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2025 Arccos Driving Distance Report:
What the Numbers Say

Each year, Arccos (DATALOU15 saves 15%) publishes the most comprehensive distance report in amateur golf. This is not driving range data. It is not speculation. It is on-course performance tracked shot by shot.

The Arccos 2025 Driving Distance Report is now available, and it delivers a clear, detailed look at how far amateur golfers are hitting the ball off the tee, and how that varies by age, gender, and handicap.

Before we get into the findings, here is how the data was collected. The report is based on a random sample of 25,000 golfers, each with a minimum of 100 driver tee shots taken during verified rounds. In total, the sample includes 6,576,228 on-course driver tee shots hit on par 4s and par 5s. Shots with other clubs were excluded, and par 3s were omitted. Driving distance reflects total yardage (carry plus rollout).

Here is what the numbers tell us.

Distance Trends: Steady, Not Explosive

Despite frequent discussions about distance gains, the average driving distance is essentially flat for the seven years Arccos has been publishing this report.

In 2018, male players averaged 224.0 yards off the tee. In 2024, that number was 224.7. For female players, the average dropped slightly from 179.2 to 176.2 yards.

Distance Declines With Age

The relationship between age and driving distance is consistent and measurable.

A male player in their twenties with a 0 to 4.9 handicap averages 265.7 yards off the tee. By their seventies, that same profile drops to 211.5 yards. That is a 54-yard difference. Female players show a similar pattern, with low-handicap players in their twenties averaging 245.7 yards compared to 183.6 yards in their sixties.

The trend is clear across all skill levels.

Accuracy Appears to Improve With Age, But There’s More to It

At first glance, older players look more accurate. But that accuracy comes with a qualifier.

As players get older, their fairway percentage increases. In their twenties, low handicap male players average 42.9 percent fairways hit. By their seventies, that number rises to 60 percent.

This is not necessarily due to improved driving technique. It is primarily a result of hitting the ball shorter. Shorter shots produce smaller dispersions, which leads to more fairways. The gain in accuracy is more about physics than precision.

A Clear Tradeoff: Distance Goes Down, Accuracy Goes Up

This visual shows how average driving distance and fairway percentage move in opposite directions as players age.

As speed and distance decline, fairway percentages rise. That is expected. It does not suggest older players are “more accurate”. Shorter hitters naturally produce tighter patterns.

Where Scores Are Lost: Wayward Drives

This table shows how often players are hitting driver into a penalty or recovery situation.

The lower the handicap, the more likely they are to keep the ball in play.

Players with a 0 to 4.9 handicap hit only 12 percent of drives into recovery or penalty situations. Players with a 30+ handicap hit 45.1 percent of their drives into those same situations. Nearly one out of every two tee shots leads to a problem!

This is where scorecards go to die... Not in the rough, but in re-teeing, punching out, or taking drops.

Key Takeaways

• Distance continues to be important. Always has been. Always will be.

• Shorter hitters often appear more accurate, but that is due to physics, not better technique.

• Instead of focusing solely on fairways hit, focus on keeping the ball in play.

• The biggest opportunity for improvement is reducing penalty and recovery situations.

Download the Full Report

The full 32-page 2025 Edition of the Arccos Annual Driving Distance Report, including data visualizations and analysis by age, gender, and handicap, is available free here.

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