I often wonder if this is the case.......

so......how many on this website routinely break 100

or.......

how many on this website are on their way to becoming better then average

Thats interesting, if I would have guessed I would have thought the "average" golfer would be around 90-95.

*forgot to answer the questions, yes I play sub 100's usually hovering the 90 marker.

I would say absolutely that is the case. I often play as a single or with my Dad or a buddy and get paired up with golfers that are just awful. If I had to put a number on it...I would say maybe 25% of golfers I get paired with break a buck. To go a step further, I'd guess that 10% or less break 90.

That being said, I'll bet guys/gals on this website on average are much better than that. Just my .02

sorry, I guess I should respond to the question.....

yes I routinely break 100.....

im guessing the majority on here break 100 as they are probably more interested in the game and want to improve
alot of people surveyed were probably people who play once every 6 months or so just for a laugh with their mates, and wouldnt really say that they play the game

There are tons of posts on here about wrxmembers average handicaps etc. A quick search should turn up a bunch of them. But to answer the question I agree the "average" golfer does not break100 very often prob even less if you were to make them play by the rules. As far as the board goes most are better than average. And if you believe everything you read 75% would be leading the PGA Tour in driving distance.

thanks for the reply.....but I dont think doing a search would get current real world input......I always love a internet site where you have the guys who say....do a search....if that were the case....pretty much just about every subject we talk about on here has been discussed at some point in time.......

as far as all those tour leading long drivers on here.....more power to them....free swinging aint what it used to be

Well if i was not posting from my phone I would direct you to the latest whats your handicap poll that has been active this week but maybe we should start a new one every 1st and 15th just to make sure the one from 2 weeks ago is not outdated.

I would have a hard time believing that. I would think most would be in the 90s. Anyone who plays golf more than 5 times a year should be able to break a 100. 18 bogies and you still shoot 90.

Blunder...... i hate those I phones.....they tend to make internet posting/posters appear to be posting impaired!!!

i guess you read so general that my asking if the experts are correct in saying that the average golfer cant break 100 is the same as asking what your handicap is....when in fact, i could care less what your or anybody else handicap is....and that is no way what I was asking.....

and like i said to you a post or so ago..... with your stroking with such a broad stroke.....pretty much any new topic must have been covered around here before in some fashion or another......

ABFU- I am not sold either way if the average golfer can break 100 ( and for the record I am not asking what your handicap is )

but I have golfed at enough private clubs and resort type courses.....at the private clubs.....I would say that a great majority can break 100....but I also say that the great majority of them are stuck between 90-100

at many resorts I go too....its not often that you arent being held up by a group in front of you while there in the woods looking for golf balls quite often or same groups taking a zillion shots over the pond or hazards.....

Ive also been on many a golf outing with a mix/match of players ability....and almost always the A players are really C players and the rest have a hard time breaking 100 with very liberal rules in place .....

In my experience most golfers I play with or get paired up with have no clue about the rules and probably wouldn't break 100 if they followed the same rules I follow.

I agree with you.....

as well I have found that many golfers really cheat themselfs....meaning, I have seen more times then I can count.....a golfer is just off the green or has chipped onto the green when your laying 10 feet away putting for birdie and they are already laying 5 or so and will pick up there ball and say give me a bogey ......

One-putt is right in both regards. If you want the truth about any subject, including indexes do you own due diligence and don't rely upon discussion board content.

You're right about every subject having been discussed. But, just because something had been discussed doesn't necessary mean truth and facts were part of the discussion.

Not even close when you consider the overwhelming majority do not play the ball down and therefore are not playing by the rules.

My story --- I played in a golf league and outtings. We always played the ball up with very loose rules. I improved drasticly over my first 2 yrs. My first outting in the league was a 68 for 9 holes. My norm was in the mid 50's and it was the first year I ever played more than a 4-6X a year. After 2 seasons my low was a 38 and i thought I played very well scoring mostly low 40's over 9 holes. I finished 2nd in the thing.

I then jumped into the club championships. I played the ball down for 9 holes the day before. Needless to say, the Club CC was very ugly. I took an 11 on a par 5 and missed 2 - 3 footers on one hole. Since that time I have played nearly every round down and I am again shooting in the mid-low 0's on most 9 hole rounds with allow of 37. I have also moved back a tee box from where we played in the league. Although I am much better now my scores do not show it. However, I now know they are my real scores.

No way the average is not above 100 --- at least out on the public courses.

A large group of people out on most public courses aren't playing golf, they're playing some bastardized version of the game.
If you include everyone who sets foot on a course with clubs, the pool of golfers would be huge, and I don't think the 'average' of those would be >100 if they were to play by the rules.

If you somehow collected all the scorecards, the average score would likely be <100, since they're Enron-ing the score anyway.

Bowtie noticed you new here so welcome. You asked how many of us routinely break 100 or how many are on their way. Not really much different than asking about a handicap. According to the thread i was referencing aprox 75% of the board is a 15 or better that should give you a fair idea of the scores. I try and avoid internet pissing matches so good day to you enjoy your time on wrx.

Sorry should amend that to say 75%of the respondents are a 15 or better not 75% of the board.

no issues with me friend.....thanks for the welcome.....and I wasnt trying to ruffle anybody's feathers by asking what I find to be a interesting topic....do you or me or anybody really think that the average golfer can or cant break 100.....and looks like we have others interested in giving some input to why yes or no on that subject

I think some very good points are being made.....IE not playing ball down......gimme putts.....mulligans and other things to drive home some points ......

which begs me to ask .....do you really think that 75% of this message board are 15 handicaps or better......I mean according to my member number...that would place quite a few people as pretty strong players.....

about 10 years ago....I played over 350 rounds of golf in ONE year.....and if 40% of the people I played with sported 15 or better that would be generous.....

and currently, looking at 2 differing golf clubs.....less then 40% of the membership carry better then 15.......

Well i truly dont think that 75% of the board is a 15 or better if each of the 76000 members were to answer it honestly it would trend higher. However the vast majority of frequent posters and contributors on wrx are mostly solid players and well above average golfers. And in all likely hood those are the ones like myself that responded in that thread/poll. To add to what i posted in my first reply if you took away the breakfast ball, the one mulligan per mine, gimmies, and made them play the correct penalties most are not going to break 100. I believe golf digest had some decent stats as well as the usga.

It's a free for all.

"I can tell you first hand, no way most people break 100...except for me."

I was posting before I read your reply where you corrected your percentages......

many of these replies makes me wonder about many things golf......which through my experience....Id say that most "golfers" cant play to their stated game.....and those get mad when somebody actually plays to a handicap.....

Absolutely correct. No way the average golfer breaks 100 playing by the rules as if it were a tournament round.

Well i can tell you for me personaly. From dec 08 until july i was playing to my cap or better the vast majority of the time. Now not so much. Its alot harder than it sounds to maintain a low single digit cap but thats for another thread. Fwiw i was a ten back then. That brings up another point most recreational players are not concerned with obtaining and maintaining a valid handicap so real numbers would be hard to come by. Especially considering the higher scoring associated with that demographic.

There was an article published some years back (maybe 10), can't
remember the source, but it was someone like the USGA, that said
that the average score shot on a weekend round, including every golfer
playing and including the Pro tours, was 102. When you take into account
that the Pro tours make up a very small percentage of the total, it may be
about right, and still hold true today. Think about the day that Spagnola
shot 200+ at TPC, with a 67 on the 17th, and the best score of the 4some
that day was like 165.

If you follow the rules, then yes..most golfers wont break 100. I say that because a lot of the people that shoot in the 90's that I have been paired up with will miss a 4 foot putt and have a 4 footer coming back and pick it up or hit a ball OB and just drop a ball where it might have entered. If you make them count all of their strokes, then yes, the average golfer will not break 100.

On a tougher course, I know of several "scratch" golfers that have a hard time breaking pro shop par (80), I cant imagine what an average golfer would shoot. Probably still claim a 92 though.

I buy it judging from some of the folks I play with when I go out as a single. On top of that, most don't know the rules. My favorite is grounding the club in a bunker or hazard.
I routinely shoot low 78-85

I routinely shoot in the high 70's low 80's on hard courses from the back tees playing it as it lays except when allowed relief by the USGA/R&A rules (this includes stroke & distance OB's & LB's,...).

I would contend that the average WRX'er is not an average golfer (a fair number actually know & play by the rules *except when posting their 7i and driver carry distances ;-)*, which puts them well outside average).

I can honestly say I have never played with someone who hasn't shot less than 100! And that is following the rules to the letter. I did a few months ago play with this guy who had a nightmare round, he holed a 40ft raker on the last for a 99! (Not the ice cream)

Without stating how hard the course is, the question is little bit like asking "how many people can complete a running race in under 20 minutes - and then don't state how long the race is".

For a high handicapper the difference between the 'senior tees' and the Tips might well be 10 strokes.

dave

i don't think alot of you guys posting play with average golfers:) head out to the public courses and take a look... everywhere you look you will see mulligans, no penalties for lost balls.. everything like that, then the person says they shot a 90.. WTF you shot a 110...

That being said, i will gladly admit that this year my average is around 119.. following the rules, i spent the year changing stances, clubs, swing, its been a mess with only 1 round under 110.. and 1 under 50 for 9:)

BUT, i have fun.. i would rather play with someone that has fun, than someone that shoots 80 and throws clubs when they get a bad shot:)

It took me 2 years of hard work to break 100. I was born with extremely bad golf....

But now I break 100 and am starting to break 90 regularly.

Dave I think your making more out of this then need be.... heck take the white tee's, that is where most average golfers seem to tee it up from....do you think the average golfer can break 100 from the white tee's??? I dont think distance is the average golfers problem




hey, thanks for the post and your honesty.... I think you are well on your way to routinely breaking 100..... now put to 9 hole rounds together under 50...you can do it




congrats... its exciting to break 100 and even more exciting when you start breaking 90.... and its a huge improvement in your game.....so great job and keep up the efforts....

+1

Haven't NOT broke 100 since my second year playing I love it! actually Broke 90 for all of the latte part of the 09 season. now trying to break 80...but it'll take a little longer

I play in WAY, WAY, upstate NY, almost on the Canadian border. Are season of real golf is pretty short. By the time everything is dried up and there is no standing water, or balls plugging can be almost May.

I got done to a 6 handicap, but started going up towards 7-7.5 by the end of last week .

I guess I and everyone else in this area do not play by the rules. Even in our club championship its touch in the fairways, and rake and place in the bunkers do to the large amount of dime, nickel, and quarter size rocks in every bunker.

Even the biggest events like the North Country Masters, which is pretty much the biggest tournament in our area (best players in the surrounding counties) I believe they touch the ball in the fairways too.

But other than that we putt every putt, and play by the rules of OB/hazards etc.

I remember reading in Gold Digest earlier this year the had broken down the above 100's, 99-90, 89-80, 79 and 73, and scratch and better. I do remember reading that it was like only 13% of golfers shoot in the 80's. And only like 5% shoot 70's consistently, and like 0.2% are scratch or better. If someone finds this article please post it, it was very interesting.

I bet there are two groups - the overall community of people who have joined - they are probably "average" - there's a lot of members. And then the ones who post here a lot. A lot of folks look for help, and they seem mainly better than average, but the guys who offer input, they are much, much better than average. And there are a lot who do offer help, and who are much better than average.

according to what your saying.... you are playing by the rules of golf.... sounds to me like a local rule has kicked in .....

"most golfers play the white tee's" is also my experience. But on boards like these I often read of complaints of poor golfer's playing the rear tees, so I assume that (at least is some cases) this is common. This seems to be the biggest issue at the higher end resort courses where "golfer's want to get their money's worth". Or maybe my memory is too good :-)

Certainly if you take distance out of the equation, then distance is no longer the problem. My observation is that the majority of "can't break 100 golfers" don't have a 'single, score-stopping flaw'. They have flawed swings that present serious complications on pretty much every stroke involving a golf club - putts, chips, pitches, and full swings.

dave

Well that makes me feel a little better.

When I read alot of these posts, it would seem that we do not play by the rules. So your little reply makes me quite better.

Although, I imagine my score would be a few shots higher consistently if I had to play the ball down. Our fairways at all the local courses are nice, but very inconsistent. Being able to touch them in the faorways DOES make a huge difference. But if we had the fairways that people have down south, or on TV you would not need to touch the ball. At our courses you can have a horrible lie in the fairway sometime, and depending on the time of year.

Hold the phone. You mean .... I'm not an average golfer? I am toying with breaking 80..... I play once or twice a week. I'm not average? I consider myself a "bad" golfer .... when I started this journey. I have an ugly swing, but a good short game, so ... you mean ... I am a certified golfer now?!

Wooohoooo!!!!!



Seriously, I have been paired up with some pretty bad golfers, but never thought anything about it since we all have to start somewhere.

It just occured to me that I gathered a TON of statistics a while back on behalf of our local Men's Golf Association. Relative to 'norms across the country' ...

1) This is a VERY old group - average age above 65. So in this respect it would tend to be a group of golfers with less than average skills (assuming that skills deteriorate with age)

2) These are all golfers who pay non-trivial club fees each month. So in this respect it represents a group of golfers who take the game more seriously (at least as measured by money) than typical golfers across the US.

In our weekly competitions (that are 'white tee' competitions in the vast majority of cases), the stats are:

Average score - 91
Percentage of scores above 100 - 14%

FWIW.

dave

If you shoot in the 80's consistently, you are in th 20% of all golfers. This I am sure of, I remember being like 17% shoot in the 80's. At the time I was an 11 handicap, so I figured I was in the 10-12%, which I thought was pretty cool.

So to be safe I would say you are in the 20%. I would consider that to be pretty good, congrats.

Do I think the average golfer can't break 100.... no I don't believe that. Although there are to many things to consider what a "average" golfer is. If average person is someone who plays more 4 times a year than, maybe.

I would have to agree that most average golfer's do not break 100. I've played with quiet a few golfers and most all of them do not follow the rules. Really bugs me to. What perturbs me more than anything is one of my playing partners picking up my ball saying its good before I putt out.

In my opinion if more people became students of the game and tried to learn their limitations. Then played within those limitations instead of trying to be macho and impress their buddies. They MIGHT consistently break 100. Using mid-irons.

To often what "experts" say is distorted due to marketing undertones or some other agenda. As an end product of "all" golfers stats include "anyone who picks up a golf and hits a golf ball" to "people that play by the rules and maintain an index".

IMO Someone that consistently shoots in the 70's, 80's, 90's or 100's but doesn't play by the rules 90% of the time, and or guesstimates with conditional ifs, shouldn't be counted in any golfer percentage category stats because the resulting percentages are distorted making it worthless.

Some acquaintances have indexes from 14-20, yet I don't recall the day any one of them ever playing by the rules; therefore if counted based index, they are included in the wrong grouping. In other words I give no credit to percentage stats found on the Internet, in golf magazines or what's posted in discussion threads like this. To be counted in accurate golfer stats each person should play by the rules and maintain an index!