Average Golf Score By Age (And How To Improve It) (2024)

If you’re an average weekend golfer you probably get a bit frustrated by your game and your scores. What you probably won’t realize is that your scores are most likely very close to average. In this post, I’m going to be talking about the average golf score based on age and then a few simple ways you can improve your scores.

According to the USGA, the average score for recreational players is 91 on a par 72 golf course. These numbers take into account everyone who actively records their scores and reports them online, and since a lot of golfers don’t do this, the average golf score for all golfers is much closer to 100.

These numbers are the averages for people who actually keep track of their handicap. A lot of golfers don’t, and since that’s the case, you could probably add 9-10 strokes to these numbers. The good news is that your score is something you can easily improve with the right couple of tweaks. We’ll get into that next.

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We want to keep this article accurate. In the comments below, let me know your age and the score you normally shoot.

Ages 20-30

The average score for someone between 20 and 30 years old is 90 on a par 72 golf course. This number is for golfers who actually report their scores and keep track of their handicaps. A lot of people don’t do this, so it’s probably safe to say that the average score is 10 strokes higher.

The majority of people in this age range are just getting started with golf and don’t have a whole lot of experience. The reason they score better on average is that they’re generally more athletic than when they get older.

Ages 30-40

The average score for someone between 30 and 40 years old is 92 on a par 72 golf course. A little bit worse than the younger folk and a little bit higher than the overall average. Again, the average score is probably 9-10 strokes higher.

I think the reason people in this age range shoot a bit higher is that you have a lot of new golfers going out for the first time. They aren’t as athletic as they were 10 years ago and that’s why the score is a bit higher.

Ages 40-50

The average score for someone between 40 and 50 years old is 92 on a par 72 golf course. It’s the exact same as the previous range and I think the reason is that most people in this age range don’t get out a whole lot and don’t have much time to practice.

Ages 50-60

The average score for someone between 50 and 60 years old is 91 on a par 72 golf course. I think the reason the scores are slightly better is that people in this age range have more time to spend playing. They might be retiring soon and they should still be in decent athletic shape.

Ages 60+

The average score for someone over the age of 60 is 92 on a par 72 golf course. These people have a lot of time to play golf but they’re getting older and their body doesn’t work quite as well as it used to. Obviously, you’ll have some golfers shoot much better and some that shoot much worse. These numbers are just averages.

What’s Your Handicap?

Now that you know the averages based on age, you might be wondering what your handicap is and what it actually means. If you’re a 10 handicap then you’ll get 10 strokes to start the round. It’s just an easy way to compete against someone else that is better or worse than you.

If you shoot between 70 and 75, your handicap will be between 1 and 2. If you shoot between 76 and 80, your handicap will be between 3 and 5. If you shoot between 81 and 85, your handicap will be between 6 and 9. If you shoot between 86 and 91, your handicap will be between 10 and 13. If you shoot between 92 and 97, your handicap is between 14 and 19. If you shoot between 98 and 101, your handicap is between 20 and 24.

Tips To Improve Your Score

There are a bunch of different ways you can improve your game and the simple answer would be to learn the correct technique and practice every single day. Easier said than done, I know, but if you want to improve your game drastically then it’s what you have to do.

The good news though is that there are a few simple things you can do to slightly improve your game quickly. It’s what I did when I was getting started and I think it could help you too. You’ll still need to practice a good amount but they are quick and simple tweaks.

The first thing you definitely need to do is learn the basic fundamentals. Things like grip, stance, and posture are super important to have right (and most people don’t). All these advanced drills and methods do work but you’ll get 80% of the way there by focusing on the basics.

What I’d recommend you do is read Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons (on Amazon). It’s a short read but it’ll talk about all this stuff. It’s probably the best training I’ve ever been through.

The second thing I’d recommend you do is to get the right golf ball. Most people use whatever they can find, or worse yet, use what they see on TV. All golf balls are different, some are designed for pros, while others are designed for beginners. If you use the wrong ball then you’ll get bad results.

With the right ball, you’ll get more distance, more forgiveness, and you’ll hit more greens and fairways. What I’d recommend for the average golfer (who shoots around 90-100) is to use a 2–3 piece ball that has low compression and low spin.

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The third thing you can do is focus on less distance and more fairways. This was something I ended up doing and it improved my scores right away. If you’re constantly hitting from the rough it’ll be really tough to shoot good scores.

If you want to improve your golf game you need to keep your ball in play. I ended up benching my driver and woods and would hit a hybrid off the tee. My shots only went about 210 yards but I was in the fairway 80% of the time.

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If you tend to slice or hook your driver then don’t use it. Same for your woods. If you have to hit an iron off the tee to keep it in play, do that. As long as you hit the ball 200 yards off the tee, you can still put up some decent scores.

Those are the three things I did to pretty much improve my scores overnight. I’m not saying it’s guaranteed to work for you but it should. Once you have these three things dialled in then you can start learning some advanced tactics and techniques.

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