golfers—but understanding why matters:

• Long first putts: If your approach shots leave you 30+ feet consistently, even good putting will show negative strokes gained
• Three-putts: The strokes gained formula heavily penalizes three-putts from makeable distances
• Missed short putts: Missing inside 5 feet is extremely costly in strokes gained terms

PGA Tour Putting Benchmarks

Here are the expected putts from various distances on the PGA Tour:

Notice how expected putts barely changes from 20 to 40 feet—the real skill in putting shows inside 15 feet where make percentages vary dramatically.