Breaking 50 means shooting a score of 49 or better for nine holes of golf. If you’re a newer golfer, or if you consistently find yourself scoring in the 50s and 60s, this is likely the first major scoring milestone on your horizon. This article will break down not just what breaking 50 means, but the simple, practical strategies you can use to accomplish it, focusing on smarter play rather than overhauling your swing.
First, let's take the pressure off. Golf can feel like a game where you need to make pars and birdies, but breaking 50 is an entirely different mission. It's a game of management and moderation, not perfection.
A score of 49 on a par-36 nine-hole course means you averaged 13 strokes over par. That's an average of +1.44 strokes per hole. Let's make that even plainer:
Right away, you can see that breaking 50 isn't about hitting amazing shots. It’s about avoiding the really bad ones. Your target score of 49 allows for five bogeys and four double bogeys. It even allows for a triple bogey or two if you can balance them with some bogeys. The real scorecard-wrecker for golfers at this level isn't the double bogey, it's the "snowman" (an 8) or the dreaded 9 or 10 on a hole. Your entire strategy should revolve around eliminating those big, crooked numbers.
To break 50, you need to stop thinking like a tour pro and start thinking like a savvy manager. Your new goal is to play "boring golf." This means less emphasis on highlight-reel shots and more on consistently advancing the ball toward the hole without taking big risks.
Forget trying to hit the green in regulation on a Par 4. That requires two exceptional shots. Instead, adopt a "three-shot-to-the-green" mentality.
From there, you aim to two-putt for a bogey or maybe three-putt for a double bogey. If you can make that process your standard on most Par 4s and Par 5s, you will break 50. It’s a huge mental shift. You are no longer "failing" to make par, you are "succeeding" in making a bogey.
Here’s how to apply the bogey-golfer mindset with a shot-by-shot, practical game plan that anyone can follow.
Leave the driver in the bag. Let me say that again: leave the driver in the bag. For most golfers trying to break 50, the driver is the number one cause of penalty strokes and blow-up holes. A sliced driver into the woods or out of bounds is an instant way to add two or three strokes to your score.
Instead, identify your most reliable club. For many, this is a 7-iron, 8-iron, or a hybrid. Which club can you hit relatively straight 130-150 yards almost every time? That is your new "go-to" club off the tee. A 140-yard shot in the middle of the fairway is infinitely better than a 220-yard shot in someone's backyard. Your goal on the tee box is not distance, it's putting your next shot in a position to be played easily from a good lie.
So, you’ve hit your 7-iron into the fairway. You're maybe 200 yards away from the green on a Par 4. The temptation is to grab a 3-wood and try to hit a once-in-a-lifetime shot onto the green. Don’t do it.
Remember our "three-shot-to-the-green" rule. Your second shot's only job is to get you closer. Use that same trusty 7-iron or another comfortable club. Aim for the widest part of the fairway, well short of any greenside bunkers or water hazards. Advancing the ball another 140 yards leaves you with a simple chip from 60 yards out. It's a low-stress, high-percentage play.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking every shot needs to be heroic. An ugly shot that dribbles 100 yards down the fairway but stays out of trouble is a winning shot in the mission to break 50.
This is where you can save the most strokes. When you are inside 50 yards, your only goal is to get the ball somewhere on the putting surface. Do not try to get the ball "close." Do not try to hole the chip. Trying to hit the perfect, delicate shot often leads to chunked chips (hitting the ground first) or thinned chips (hitting the ball with the leading edge) that go screaming over the green.
Massive stroke loss happens on the putting green. Stop trying to make every putt. Your goal on your first putt from more than 10 feet away is not to make it, but to get it inside a three-foot circle around the hole - a "friend-zone" putt.
This changes everything. Instead of focusing on the tiny hole, focus on speed. Getting the speed right means you’ll almost always be left with a simple tap-in for your second putt (or third, which is fine!). A three-putt double-bogey keeps the blow-up score off your card. A four-putt is what kills you.
Don’t just go to the driving range and hit buckets of balls with your driver. That won't help. Your practice needs to reflect your new strategy. A typical practice session should look something like this:
This targeted practice directly works on the skills that will prevent blow-up holes and help you save strokes where it matters most for your game right now.
Breaking 50 is more of a mental and strategic accomplishment than a physical one. It’s achieved not by hitting perfect shots, but by reducing an abundance of terrible ones. By embracing a "bogey golf" mindset, using smart club selection, and focusing your practice on the short game, you can trade those devastating 8s and 9s for manageable 5s and 6s - and watch your scores finally drop below that satisfying 50 mark.
But making those smart, level-headed decisions on the course, especially when you're under pressure or facing a tricky shot, can be difficult. That's why we built our app. You can ask for a simple strategy right on the tee, or get a recommendation on what club to hit for your second shot. If you find yourself in a really tough spot, you can even snap a photo of the lie and Caddie AI will give you expert advice on the best way to handle it, taking the guesswork out of course management so you can play with more confidence.
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