Golf ScoutWhat is the average driver distance by age?
Driver distance falls with age, and faster for women than for men. The USGA's 2023 study of 627 golfers doesn't publish an average for each age, but it does give the carry of the shortest-hitting 10% in each group: for men that's 184 yards at 30 to 44, 150 at 45 to 59, 130 at 60 to 74 and 111 over 74. Across all ages, the average man in the study hit his driver 226 yards and the average woman 144.
Driver carry by age: the USGA figures
In 2021 to 2023 the USGA measured 627 recreational golfers on Trackman launch monitors, at public and private clubs. Each hit seven balls with a driver, a 7 iron and a pitching wedge. Most of them were aged 45 to 74.
The study's only figures by age are below. Read them carefully: they are the 10th percentile carry, the distance that 90% of golfers of that age carry the ball beyond. The USGA presents them as the "maximum forced carry" for each age group: the longest carry, over water or rough, that a tee shot should demand. They're a floor, not an average. A typical golfer of each age carries the ball further than this.
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | 182 | 94 |
| 30 to 44 | 184 | 99 |
| 45 to 59 | 150 | 74 |
| 60 to 74 | 130 | 62 |
| Over 74 | 111 | 53 |
Driver carry in yards reached by 90% of golfers in each age group (the 10th percentile). Source: USGA, 2023.
How much distance do you lose with age?
The figures hold steady from the twenties to the early forties, then drop at each step:
- Men: 184 yards at 30 to 44, down to 111 over 74, a fall of 73 yards or 40%.
- Women: 99 yards at 30 to 44, down to 53 over 74, a fall of 46%.
The USGA's own conclusion is that distance generally decreases as golfers age, and that ageing affects female golfers more than male golfers.
The averages the study does give
For all ages together, the study found the average man hits his driver 226 yards and the average woman 144 yards. These are median total distances, carry plus roll. By Handicap Index, it gives:
| Handicap Index | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 235 | 177 |
| 20 | 205 | 154 |
| 30 | 175 | 131 |
Typical driver distance in yards, total. Source: USGA, 2023.
So a 60-year-old 10-handicapper is better compared with other 10-handicappers than with other 60-year-olds. For more on what a driver should go, see how far you should hit a driver.
Speed matters more than age
Age works on distance through swing speed. In the USGA study, club speed explained 92% of the difference in driver distance between golfers, and each extra mile per hour was worth about 2.84 yards. Lose 5 mph of club speed over a decade and you'd expect to lose about 14 yards off the tee.
That's why the most useful number at any age is your own club speed. Enter it in the swing speed calculator to see what a well-struck drive at that speed carries.
Tour players get older too
The professional tours show the same effect at the top level. In 2025 the PGA Tour averaged 302.8 yards on its measured driving holes, while PGA Tour Champions, which players join when they turn 50, averaged 282.7 yards: about 20 yards less. The LPGA Tour averaged 259.8 yards. These are totals including roll, on holes chosen for driving.
Keeping your distance as you get older
A common approach is to measure rather than guess: find your driver speed on a launch monitor every season or so, and update the distances you play to. Another is to replace long irons with hybrids and fairway woods, which many golfers find easier to get airborne at lower speeds. The club distances for seniors guide covers the rest of the bag.
Work out your driver distance from swing speed
Related guides
- How far should you hit a 3 wood, 5 wood or hybrid?
- How far should you hit a driver?
- How far should you hit a pitching wedge?
Sources
Golf Scout keeps how far you hit each club from the shots you mark, and Golf Scout Pro shows your distance trend for every club, so you can see your own numbers change over the seasons. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.