One of the biggest milestones in golf is arguably breaking 80 for the first time.
But how often do golfers actually do it?
I ran the numbers to let you know what percentage of golfers break 80.
How often do you think golfers around the world consistently break 80?
Let’s look at the numbers…
What percentage of golfers break 80?
It’s really hard to give an exact percentage, but when you aggregate numbers from the USGA, approximately 2-5% of golfers consistently break 80. Golfers with a handicap in the range of 0 – 7.9 are the ones accomplishing this feat.
How many golfers break 80 in their life?
Only around 2% of golfers can say they have broken 80 in his/her lifetime. Anyone picking up golf for the first time should really focus on lesser goals like breaking 100 and breaking 90 before locking in on breaking 80 and being in the 0.92% percent of golfers that break 70.
Factors affecting the ability to break 80
For a golfer that has never broken 80, it’s going to require a combination of skill, course management, and deactivating your brain to successfully break 80.
Key skills that can help a player break 80 include:
- Consistent ball striking
- Effective course management
- 🚨Strong putting and short game abilities 🚨
- Confidence and mental fortitude under pressure
Can an average ball striker break 80?
This answer may surprise you but, YES—an average ball striker can definitely break 80 (under certain circumstances).
Example: I broke 80 a while back by only hitting 5 greens. This doesn’t necessarily mean I sprayed it all over the course, but there are just days you consistently miss greens but in the right spots where your short game can save you.
How course difficulty matters when breaking 80
Another huge factor to consider when attempting to break 80 is the difficulty of the golf course. The course’s rating, slope, and overall layout all contribute to the challenges we face during the round.
Courses with higher ratings and slopes usually require hitting straighter off the tee, missing your irons in the right spots, and scrambling for par when you do miss the green.
Proper course management to break 80 in golf
Over the years, if you’ve ever heard Tiger Woods give a press conference at The Masters you would have 100% heard him talking about “where to miss” when it comes to playing away from pins.
In general, proper course management plays a significant role in achieving lower scores. This involves making smarter decisions on the course and playing strategically away from hazards.
Example: You are playing a short par 4 that’s 315 yards, and you hit a 270 yard drive. You are going to leave yourself a delicate little pitch shot that would be harder to get close to a front-tucked pin location, as opposed to scaling it back off the tee, than having a full 90-100 yard wedge into that same pin.
Let’s move on to what I believe is the most important factor in breaking 80…
Changing how you think
You can’t live and die with every hole you play.
Jack Nicklaus once said, “The game of golf is 90% mental and 10% physical.”
If you even par through 6 holes and then finish the front nine with three bogeys you can’t let bad vibes carry over to the back nine.
You are still on pace to break 80!
Don’t start number 10 thinking about how you are going to make a par to stop the bleeding. Just think about how you are going to hit the fairway and baby step your way to making a birdie by getting it on the green after that.
What golf handicaps break 80?
There are a handful of variables involved like course difficulty and conditions.
Typically, we’re looking in the handicap range of 4-8 though.
If you are unsure where your handicap stands, we have a quick, easy golf handicap calculator for you.
Is 80 considered a good golf score?
Most certainly it is.
We’re talking about achieving something less than 10% of all golfers have ever done.
Golf practice routine to break 80
Stop me if you have heard this before, but in order to break 80 you MUST be great around the greens with your short game.
Here are the key areas to focus on with your new practice routine to break 80:
- Putting: One site recommends practicing 3-5 foot putts with a score needed of 37% success rate to break 80 (source: GolfWRX).
- Short game: This includes chipping, pitching, and bunker play. GOLF.com recommends practicing from a key distance to consistently break 80.
- Course management: STOP AIMING AT PINS! Start aiming at the middle of the greens and/or trying to make sure you leave yourself with mostly uphill putts.
- Knowing your yardages: Start getting a feel for how far you hit each one of your clubs, and when you select a club to hit make sure you don’t miss in the worst place imaginable.
How many putts per round to break 80
The number of putts per round plays a significant role in determining whether a golfer can break 80.
To actually see the importance of putting, let’s take a closer look at some statistics related to putts per round for golfers breaking 80.
According to Golf Monthly, 8 handicappers typically one-putt 3.9 times per round, two-putt 11.7 times per round, and have just about 2.4 three-putts.
Overall, they average 1.8 putts per hole, 33.4 putts per round, and 3.1 putts per green in regulation.
How can I get better to actually break 80?
To become a golfer that consistently breaks 80, you must establish a routine of success.
What this means is practicing the same, having the same pre-shot routine, knowing where to miss, and not three-putting.
By focusing on these areas, golfers can improve his/her consistency and increase their chances of breaking 80.
Does equipment matter when trying to break 80?
Absolutely it matters.
Primarily the golf ball you use plays a huge role.
If you short side yourself, and need maximum spin to keep a delicate chip shot near the hole, it’s going to be extremely hard to get a Pinnacle to drop and stop.
Try playing a Titleist Pro V1 (or Pro V1x), Taylormade TP5X, Bridgestone Tour B-XS, or Srixon Z-Star.
You’re going to spend up for these balls, but well worth it if you truly are trying to up your game and inevitably break 80.
Do golf lessons help to break 80?
For golfers striving to break 80, lessons and coaching can only help (especially for beginners). Working with a qualified instructor can help identify areas of improvement, address swing faults, and develop strategies for better on-course performance.
Some benefits of golf lessons include:
- Individualized instruction tailored to the golfer’s strengths
- Access to modern technology, such as video analysis and launch monitors
- Improved understanding of how to apply swing techniques and course management strategies
Investing in lessons and coaching can accelerate progress and increase the likelihood of consistently breaking 80.
Let’s wrap this up
As avid golfers, we often set personal goals to improve our skills and lower our scores.
If you have been playing golf for a while now, and find yourself inching closer and closer to breaking 80, then boy do we have a deal for you.
With a bit more focus, and an appetite for not losing to your buddies all the time, you’ll be telling your buddies that super long story on how you executed each shot on your way to glory (even though they won’t care).
Regardless of the exact percentage, it is clear that breaking 80 is a commendable accomplishment that requires a combination of skill, strategy, and persistence.
Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wolfitgolf and let me know if you’ve implemented any of these techniques to play golf YOUR best way.
This article was written by Kyle Broughton. Kyle has been involved in golf for over 35 years, and has learned more than enough about the game of golf to pass along his expertise to amateur golfers across the globe.