Are you wondering how good you are at golf? And what is a good golf score? Then you are on the right page. A good golf score determines by a golfer’s skills and sportsmanship. At the start of my journey, I was afraid of whether I was doing good in golf. Later on, I understood that my ability could be determined by points or numeral values which we called a handicap system.
An average score for players is 90 strokes playing for 18 holes on 72 par course. While 120 strokes or greater can be considered a bad score. For beginners who have just started playing the game, 110 strokes are considered a good score by various golf communities. It means that a certain player should put the ball in the hole with the lowest strokes to earn points.
TERMINOLOGIES RELATED TO GOLF
HOLE-IN-ONE
It means that it took only a single stroke to get the ball in the hole. It is also known as ACE.
PAR
It refers to putting the ball in the hole in expected strokes. It is also considered a neutral shot.
ABOVE-PAR
There are the following categories of the Above Par Such as,
- BOGEY: Putting the ball in the hole by 1 hit more than the predetermined strikes.
- DOUBLE BOGEY: Getting point by 2 more strokes than the predetermined strokes. It is also known as BUZZARD.
- TRIPLE BOGEY: Scoring 3 shots above par. It is also known as GROUSE.
- QUADRUPLE BOGEY: Getting point by hitting 4 above Par. It is called a TURKEY.
- QUINTUPLE: Scoring plus 5 above neutral shot.
UNDER-PAR
There are the following categories of the Under Par Such as,
- BIRDIE: Earning points by putting 1 shot below par.
- EAGLE: Scoring by hitting 2 strokes below the expected hits.
- ALBATROSS: Earning points by hitting 3 strokes less than the expected hits.
ABILITY DETERMINER SYSYTEM
Basically handicap system is referred to as an ability determiner system. It tells the player’s ability and stamina to compete with other players. The handicap system provides a convenient method to understand the ability of a player. Based on this system players can be categorized into the following types:
High handicapper
Firstly, this category of handicap includes beginners or amateur golfers. These players play above 19 up to 54. Almost 54 percent of males and 81 percent of females lie in this range.
Mid handicappers
Secondly, Mid-handicappers are average players. Almost 45 percent of golfers lie in this range. These handicappers who play on 72-course tend to score in the low 80s to early 90s means they play between 8 to 19.
Low handicappers
Thirdly, this category includes professional players. These are the handicap that plays lower than 9. They score between the high 70s and the low 80s. They steadily break the 80s and move to a single digit.
Handicap system provides us with a range for men and women both. According to USGA, the maximum index is 54.0 irrespective of gender. This system also works in our favor. This means higher handicappers will earn more points during the Stableford scoring system than lower handicappers. I know that this system is complex, but once it’s understood, it is really easy to judge a player’s ability.
For example, If you are 15 handicapped playing against 6 handicapped par the stroke 14 you will receive 3 points but your competitor will receive only 2 points. It means that high handicappers get an opportunity through this system.
As already mentioned it tells about a player’s ability. If the 6 handicapper strokes 87 par 72 courses then it’s a bad score for him. But if a 15 handicapper shoots 87 par 72 courses, then it’s a golden day for him. It is a great thing.
What is a good golf score?
A good score is determined by a player’s ability and skill. It depends upon the capability of a player to score. It differs from player to player. For a professional player, 72 strokes are considered a good score for 18 holes on a par of course 72. But if at this stage there are beginners then 108 strokes are good scores.
| Breaking 70 | STROKES | RANGE |
|---|---|---|
| PROFESSIONAL GOLF SCORE |
70 TO 75 |
1-2 |
| 76 TO 80 | 3-5 | |
| AVERAGE GOLF SCORE | 81 TO 85 | 6-9 |
| 86 TO 90 | 10-13 | |
| 91 TO 95 | 14-19 | |
| 96 TO 100 | 20-24 | |
| BEGINNER GOLF SCORE | 100 TO 105 | 25-28 |
| 106 TO 110 | 29-33 |
Over 18 holes
A good score for 18 holes is 2 or 3 shoots less than the estimated shoots. It is considered good means if there are 75 strokes for 18 holes then 72 or 73 is considered a good score.
Over 9 holes
A good score for 9 holes is 36 shoots or less. For 9 holes you should have to reduce your handicap to half so as to get a handicap for 9 holes. Suppose you are 20 handicapped you should reduce it to half means 10. So, if your card for 44 then subtracts 10 from it and the remaining 34 will be your scores for 9 holes. It is considered a good score.
What is a bad golf score?
Now let’s talk about what is considered a bad score.
Over 18 holes
For a professional, if he is lower handicapped, he scores by 2 or 4 strokes above the par then it’s a bad day for him. Suppose a 13 handicapped shoots 93 for 18 holes then after subtracting his handicap the remaining is 80 which is +8 for a total of 72 it means that it is a bad score for him. A very bad game for him.
Overall if we consider beginners or amateurs then 120 strokes or above is a bad score that could give him a lesson in his future life.
Over 9 holes
As had already been discussed that for 9 holes handicap is reduced to half. Suppose you are 16 handicapped and you card 48 for 9 holes after subtracting your handicap the gross total is 40 which is +4 for the total of 36 for 9 holes.
That’s how this handicap system works.
What is the average golf score?
Golf score for beginners:
- An average score for beginners is 100 strokes for 18 holes.
- The average score for amateurs is almost 50 strokes for 9 holes.
Golf score for average players:
- It is almost 85 for 18 holes.
- It is almost 40-43 strokes for 9 holes.
Golf score for pro:
- It is almost 75 strokes for 18 holes.
- It is almost 36-37 strokes for 9 holes.
Factors affecting golf Score
The following factors affect golf score that matters a lot.
Physical strength
Physical strength is one of the main factors to speed up the ball during the hit. In golf, there are many strong men but our women lack the strength. Greater physical strength is necessary so that we don’t have to swing our feet.
Physical flexibility
It’s also a deciding factor in golf. It helps to build up club head speed which is the aim of almost every golfer.
Swing technique
It also helps to build up club head speed. The swing is produced in the ball by the face of the club made during hitting the ball. The swing in the ball is one of the contributing factors to playing a good game and earning points.
Course difficulty
Course difficulty is one of the main factors that differentiate between a pro golfer and an amateur. Thus it contributes a lot to golf. There are various courses as mentioned below:
- Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in the U.S.
- The strait course at Whistling Island in the U.S.
- The Carnoustie Championship Course in Scotland.
- Bethpage Black in New York, U.S.
- Pine Valley, New Jersey at the U.S.
- Championships Link, Royal County Down, Newcastle, Northern Ireland.
Weather effect
Weather affects a lot in the golf. Hot and humid weather is helpful because it let the ball move farther away toward the point.
There are other such factors as age etc. Age factor can affect golf in the following way:
Age
The age factor matters a lot. If a kid between the age of 7 to 10 plays golf then for 18 holes he will score between 150 to 180 shoots. But if there is a boy between the age of 11 to 20 then this range proceeds from 89 to 180. The difference between a 20 years boy and 70 years boy is just 4 strokes nothing more that’s why old men and women play like pros.
As we move forward from 21 to 30 aged men the range to score is 89 to 90 and for 30 to 40 years men the shoots range between 90 to 94. Moreover, the remaining idea could be obtained from the following graph.
| Age | The average score for 18 holes |
|---|---|
| 7-10 years old | 150-180 strokes |
| 10 -20 years old | 89-180 strokes |
| 20-30 years old | 89-90 strokes |
| 30-40 years old | 90-94 strokes |
| 40-50 years old | 90-94 strokes |
| 50-60 years old | 92 strokes |
| 60-70 years old | 91-92 strokes |
| Above 70 years old | 93-94 strokes |
How to lower scores in the golf?
Lowering the scores means you are progressing. And if you continue your progress you will be a pro soon. Different factors contribute to lowering the score some of them are described below
- Golf club selection:
Good golf club selection is very necessary. If you are an amateur so choosing the clubs is a very critical and necessary thing. Because to play golf equipment must be good, helpful and comfortable for you according to your taste so that you can play well with them and it helps you a lot to improve your skills in the game. - Practice:
The best golf training is very necessary. And it should be done in a week. Training builds up certain skills to improve your average scores. Most of the players do not practice and go to play game directly without practicing which affects their score and destroy their average. So one should try to improve his game. Rather he should not play the game with defaults in the game but he should improve the defaults by practicing more and more. - Course management:
Course management refers to your strategy for the game. It’s all about the decisions that you made during each shoot to score. A good strategy should be made to play a good and fair game. A player should focus on course management to get good scores. - Swing fundamental:
Swing in the ball is necessary to maintain the speed and balance of the ball. A proper alignment, stance, and downswing are very necessary for the game.
What if one can’t get a good golf score yet?
It is not a disappointment but it will make you a pro one day if you try again and again. But once you tried to get rid of this you will fail and hope so you will never get back up. Instead, we should take it as a challenge and try hard to get good golf scores. There are many ways to get good at your game. Which may be in various forms. There are many tools, coaches, thousands of drills, and video lectures, and one of the basic things we should focus on and have a grip on is our basics.
Everyone wants good ball speed, a good swing, and also a good average in scores. It is a good game maybe someone may be annoyed but every Sunday we should try to compete for our old scores. And should build a good strategy to lessen the shoots to achieve a good average.
Sports league championships for golf
Following are some golf league championships
- PGA Championship
- The Open Championship
- WGA match play
- NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship
- The Amateur Championship
- World Cup
These championships must be the aim of almost every person so each should aim to do the best they can, to achieve one of the above championship trophies.
Records made in golf
Various records are made in golf.
- 52 strokes for course 72 is a wandering thing but till now it is not achieved. But it might be a pleasure to know that Jim Furyk has secured 58 shoots for course 72 in the PGA Championship.
- Back in 1999 Christian C carpenter 4 years and 195 days old kid was able to get a hole-in-one. Later on, he was able to get a score for 18 holes in 54 shoots. It’s a wondrous thing that he achieved such records at a small age. He started his journey as a pro.
- Rhein Gibson of Australia earned a record for getting the lowest scores par 18 holes. His score was 55 during a game that took place at the River Oaks Golf Club. During the game, there were 12 birdies and 2 eagles.
- The lowest score made with a single club is 2 under par 70. This was achieved by Thad Daber of the U.S. while using a 6-iron. He accomplished this score again in 1987 in World one club Championship in North Carolina.
- Mark E. was able to put 37 balls within 10 seconds. It was set in October 2014. The pretty impressive thing it is.
Tier Wood average score
The average score of the Tier Wood is 73.35 on the PGA Tour in 2022. He also hits the average score of 68.17 back in 2000 which was the lowest at that time.
Conclusion
All the facts about a good golf score have been discussed in this article. Now it is time to summarize the whole talk. There is no such good bad or average golf score but it depends upon the self-ability of a person how well he can perform and how eligible is he in the golf game. It depends upon the man himself.
A good score depends upon the average score of a player. Whatever handicap he has does not matter it just has a good average score. There are many tips and clubs to improve the game. One of the best tips to improve the game is to practice a lot. We should focus on our game rather than focus on other players and how good they are playing. We should train hard and try to improve our game and scores. Every week we have to try to get good scores than our previous scores.
A good score is determined according to the player’s experience, ability, and most important his handicap. It’s the last time telling you that 75 for 18 holes is a good score.