Date Published: 17/12/2025
The average golf handicap is not a single, fixed number. It varies depending on factors such as gender, age, location, and how often someone plays.
Understanding what the average looks like, and where you fit within it, can help put your own scores into context and set realistic expectations for improvement.
According to R&A, the average handicap in golf is:
These figures reflect typical recreational golfers, not elite amateurs or professionals. For most players, the average handicap represents someone who enjoys the game regularly.
In other words, the “average golfer” is not shooting par—they are navigating bogeys, the occasional double bogey, and the odd standout hole.
Handicaps are a useful way to broadly categorise playing ability. While individual performance will vary, the following ranges provide a helpful guide:
Most golfers will spend the majority of their playing lives between 14 and 28, which aligns closely with national averages.
For male golfers, the average handicap generally sits between 14 and 17, depending on age and how frequently they play. Many golfers in this range score around bogey golf, with the occasional higher round mixed in.
The average handicap for women is typically higher, around 27–29. This reflects a combination of factors such as swing speed, length differences on courses, and overall participation rates, rather than ability or potential.
Among golfers aged 60 and over, average handicaps tend to rise slightly:
That said, experience, course management, and consistency often allow senior golfers to remain highly competitive despite physical changes.
Many golfers want to know how their typical score translates into a handicap. While handicaps are calculated using score differentials rather than simple averages, the examples below offer a rough guide:
| Average Score (Par 72) | Approximate Handicap |
| 75 | 3 |
| 80 | 8 |
| 85 | 13 |
| 90 | 16 |
| 92 | 18 |
| 95 | 21 |
| 100 | 26 |
| 105 | 30 |
| 110 | 35 |
| 115 | 40 |
| 120 | 45 |
For example, a golfer averaging 92 on a par-72 course would typically hold a handicap of around 18, while someone averaging 105 may sit closer to 30.
Having a Handicap Index® is the best way to accurately understand where your game stands compared to others. With iGolf, non-club golfers in England can access a Handicap Index under the World Handicap System™ for £46 per year.
iGolf allows you to submit qualifying scores, track performance trends, and see how your handicap compares to national averages, giving you a clearer picture of your progress and potential.
Understanding the average golf handicap can be reassuring. Most golfers are closer to the middle of the range than they realise, and improvement is about consistency and enjoyment, not chasing unrealistic benchmarks.