What handicap do you consider to be a "good" golfer

[q-school]

we have some streaky 6s that occasionally shoot a 70 and more often shoot 83. i feel some of it how low can you go, and another part is whether you are able to keep scores from ballooning despite conditions, etc.

from my perspective, based on historical average handicap, anyone whose handicap it 9.x or lower is good.

anyone who is truly under 3.x is exceptional. I mean follow the rules, putt out everything. i get that lots of people here are exceptional based on my scale, and they have earned my praise.

:)

[Sean2]

In my skewed view of golf and good players I would consider a 5 or below to be a good player, in my circle of golf buddies that number changes to a 2 or below. I shot 37 on the front a couple weeks ago and was 7 shots down :russian_roulette: :russian_roulette: :russian_roulette: I play regularly with 2 former gateway tour players a competitive scratch AM from Iowa, a plus and a couple long hitting scratch players. At a 4 i am the hack in the group lol.

 

Yes, it is relative. I frequently play with a +HI golfer, as well as scratch and very low single digits. As a senior, I play the middle tees (senior tees if they are available), and they play the blue tees, or one back of that. Currently I am a 6 and playing with those guys I find my game lacking. lol

 

 

Thinking on it, I would consider anyone who consistently breaks 80 to be a good golfer. Not sure what kind of HI that would be though.

[hybrid25]

Of all the golfers who play the game, what percentage is below a 10 handicap? 10%. ?

[North Butte]

A good golfer is one capable of playing the game well, consistently.

 

The fact that there are millions of hackers out there who can't play a lick doesn't make a middling golfer "good". He just isn't as awful as some of the other hacks.

[hybrid25]

A good golfer is one capable of playing the game well, consistently.

 

The fact that there are millions of hackers out there who can't play a lick doesn't make a middling golfer "good". He just isn't as awful as some of the other hacks.

I guess the question of this thread, is what is good golfer,and everybody has an opinion of that. To me it's a golfer in the upper 25%, or so.

[North Butte]

Shoots around par or better, playing it down and putting it out with real money on the line. There are tens of thousands of good golfers out there, millions of other golfers.

 

The 25th percentile best golfers in my club can hardly break 80 with two off the first tee and rolling them in the fairway. A good golfer could give them five a side and kick their butt, playing by the Rules.

 

As a postscript anyone who feels a need for breakfast ball, gimmes or moving the ball out of divots is not a good golfer no matter what scores they think they shoot.

[WooPig]

I think the guy that said more pars than bogeys was spot on. Saying a player has to be in the 90th percentile to be considered good seems like a bit of a stretch to me...

 

I get paired with random golfers every weekend and I can assure you that you don’t have to be scratch to be better than 99% of the players in my area.

[ago33]

Consistently breaking 80 is a good golfer

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

we all suck unless ur making a living at golf. we aren't half as good as we think we are.

I tend to agree with this and the traveling scratch definition.

 

I'm a 18 handicapper, and I'm better than a lot of people I get paired up with.

Strange, I find the same. At 17 I often beat the lower handicap golfers. I've got to assume that their handicaps are not exactly what they should be.

Where can I find these golfers?

[nsxguy]

Of all the golfers who play the game, what percentage is below a 10 handicap? 10%. ?

Of all the golfers who KEEP a handicap - 31% -----> http://www.usga.org/Handicapping/handicap-index-statistics/mens-handicap-index-statistics-d24e6096.html

 

Personally I'd say any single digit is a "good" golfer.

 

Under 5 would be very good and scratch or better, excellent.

 

Just one person's opinion.

[Golfbeat]

Of all the golfers who play the game, what percentage is below a 10 handicap? 10%. ?

Of all the golfers who KEEP a handicap - 31% -----> http://www.usga.org/...s-d24e6096.html

 

Personally I'd say any single digit is a "good" golfer.

 

Under 5 would be very good and scratch or better, excellent.

 

Just one person's opinion.

 

31% is below 10. This certainly makes me frown.

[hybrid25]

Of all the golfers who play the game, what percentage is below a 10 handicap? 10%. ?

Of all the golfers who KEEP a handicap - 31% -----> http://www.usga.org/...s-d24e6096.html

 

Personally I'd say any single digit is a "good" golfer.

 

Under 5 would be very good and scratch or better, excellent.

 

Just one person's opinion.

 

31% is below 10. This certainly makes me frown.

That's 31% of the golfers who keep a hc, which might not be to different from 10 % of all golfers playing the game. This is wrx, although, where the majority hit it 300 yds and are scratch hc.

[Golfbeat]

Of all the golfers who play the game, what percentage is below a 10 handicap? 10%. ?

Of all the golfers who KEEP a handicap - 31% -----> http://www.usga.org/...s-d24e6096.html

 

Personally I'd say any single digit is a "good" golfer.

 

Under 5 would be very good and scratch or better, excellent.

 

Just one person's opinion.

 

31% is below 10. This certainly makes me frown.

That's 31% of the golfers who keep a hc, which might not be to different from 10 % of all golfers playing the game. This is wrx, although, where the majority hit it 300 yds and are scratch hc.

 

I know it is only golfers with an official handicap. I cannot remember playing with somebody that did not have one and I am still frowning. Must be plenty of vanity cappers around.

[Harleyweedwhacks]

I'd consider mostly a 10 or better, better than average. The average score for average golfers is an even 100, and better players tend to shoot in the 80's consistently, which equates to around a 10. If you shoot in the 70's, you're amongst the very few in the world, and that handicap would be around a 4 or 5. If you're a plus figure, you're in the less than 1% average in the world, and that makes you high level amateur or professional. So around a 10 is considered "good", while around a 5 is considered "Very good". Just my opinion.

[mothman65]

When I was a 15 I would have said any single figure. Then when I was a 9 I thought anye under 5 was. Now I'm off 4 I reckon 2 or under must be good........if I get to 2????

[Need2golfalot]

The richest man in the world was asked "How much money is enough?" His answer "Just a little more"

[Moshjean]

I guess peoples definition of "good" is wildly dissimilar. To the posters that think low single digit/scratch and better is "good", you remind me of parents that consider their kid a failure because they didn't get straight A's in their AP classes.

 

Low single digit and better I would consider "expert," as that is the top 5% of the golfing population, and if you are in the top 5% of any sport or hobby you are undoubtedly gifted.

 

"Good" to me is anyone who has good control over their ball flight, rarely duffs shots, has decent short game, and most importantly is "good" company to be around. I've played with plenty of "great" golfers that made me wish I teed off alone

[dap]

Another good question is, at what handicap do a player start being a snob and look down on lesser players? Lol

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

Another good question is, at what handicap do a player start being a snob and look down on lesser players? Lol

From my experience, the better you get the worse you think you are. LOL

[deadsolid...shank]

Another good question is, at what handicap do a player start being a snob and look down on lesser players? Lol

From my experience, the better you get the worse you think you are. LOL

 

I’m no good and think I’m even worse!

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

From my experience, the better you get the worse you think you are. LOL

 

I’m no good and think I’m even worse!

Take two good swishes of the club after every bad shot, and call me in the morning. LOL.

 

 

31% is below 10. This certainly makes me frown.

That's 31% of the golfers who keep a hc, which might not be to different from 10 % of all golfers playing the game. This is wrx, although, where the majority hit it 300 yds and are scratch hc.

 

I know it is only golfers with an official handicap. I cannot remember playing with somebody that did not have one and I am still frowning. Must be plenty of vanity cappers around.

I'm still having a hard time understanding why you're frowning at free money? LOL.

[Hawkeye77]

In the same vein as some comments above, most golfers are way better than they give themselves credit for and the few that are legends in the own minds exist for our entertainment (as long as they are limited to their keyboards or other peoples' foursomes). ;-)

[DFS PFD]

5 is a good place to go, still have some bad rounds ~80 and some scratch rounds. But it's a good place to be, takes a lot of work to get from a 5 to scratch. Took me almost 2 years of being ~5 to get to scratch.

[SNIPERBBB]

Another good question is, at what handicap do a player start being a snob and look down on lesser players? Lol

 

When you start playing baby blades.

[DaveGoodrich]

Obviously, this depends on your definitions of "good" and of "golfer." In reality, golf is a hard game. If someone has decent control of his/her ball and is enjoyable to be around on the course, the they are "good" as far as I'm concerned.

 

That being said, I'm a mid single digit, and don't consider myself to be a good golfer. If you are motivated by the desire to get better, then the "good" golfers are the ones just a bit better than you are.