Equipment

The heart of the green


Simon Harrison

09 June 2025

When you head out for a round of golf, how often do you reach the green in 2?

a-golf-ball-on-a-green

Making a green-in-regulation is a great target to have on any given par-4 as you then have a pristine birdie putt opportunity. However, it’s often easier said than done.

How many times have you made a decent drive and found the fairway, only for you to send your ball into a greenside bunker or overhit the green on your second shot?

To make a birdie on a par-4 fundamentally revolves around finding the very central heart of the green on your approach shot, setting you up to sink an achievable birdie putt.

Take a moment now to think about your approach game, how many times during a round of golf do you make a green-in-regulation? Today we want to help you consider how many greens-in-regulation you make per round and offer a prime suggestion in how you can make more.

 

Average GIR made by handicap

If you're playing off a handicap of 20 and you make 5 GIR, you're really playing to a handicap of 15

golf.com

The data above demonstrates that 20-handicap golfers only make the green in 2 on around 20% of the holes they play. In an average 18-hole round of golf, that’s around 3 or 4 holes.

That being said, the data also clearly shows that the better the golfer is, the more greens-in-regulation you make. The more greens-in-regulation you make, the more often you have a scoring opportunity.

Making decent approach shots all comes down to how well you hit your golf irons.

 

Landing it on the green

a-white-arrow-pointing-to-a-red-heart-representing-the-heart-of-the-green

Following your tee shot, you may well have landed between 100-200 yards from the green, see where the flag is situated, and take it as the natural target to aim for.

But rather than hoping you stick your ball right by the hole, you should consider the contours of the green, how it’s sloping, and aim for the heart of the green.

For example, if you know a green slopes from back to front, you’ll ideally want to land your ball short of the flag to give yourself a nice uphill putt rather than a sharp downhill putt you’ll feel less control over.

Playing into the heart of the green is a failsafe strategy that more golfers should think about when measuring up their approach shots. Making GIR requires impeccable accuracy, and the latest irons from Callaway are packed full of forgiveness to give you greater confidence when sizing up approach shots.

 

Callaway's latest golf irons

High-handicap irons

callaway-elyte-hl-irons

If you’re a novice golfer and you’re thinking of adding a set of irons to your bag that will help you build up your consistency, the Elyte HL golf irons have a larger clubhead that inspires confidence when you’re standing over the ball. With more loft and an increased launch angle, the Elyte HL makes it very easy to pop the ball in the air, ideal for players looking to build up their confidence.

browse Elyte HL irons  >

Mid-handicap irons

A superb golf iron that most players will find a treat to play with, the standard Elyte iron has been shaped by Artificial Intelligence to offer the player a very stable performance. This iron has a cutting-edge sole design that makes cutting through turf feel buttery-smooth. If you’re a regular golfer that wants more distance and control in their game, you can’t go wrong with this iron.

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callaway-elyte-irons

Low-handicap irons

Perfect for skilled players that want to get the most out of their equipment, the Apex MB irons are forged from a single piece of carbon steel, resulting in an increasingly pleasing feel. A progressive CG within the head improves trajectory control, and the sole design promotes consistency above all else. A sleek pure blade with a modern design, this iron truly feels as good as it is to look at.

browse Apex MB irons  >

Whether you’re curious about the latest irons or you’d like to book some lessons with us to improve your game, we’re available and ready to help you in the pro shop.

Contact us today