The more I read and talk to people the more I realize most golfers are actually closer to true hackers, typically shooting in the 90's and 100's. What would you say the average golfer's handicap is? The guy who golfs maybe a few times a month. Maybe 15-20 rounds a season.

I've consistently always shot around 100-105 and finally said enough is enough and took a few lessons, practiced etc. First live round down in Florida last month went into the par 4 18th sitting on an 82 where I imploded and tallied an 8 for a 90 final score. I've yet to break 90. However after reading another thread it seems breaking 90 and shooting in the 80's consistently is quite rare.

What would you say the range of golfers are % wise? I had a former coworker tell me the average golfer shoots a 105

In my club (uk) i think about 1/4 of "active " golfers. Eg. Regular competition entrants, are scoring in the 80s or better. The rest may get the odd 36 points in stableford but may never break 90 with a medal card in their hand. (From the medal tees)

My understanding is that most golfers never break 90.

Less than 10% of all golfers regularly break 100. Less than 10% of those that do will break 80 and after that, those that break par are in the top .05% of all golfers. These numbers were comprised some years ago before the advent of today's better gear but I would bet the ratios have not changed greatly.

Purely anecdotal based off people I've played with at my local tracks but I'd venture a guess that the average weekend golfer shoots 95. Most don't have the time, dedication, or course management skills to break into the 80s. It took me a while to shoot in the 80s and now I'm working my tale off to get into the mid 70s this year. I believe a lot of it depends on when you took up the game. Many of my high school teammates started when they were 4 or 5 years old with quality instructors and had no problem posting scores at or around par. I didn't pick up a club until Junior high and didn't get quality instruction until I was in my twenties. The earlier you start with good instruction the higher your ceiling.

I'm average within the groups I play in and carry a 5 index. :(

I’d say average weekend golfer is higher - usually 100+. I mean guys that just like to get out often (prob max 20 rounds a year), consider themselves “golfers”, but don’t have time/desire to seriously improve their games. Their scorecards may say 95 on average, but they take multiple mulligans a round, fluff up lies/use foot wedge, and definitely don’t take proper penalty strokes (especially for OB).

guys that get out only a couple times a year, usually 120+ I’d say.

To consistently shoot in the 90s, you have to be a pretty decent golfer overall believe it or not. Put another way, when you’re a legitimate (by the book) 90s golfer/mid cap/bogey golfer/whatever you call it, the weekend warriors and hacks think you are very good.

So to answer your question - 15-20 round a year golfer, I’d say probably 25-30 cap on average if you’re going by their skill level, not what they write down as their score.

People who shoot in the 90s are close to "true hackers"? Nope.

Look up on the USGA website the stats by handicap and then realize the low percentage that keep a handicap and you'll find folks that shoot 90 or even 100 (and count their strokes properly) are still among the better golfers out there.

I'd wager of all the folks that actually play golf regardless of whether they keep a handicap the average score is north of 105.

It's unknowable.

The average Joe rolls his ball everywhere, takes a mulligan or three per round, has no idea about the rules (eg, lost ball, ball in a hazard, etc.), and takes a gimme on every putt inside the leather. In a casual round, it's rare to see someone who plays the ball down and holes every putt.

I would say 105-110 or double bogey golf. Bogey golf is still pretty good, golf is hard. I think a lot of us who play multiple times per week at our clubs with better golfers, don't realize what average folks shoot.

I see the occasional golfers on courses now and they shoot about 2-3 over par on a course where there is no water hazards, just your straight forward golf course. If you throw in mountainous terrains and other stuff then double par can easily happen. Usually a score of 120.

I have read that for those that don't keep a handicap index the average score hovers around 100. For those that do keep a HI, the average HI is 14.

My club has around 300 members and I would say about 275 of them do not shoot under 90. I would say just about all of them do not play by the rules at all. Multiple mulligans, fixing lies, etc etc.

Golf is just to hard to play and be good unless you willing to spend the time and money practicing and playing. I spend many many hours practicing and playing just to have a 3.4 index. Our range is never crowded. Just about 90 percent of the people at my club go from the parking lot to the first tee with maybe ten whacks with the driver before hand.

It is just not a game you can be good at with a half step mentality. If you can break 100 and never practice then you are pretty decent.

based on my anecdotal experience I’d say 105-110 sounds about right, but even then I think they’re taking a few liberties with the rules.

Ive played with some coworkers who take golf fairly seriously and when we play together I’m always shocked how they sometimes “forget” to add in that penalty stroke for their OB ball or just skip counting a stroke in general. It only gets worse as you move to the more occasional player. I wouldn’t be surprised if the true average, if played strictly by the rules, was even closer to 115 or 120.

I played 20 legitimate (strictly by the rules) rounds last season out of 25 and my HI is 16.9 (using the new HCP formula). The actual score is relative and at my new home course last season I broke 90 only once because of the difficulty of the course. My median score is about 94 with the occasional 88-91. I am also very capable of going over 100 on an off day.

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The 'average Joe' is over 100 and is drunk by the 6th hole.

Haha, yeah, I actually think this is spot on!!

And even putting in a lot of effort doesn't necessarily translate to great golf. I think one has to have a certain level of talent to play low, single digit golf.

Avg USGA handicap as of 2016 was 14. That's basically shooting around 90 on most courses. Most golfers that don't have official handicaps are in the 100s

QUOTE:

The more I read and talk to people the more I realize most golfers are actually closer to true hackers, typically shooting in the 90's and 100's... The guy who golfs maybe a few times a month. Maybe 15-20 rounds a season.

Describes me to a tee... at least for 2019. Before 2019? Even worse.

About the only thing I'll add, I am around that number and I kind of feel, for myself now, it is not much higher than 14 where you are actually capable of getting around a course and can actually be accused of being able to play golf.

Golf is hard. Breaking 90 is dang hard. Got to have some pars and little to no doubles or worse. If you are around a 14, where I am, pars are fairly rare, bogies are common and not a bad outcome, doubles are a real possibility and birdies are very rare. It is easy for strokes to get away from you and very, very hard to make them back up.

People tell me I am good. I'm not good. I am just barely in the category better than embarrassing. I have played with guys who are good. High single digits are dang good golfers. Makes the plus guys out of this world to me.

I will say if you play it down and play it by the rules all the time you will crush guys who roll it regular when you go against them playing it down. They'll accuse you of sandbagging and what not but really you just crushed them with their vanity handicap. So don't roll it out of that divot or off the hard-pan, play it down and learn to hit those tough shots, it will pay off for you.

I agree with that. Outside of competitions my gross score hovers either side of 90 and I seem to be marginally better than most of the golfers I meet on the course. Quite a few of them struggle to keep their gross score in double digits and that's even with gimmes and penalty free drops after losing a ball. Any amateur who typically scores in the 80s is a good amateur.

I play a lot more golf than most recreational players. I play pretty much every weekend all year round and once the clocks go back I play three or four times a week. When I started playing a couple of times during a week several years ago it knocked 10 strokes off and dropped me from high 90s to high 80s.

Good is a relative measure. At 14, your literally better than half of all handicap holders.

For the average guy who goes out there with his mates once a month, throws back at least a sixer, and plays it down (which never happens) doesn't legitimately break 120.

It's amazing how many college educated and successful business people can't count past 5 ?

Which is why I think there are threads around here every now and again where someone who is a low-mid single digit gets told by people who don't know any better they should go try out for the PGA Tour. We know that even a scratch golfer would have a tough time at that. I know that 14 is average but it feels anything but that when I'm three jacking putts.

this is a loaded question ofcourse, what is the course slope rating etc. But this is a very interesting topic if I were to guess most people are in the mid to high 90's, this is the golfer who plays an average amount of time etc. The weekend warrior if you will... Now the interesting question is I see more new guys at my club who join and actually claim that they are low handicapers and go out and shoot 90, why is who knows?? I have won more money from those "type" of guys.

"Average": 90's-100

"Good": 80's

"Oh, he's really good": mid-high 70's

"He's like a professional": low 70's, high 60's

"Stupid good, like insane": mid-60's

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