Trying to figure out what you should be shooting in golf can be one of the game's biggest mind games, often leading to more frustration than positive motivation. This article cuts through the noise and provides a clear, practical roadmap for setting realistic scoring goals, whether you're just getting started or you're trying to break 80 for the first time.
Before we go any further, let's get one thing straight: comparing your weekend score to what you see on the PGA Tour is a recipe for disappointment. Professionals are playing a completely different game under different conditions. A "good" score is entirely personal and depends on your experience, how often you play, and what your individual goals are. The single best measure of a successful round for any amateur golfer is shooting at or below your handicap. That means if you're a 22-handicap and you shoot a 94 on a par 72 course, that's equivalent to a tour pro shooting par. It’s a great day! Chasing an arbitrary number is frustrating, chasing improvement is empowering. With that in mind, let's break down realistic milestones for different skill levels.
If you're new to the game, welcome! This is the most exciting - and sometimes perplexing - stage. Your main goal right now isn't about the final score on the card, it's about making small bits of progress and, most importantly, enjoying yourself enough to come back.
Seriously. Your first several rounds shouldn't even have a score. You are learning a new, complex athletic movement. The goal is to celebrate the small wins:
At this stage, a "good score" is simply a fun round where you hit a handful of shots that made you smile. Don't add up the numbers, it doesn't represent your potential.
Once you’re making contact more consistently, breaking 120 is a fantastic first scoring goal. Think about what this means: a score of 119 on a par 72 course is an average of 6.6 strokes per hole. This is mostly getting triple-bogeys with a few double-bogeys mixed in. This is 100% achievable.
Ah, breaking 100. This is probably the most celebrated milestone in amateur golf. Shooting a 99 means you’re averaging 5.5 strokes per hole. If you make a double-bogey on every single hole, your score is 108. That means you only need to find a way to turn nine of those double-bogeys into bogeys over 18 holes to shoot 99. When you frame it like that, it feels much more manageable.
You’ve broken 100a few times and are now consistently shooting in the 90s. Welcome to the "Bogey Golfer" club (a player with around an 18 handicap). Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to start converting some of those bogeys into pars and break 90.
Shooting an 89 is a huge accomplishment. This score means you are averaging just under a bogey per hole (a 4.9 average on a par 72). A great way to visualize this is to aim for a scorecard of nine pars and nine bogeys. That's it. Suddenly, making a bogey doesn’t feel like a total failure, it's part of the plan.
You're consistently in the 80s now. You’re becoming a genuinely good golfer. But you have your eyes set on the next a big prize: breaking 80.
A score in the 70s puts you in a small percentage of golfers worldwide. A 79 on a par 72 is seven-over-par. To achieve this, you need a game with very few major weaknesses. This isn't about hitting more spectacular shots, it's about razor-sharp execution and almost completely eliminating dumb mistakes. A round of 79 could be 11 pars and 7 bogeys. It could also include a birdie or two, which then gives you more wiggle room for bogeys elsewhere.
Understanding these milestones allows you to set a meaningful target. Instead of getting frustrated trying to shoot par, you can focus on the specific skills needed to get from 105 to 95, or from 88 to 82. That's how real, lasting improvement happens.
Ultimately, what you "should" shoot in golf is an intensely personal question with no single right answer. By setting goals in these digestible stages - from breaking 120, to 100, 90, and 80 - you create a practical ladder for improvement that keeps the game fun and rewarding.
As you focus on improving your course management to reach these goals, having a smart strategy is just as fundamental as your swing itself. We built Caddie AI to act as your on-demand caddie and coach, helping you make smarter decisions on the course that directly lead to better scores. It can give you a clear game plan for a tricky par 5, recommend a club for a tough approach, or even analyze a photo of your lie in the rough to recommend the wisest shot, helping to eliminate the kind of guesswork that leads to blow-up holes so you can just focus on your swing.
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Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
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