When starting out in golf, it can be irritating for you to see your score not improving as quickly as you’d like. People who only play golf occasionally will see a much slower improvement in their score than an avid golfer who plays almost every day.
When it comes to golf, many people only focus on the best scores from other people rather than their own performance. However, you might actually find that your scores are very close to the average for your skill level.
Today we’ll be looking at the average golf scores for every age so that you can have a more realistic view of the improvements you are likely to see. It is very unlikely that a 70-year-old man is going to get a golf score close to that of a 20-year-old golfer due to their different swing speeds, as well as other factors.
We will also be exploring how you can improve your golf score so that you can begin to feel happier and more content with the scores you’re seeing after every game.
In a hurry?
If you don’t have time to read our entire article right now and just want a clear answer to the average golf score by age question, look no further. Here we’ll summarize our findings so that you can quickly get the answer that you’re looking for. For more detailed answers, keep reading the rest of this article.
However, the summary is as follows: the average golf score for the average weekend golfer is 91 on a golf course with a par of 72. For 20 to 30-year-olds, an average score will be around 90. A slightly older golfer at 30 to 50 years of age will have an average score of 92.
Golfers between 50 and 60 will find that their golf scores are around 91 on average. Over 60s will have an average score of 92.
Below is a list of the average golf scores per age:
Age Range | Average Score |
20 to 30 | 90 |
30 to 40 | 92 |
40 to 50 | 92 |
50 to 60 | 91 |
60 and over | 92 |
The average golf score for all golfers is 91. As you can see, there isn’t much of a difference between the average score of golfers and their age. Instead, the average score of your game will depend on your personal game rather than your age.
Many people of all ages will have a higher or lower score than this, and it mainly depends on their expert level. Of course, a beginner golfer will have a much higher score than a golfer who has been playing the game for many years, no matter their age.
So, your golf score will likely be near the average for all golfers as long as it is around or slightly higher than 90. Some might be happy to hear this while others will believe that they need to push themselves harder.
Luckily, there are a few ways that you can easily improve your golf score to make it even more impressive than the average for your age. We will look at some of these later on in our articles, but first, let’s break down the average golf scores by age.
20 to 30-year-old golfers
Many avid golfers get into the game between the ages of 20 and 30, which is why their scores are often around 90. Depending on how long they’ve been playing for during this decade, a 20 to 30-year-old might have a higher or lower golf score than 90.
The majority of golf players in this age range have relatively lower experience than older golfers which is why their golf scores are not much lower than 90.
However, golfers in this age range tend to be the most athletic and therefore can achieve lower golf scores. People between the ages of 20 and 30 who began playing golf as teenagers will have much lower golf scores than 90 thanks to their athleticism.
30 to 40-year-old golfers
For this age range, the average golf score is 92, which is slightly higher than the younger age range. This is also slightly higher than the overall average of weekend golfer scores no matter the age.
The reason why 30 to 40-year-olds have a higher golf score on average is that this is another common age when people will get into golf. These beginners will have less experience and therefore will increase the average due to their higher scores.
Golfers in their 30s to 40s might also have a higher score because they’re not as athletic as people in their 20s to 30s.
40 to 50-year-old golfers
The average golf score for 40 to 50-years-old will also be 92, which is the same as the younger age range above. Again, this is higher than the overall average.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that the golfers are less athletic than younger golfers, or maybe it is because people in their 40s and 50s are less likely to have the time to practice golfing all of the time.
50 to 60-year-old golfers
People aged between 50 and 60 have an average golf score of 91 which is exactly the same as the overall average golf score for all golfers of every age. This golf score might be slightly better than the younger ages because they have more time to practice their game.
People aged between 50 and 60 will likely be retiring soon and therefore will be able to play golf more often for longer periods of time. The average score would be even lower, although people between this age range might be losing their athletic shape.
60 and over golfers
Over 60s will have an average golf score of 92, which is slightly higher than the average. The score will be higher due to the fact that their swing speed and power won’t be as impressive as they used to be.
The score would be higher than this, although as over 60 golfers have the most amount of time to work on their game, their scores are often around 91.
Improving your golf score
There are a number of ways you can improve your golf score, so don’t be discouraged if yours is higher than the average for your age. Golfers tend to never stop wanting to improve their score, so you can take these tips with you and keep working on them for years to come.
Remember that practice makes perfect - you might not see a major difference in your score by using these tips only once. However, using them continuously will surely improve your game over time.
Grip, stance, and posture
First thing’s first, it is incredibly important to get your grip, stance, and posture correct. Many beginners to golf overlook these factors, which is why their golf scores tend to be higher. The grip on your golf club will help you get the most out of every swing, with more control over the speed, trajectory, and distance.
Your stance and posture will also help you to have more control over the ball. If you’re wanting to lower your golf score, you need as much control over the ball and your swing as possible. Fixing your grip, stance, and posture will make such a difference to your game you’ll wish you learned the correct methods a long time ago.
Golf ball
Most people make the mistake of using whatever golf ball they can find, but this could be increasing your score. Golf balls are all different and designed for different types of golfers. Using the wrong ball will affect your forgiveness, distance, and spin.
Make sure that you choose a ball designed for your game in terms of compression and spin rate. Furthermore, keep switching your ball up as you improve to continue lowering your score.
Fairways over distance
Finally, stop focusing on distance over everything. Trying to hit a ball from the rough is going to be much harder than the fairway, so focus on aim rather than distance.
You might not have an impressive tee shot, but the rest of your game will progress much smoother than if you were continuously having to get yourself out of bunkers all of the time.
Summary
We hope that you’ve learned something valuable about the average golf score for your age and how to improve this.
Keeping the three tips above in mind when playing golf will surely improve your golf score before long.
Good luck, and have fun!