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.

By Flighting Editorial Team Updated 2026-11-04

Across 13,111 posted 18-hole rounds from 867 Flighting members, 76.9% were under 90. That share depends almost entirely on Handicap Index: 99.1% of rounds for members under 5, 92.0% for 5.0 to 9.9, 63.1% for 10.0 to 14.9, 30.3% for 15.0 to 19.9, 9.8% for 20.0 to 24.9, and 4.4% for 25 and up.

Last updated: November 3, 2026. Rounds played January through October 2026, plus the first rounds posted in November.

This page is a standing reference. Every number below comes from aggregate Flighting member data, with the sample size next to it, and we refresh it monthly as more rounds come in. Flighting members are better than the typical golfer (the median member index is 8.2), so read the tables by handicap band rather than as a picture of golf as a whole.

What is the average golf score by handicap?

Here is how members score, grouped by their current Handicap Index. Scores are posted 18-hole adjusted gross scores.

The average score climbs 4.4 to 6.2 strokes with each five-point band, then jumps 7.5 strokes between 20.0 to 24.9 and 25 and up. Breaking 100 is close to automatic below a 15 index. Breaking 90 happens in a little under two of every three rounds at 10.0 to 14.9 and is a good round at 15.0 to 19.9.

What is a good golf score for a 15 handicap?

For members with a 15.0 to 19.9 index, the middle half of rounds falls between 89 and 96, with a median of 92 (1,266 rounds, 98 members). A score in the 80s is a better-than-usual round for that band. For a 10.0 to 14.9 index the middle half runs from 84 to 91, with a median of 88.

What percentage of golfers break 90?

Among Flighting members, 76.9% of 18-hole rounds are under 90, 33.8% are under 80, and 95.0% are under 100 (13,111 rounds, 867 members). The median round is 83. Those figures describe a group that skews low, so the more useful question is what share of rounds break each number at your index. The table below shows the spread of scores in each band.

If 90 is your target, the band that sits right on it is 10.0 to 14.9: its median is 88, and 63.1% of its rounds are under 90. Our guide on how to break 90 walks through the scorecard math.

How many pars and bogeys does it take to break 90?

This table breaks each score range into its holes, using 7,171 hole-by-hole cards from 651 members. Hole scores are adjusted scores, capped at net double bogey, so a triple or worse only shows up on a hole where the player receives a stroke.

Bogeys barely move between 85 and 94: 7.87 per round against 7.98. What changes is the tail. The 90 to 94 card carries 1.28 more doubles and 0.71 more triples than the 85 to 89 card, and about two fewer pars. Only 32.2% of 90 to 94 cards have no triple at all, against 64.9% of 85 to 89 cards.

At the 100 line the pattern is sharper. Cards of 100 to 104 average 3.61 triples or worse, and only 5.4% are triple-free. Our break 100 guide covers how to keep those holes off the card.

How many putts per round is good?

These numbers come from 2,331 rounds (293 members) where the member logged putts on every hole. Rounds of 95 and up are grouped because the 105-plus row alone falls under our 30-round minimum.

By Handicap Index, members under 5 average 31.4 putts and 0.98 three-putts (1,022 rounds, 113 members). The 5.0 to 9.9 band averages 32.6 putts and 1.40 three-putts (836 rounds, 91 members), and 10.0 to 14.9 averages 35.0 putts and 2.53 three-putts (266 rounds, 45 members). Members at 15.0 and up, grouped for sample size, average 35.8 putts and 2.74 three-putts (202 rounds, 41 members).

So a good number depends on the score you are chasing. Around 34 putts fits a round in the high 80s. Rounds of 90 to 94 take 4.3 more putts than rounds under 80, and they carry 1.68 more three-putts. Lag speed is where to start, and a pre-round putting warm-up is built around it.

Do golfers lose more strokes on par 3s, par 4s, or par 5s?

Average strokes over par on each hole type, from hole-by-hole cards, with the share of holes played in double bogey or worse:

Low-index players play par 5s at even par and give their strokes back on par 3s. From a 5 index up, par 4s cost the most per hole. At 10.0 to 14.9, par 3s and par 5s cost the same, and from a 15 index up par 5s cost more than par 3s. Par 4s make up about ten of the 18 holes on members' cards, so that is where most strokes go. For a 15.0 to 19.9 player, a par 4 turns into a double or worse 36.3% of the time. Better targets off the tee and on approach, covered in our course management guide, go straight at that number.

How long does it take to break 90?

We looked at members whose first three tracked 18-hole rounds in 2026 were all 90 or higher and who had at least four rounds in total, and did the same for 100.

For the 90 who broke 90, the first sub-90 typically came about three months after their first tracked round. The 43 who didn't had fewer rounds to try with (a median of 9, against 14 for the whole group). The data starts in January 2026, so round six means the sixth round in this data, not since they took up the game. The breaking-100 group is small, which is why it only clears our minimum this month: 17 of its 24 members got there, typically about two months after their first tracked round.

How we measured this

• Window: rounds played January 2026 through October 2026, plus the first rounds posted in November. Play dates are stored by month, so timing figures are in rounds or months, never days.
• Rounds: standard 18-hole home and away scores posted to members' verified USGA Handicap IDs. Nine-hole scores and scores combined from two nines are excluded.
• Exclusions: test, QA, staff, admin, and synthetic accounts. We also removed 101 implausible rounds: 58 posted 18-hole scores under 60, and 43 more whose hole-by-hole card adds up to a course par under 68 (short courses). Course rating and slope are not stored, so rounds without a card could only be screened by the under-60 rule.
• Hole scores: adjusted scores, capped at net double bogey. Cards are used only when all 18 holes have a score and a par and the holes add up to the posted total. Putting rounds with an impossible entry (fewer than 18 putts in total, or a hole with as many putts as strokes) are dropped.
• Handicap bands: each member's current Handicap Index, not the index at the time of the round. Plus indexes count as under 5. Seven members with no numeric index appear in the totals only.
• Minimums: every row has at least 30 rounds and 15 members.
• Who this is: the median member index is 8.2, and 58.6% of members are under 10. That is a stronger group than golfers at large.

Flighting pulls posted rounds and hole-by-hole cards together so you can see your own version of these tables. If you want to compare your numbers with your band, you can join Flighting and connect your Handicap ID.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of golfers break 90?

Among Flighting members, 76.9% of 18-hole rounds are under 90 (13,111 rounds, 867 members). By index it ranges from 99.1% under a 5 to 4.4% at 25 and up, with 30.3% for a 15.0 to 19.9 index.

What is a good score for a 20 handicap?

Members with a 20.0 to 24.9 index have a median round of 96, and half their rounds fall between 93 and 101 (553 rounds, 45 members). They break 100 in 70.9% of rounds and 90 in 9.8%.

How many putts should a 10 handicap have?

Members with a 10.0 to 14.9 index average 35.0 putts and 2.53 three-putts per round (266 rounds, 45 members). Members from 5.0 to 9.9 average 32.6 putts.

How many three-putts per round is normal?

It tracks score closely: 0.88 per round for rounds under 80, 1.92 for 85 to 89, and 2.56 for 90 to 94. Fewer than half of even the sub-80 rounds are free of three-putts.

What handicap do you need to break 80?

Members under a 5 index break 80 in 75.1% of rounds, and members from 5.0 to 9.9 in 26.0%. From 10.0 to 14.9 the share drops to 4.3%.

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