How significant is the driving distance in golf?  It seems everyone is enamored with distance these days. TV announcers gush over 300- yard drives and the crowds anticipate crushing swings from the tee.  Distance is a factor in today’s game, but players with lesser clubhead speeds are still able to play at a reasonably high level.  Many golf pundits believe that driving distance does play a factor, but golf experts also emphasize driving accuracy.  The driving distance versus driving accuracy debate is one of the longest-running in the golf community. You cannot go to a single televised round without a commentator stating the critical importance of hitting fairways, while a lot of the new statistical research supports the idea of driving distance being of preeminent importance.  You can find information to support both viewpoints depending on what stats you are looking at, but in terms of producing lower scores distance is king.  The next few pages in this task will provide statistical information on both driving distance and driving accuracy.