What Does the Average Weekend Golfer Shoot?

[mediaguru]

Since the "average" golfer can hardly break 90 I'd say yes.

[golfchief]

I also think there is too much emphasis on a score here in the states. Watching the Scots play their four ball matches in 3 hours or less

Remember a 125 worm burner over their will go about 225yds.

I see alot of golfers seven days a week as a ranger and most cannot break 100 and some who do take 4' gimmies,2' gimmies on a down hiller with break and mulligans. so yes I'd agree the average is100+.

[sioutdoors]

i didnt know how to figure it so i guessed so shoot me home course is rend lake. Not that hard but verry fast greens

[Jeepthrills]

No harm done. There are some good websites out there that offer free handicap calculators. They won't give you an actual USGA handicap, but they are free and ca tell you where you stand using the same calculations.

[sioutdoors]

i would say my average is 95. i have shot my lowest score on the hardest coures and my worst on the shortest so who knows

[Timbrwlf]

Hey,

I play once, maybe twice a week if I'm looking, and maybe I only get out every other weekend, all depends on work.

And, I'm shooting in the 80's. I take my time and try and work on everything when I'm out there though, I don't play speed golf.

[allin]

Have you always played just twice a week? or were you an avid golfer a few years ago, b/c although it has been years, your swing comes back. i think if you have played 1 time a week your whole likfe its 100+, but if you were once an avid golfer it can vary a lot.my friend plays 2 times a week and shoots 70's...just depends

I agree with your point, but most average golfers are average because they have never made a sustained effort at improving. I believe that in 2-3 years most golfers can get to 15-18 handicap by practicing 1-2 times per week and playing 18-27 holes per week 5-6 months a year. I wonder what percentage of golfers meet my criteria.?

[colin007]

Originally Posted by NM Golf

On Sundays I work as the morning starter at a local course so I get to see first hand the game of the average weekend golfer. I would speculate that less than 10% of the people I send off the first tee can break 100. Really in truly its pretty ugly. Only about half of them even get it airborn. The great thing though is 100% of them are still having fun.

this is what im thinking too.  i often show up as a single, so i get to play with all sorts of people.  the ratio of guys who (scored accurately) would score over 110 vs those south of 99 is at least 9 to 1.

also, i have never played with someone who can legitimately carry the ball more than 275.

[Jwat381]

I have a question about this.

I practice pretty regularly, but my budget is tight. I'm a student and I work anywhere from 15-20 hours a week (just got a second job, so my tee-off's should increase). I only play 18 holes of golf 1 time a week max, most of the time less. When the weather is good, I'll play a few 9 hole rounds a week if things go as planned. I break 100 every time, but can't break 90. Does that make me a weekend golfer, or are my scores just that pathetic? Luckily, I have somewhat of a Scottish mindset, just like to play, hit good shots that get up in the air and close to my target, and have a good time with friends, or by myself, in the great outdoors. I would really like to start shooting 80's tho. I practice year round, hopefully that's on the horizon.

[golfaddiction]

Originally Posted by Jwat381

I have a question about this.

I practice pretty regularly, but my budget is tight. I'm a student and I work anywhere from 15-20 hours a week (just got a second job, so my tee-off's should increase). I only play 18 holes of golf 1 time a week max, most of the time less. When the weather is good, I'll play a few 9 hole rounds a week if things go as planned. I break 100 every time, but can't break 90. Does that make me a weekend golfer, or are my scores just that pathetic? Luckily, I have somewhat of a Scottish mindset, just like to play, hit good shots that get up in the air and close to my target, and have a good time with friends, or by myself, in the great outdoors. I would really like to start shooting 80's tho. I practice year round, hopefully that's on the horizon.

I would recommend reading about course management and the mental side of the game.  Breaking 90 is all about playing for bogeys and eliminating the blow up holes.  Playing safer shots that leave you in good position is the only way to do this.  That and working on your short game.  Last round I shot 89 and only hit 2 greens in regulation.  I was able to get up and down in 2 or 3 on 14 holes.

[Jwat381]

Thanks, I've been working on my course management a lot, I'll keep at it.

Originally Posted by golfaddiction

I would recommend reading about course management and the mental side of the game.  Breaking 90 is all about playing for bogeys and eliminating the blow up holes.  Playing safer shots that leave you in good position is the only way to do this.  That and working on your short game.  Last round I shot 89 and only hit 2 greens in regulation.  I was able to get up and down in 2 or 3 on 14 holes.

[TidePride50]

I consider myself an average golfer. I play 1-2 a week during the months of April-July. I coach high school football and once August hits I won't pick up a club again until around March or April. I usually shot in the 90s. Good days low 90s, bad day 100s.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by SLeDHeaDDude800

I read in golf digest once if your only a weekend golfer your average

should be around 96. So what doo you guys and gals think? Think

this is a true or false statement? Thought this would be kind of fun,

too see how many crazy answers we get. BTW I just joined

and this is my very first thread on this forum. When I mean weekend

you basically play 1 round a week in the Great Lakes area From April 15-

Oct 30th for a guestuation. LOL

The average weekend golfer doesn't play real golf.......yea, after preferred lies and a few mulligans per side........96 sounds reasonable.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by Jeepthrills

I've always questioned the USGA saying that the average golfer has a handicap around 17. That may be true based on their stats. However, what do you think the percentage of golfers are that actually have a handicap? I would guess less than 25%. It's probably safe to assume the golfers who actually have handicaps are more serrious and on average better players. There are obviously exceptions to both but I would agree that the average weekender probably struggles to break 100 regularly.

I agree 100%........

The average golfer who carries an official USGA handicap is very different from a casual golfer who does not.   They are very different.........IMO

[BuckeyeNut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sole wolf

None

How is your handicap 15 when your best score is 90?

LOL....nice catch!

[divot dave]

Holy cow, way to resurrect this thread from the grave... last post was 06 until a couple days ago :)

for what its worth, my first time out was monday. with my work schedule/family life i will at best be classified as a weekend golfer someday. i shot a 51 on the back 9... which would put me in the 100-110 range on the full 18. Hopefully I'll see that come down over the course of the summer. I cant really speak for averages but I would venture to guess, a career weekend golfer who is still hitting 110 after some years continues to golf because he/she has nothing better to do and really isn't trying to improve. But a weekend golfer with a mindset to get better... I would expect to see much better scores after a few years from such a person... at least that's what i expect from myself. I guess I'll see in time if that's realistic

[wolfsburg2]

No way an average weekend duffer legitimately breaks 100. Just doesn't happen in my experience. We are talking about the golfer who NEVER hits the range and goes and whacks the ball around on the weekends only and skips a bunch of weekends throughout the year.

These guys generally can't putt (gimmes), can't chip (don't count 1' duffed chips), fluffs lies, drops balls where they think theirs went OOB and takes no penalty.

Breaking 100 is hard damn it. I work my butt off to break 100.

[SteelCitySlice]

I used to be the guy who would break 100 with mulligans, gimmies, OOB without a penalty stroke...until about 3 years ago I played a round with my friend and his Dad, who is a stickler for rules and counting all strokes (as it should be...I know that now).  Anyway, I shot an 88 that day (with 1 penalty stroke!) and ever since I've been playing legitimate golf (putting out, penalties for drops, counting the 1' duffs, etc) and have been using one of the online services for a handicap (not official but uses the same calculations).  My average score since that time is 94.4 with a handicap of 18.7.  Low score in that time frame is an 81 and high score is 110.  Since 2009 I've played a total of 30 rounds (I've played more, but the rest have been outings and scrambles that don't count towards my handicap) so you know I'm a weekend golfer...probably even less than some others on this thread.  But I've been focusing my range sessions (usually an hour once every week or every 2 weeks) instead of just going and hitting a bucket as quickly as I can, and when I go out to play I'm out there to have fun, but I'm also out there to try and get better.

Oh, and I've never had a lesson...just been swinging a golf club for about 20 years.