Shooting a 90 on the golf course is a major milestone, and playing bogey golf is the roadmap to get there. This isn't about crushing every drive or sticking every approach shot, it's a completely different way to play the game, rooted in smart strategy and disciplined decision-making. This article will give you the practical, on-course plan to break 90 consistently by embracing the art of the bogey.
For most amateur golfers, the biggest hurdle isn't physical - it's mental. We watch professionals on TV execute flawless shots and believe we need to do the same. This is the first idea you need to throw out. Playing bogey golf requires a significant mental shift from trying to make pars and birdies to actively trying to avoid double bogeys or worse. The "blow-up hole" is the enemy, not the bogey.
Think about it this way: a score of 90 on a par-72 course is 18 bogeys. That's it. You don't need a single par. If you happen to make a few pars (or even a lucky birdie), it just gives you a cushion for an occasional double bogey. Once you truly accept this, the pressure vanishes. A missed green isn't a failure, it’s part of the plan. A drive that finishes in the light rough but is still in play is a success.
This mindset changes your entire definition of a "good shot."
Your new goal on every hole is simple: eliminate the big mistakes. Celebrate a boring bogey. See it as a small victory, a successful takedown of the hole according to your new game plan.
To really ingrain this strategy, let's break down how a bogey golfer should approach a standard par 4. Forget "Green in Regulation" (GIR). Your new metric is "Bogey in Regulation." On a par 4, that means getting your ball on the green in three shots, not two. This single change re-frames your entire hole strategy.
Here’s your new shot-by-shot template for a 400-yard par 4:
Following this template turns a potentially intimidating hole into a manageable, three-stage process. You remove the pressure to hit two perfect, long shots and replace it with a plan that relies on three reasonable, high-percentage shots.
Bogey golf is won or lost with the decisions you make between shots. Your brain is your 15th club, and you need to use it wisely. This means developing a disciplined course management strategy that you stick to, no matter what.
The single fastest way to lower your score is to keep your tee shot in play. That means being honest with yourself about your most reliable club. For many amateurs, the driver is a liability. If you hit your 3-wood or hybrid straighter, even if it’s 30 yards shorter, it should be your go-to club. Look at every tee box not as an opportunity to hit a bomb, but as a risk-assessment problem. Where is the absolute worst place to be? Water left? Trees right? Aim away from it. Playing to the wide side of the fairway is always the smart choice.
Flag-hunting is for the pros. For the bogey golfer, the center of the green is your bullseye on every single approach shot. Tucked pins behind deep bunkers or next to water hazards are sucker locations designed to bait you into a big number. By always aiming for the middle of the green, you give yourself the largest possible margin for error. A slight pull still finds the green. A slight push still finds the green. A shot that comes up 10 yards short might still be on the front edge or in the fairway, leaving an easy chip. Contrast that with aiming at a flag on the edge - a slight miss can lead to an impossible bunker shot or a lost ball penalty.
Don't try to mimic the fancy, high-spinning flop shots you see on TV. The secret to a good short game for the average player is reliability. Your goal is to eliminate the chunked chip that goes two feet and the bladed chip that flies across the green. The most reliable shot for most golfers is the "bump-and-run."
Use a less lofted club like an 8-iron or 9-iron. Stand closer to the ball, use your putting grip and a small putting-style motion. Simply focus on landing the ball a few feet onto the green and letting it roll out like a putt. It’s a predictable, low-risk shot that practically guarantees you’ll get the ball on the putting surface, avoid a disaster, and give you a chance to make the putt.
Three-putts are score-killing, soul-crushing mistakes. They turn a well-earned bogey into a painful double bogey. To avoid them, you must shift your focus on long putts (anything outside of 20 feet) from trying to make the putt to trying to lag the putt. Speed, not line, is your priority. Your entire focus should be on rolling the ball to within a three-foot "tap-in" circle around the hole. A putt that finishes two feet past the hole is a masterpiece. A putt that screams six feet past is a failure. Practice your distance control above all else, and you'll become a dependable two-putt player.
Even with the best strategy, bad shots will happen. Your tee shot will find the trees, or you'll find yourself in a deep fairway bunker. This is where bogey golfers separate themselves. Instead of trying a heroic, low-percentage escape, you must learn to "take your medicine."
If you're in the trees, don't look for the impossible one-in-a-million gap to the green. Find the easiest, widest alley back to the fairway, even if it means hitting the ball sideways. A simple punch-out back to safety turns a potential disaster into, at worst, an extra shot. Trying a miracle shot that hits a tree and ricochets out of bounds turns a 5 into an 8 in the blink of an eye.
The smartest and sometimes bravest shot in golf is the one that accepts a penalty stroke but prevents a bigger number. Laying up short of a water hazard you aren't 100% sure you can carry is not weak - it's smart. It's the essence of bogey golf.
Playing bogey golf requires you to leave your ego in the car and approach the game like a strategist, not a hero. Success comes from consistent course management, prioritizing safety over spectacle, and focusing on eliminating the devastating blow-up holes that ruin a scorecard.
Having a clear, objective plan for every shot is central to this a new way of play. Oftentimes, having an unbiased Caddie on your bag to keep a player grounded in sound strategy vs. ego-fueled mistakes is the fastest and easiest way get there. This is why our team developed a golf App we call, Caddie AI. It's designed you a straight forward answer when you’re facing a tough decision on the course. You don't get 'swing tips.' You get practical, strategic advice personalized to you, based on your own skill. We help you make the right choice when stuck between laying up vs. going for it on a tricky Par 5 second shot or when deciding the best to play from an awkward lie to help turn those big numbers into manageable bogeys.
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