Yeah, I think GIR can be a useful stat that starts to hide some information if you rely on it too much…
Golf data is somewhat of a weird beast… if I had data that showed I was the best bunker player in the world, it wouldn’t mean I should aim for bunkers, it would just mean I take less of a penalty if I hit into one (and thus they shouldn’t be avoided with my dispersion)
It’s awesome that you are tracking all these numbers, though, and I hope it helps you improve your game… I’m starting to think about what numbers I can and want to track as I get back into playing… I have the S62 which has some decent data collection… I could probably just track putts and distances and roll out a decent data program… Definitely something to think about!
As for the play vs practice balance… let me know if you figure it out! I never feel like I have it right, and if I start playing a ton, I have a harder time focusing myself mentally over every shot… those quick “oh, the first tee is open” rounds are fun but not particularly helpful in developing myself as a golfer. Though, that’s OK too!