The math of 89
On a par 72, bogey on every hole is 90. Break 90 and you need one stroke better than that: one par and 17 bogeys, or two pars, a double bogey and 15 bogeys. You don't need birdies, and you don't need to hit many greens.
Your par is bogey. Play every hole for a bogey and let pars come from good putts and the odd great shot. What stops most golfers breaking 90 isn't a lack of pars. It's two or three doubles and a triple that each wipe out a par.
Golfers who break 90 now and then usually carry a handicap in the mid to high teens. If you're still breaking 100 only on good days, start with how to break 100.
1. No penalty strokes
A lost ball or a ball in the water costs at least a stroke and usually turns a bogey into a double. On tight holes, hit the club you keep in play, even if it leaves a longer second shot. From the trees, punch out sideways to the fairway. What each penalty costs.
2. Two putts, every time
Each three-putt is a stroke you didn't need, and most come from long first putts left far short or raced past. Get your first putt to stop near the hole and you'll rarely three-putt. How to stop three-putting.
3. Get it on the green from close in
From 30 yards and in, the goal is simple: on the green in one, two putts. Pick the shot you hit most reliably, often a low chip with a putting stroke, rather than the one that looks best. Every up and down is a par you didn't need a green for.
4. Pick your pars
Look at the stroke index on the card. The holes with the highest numbers are the easiest, and they're where your pars are. On the hardest holes, a bogey is a good score: lay up short of trouble and play for a chip and two putts.
5. Track the leaks
After a few rounds the numbers show where your strokes go. Track three-putts, penalty strokes and doubles or worse. If those add up to more than eight a round, that's your shortest path below 90. Which stats to track.
Updated November 13, 2026 by the Greens team.