Good golfers are not born—they’re made. Just about anyone can learn to play the game well enough to enjoy it, but few develop into world-class players. Why? It’s hard work and time that many people don’t want to invest in what some might see as a hobby.
But how do you know if you are a good golfer? Here are a few ways to test your ability, whether it be subjective or objective.
Tournament Play
One of the most common things people do is play in a tournament. Depending on the type of competition, there are different ways to judge how good a golfer you may be.
If it is an amateur event, the person with the lowest score wins.
Sometimes, there are rounds for professional or professional-like events where you shoot for par, which means making the number of strokes equal to the course rating (which varies by course).
This indicates your score is in the top half of golfers.
There are also larger tournaments where you might be placed against particular opponents with high scores and others with low scores. For these, it’s a matter of beating out the rest of the field in terms of total strokes over 18 holes.
Finally, there might be a mix of everyone playing for some events, in which case it’s about beating your opponents.
Playing Against Yourself
Another way you can test your ability is to play against yourself. For this, you won’t have anyone else on the course with you, so there are no distractions or excuses for poor play.
You will only judge yourself by the number of strokes it takes you to complete all 18 holes. You can measure this against your personal record or someone else you consider a good golfer.
Suppose you are genuinely dedicated to improving your skills. In that case, you might try playing golf alone against yourself every day to beat your scores from the last week.
This is also a great time to see how you handle bad shots. Learning how to stop being frustrated when golfing can really improve your ability to bounce back after wayward shots.
This is a great way to build up your confidence and know if you are making strides in the right direction towards good golfing ability.
Course Record
One of the most commonly known ways to test your ability is to see if you have a better score than the course record. This is often done on larger courses with many different tees from which people can choose how far they want to play.
It’s commonly accepted that you must be an excellent golfer if you can break this record.
Of course, this is a subjective test rather than an objective one since it only tells you how good you are compared to others who have played the same course.
How Good Are Your Club Techniques?
You might be surprised to learn that learning proper club techniques is one of the most important things you should do before playing. For example, if your swing isn’t right, no practice will help improve your game.
So, the only way you will know your club techniques is to watch yourself or get someone else to do it.
Watching your swing can be done either directly or on video, so there are different ways to judge the quality of your game.
Using Other People’s Opinions
Ask around and see what others think about your game. For example, if you know people who enjoy playing golf, ask them what they think of your swing.
They’ll be able to tell if you have a quick swing or if it takes too long to complete the cycle from backswing to downswing and follow through.
They’ll also be able to identify any issues with your stance, grip, and the club’s position during the swing.
It may not always be pleasant to hear that you need work, but it’s better than playing for years without knowing how good a golfer you are.
Take Lessons from a Pro
One of the best ways to improve your game is to take lessons from a professional. They have been learning how to play for several years, so they know what you should do to improve and what you shouldn’t do.
Plus, they might be able to offer insights you hadn’t thought of.
What’s Your Score?
A good golfer generally shoots scores in the top half of all golfers playing the same course simultaneously. In a tournament, good scores are between the top 50% and top 20%.
In self-testing, you should beat your daily best score every day to improve your personal record.
A typical par for a golf course is 70 to 72; any score at par or lower is considered good.
How Do You Know If You Are A Good Golfer?
There is no single answer that defines your level of golfing ability. It depends on many different things, including how well you play against yourself, what kind of tournaments you play in, and the course record.
For a subjective test, ask yourself how good you are compared to those around you. If you tend to beat out the majority of other golfers on your course or in tournaments, then it’s likely that you are truly a good golfer.
It doesn’t matter what kind of test you use; just do it often enough that you can track your progress. If you are feeling stuck about where you are at with your game, talk to a sports psychologist who will help guide you along the way.
Not only is this good for your golf game, but it’s also great for your mental state. Having a passion for something and improving at it is remarkably rewarding and builds up your self-confidence and overall psychological well-being.
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