What Is a 90 in Golf?

Shooting an 89 is one of the most celebrated milestones for the everyday golfer, but the path to breaking 90 is widely misunderstood. It isn’t about hitting more miraculous shots, but about making fewer catastrophic mistakes. We'll break down exactly what it takes to break 90, not with complex swing changes, but with a smarter on-course strategy that simplifies the game and eliminates the big numbers that kill your scores.

What a Score of 90 Actually Means

Let's start with the simple math. A standard golf course has a par of 72. Breaking 90 means shooting a score of 89 or better, which is 17-over-par. If you do the math, that averages out to 4.94 strokes per hole. In golf terms, this is what’s known as “bogey golf.” A bogey is a score of one-over-par on a given hole.

For many aspiring players, the term “bogey golf” sounds negative, but it’s actually the most important mindset shift you need to make. Your mission is not to make pars. Your mission is to make bogeys. Why? Because the player shooting 105 isn’t making 15 more bogeys than the player shooting 90. They’re making a ton of double bogeys, triple bogeys, and the dreaded "others."

To put it simply:

• 18 bogeys = A score of 90 on a par 72 course.
• 9 bogeys and 9 pars = A score of 81.

The path to the 80s is paved with boring, predictable bogeys. Once you truly accept this, you stop taking unnecessary risks, you manage the course better, and your scores will drop almost automatically.

Your Hole-by-Hole Game Plan for Breaking 90

The goal isn’t a flawless swing, it's a repeatable strategy. Think of yourself as a general on the battlefield. You need a simple, effective plan for every single hole, and it starts with ditching your ego. Here is your new three-part plan for every hole you play.

1. On the Tee: Your Only Goal Is to Have a Second Shot

The number one mistake golfers make is pulling driver on every par 4 and par 5, regardless of the situation. They swing hard, desperate for another 15 yards, and often end up in the trees, in a hazard, or out of bounds. That’s how a simple hole turns into a 7 or an 8 in a heartbeat.

Your new philosophy is this: get the ball in play. That's it. Forget maximizing distance. The goal is to give yourself a clear, unimpeded swing for your next shot, preferably from the fairway.

Your Action Plan:

• Re-think the Driver: Look at the hole. Is it narrow? Are there hazards pinching the fairway? If so, the driver is not your friend. A 3-wood, a hybrid, or even a 5-iron that goes 175 yards straight is infinitely better than a 240-yard drive into someone's backyard.
• Define "Playable": A good tee shot is one that leaves you with a good lie and a clear path forward. It doesn’t have to be long. Prioritize a high-percentage shot that you know you can keep on the golf course.
• Aim Smart: Stop aiming down the thin center line. Pick the widest part of the fairway and aim for the middle of it. If there’s trouble all down the left side, aim up the right side of the fairway. Give yourself the widest possible margin for error.

2. The Approach Shot: Worship the Center of the Green

Once you’re in play, the next big mistake is "pin hunting." You see the flag tucked behind a bunker or near the edge of the green, and your ego tells you to go for it. This is a sucker's bet. Trying for the hero shot and missing often leaves you with an impossible chip or in a deep bunker, turning a simple par or bogey into a definite double.

From this point forward, the pin no longer exists. Your new target on every single approach shot is the dead center of the green.

Your Action Plan:

• Take More Club: The vast majority of amateur golfers come up short of their target. Whatever club you think you should hit, take one more. If the target is 150 yards away and that feels like your 7-iron, grab the 6-iron. Being at the back of the green putting is a far better position than being short-sided in a bunker chipping.
• Commit to the Middle: Find the center point of the putting surface - width and depth - and aim for it. This gives you the biggest possible landing area. Your "misses" will now mostly find the edge of the green, leaving you a simple putt instead of a tricky chip. You will be amazed at how many more Greens in Regulation you start hitting with this strategy.

3. Around the Green: Embrace the Two-Putt Mentality

You don't need fancy, high-spinning chip shots to break 90. You need a simple, repeatable motion that gets the ball from off the green onto the green and sets you up for a maximum of two putts.

Your Action Plan - Chipping:

• Find Your Go-To Shot: The highest-percentage shot for most amateurs is the bump-and-run. Use a less lofted club like an 8-iron, 9-iron, or pitching wedge. Make a simple putting motion a little bigger and let the ball get on the green as quickly as possible and roll up to the hole like a putt. It's more predictable than trying to fly a sand wedge perfectly.
• One Chip to the Surface: Your only goal is to get your first chip *somewhere on the putting surface*. Don't worry about getting it close. Just eliminate the chili-dip or the bladed shot that flies over the green.

Your Action Plan - Putting:

• No More Three-Putts: Three-putts are the silent killers of a good round. They come from poor distance control, not bad aim.
• Focus on Speed: On any putt outside of 10 feet, your goal is not to make it. Your goal is to get the speed right and leave it within a three-foot "friendship circle" around the hole. Spend your practice time hitting long putts and just focusing on how hard to hit them.
• Own the Short Ones: Practice those 3-footers relentlessly. They should feel almost automatic. Making all of your short putts saves you more strokes than you can imagine.

Double Bogey Is Your New "MAX" Score

The single most important key to finally breaking 90 is eliminating the dreaded “blow-up hole.” A scorecard of 89 almost never has a 7, 8, or 9 on it. One big number can erase five or six perfectly good bogeys. So how do you avoid them? By establishing a new rule for yourself: Double Bogey is my maximum score.

When you find yourself in serious trouble, the goal changes. You're no longer playing for par or even bogey. You're now in "damage control" mode, playing for a double bogey at worst.

Here’s how to do it:

• You Hit it in the Trees? Don't try the miracle shot through the 2-foot gap. Take your medicine. Find the easiest, widest opening back to the fairway, even if you have to punch it out sideways or backwards. Wasting one shot to punch out safely is far better than taking 3 more shots from deeper in the woods.
• In a Deep Bunker? Forget the pin. Your only thought should be: "Get it on the green." Take a fuller swing and just get the ball out onto the putting surface.
• After Two Bad Shots: If you start a hole with two poor shots (e.g., a short drive into the rough followed by a topped fairway wood), the hole is already in jeopardy. Don't press and try to hit a perfect third shot. Recalibrate your brain. Your new goal is to get on the green in two more shots (for a two-putt double bogey). It’s an unemotional, smart decision that saves you from compounding your errors.

Final Thoughts

Breaking 90 is an attainable goal for almost any golfer, but it unfolds on the course, not just on the driving range. It’s achieved by trading a reckless pursuit of par for a wise acceptance of bogey, and by focusing intensely on avoiding crooked numbers. It’s a game of strategy, management, and keeping a cool head when things go wrong.

Applying this kind of smart, percentage-based golf requires you to make sound decisions under pressure. We've designed a tool precisely for this. With personalized, on-course strategy and 24/7 coaching access through a tool like Caddie AI, you can remove the guesswork. You get instant advice on club selection, layup targets, or how to play that tricky shot out of the rough. Making intelligent choices becomes second nature, helping you eliminate those blow-up holes and finally sign for a scorecard in the 80s.