How many putts does the average golfer make? New data shows you need more time on the practice green…AND the range | Golf News and Tour Information [Video]

Putting has become somewhat of a hot-button topic between golf’s statisticians and old guard. The latter claims the short game is paramount; there’s a reason “Drive for show, putt for dough” is such a popular adage. On the other side of the spectrum, analytics — specifically, strokes gained — have made the case that using the flat stick isn’t as imperative to scoring as approach shots.

Like most debates, it’s a nuanced conversation. But that argument has mostly focused on the professional ranks. Does that dialogue change when it comes to amateurs?

We asked our friends at Game Golf for help. Game Golf Live, a wearable real-time shot-tracking system that received Golf Digest’s Editors’ Choice for Best Game Analyzer, provided putting data from their user base. We broke it down in two questions. The first: How many putts does the average golfer take per round? The answer: 34 strokes. For context, Phil Mickelson leads the tour with 27.21 putts per …