Last Updated on February 26, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
It’s your first time heading out to play golf on a course, and you want to know what you can expect. You aren’t alone. Beginner golf can be overwhelming and eye-opening. As a former golf professional, I had students who would go out for their first round and wonder whether their score was good or bad. Initially, it’s hard to tell. I’ll show you the average beginner golf score so you know what to expect. The difficulty of the golf course and the beginner’s skill level will play into these numbers.
What Is The Average Beginner Golf Score?
The average beginner golf score for 18 holes is 120. For 9 holes, the average beginner 9 hole score is 60. Remember that this is an average, so if you went out your first time and shot 130, you are not alone. The average golf score for a beginner golfer will be up and down because of the inconsistency that beginner golfers encounter in their game.
| Category | Average Score |
|---|---|
| 9 Holes Men | 60 |
| 18 Holes Men | 120 |
| 9 Holes Women | 65 |
| 18 Holes Women | 135 |
Women beginner golfers have an average 9 hole score of 65 and an 18 hole score of 135.
Beginner golfers should pick up on a hole after they have reached +5 over the par. There is no reason to be out there and shoot an 11 or 13 on a hole when you are trying to learn the game.
The number of strokes is not the most important part of the process; it’s about figuring out the rules, learning to keep up the pace of play and enjoying time on the course.
Beginner Golf Score vs. Average Golfer Score
As a beginner, one of the first things you will want to know is whether or not you shot a good golf score. An average golfer shoots anywhere from 44 to 50 for nine holes of golf. The 18 hole score is usually in the 90-95 range. If you are a beginner, you are probably seeing scores 15 to 25 shots higher for 18 holes.
A good score for any beginner golfer would be to break 100 and then to break 50 for nine holes.
When you can do that consistently, you may find that your golf game is really improving. In fact, at this point, you can probably call yourself more than a beginner golfer.
| Category | Beginner Average Score | Average Golfer Score |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Holes Men | 60 | 45 |
| 18 Holes Men | 120 | 90 |
| 9 Holes Women | 65 | 50 |
| 18 Holes Women | 130 | 100 |
Why Do Beginner Golfers Score So High?
Playing gofl as a beginner is hard. It’s not just about grooving a golf swing, the process also involves the mental game and knowledge. Beginners don’t usually have a strong short game and they may choose the wrong club.
In addition, beginner golfers tend to take bigger risks than they should especially for the skill set the have. Here’s a list of things that really makes the beginner stand out from a scoring standpoint and where those extra shots come into play.
- Picking the wrong club: club selection takes some time to learn, many beginners hit good shots but they have the wrong club in their hand.
- Inconsistent distance control: as a beginner you may hit a drive 240 yards and then the next one only goes 190, when this happens with the irons it’s hard to shoot a good score.
- Three and four putting: putting is harder than it looks, your overall score will be made up of about 50% putts, take some time to practice if you want to shoot a decent score.
- Not knowing how to get out of the sand: it’s only supposed to take one shot to get out of a bunker, before you head out for a round of golf learn how to hit out of the sand.
- No understanding of course management: golf course management includes things like aiming down the left when water is on the right, beginners haven’t spent enough time on the course to understand how course management works.
- Playing with the wrong equipment: many beginners are borrowing clubs or using a cheap beginner set, eventually the equipment you us has to fit your ability.
What Are The Different Levels of Golfers?
If you catch the golf bug, chances are you will be wanting to get out of this beginner golfer category as quickly as possible. Here are a few other types of golfers you will hear people refer to.
| Type of Golfer | Average Score |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 100+ |
| High Handicappers | 90 – 100 |
| Mid Handicap Golfer | 80 – 89 |
| Bogey Golfer | Around 90 |
| Single Digit Handicap | 70 – 79 |
| Scratch Golfer | 72 or below |
| Professional Golfer | Typically 70 or below |
It takes a long time to jump into the professional golfers category. Golf is not a game that you can pick up all that quickly. Most golfers on the PGA Tour have at least a decade of experience under their belt.
Of course, the exception is junior golfers who have a lot of natural talent, and they played their way through collect right onto the PGA tour. As a new golfer, your first goal should be to break 100, and even that will take some time spent on the driving range.
How Do I Know If I Shot A Good Golf Score?
My favorite thing about the game of golf is that you play against the course. What I consider a bad score as a female golf professional will be different than what you consider a bad score as a beginner. However, we are both playing against the course.
A good golf score is lower than you shot yesterday.
It’s lower than your goal, and it leaves you feeling as though you accomplished something on the golf course.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself as a new player. The golf course’s difficulty, weather conditions, and overall feeling of a new swing will take a while to figure out and get under control.
After you have a few rounds of golf under your belt, get yourself set up in the handicap system and start to really see where your game stands.
What Is A Beginner Golfer Handicap?
In order to figure out your handicap score, you will need to start tracking your rounds using the World Golf Handicap system or GHIN system.
This process takes into consideration the course rating and slope rating of a golf course to give amateur golfers a golf handicap. The average handicap for a beginner golfer will be higher than 30 or 35 for quite some time.
However, it’s a good idea to start tracking and get a general idea as to what your handicap is. Eventually, you will need this handicap to get yourself into golf tournaments.
As a beginner golfer, the maximum you can take on a bad hole would be the par of the hole plus 5. Therefore, the maximum score on a par 3 would be 8, par 4 – 9, and on a par 5- 10. As your handicap improves, you’ll still have an adjustment to your score for handicap purposes.
That maximum will be a net double bogey.
Final Thoughts
Higher scores are expected as a beginner golfer. You have a long way to go before you become a scratch player. Learn the rules, play quickly and have fun in the process. A lower score doesn’t always mean you will have fun on the golf course. A bad golf score here and there is just part of being a golfer. How long did it take you as a beginner golfer to start to break 100?
