What percentage of golfers can break 80?
What Percentage of Golfers Can Break 70/80/90/100?
It’s very rare for golfers to be able to break 70 and if you can break 70, you’re more than great at golf, you’re incredible. Breaking 70 means you’re on par with pro golfers already. So how long does it take to break 70? It can take a golfer 5 to 30 years to be able to ever break 70. In the first place, many golfers aren’t talented enough to be able to break 70 in the first place. Many more also only golf for fun and don’t put in the work necessary to break 70 consistently. The amount of practice and experience a golfer needs to break 70 is insane.
What Percentage of Golfers can Break 70?
According to data collected by the United States Golf Association, only 0.92% of golfers break 70 consistently. You can get an estimate of golfers who break 70 by looking at the handicap data collected by the USGA. 0.92% of golfers have a handicap of +1 and having a handicap of +1 or better shows that only 0.92% of golfers break 70 regularly because you need to break par very often to get a +1 handicap. This data is further supported by the National Golf Foundation. According to data collected by the NGF, only 5% of adult golfers are able to get an average of score under 80. Only 5% of golfers average a score of under 70 or even break 70. Polls taken on online forums also support all of the data above. Even online, where golfers tend to play up their abilities to show off, polls show that less than 5% of golfers can break 70. In fact, because golfers are likely to make empty boasts, it’s likely that the number of golfers who break 70 is even lower than the online polls would have you believe.
How Long Does it Take to Break 80?
A golfer being able to break 80 is more common than a golfer who can break 70 but that’s not to put down anyone who breaks 80. If you can break 80, then there’s no question that you’re an excellent golfer. It will take the average golfer 10 to 15 years of diligent practice to break 80. Golfers not aiming to go pro are more likely to be able to break 80 than break 70. Regular golfers can break 80 by getting experience golfing for years, hiring a good trainer and doing the correct practice for years. If you’re a more talented golfer than normal, you could definitely break 80 in less than a decade.
What Percentage of Golfers can Break 80?
According to the United States Golf Association, 21.42% of golfers have a handicap of 7.9 or better. Therefore, it can be estimated that 21.42% of golfers can break 80. These above figures are considered on the high side but still realistic. However, data collected by the National Golf Foundation shows that the USGA figures are high. According to the NGF, only 5% of adult golfers get an average score of under 80. This is generally considered low-balling the amount of golfers that can break 80. It’s believed that the National Golf Foundation has more accurate data which shows that about 5% of golfers get an average score of under 80. Online forums that do polls on golfer’s average score show numbers closer to those given by the United States Golf Association but polls online should generally be taken with a grain of salt as golfers online tend to exaggerate their skills.
How Long Does it Take to Break 90?
Being able to break 90 means that you’re better than most golfers. It’ll take two to five years of golfing and frequent practice before you reach this point. However it’s certainly easier as well as less time consuming than trying to break 80 or break 70. So how long does it take to break 80? By golfing on a regular basis, most golfers can break 80 in five years. The five year estimate is actually quite high, as many golfers say that it took them one to three years to break 90. Some talented golfers are even able to break 90 in their first season of golfing.
What Percentage of Golfers can Break 90?
Data collected by the United States Golf Association shows that 73.4% of golfers have a handicap of 17.9 or better. This means that 73.4% of golfers can regularly break 90. The above percentage given by the USGA is highly dubious as most golfers think it’s impossible or just downright ridiculous that 73.4% of golfers consistently break 90. The National Golf Foundation on the other hand gives what is considered a much more realistic and accurate percentage. According to the NGF, only 21% of golfers get an average score of 80 to 89. This would mean that only 26% of golfers regularly break 90. Online polls taken from golf forums online also match more closely to the data collected by the NGF and as said before online poll numbers tend to skew higher than reality.
How Long Does it Take to Break 100?
Being able to break 100 is a goal that pretty much every beginner golfer has. A talented beginner can break 100 in six months by golfing and practicing regularly. However, being able to break 100 in six months is definitely not the norm. Beginners normally take anywhere from 1-2 years of golfing to break 100. It takes slightly longer than that to break 100 consistently. That said talented beginners who can break 100 in their first season of golfing are actually fairly common. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t break 100 in your first season though! Anyone can break 100 fairly quickly with enough golfing and practice!
What Percentage of Golfers can Break 100?
According to the United States Golf Association, 95.69% of golfers have a handicap of 27.0 to 27.9. That would mean 95.69% of golfers regularly break 100. Like the percentage given above for golfers that can break 90, the percentage of golfers that regularly break 100 given by the USGA also seems unrealistically high. According to the National Golf Foundation, 55% of adult golfers can break 100. Only 29% of adult golfers report an average score of 90 to 99. This is much lower than the numbers provided by the USGA and is generally considered to be more accurate. Online forums and polls give numbers and percentages closer to the National Golf Foundation’s data.
How Long Does it Take to Break 120?
Generally, most beginner golfers can break 120 in six months, basically their first season of golfing. This means you should be able to break 120 in your first season. Breaking 120 is a baseline for golf and pretty much anyone can do it with enough practice and time. Don’t quit just because it takes longer than you think it should.
What Percentage of Golfers can Break 120?
The United States Golf Association shows that 98.84% of golfers have a handicap of 33 or better. This means that according to the USGA, 98.84% of golfers can break 120 consistently. The figures above are higher than the data given by the National Golf Foundation, but is still considered realistic. The survey done by the National Golf Foundation shows that 89% of adult golfers break 120 regularly. It also shows that 10% of adult golfers surveyed by the NGF said they had an average score of 110 to 119. This is generally seen as accurate by trainers and veteran golfers. Golf forums and polls done online also show numbers close to the one’s given by the National Golf Foundation. Interestingly though, they actually skew lower than the numbers given by the NGF. This is probably because golfers online don’t want to admit that their best is breaking 120.
Continue Reading.
- What is My Golf Handicap? (Shooting 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100)
- What is a Good Golf Score for 9 Holes?
- What Is Gross Vs Net Golf Score (How To Calculate Yours)
Learn How To Break 80 In Golf With These 4 Tricks
Only between 2% – 5% of golfers in the world can break 80. If you learn how to break 80 in golf you can safely say that you’re amongst the greats.
But striving to break 80 is a difficult goal. It is hard to accomplish – but not impossible.
Breaking 80 won’t happen overnight. If you have this goal in your golf routine, we’ve got to assume that you have been playing golf for several years.
This advice is geared towards those who take the game seriously with lots of experience.
Before you make breaking 80 your golf goal, we recommend you to have a golf handicap of around 15 or lower and that you’re able to consistently shoot in the mid-80s – and of course, that you’re willing to spend time practicing.
Does this sound like you? Let’s get started!
4 Tips On How To Break 80 In Golf
Breaking 80 won’t be easy, but with these tips, you can do it. Be patient, stay dedicated to your game, and don’t get frustrated.
#1: Eliminate Penalty Strokes – Keep Your Ball In Play
Do you want to learn how to break 80 in golf? The first lesson – you can’t waste strokes.
The rules of golf explain 3 primary situations where penalty strokes are involved. Hazards (penalty areas), out of bounds, and an “unplayable lie”.
Hazards (penalty areas) and “unplayable lies” will typically cost you 1 penalty stroke.
Hitting a shot out of bounds will cost you “stroke and distance”, which is effectively 2 penalty strokes.
Adding strokes to your score without even taking a swing hurts your scorecard and can hurt your positive momentum during a good round.
If you consistently have penalty strokes when you play, you may need to improve your on-course decision-making.
Learn when to be aggressive and when to play smart. In other words, improve your course management.
#2: Tighten Up Your Short Game
Scratch golfers and professionals save strokes with their short game. Anytime you get “up and down” or 1-putt you are saving strokes.
If you want to learn how to break 80 in golf, you need to turn your short game into a weapon.
Do you track your stats when you play? How many putts do you average per round?
Breaking 80 is nearly impossible with 36+ putts. Work to push this number down closer to 30.
Of course, putting is only one piece of your short game. Chipping and bunker play are also critical to your success.
The best way to improve your putting stats is to chip the ball closer to the hole. We are fairly certain that you make more 2-foot putts than 15-foot putts!
#3: Learn To Play Your Misses
Dr. Bob Rotella wrote a book titled “Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect” and this perfectly describes your quest to learn how to break 80 in golf.
Breaking 80 isn’t about hitting great shots all the time. The key is being able to play your misses.
Your bad drives end up in the rough instead of going out of bounds (OB). You can save par from the rough but will make at least double bogey when you hit your drive OB.
Your poor iron shots finish just off the green instead of in the deep sand trap. Your bad putts stop 1-foot short instead of racing 10 feet past. These are all ways to play your misses.
Learning how to break 80 in golf is all about this – keeping your wild shots being less wild.
#4: Save Bogeys
A common misnomer amongst amateur golfers. To break 80 you need to make more birdies. False.
Sure, birdies are helpful and can help offset other mistakes, but you don’t need them.
Let’s take a look at the numbers. The typical golf course is a par 72. If you shoot +7 you break 80 (79).
This means you only have to par 11 holes (61%) – you can have 7 “bad” holes as long as you save bogeys.
Learning how to break 80 in golf is less about making more low scores and more about making fewer big numbers.
Double bogeys and triple bogeys will kill your round when trying to break 80.
What is the best way to save bogeys? It comes down to course management and playing smart. Let’s go through a couple of examples.
Say you hit your drive into the woods. You are faced with two options. Try to punch it towards the green or chip it back to the fairway.
The punch shot could help you save par, but is risky and could lead to a double bogey or worse.
If you chip it back to the fairway, you can make an easy bogey.
You struggle on a hole and are standing over a tricky 25-foot putt for par. You can be aggressive and risk 3-putting or lag it close to the hole for an easy bogey.
Take your medicine. Learning how to break 80 in golf can be as simple as being okay with making a bogey.
Failing to Break 80 Is Not A Failure
Nelson Mandela famously said, “I never lose. I either win or learn”.
Every time you shoot above 80 it is an opportunity to learn. To understand more about your golf game.
If you want to learn how to break 80 in golf, you need to determine what is holding you back.
Why do you shoot 85 instead of 78?
Take a few minutes in the 19th hole at the end of your round. Consider the 4 tips we listed above. Why was today not the day you broke 80?
Did you have any penalty strokes? How did the short game perform? How wild were your wild shots? How many times did you score worse than a bogey?
The answers to these questions tell you how to break 80 in golf. Perform this assessment following each round and you will reach your goal.
One Shot, One Hole At A Time
We haven’t covered potentially the most challenging part of learning how to break 80 in golf. It is the mental side of trying to achieve this goal.
You reach the 18th hole and you need a par to shoot 79. Can you play the hole as you normally would or are you going to make tentative swings?
Do your best to stay in the moment. One-shot at a time. Stay cool and don’t let your mind wander to what will happen if you hit a good or bad shot.
Concentrate on your next swing. Execute and accept the results.
Learn to stay in the moment and one day your scorecard will add up to 79 (or maybe 78)!
Good luck with your quest and let us know how it goes in the comments section!
Breaking 80 Is The Goal – HOw Are you Going to ACHIEVE It?
Golf Guidebook was founded in 2021 and is run by a group of golf fanatics, coaches, and caddies who believe in sharing know-how and their love of the game.
© 2023 Golf Guidebook
+44 (0)1346 517061
Golf Guidebook | Broadsea Media,
Main Street, Fraserburgh, UK, AB43 9RT
Links
Meet The Team
Our Newsletter
Affiliate Disclaimer
Terms of Use
Contact Us
Sitemap
Income disclosure: We are reader supported, and earn affiliate commissions when you buy via links found on golfguidebook.com.
What percentage of golfers can break 80?
How to detect a sandbagger or a vanity handicapper
By Dean Knuth
Golf Digest
August 2003
A Golf Digest Campaign: Get a Handicap
Why is it that we so rarely play to our single-digit handicaps or that some of those 14-handicappers often play a lot better than we think they should? We asked Contributing Editor and golf handicap expert Dean Knuth for some explanations and mathematical possibilities when it comes to playing to «your number.»
Q: How often should I play to — or beat — my handicap?
Knuth: If it’s accurate, you should average about three shots above your handicap. For example, a player with a course handicap of 16 on a course with a rating of 71.1 should score on average about 90. The USGA handicap system is based on 96 percent of the best 10 of a golfer’s last 20 rounds, not simply average score.
Scores normally fit into the classic bell-shaped curve. More than half of your scores should be within three strokes of three over your handicap. In other words, taking our 16-handicapper, more than half of the rounds should be between 87 and 93. The player will better the handicap — shooting 87 or lower — only about 20 percent of the time, or once every five rounds. Golfers should only beat their handicap by three strokes one out of every 20 rounds.
Q: What are the odds of that 16-handicapper breaking 80?
Knuth: The odds of someone beating their handicap — if it’s an honest handicap — by eight strokes are 1,138 to 1. For most players that represents about 54 years of golf — a lifetime for many. The odds of beating your number by eight strokes twice are 14,912 to 1, or 710 years of golf.
Q: Are there more sandbaggers s(people who maintain artificially high handicaps so they can win net competitions) or vanity handicappers (people who think they’re a lot better than they really are and whose handicaps are lower than they should be)?
Knuth: About 1 to 2 percent of golfers are sandbaggers, and about 10 percent fall into the vanity-handicap category (also called «reverse sandbaggers»). Sandbaggers typically post very few scores — only their worst rounds — or add strokes to their score or intentionally play a few bad holes near the end of a round. They usually play better than their handicaps in tournaments. Vanity handicappers, on the other hand, typically post only their best scores, or scores better than what they actually shot.
Of these two, the sandbagger is the more reprehensible, because that player is manipulating the system for personal gain. Vanity handicappers are just delusional optimists, though they are terrible partners to be stuck with.
Q: How can you spot a vanity handicapper?
Knuth: Vanity handicappers are constantly apologizing for «unusually» bad play. It starts on the first tee, how they’re just not playing well right now, or how they have some new equipment that they haven’t gotten used to, or how they’re in the middle of a swing change. For men, the reverse sandbagger typically carries a single-digit handicap but plays to a 15.
