By the TC Golf Center Editorial Team · Updated
A 15-handicap male golfer hits a 7-iron about 154 yards (141 meters) and a driver about 236 yards (216 meters), according to Shot Scope data. A PGA Tour player carries a 7-iron 176 yards (161 meters). The charts below cover every club in yards and meters for men and women by handicap, beginners, tour professionals, and seniors.
Two kinds of numbers appear here. Shot-tracking data from Shot Scope and Arccos records where each shot finished on the course, so it includes roll. Launch monitor data from TrackMan measures carry, the distance the ball flies in the air. Carry is the better number for choosing a club over water or a bunker.
Men's Golf Club Distance Chart (Yards)
Average distance for every club by handicap, from Shot Scope data on amateur golfers.
| Club | Scratch | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 285 | 261 | 259 | 236 | 225 | 204 |
| 3-wood | 261 | 234 | 227 | 215 | 195 | 178 |
| Hybrid | 237 | 216 | 214 | 197 | 180 | 162 |
| 4-iron | 223 | 201 | 199 | 186 | 169 | 151 |
| 5-iron | 200 | 183 | 187 | 169 | 162 | 143 |
| 6-iron | 185 | 172 | 171 | 162 | 151 | 137 |
| 7-iron | 178 | 164 | 161 | 154 | 146 | 132 |
| 8-iron | 166 | 153 | 150 | 146 | 138 | 122 |
| 9-iron | 155 | 139 | 140 | 136 | 129 | 108 |
| Pitching wedge | 141 | 126 | 127 | 121 | 108 | 90 |
| Gap wedge | 126 | 109 | 110 | 104 | 94 | 79 |
| Sand wedge | 105 | 86 | 98 | 84 | 85 | 80 |
| Lob wedge | 86 | 71 | 79 | 75 | 78 | 49 |
The gap between mid handicaps is smaller than most golfers expect. A 10 handicapper and a 15 handicapper are only 7 yards apart with a 7-iron. Lower scores come more from consistent contact and fewer penalty shots than from distance.
Men's Golf Club Distance Chart (Meters)
The same Shot Scope averages converted to meters.
| Club | Scratch | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 261 | 239 | 237 | 216 | 206 | 187 |
| 3-wood | 239 | 214 | 208 | 197 | 178 | 163 |
| Hybrid | 217 | 198 | 196 | 180 | 165 | 148 |
| 4-iron | 204 | 184 | 182 | 170 | 155 | 138 |
| 5-iron | 183 | 167 | 171 | 155 | 148 | 131 |
| 6-iron | 169 | 157 | 156 | 148 | 138 | 125 |
| 7-iron | 163 | 150 | 147 | 141 | 134 | 121 |
| 8-iron | 152 | 140 | 137 | 134 | 126 | 112 |
| 9-iron | 142 | 127 | 128 | 124 | 118 | 99 |
| Pitching wedge | 129 | 115 | 116 | 111 | 99 | 82 |
| Gap wedge | 115 | 100 | 101 | 95 | 86 | 72 |
| Sand wedge | 96 | 79 | 90 | 77 | 78 | 73 |
| Lob wedge | 79 | 65 | 72 | 69 | 71 | 45 |
Women's Golf Distance Chart
Average driver, 3-wood, and 7-iron distance for female amateur golfers by handicap, from Shot Scope data. For the rest of the bag, the LPGA Tour chart below shows how distance steps down from club to club. For driver recommendations, see our guide to the best drivers for women.
| Handicap | Driver | 3-wood | 7-iron |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch or better | 252 (230) | 232 (212) | 160 (146) |
| 1-5 | 235 (215) | 224 (205) | 152 (139) |
| 6-10 | 226 (207) | 212 (194) | 154 (141) |
| 11-15 | 199 (182) | 183 (167) | 141 (129) |
| 16-20 | 188 (172) | 173 (158) | 133 (122) |
| 21-25 | 178 (163) | 166 (152) | 125 (114) |
| 26+ | 166 (152) | 155 (142) | 122 (112) |
Golf Club Distance Chart for Beginners
A new golfer usually plays to a handicap of 25 or higher. These are Shot Scope averages for 25-handicap men. Women at a 26+ handicap average 166 yards (152 meters) with a driver and 122 yards (112 meters) with a 7-iron.
| Club | Yards | Meters |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 204 | 187 |
| 3-wood | 178 | 163 |
| Hybrid | 162 | 148 |
| 4-iron | 151 | 138 |
| 5-iron | 143 | 131 |
| 6-iron | 137 | 125 |
| 7-iron | 132 | 121 |
| 8-iron | 122 | 112 |
| 9-iron | 108 | 99 |
| Pitching wedge | 90 | 82 |
| Gap wedge | 79 | 72 |
| Sand wedge | 80 | 73 |
| Lob wedge | 49 | 45 |
Beginners tend to have small gaps between clubs because off-center strikes cost more distance with longer clubs. If your 5-iron and 7-iron go the same distance, a hybrid will usually help more than a long iron. Our comparison of hybrids vs long irons explains why.
PGA Tour and LPGA Tour Distance Chart
Average carry distance for every club on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, from TrackMan's 2023 tour averages. The LPGA data does not include a 3-iron.
| Club | PGA Tour | LPGA Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 282 (258) | 223 (204) |
| 3-wood | 249 (228) | 200 (183) |
| 5-wood | 236 (216) | 189 (173) |
| Hybrid | 231 (211) | 178 (163) |
| 3-iron | 218 (199) | — |
| 4-iron | 209 (192) | 175 (160) |
| 5-iron | 199 (182) | 166 (152) |
| 6-iron | 188 (172) | 155 (142) |
| 7-iron | 176 (161) | 143 (131) |
| 8-iron | 164 (150) | 133 (122) |
| 9-iron | 152 (139) | 123 (112) |
| Pitching wedge | 142 (130) | 111 (101) |
Tour players swing the driver at about 115 mph (men) and 96 mph (women). The average male amateur swings it at about 93 mph, according to TrackMan. Amateur data from Shot Scope does not separate the 5-wood, but a 5-wood usually lands between your 3-wood and hybrid distances. Our 3 hybrid vs 5 wood guide compares the two by swing speed.
Senior Golf Distance Chart by Age
Distance drops steadily with age. Arccos data on golfers with a handicap near the U.S. average of 14 shows how driving distance falls each decade.
| Age | Yards | Meters |
|---|---|---|
| 20s | 237 | 217 |
| 30s | 234 | 214 |
| 40s | 225 | 206 |
| 50s | 216 | 198 |
| 60s | 205 | 187 |
| 70s | 194 | 177 |
Irons follow the same pattern. An earlier Arccos study found that golfers lose about 4 yards of 7-iron distance every 10 years after age 30, from 164 yards (150 meters) in their 20s to 140 yards (128 meters) at 60 and older. Seniors can win back some of that distance with lighter shafts and more forgiving clubs. See our picks for the best golf clubs for seniors.
Wedge Distances
Wedge distances depend more on loft and swing length than on handicap. A full sand wedge travels about 84-105 yards for most men in the chart above. For partial swings and loft-by-loft yardages, see our wedge lofts and distances guide.
These charts are averages. Swing speed, strike quality, ball, weather, and altitude all change your numbers. Use them as a starting point, then track your own distances on the range or with a launch monitor. For more on driving, see how far the average golfer drives the ball.