Short Game Skills

Short Game Performance Test and Evaluation

The following tables are used by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) as a tool to help coaches and their players assess their short game skills. The short game skill test comprises six separate skills:

Bunker shot
Wedge shot
Chip shot
Pitch shot
Lag putting
Short putting

Each skill is tested and measured by a scoring system. Each skill is based on at least 10 shots and a point system is applied to measure progress. Players can repeat the test over time to evaluate their short game strengths and weaknesses, measure their progress and adjust their practice plan to improve on any weaknesses.

The RCGA borrowed the testing tool from its developer, Charlie King, who was Director of Instruction, PGA National Academy of Golf, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. King is founder and CEO of Uncommon Golf, from which the test gets its name, Uncommon Golf Short Game Skills Test Evaluation. For more on Charlie King visit his site.

Short Game Skills Test Tables

The Test Tables and Handicap Sheet are available for free download in case you're interested in testing your own skills. The tables are in a PDF file format at the Download page on this website. Good luck with your practice!

Bunker Shot	10 Shots	Wedge Shot	10 Shots	Chip Shot	10 Shots
(Any Lie)		(2 shots from 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 yds)		(From fringe: 5 shots from 40ft; 5 from 50ft)
		(From where the ball lands)
Shot	Points	Shot	Points	Shot	Points
Holed	3	Hit Target	3	Holed	3
0 - 5 ft	2	0 - 10 ft	2	0 - 3 ft	2
5 - 10 ft	1	10 - 20 ft	1	3 - 6 ft	1
10 - 15 ft	0	20 - 30 ft	0	6 - 9 ft	0
Over 15 ft	-1	Over 30 ft	-1	Over 9 ft	-1

Bunker Shot Score		Wedge Score		Chip Shot Score

Pitch Shot	10 Shots	Lag Putting	10 Putts	Short Putting	20 Putts
(15yds from edge of green; 10-15yds to hole)		(2 putts from 20, 30, 40, 50, 60ft)		(Left to right: 2 putts from 3, 6, 9, 12, 15ft)
				(Right to left: 2 putts from 3, 6, 9, 12, 15ft)
Shot	Points	Putt	Points	Putt	Points
Hit Target	3	Holed	3	Holed	2
0 - 5 ft	2	0 - 3 ft	2	Missed	0
5 - 10 ft	1	3 - 6 ft	1
10 - 15 ft	0	6 - 9 ft	0
Over 15 ft	-1	Over 9 ft	-1

Pitch Score		Lag Putting Score		Short Putting Score

Short Game Score-to-Handicap Matching Table

Total scores for each skill test are matched with their respective handicap level in the following table. For example in the Bunker test, if 10 shots left you with a score of 5 (not so many shots within 5-10 feet of the hole) you would earn a handicap of 11 . Better yet, after taking the test ten times and averaging your scores, you would have a better overall sense of your skill level and accomplishment relative to a more standardized test of your bunker play prowess. Taking the total score for all skills, your overall short game handicap can be measured also. A score in the range of 70 to 74 would give you a single-digit short game handicap of 9. A score of 107 would make you a scratch golfer (shown by the ## symbols in the table).

Bunker	Wedge	Pitch	Lag Putt	Chipping	Short Putt	Overall Hdcp
20 = +5	20 = +5	22 = +5	24 = +5	22 = +5	26 = +5	107 = ##
18 = +3	18 = +3	20 = +3	22 = +3	20 = +3	24 = +3	106 = 0
16 = 0	16 = 0	18 = 0	20 = 0	18 = 0	20 = 0	95-99 = 0
15 = 1	15 = 1	17 = 1	18 = 2	17 = 2	18 = 3	90-94 = 3
14 = 2	14 = 3	16 = 2	17 = 4	16 = 4	16 = 6	85-89 = 4
13 = 3	13 = 4	15 = 4	16 = 6	15 = 6	14 = 9	80-84 = 5
12 = 4	12 = 5	14 = 5	15 = 8	14 = 8	12 = 12	75-79 = 7
11 = 5	13 = 4	13 = 7	14 = 10	13 = 10	10 = 15	70-74 = 9
10 = 6	12 = 5	12 = 8	13 = 12	12 = 12	8 = 18	65-69 = 11
9 = 7	11 = 7	11 = 10	12 = 14	11 = 14	6 = 21	60-64 = 13
8 = 8	10 = 9	10 = 11	11 = 16	10 = 16	4 = 24	55-59 = 15
7 = 9	9 = 10	9 = 13	10 = 18	9 = 18	2 = 27	50-54 = 18
6 = 10	8 = 12	8 = 14	9 = 20	8 = 20	0 = 30	45-49 = 20
5 = 11	7 = 14	7 = 16	8 = 22	7 = 22		40-44 = 23
4 = 12	6 = 16	6 = 18	7 = 24	6 = 24		35-39 = 26
3 = 14	5 = 18	5 = 20	6 = 26	5 = 26		30-34 = 28
2 = 16	4 = 20	4 = 22	5 = 28	4 = 28		25-29 = 30
1 = 18	3 = 22	3 = 24	4 = 30	3 = 30		20-24 = 33
0 = 20	2 = 24	2 = 26	3 = 32	2 = 32		15-19 = 36
-1 = 22	1 = 28	1 = 28	2 = 34	1 = 34		10-14 = 39
-2 = 24	0 = 28	0 = 30	1 = 36
-3 = 26	-1 = 30	-1 = 32
-4 = 30	-2 = 32	-2 = 34
-5 = 32	-3 = 34	-3 = 36
-6 = 34	-4 = 36
-7 = 36

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