Flighting Blog
Most read guides
- What Does Breaking 100 Mean in Golf? The 9-Double Budget
- What Is Par for 9 and 18 Holes? Is Par Always 72?
- How Long Does a Round of Golf Take? Time per Hole Chart
- Course Rating and Slope: What They Mean on a Scorecard
- Average Golf Handicap and Average Score by Handicap
- Best Public Golf Courses in St. George, Utah: Full List
- How to Break 90 in Golf: What It Means and How to Get There
- Golf by the Numbers: Real Stats From Flighting Members
All posts
- How Long Does It Take to Lower Your Handicap? Member Data
Plan on about 20 rounds. Flighting members' best 8 of 20 fell 1.3 strokes over 20 more rounds, about two months of play, and half of that was the season.
- How Many Putts per Round Is Good? Averages by Handicap
Flighting members average 32.6 putts per round: 31.5 under a 5 index, 35 at 10 to 14.9, and 37.2 at 20 and up. See what is good for your handicap.
- Rangefinder vs GPS for Golf: Which Do You Need?
A laser rangefinder gives the exact yardage to the flag. GPS gives front, middle and back of the green. Most golfers over 10 need GPS first.
- What Is Strokes Gained in Golf? Explained for Amateurs
Strokes gained scores each shot against a baseline. In 2,217 member rounds, about three quarters of the gap between handicap bands came before the putter.
- How Many Pars and Birdies per Round? Real Data by Handicap
Flighting members average 7.2 pars and 1.3 birdies per round. A 10 to 14.9 handicap makes about 5 pars and a birdie every other round. Full table by handicap.
- How to Run a Season-Long Golf League: Points, Handicaps, Rules
Run a golf league with friends: pick 8 to 16 players, play net match play with handicap allowances, award points each week, and drop the worst two weeks.
- What Is a Good Golf Handicap for a Beginner?
There is no official beginner handicap. A good first target is the low 20s: members at 20.0 to 24.9 break 100 in 70% of rounds. See scores at every level.
- Can You Learn Golf From YouTube? How to Do It Right
Yes, you can learn golf from YouTube if you pick one fundamental at a time, film your own swing, and practice what costs you strokes. Here's how to do it.
- Ball Lands on a Maintenance Vehicle or Cart: Golf Rules
Ball on a mower, utility cart or maintenance truck? It's free relief: drop within one club-length of the spot under it. Moving vehicle? You must take relief.
- Best Golf Games to Play With Friends (Nassau, Skins, Wolf)
How Nassau, skins, wolf and Bingo Bango Bongo work, how to use handicap strokes so they stay fair, and which game fits your group, with real member data.
- Average Golf Handicap and Average Score by Handicap
The average Handicap Index is 14.2 for men and 28.7 for women. Median score by handicap: 82 for a 5 to 9.9, 88 for a 10 to 14.9, 93 for a 15 to 19.9.
- Why Swing Tempo Matters More Than Swing Mechanics
Why tempo holds your swing together, how to measure your own tempo ratio with a phone, and the drills that stop you rushing from the top.
- Golf by the Numbers: Real Stats From Flighting Members
Average scores, putts, and scorecard mix by Handicap Index, from 13,111 posted rounds by 867 Flighting members. Refreshed monthly.
- What Does Breaking 100 Mean in Golf? The 9-Double Budget
Breaking 100 means 99 or fewer for 18 holes: on a par 72, bogey every hole plus nine doubles. Member cards of 95 to 99 have 1.3 fewer triples than 100 to 104.
- How to Warm Up Your Putting Before a Round: A 15-Minute Routine
A 15-minute pre-round putting warm-up built around speed, plus Flighting member data showing where first-hole three-putts come from.
- When to Get Fitted for Irons: 7 Signs Your Clubs Cost You Strokes
How to tell if your irons are costing you strokes, when an iron fitting is worth it, what happens in a fitting, and the range tests to run before you book one.
- How to Build a Pre-Shot Routine That Works Under Pressure
Build a golf pre-shot routine that holds up under pressure: a step-by-step routine, how long it should take, how to reset after a bad hole, and how to practice it.
- How to Track Golf Stats That Actually Lower Your Scores
Which golf stats to track, how to record them on a scorecard, and what member data shows about the putting and hole stats that separate handicap levels.
- Improve Balance with Hogan's Waggle Drill for Consistent Strikes
Use Hogan's waggle drill to enhance balance and stability, improving your ball-striking consistency and lowering your scores.
- How to Avoid Big Numbers in Golf and Save Your Round
Double bogeys decide most amateur scores. Member scorecards show where blow up holes happen, plus the tee, recovery, and short game rules that stop them.
- 10-Minute Golf Warm-Up Before a Round for Lower Scores
A 10-minute golf warm-up before a round, minute by minute, plus what 5,566 member scorecards show about scoring on the first three holes.
- The 3 Most Important Short Game Shots to Practice
The chip, the 30 to 60 yard pitch, and the greenside bunker shot, with drills, rep counts, pass marks, and member scorecard data on doubles and three-putts.
- Build a Weekly Golf Practice Plan to Lower Your Handicap
A weekly golf practice plan with time boxes for putting, wedges, and full swing, built on where Flighting members actually lose strokes by handicap band.
- Putting Alignment Drills at Home: 5 Drills That Work
Five putting alignment drills you can do at home with a yardstick, mirror, and two tees, with rep counts and real one-putt stats from member rounds.
- Can You Lean on a Tree for Support While Hitting in Golf?
Discover if leaning on a tree for support during a golf shot is legal. Learn how rules impact your play and improve your score.
- How to Break 90 in Golf: What It Means and How to Get There
Breaking 90 means shooting 89 or better for 18 holes. Learn the bogey math, a 3-week practice plan, and what real member scorecards show.
- How to Stop Slicing the Golf Ball: Causes, Fixes and Drills
Why you slice and how to stop it: the grip, alignment, path and release fixes, driver-only slice checks, and drills with rep counts to straighten your shots.
- Are Cavity Back Irons More Forgiving Than Blades?
Yes. Cavity backs move weight to the perimeter, so mishits keep speed and fly straighter. When blades make sense, with par 3 scores by handicap.
- Golf and Mental Health: How the Game Improves Your Well-Being
Golf isn't just good for your game — it's good for your mind. Research shows golf boosts mental health through exercise, nature, and social connection.
- Stiff vs Regular Flex: Swing Speed Chart and Signs
Regular flex usually fits driver swing speeds of about 85 to 95 mph and stiff about 95 to 105. Use the chart, the ball flight signs, and a 20-ball test.
- The Rise of Performance Golf Communities: Why Golfers Are Joining Online Platforms
Solo golf improvement is giving way to connected, data-driven communities. Learn why performance golf platforms are changing how golfers compete and improve.
- Is Side Saddle Putting Legal in Golf?
Side saddle putting is legal under USGA rules, but it must follow specific guidelines. Learn why it’s allowed and how it fits within the rules of golf.
- Course Management Strategies to Break 80: What the Data Shows
Course management to break 80, backed by member scorecards: why doubles decide the round, where par 4s cost strokes, and drills for smarter decisions.
- How to Grip a Golf Club Correctly: A Beginner's Guide
How to grip a golf club step by step: where the handle sits in each hand, how many knuckles to see, overlap vs interlock vs ten-finger, and how tight to hold it.
- How to Play Golf in the Wind: Tips for Windy Conditions
Club up, swing easy and keep the ball low. Our member data shows bad rounds cost a 10 to 14 handicap about 9 strokes, mostly through double bogeys.
- How to Fix a Chunked Iron Shot: Causes, Setup and Drills
Why you chunk your irons and how to fix it: the setup checks, low-point drills with rep counts, and a 10-minute range routine to stop hitting fat shots.
- How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap Index (With Example)
How a USGA Handicap Index is calculated: score differentials, best 8 of 20, net double bogey, caps, and course handicap, with a worked example.
- Golf Wedge Guide: Loft, Bounce, and Grind Explained
How to gap wedge lofts, what bounce wedge you need for your swing and course, and how grinds work, with a practical setup for mid handicappers.
- How to Take a Great Range Session to the Course
Why your range game disappears on the course, and how to practice so it shows up: one-ball drills, a range round, warm-up rules, and member scoring data.
- How to Practice on a Launch Monitor Effectively
A coach's plan for launch monitor practice: which numbers to watch, how to set up a session, and drills with rep counts and pass marks that carry to the course.
- Why Are Golf Balls Dimpled? The Science Explained
Golf balls have dimples to reduce drag and increase lift, doubling their distance. Learn the aerodynamic science behind dimples and how they work.
- Summer Golf Tips: Hydration and Heat Safety on the Course
How to play golf safely in summer heat: hydration, sunscreen, heat exhaustion signs, and what member data shows (the same golfers scored 1.2 better in summer).
- What Driver Loft Should I Use? Loft by Swing Speed Chart
A simple driver loft chart by swing speed, plus how attack angle, slice, and conditions change the loft you need and how to test it yourself.
- What Is Par for 9 and 18 Holes? Is Par Always 72?
Par for 9 holes is usually 36 and par for 18 is usually 72, but not always: 31.6% of member cards were on courses that weren't par 72. Here is how par is set.
- How to Find Golf Partners and Build a Regular Group
The fastest ways to find golf partners: book as a single, join a league or men's or women's club, and turn good pairings into a standing tee time.
- How Long Does a Round of Golf Take? Time per Hole Chart
About 4 hours 30 minutes for 18 holes, or 15 minutes a hole: 2 holes in 30 minutes, 4 in an hour, 9 in 2 hours 15. A twosome can finish 18 in under 4 hours.
- Planning Your First Golf Trip: A Weekend Getaway Guide
How to plan your first golf trip: picking a destination, how many rounds to book, budgeting, games for the group, packing, and how much new courses cost you.
- Best Public Golf Courses in St. George, Utah: Full List
Public golf courses in St. George, Utah: 4 city courses with 72 holes, plus The Ledges, Coral Canyon, Sand Hollow and Sky Mountain. Entrada is private.
- How to Read Greens Like a Pro: Slope, Speed, and Grain
Read greens like a pro with a 30-second routine for slope, speed, and grain, three practice drills, and real putting stats from 1,783 member rounds.
- Why Golf Etiquette Still Matters: The Rules Most Players Break
The golf etiquette rules that matter most in 2026: pace of play, when to pick up, course care, where to stand, and what has changed. Plain, practical and current.
- How to Choose the Right Golf Ball for Your Swing Speed
Which golf ball fits your game: how construction, cover, and compression differ, what swing speed suits each category, and a simple test to pick one.
- Golf Stretches Before a Round: Moves for Your Back and Hips
The best golf stretches before a round for your hips, back, hamstrings, shoulders, and wrists, with a 9-minute sequence and gentler versions for seniors.
- Course Rating and Slope: What They Mean on a Scorecard
On a scorecard, course rating (say 71.0) is what a scratch golfer should shoot. Slope (55 to 155, 113 standard) is how much harder the tees play for a bogey golfer.
- How Golf Leagues Build Better Players (And How to Find One)
Why a weekly golf league helps you improve, what member data shows about playing often, the common league formats and handicap allowances, and how to find one.
- Best Golf Clubs for Mid Handicappers: What to Buy in 2026
What mid handicappers should look for in a driver, irons, hybrids, wedges and putter, with member data on fairways, missed tee shots and what golfers carry.
- Spring Golf Season Prep: How to Shake Off Winter Rust Fast
Member scorecards show the first rounds of the year run 1 to 1.5 strokes high. Here is a spring golf prep plan for your clubs, range work, putting and goals.
- Golf Mental Game: 6 Mindset Shifts That Help You Break 80
Mental game tips for breaking 80, backed by member scorecards: why bogeys don't snowball but doubles do, how to reset, and how to stop doing math on the back nine.
- Head-to-Head Challenges: The Best Way to Compete With Your Golf Friends
Friendly wagers and bragging rights are great — but structured head-to-head challenges take your golf rivalries to the next level. Here's how they work.
- Golf Course Bucket List: Why Playing New Courses Helps
How to build a golf course bucket list, what belongs on it, and what member scores show about playing away from your home course: it costs less than you think.
- 5 Practice Drills That Actually Lower Your Handicap
Five golf practice drills with rep counts and pass marks, chosen by where Flighting members at each handicap actually lose strokes on par 3s, par 4s and greens.
- How to Track Your Golf Handicap and Actually Improve
How to track your golf handicap so it helps you improve: what the index measures, how to read its trend, and what member scores show about best 8 of 20.
- What Is Performance-Based Golf Apparel — And Why It Matters
Traditional golf brands sell you gear. Flighting lets you earn it. Here's why tying apparel access to real performance milestones is changing how golfers think about their wardrobe.