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What score does the "average" golfer shoot?

China Cat>Rider

China Cat>Rider

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I always get into these conversations with my buddies. I have heard and read that the "average" golfer never breaks 100 in their life. The other day someone said that was around 85% of all golfers in the world. I find that to be ridiculous. I'm a high handicapper but I have managed to break 100 quite a few times in the few years I have been hacking. And there is no way in hell I am in the top 15%!

First off, I don't know what defines the "average" golfer...someone who plays 2-4 times a month? More? Less? Seems like the majority of people on here are all mid to low handicappers so you must be in the top 2%! Is it even possible to come up with an average score for the average golfer to be able to make such a statement?

Discuss. Drink. Be Merry.
 
In some ways, there is no way to tell what the average golf score is. According to GHIN and the USGA the average score is about 100. However they are only measuring rounds where people have registered handicaps. With more and more people playing golf every year things have started to change. One of the biggest changes is the internet and people keeping their "index" online at hundreds of different sites such as oob, yahoo, etc... The other is that more and more people are playing and not keeping an index at all.

We asked Leadbetter this question and his response was pretty cool. He said that if you averaged out all the golf rounds played by men ages 18-50, he felt as though the average score would be about 90. He has spoken a few times on TGC and seems to refer to the average player being a slightly worse than bogey golfer. (90-94).

Whatever it is, more people are playing and enjoying this great game.
 
I would think it would be in the 100s. I play with a few people that are decent (they don't slow down the round) and they barely ever break 100. But JB is right. The really average golfer doesn't enter their scores.
 
thats cool. If you go by the average internet golf forums then it would seem like the average golfer is a scratch golfer who drives the ball 350. I'm just curious about when I am struggling to break 100 twice a month how many other people are doing the same...
 
I am willing to bet the score is over 100. If the USGA avg is 100, I have to think it is the better golfers who would even be recording their handicap. So those that wouldn't try to establish a handicap are most likely scoring higher than that.
You definitely can not judge it based on golf forums, one because people exaggerate, but also because the people who are going to post on forums are probably those trying to improve their scores and are more devoted to the game. I also think that we all assume that the people posting are all good golfers, which we really don't know.
 
I would also think that a lot of the "average" players take mulligans, long gimmie putts, etc etc that could drastically effect their score. I remember when I first went from casual score keeping to real score keeping in highschool that my rounds were suddenly 4-5 strokes worse.
 
IMO, 100+ is the average score.
 
I think if every stroke was counted and every penalty was added to the score the average would be easily over 100. I see people bumping their balls in the rough, taking mulligans, hitting it out of bounds and dropping about where it went out and not taking penalties for it. Plus how many times will a golfer after taking about 10-12 strokes to get it in the hole then say well a triple bogey is not bad for all the trouble I had on that hole.

Here is one other thing to consider, by USGA rules the score entered for posting may not be the actual score shot due to maximum strokes per hole allowed. Heck I could take 15 stokes on a par 3 but only be able to post a 5 or 6 based on my handicap.
 
Gus R said:
I think if every stroke was counted and every penalty was added to the score the average would be easily over 100. I see people bumping their balls in the rough, taking mulligans, hitting it out of bounds and dropping about where it went out and not taking penalties for it. Plus how many times will a golfer after taking about 10-12 strokes to get it in the hole then say well a triple bogey is not bad for all the trouble I had on that hole.

Here is one other thing to consider, by USGA rules the score entered for posting may not be the actual score shot due to maximum strokes per hole allowed. Heck I could take 15 stokes on a par 3 but only be able to post a 5 or 6 based on my handicap.
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Totally agree. My uncle has always said that if correct scoring is kept, 80% of golfers will never break 90. No mulligans, no improving lies and no gimme putts...
 
Gus R said:
I think if every stroke was counted and every penalty was added to the score the average would be easily over 100. I see people bumping their balls in the rough, taking mulligans, hitting it out of bounds and dropping about where it went out and not taking penalties for it. Plus how many times will a golfer after taking about 10-12 strokes to get it in the hole then say well a triple bogey is not bad for all the trouble I had on that hole.

Here is one other thing to consider, by USGA rules the score entered for posting may not be the actual score shot due to maximum strokes per hole allowed. Heck I could take 15 stokes on a par 3 but only be able to post a 5 or 6 based on my handicap.
Click to expand...

I think this is it exactly. My friend almost never takes the correct score on a hole. He will say a 6 when I know his tee shot was OB, he was on the green in 6 after that and then 3 putted. I admit when I first started playing I wouldn't count shot's OB, in water, etc. now that I am counting every shot and giving myself appropriate penalty shots my score is about the same it was before but I feel better knowing that I'm posting honest scores. And I also know my game is improving
 
RxGus said:
I would also think that a lot of the "average" players take mulligans, long gimmie putts, etc etc that could drastically effect their score. I remember when I first went from casual score keeping to real score keeping in highschool that my rounds were suddenly 4-5 strokes worse.
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+1, if I didnt take penalty strokes, I could probably break 90.

Playing at a local muni this last weekend, it was very busy, so I spent alot of time watching the "average" golfer golf. The fairways were close and open to eachother, so I was able to see alot of different groups. I'd have to say that I'd be suprised if 1 out of every 4 broke 100. Drives sprayed in every direction, irons chunked or thined, balls kicked into the fairway, you name it, it happened. I could probably only point out maybe 2 or 3 golfers there that could actually have a legit chance of breaking 80.

I think there are two groups of golfers. The group that loves the game, makes the game a part of their life, and practices to get better at the game. Then there is the group of golfers that might play one to four times a month with their buddies, never practice, and play just to get out and enjoy the weather or whatever. I'd say the majority of golfers are in the latter group, but you see more of the golfers from the former (they just play more often).
 
I guess I would fall kind of in between the 2 groups. I only get to play 2-4 times a month but thats really just because of my work schedule. I never take it too seriously and just try to have fun and enjoy the day. But I do practice in the back yard chipping, pitching ,etc every chance I get. And I guess I spend WAY too much time online researching equipment, tips, etc. I think because I live in the northeast where we have 4-5 months of the year that does not allow much, if any, golfing I tend to only by obsessed with golf half the year.

But I do feel better now that it seems the majority of players I see on the course are hackers much like myself.
 
China Cat>Rider said:
I guess I would fall kind of in between the 2 groups I only get to play 2-4 times a month but thats really just because of my work schedule. I never take it too seriously and just try to have fun and enjoy the day. But I do practice in the back yard chipping, pitching ,etc every chance I get. And I guess I spend WAY too much time online researching equipment, tips, etc. I think because I live in the northeast where we have 4-5 months of the year that does not allow much, if any, golfing I tend to only by obsessed with golf half the year.

But I do feel better now that it seems the majority of players I see on the course are hackers much like myself.
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You sound alot like me! I'm a bogey golfer that plays 3-4 times a month on 9-hole, par 36 courses only 6 months out of the year. I practice frequently from March through September (range, putting at home, swing trainers, etc.), but my scores continue to range from 41 to 48 for nine holes.
 
Typically I shoot mid 70's... on the Par 60's. And Im in the mid 90's on the par 70's. Really depends though. Who I'm with and what we are out there to do. I shot an 88 the other week but thats an outlier! Im really close to putting it all together. I do average 378.3 yards per drive though. HA.
 
It has to be 100+. I normally play single golf which means that I'm paired up randomly almost every round. In the past 3 years, I've seen 2 guys shoot legitimately in the 70s; 3 or 4 in the 80s; a bunch in the 90s (usually with multiple mulligans, no penalty strokes, foot wedges, ball changes, you name it) and the majority shooting over 100 -- even with concessions.

Now, if you factor in those folks who play as members, track official USGA handicap, etc., it might be lower than 100. The only person I've seen below par was my instructor and a college kid playing for IU.
 
I would say the "average" golfer gets to play nowhere near 2 to 3 times a month. I think the average Joe plays in the warm months whenever he might have a chance, or there is some corporate outing. Gets to play a full 18 holes maybe 5 or 6 times a year. It's just that the course is always going to be filled up with that smaller percentage of golfers who get to play 3 or 4 times a month, so it will seem that there are more of them. And the private course players who play every week or more prabably represent an even smaller percentage.
 
hmmm this subject seems to always come up in golf discussions...
first things first... you have to determine whats the criteria for whats called an 'avg' golfer...
if you count everyone that is currently attempting to hit a golf ball on a golf course this season or even just last season... id have to say the scores are well over 100 if you score their round in regulation... every stroke counting...

another point was mentioned that it seemed everyone on golf forums were low to mid hcp's...
you have to factor in the ppl who would actually sign up for and post regularly on a golf forum...
it would be pretty rare for someone who isnt serious about golf to spend time on a golf forum let alone time and money to practice to improve their games on a consistent basis... so you'd expect ppl that either have the skill or are serious about finding ways to improve their skill to post regularly on a golf forum...
 
man average is.... walk into any mall, and grab the first ten people who answer the question "do you play golf"... take em to the course and see what they score...........that is AVERAGE.
 
birdsboro said:
man average is.... walk into any mall, and grab the first ten people who answer the question "do you play golf"... take em to the course and see what they score...........that is AVERAGE.
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what if all 10 of them were scratch golfers?
 
i work at a course and id have to say there are a lot of hackers out there that cant break a hundred( i seem to get stuck behind them everytime i play)...
but most of the regulars... ppl that are there all the time... either practicing or playing... id bet they get under a hundred more often than not
 
hmmm I guess I am an average hacker and shoot tween 95-105
 
Yea I think you have define who the average golfer is first to determine what they shoot? Is that anyone who plays at least 9 holes this year? Someone who averages 18 holes 3 times per month at least six months per year? Someone who spends $xxx.xx of dollars on golfing at a course per month? There are too many variables to determine who the average golfer is in my opinion, not to mention gender, age, what tees are being played off of and how closely the rules are being follow. If we are talking about anyone who played a round of golf last year and we took 100 random people, no I don't think the vast majority of them would break 100. If we took 100 men between the ages of 15-60 who played on average 72 holes per month (18 per weekend) for 6 months, went to the range once a week, from the white (middle) tees then yes, I think the majority of them would break 100. This last theoretical sample size is simply what I think is the majority of golfers, not necessarily the "average" golfer.
 
if everyone that has ever touched a golf ball with a club were included... then golf would be the most difficult game to play well on the planet... everyone should just take up jogging
 
In my experience the "average" golfer is for sure above 100. I live in AZ, and am able to play all year round, but the majority of my golfing is during the hot summer months in the afternoon when its cheaper to play. I typically play with the same people so really never saw much of what everyone else does, but this past year because of my weird work schedule I can get out a lot more when my usual golf partners couldn't. I was nervous at first to go out as a single worrying Id be holding my group back, but quickly found out that there was nothing to worry about. Actually I don't think I've yet to be paired with someone who has shot better than me and I consider myself to be an extremely average player. I do think however, that if I played more in the prime season and time of day I'd run into the more serious bunch of golfers, but I'd still be willing to bet that most of them are shooting 100+. For reference, I don't have a handicap, go to the range or the course 1-2 times a week, and typically shoot 86-90ish.
 
I think you can add at least 3-4 strokes to your average players score. Besides taking 3 foot gimmes and a couple mulligans, what about all the times they just drop after hitting it OB in white stakes. It's a lot easier hitting 3 at 150 out than 3 off the tee again.

If a golfer really counts every shot and breaks 90, they should consider that a real accomplishment because most will never do so.
 
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