What Does the Average Weekend Golfer Shoot?

[neophytea]

I like playing muni's and public courses.  The people are nice and my kind of people.  I am not rich or a great player.  Some of my best times are with normal people who don't keep score, they respect the game, and have a good time.  Some things I have noticed playing and watching golf.

It is hard to see a ball in the fairway that is over 250 yards from the T.

I have played from the white T for a long time.  When grouped with strangers who play from the back or pro T,  Sometimes I have been challenged and asked what kind of non conforming driver am I playing.  I usually hit to the same area they do or are ahead of them.

I watched the ADT Challenge Match.  As I remember it, I was surprised that Zack Johnson and Jerry Kelly, in the long drive competition, hit their drives and plugged them in a bunker about 249 yards from the T.  Annika and Pressel both hit under 220.

At the local practice ranges in my area, the ranges hit down hill.  I was surprised that most of the balls lie between 150 yards and 225 yards.  The neighborhood kids ride their dirt bikes across the range in complete safety in the zone between 250 and 300 yard markers on their way to where they ride.

Have you ever wondered why there are no markers telling you how far your drives travel from the T.

Have you wondered why most golfers including low scorers don't keep handicaps or play for money.

Being able to play with real players who can really consistently score between 70 and 85 is a thrill. Most of the really good players play like I have heard Byron Nelson described - boring.  In the fairway, on the green, one maybe two putts in the hole, or if they miss the green - a chip or pitch that almost goes in the hole and a tap in.  And several putts that almost go in because the green is bumpy from use and abuse.

What does the average golfer shoot/play?  They play golf, they respect the game, the course, and the players.  And something they shoot a lot of Bull.  But most importantly they have fun.

[Roblar]

I don't quite play once a week (maybe more like 3-4 per month), but I do go to the range once (sometimes twice) a week.

I play by the rules, count every stroke, and don't take mulligans.

I only play the local muni - it's short and forgiving, and I usually break 90 (have only broken 80 3 times - only once from the tips).

When I visit relatives in CA, I play slightly more challenging courses and usually shoot in the low 90s, and I have rarely broken 90.

My guess is that I'm at least slightly ahead of the average once-a-week player.

[BuckeyeNut]

nothing wrong with that....

[onlybereaved]

In my opinion, most "average weekend golfers" do not count strokes properly.  They take mulligans, and consider putts within 2-3 ft "gimmies".  These folks leave feeling pretty good about "shooting 80", where in reality they most likely are somewhere closer to 100.

Obviously there are say 20% (generous here) of said people who actually shoot 80-95 legit.

[The Recreational Golfer]

About ten strokes higher than they write down. At least.

[DocParty]

According to Lee Trevino:

(Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas)

I heard him talking decades ago to some 'hackers' like myself about just this same point. (late late 70's or early 80's; I forget cause I'm old)

He said:

Look at how many golfers, pro golfers, enter a tournament.

Now look at how many don't make the cut.

Next look at the final scores, see how many shot even or better golf.

It's a minority of the number that entered, and these guys are Pros.

Why would a weekend golfer ever expect to go out and shoot par golf? Pros don't do it every day and they do it for a living.

He went on to say, a lot of people play golf but not a lot know how to play it by the rules which affects ones score tremendously.

If a week end golfer, someone that plays once a week (and in this case not even once a week since weather and winter shuts down some players outings) could shoot bogie or better golf by the USGA rules, he has accomplished a huge task.

Shooting bogie golf, by the rules, is as hard for a weekender as shooting par golf is for a Pro.

A weekender is supposed to enjoy the game, unlike a pro that is at work when he plays.

Lastly he said he tells everyone:

Learn to hit a club, any club, 150 yards straight down the center of the fairway, plus whatever bounce and roll you can get and you'll average 175 yards off the tee. Learn to hit a 20 foot diameter circle as your target.

Next learn to do the same thing a 10 yard reduced increments (150-140-130-etc) until you can do it every time, at any distance and you will be ready to play bogie golf.

An average par 4, I assume is @ 450 yards? If it's less and many are this works out for us even better. Check your score cards and do the math yourself. It's amazing how simple this application works. And imagine how it will change if you can hit a dead straight drive (that's right 'dead straight') 200, maybe 220 yards!!!!!!

450 yard par 4 hole broken down per Lee's guidelines:

450-175=275

275-175=100

100 left to the green

(now you are in the area you were to perfect your shots from 150 to 10 yards) you are on the green ready for a 2 put.

Bogie golf with no hazards or lost balls.

If you practice with your pitching and putting to the same degree that you practiced and achieved the 150 to 10 yard shots (all expected to land in a 20 foot circle) you'll one put some of those and could do better than bogie or at least pick up some strokes for those holes where you did not fare so well.

Worked for me for 15 years until I quit back in 1994.

Now my youngest son, 25, is interested in the game and I've  pulled out my old MacGregor CG1800's and it's amazing how easy it was to get back into the swing of things after learning his suggestion back in the early 80's. I'm shooting 95 as an average after 4 months hitting balls at the range and playing only 5 rounds of golf so far, but I believe I'll be back to a 90 by the end of the year consistently playing by USGA rules exclusively.

Golfs fun, why let the score ruin your day? I don't even let my son keep his score at this time. We just acknowledge pars, bogies, double bogies and so on. He's not stressed because of his scoring, YET.

My best to you all.

Doc

[Dave2512]

The biggest descrepancy I see are gimme putts, moving the ball around for a better lie, carding what would be the adjusted gross score after ESC and mulligans. Small sins that affect the outcome of a players score. There's a lot of folks out there saying they shoot 90 that aren't even close.

[trackster]

I'm not sure the situation were you guys play, but at my home course I would say the average golfer shoots like 120-130.  The putting green is right behind the first tee box, and I always like to watch others tee shots, and if you don't hit at least two balls off the tee, you are in the minority.  Many people will slice two or 3 onto the driving range (out of bonds) and then just drive up and drop.  There card may say 90, but more like 120+ legit.

[vo-man]

I don't recall the source but I read recently that of all weekend amateur golfers in the USA;

26% break 90

50% shoot 100 or higher.

[Mattplusness]

I golf every Sunday with my dad, and I've went out on both a Saturday and Sunday once this year so far. My average score is sub-90 off the top of my head (only two 93s and the rest high 80s and a 79)

[Drewskie]

I would consider myself a weekend golfer, i'll play once a week maybe, and I have broken 100 once on a short 9 hole I played twice. I shot a 93 that day with a couple blow up holes and quite a few pars. I usually play with my brother in law and/or my father and they both adhere to the rules pretty strict. I shot 101 last time out and know I'll break 100 soon.

[inthehole]

I play 3 or 4 times a week - usually in the mid 90's, occasional low 90's & low 100's on a bad day.    No way an average weekend golfer is consistently shooting in the 90's

[SamCreamer]

I follow the rules quite well (I believe) and I never EVER give myself gimmes unless I'm playing with strangers who don't want to see me attempt 2.5 foot putts. The way I see it, I'm only 18 years old and have 75+ years ahead of me to score well in golf and I'm just beginning to learn and develop as a player so there is NO point in cheating myself by giving myself a lower score. YES I do give myself a mulligan from time to time but never more than one per round (usually first tee box). I can now consistently shoot under 45 for 9 holes but have yet to break 90 for 18. That's my next goal.

But to answer the question of the thread, most of the people I'm assigned to play with shoot over 100 but from time to time I get paired up with someone who shoots under 80.

[unabowler]

When I was playing regularly I shot about 110.  It took me a while to get to that crummy level and I couldn't improve.  I usually walked and I was relatively better when I only played 9, likely due to fatigue,  I could get 50-53 for 9 if I was on.  I'd play muni courses and whenever I got paired with someone I'd say it was more than likely that they were better than I was,  Not always, though, there are plenty of us horrible golfers out there.

When I played by myself I was pretty goood about the rules but I didn't always pull the pin out on the green and doing that I could play 9 in an hour if the course was wide open (and I chose times when it would be).  When I played with people I would go with the flow with mulligans and other stuff (although I still putted out most of the time).  From what I've seen I'd say the average golfer shoots a little over 100 and writes down a little under.  That sounds awful but it is what it is.  It's a hard sport.

[Paradox]

I'd say that the AVERAGE really is right around 100-105.  You have to take into account the guys who only PLAY once a week but are at the range 3-4 times a week.  Or the guys who've been doing it for years and may only play once a week and know their swing inside and out.  On the other end you have guys who never practice, who only come out with their buddies and play once a week that will keep the average high.

Playing bogey golf as an amateur is not a bad thing.  If you strive for that until you reach it..then you're achieving something pretty hard to do for most players.  After that, you can start aiming for x number of pars per round.  That was my method and still is and I shoot low 80's and occasionally flirt with high 70's.

[Mattplusness]

Originally Posted by inthehole

I play 3 or 4 times a week - usually in the mid 90's, occasional low 90's & low 100's on a bad day.    No way an average weekend golfer is consistently shooting in the 90's

u jelly

[Jeffrey71]

IMO something else to consider is, does the "average weekend golfer" play the same course over and over. Where I play, there are guys that boast of shooting 1 over, but I"m sure if they went to another course things would be quite different...

[Jeffrey71]

Played with a guy this past weekend, who constantly moved his ball from a dirt spot in the fairway to grass. AT the end he claimed he shot a 95. I had 6 penalty strokes and shot 92. Still wondering if I want to play with him again????