Four months ago, we asked for your golf takes. You provided them, in droves. When we invited our audience to participate in a sweeping survey about all things golf — ranging from gear and game-improvement to the pro game and golf’s rules and customs — nearly 10,000 of you participated, spending, on average, 22 minutes on your responses, according to our survey platform. (Thank you for your time and opinions!) Over the course of the next several days, we’ll be publishing the results, which, in totality, will provide a snapshot of how golfers feel about the game in 2025.
First up: Your opinions on your own game, including why you’re drawn to golf, what parts of your game need the most help and how far you think you drive the ball.
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How golfers think and feel about their own games, according to a survey of 10,000 golfers
On average, how many rounds do you play per year?
1 to 10: 9%
11 to 20: 7%
21 to 30: 12%
31 to 40: 13%
41 to 50: 13%
More than 50: 46%
What is your handicap (or approximate handicap if you don’t keep one)?
Scratch or better: 2%
1 to 5: 7%
6 to 10: 22%
11 to 15: 33%
16 to 20: 24%
21 or higher: 11%
Not sure: 1%
Do you keep an official handicap?
Yes: 69%
No: 31%
Do you play more or less golf than you did five years ago?
More: 50%
Less: 15%
About the same: 35%
Which best describes your golf ability relative to what it was 5 years ago?
I’m better today: 44%
I’m worse today: 28%
No discernable change: 28%
What, if anything, most prevents you from playing more golf than you do?
Nothing. I play as much golf as I want: 52%
Other (most prevalently, “work,” “family” and “health”): 24%
Golf is too costly: 14%
Golf is too time-consuming: 9%
Golf is too hard/not improving: 1%
Which statement best describes why you’re drawn to golf?
I like the time/camaraderie with friends/family: 33%
I like the challenge: 32%
I like the exercise/time outdoors: 19%
I like the competition: 7%
I like the escape from my daily/weekly grind: 6%
Other (most prevalently, “All of the above”): 3%
What part of your game needs the most improvement?
Driving: 19%
Long game (FWs, hybrids, long irons): 20%
Scoring irons (7-iron thru PW): 15%
Short game (chipping/pitching): 21%
Putting: 9%
Bunker play: 7%
Mental game: 4%
Course management: 3%
With a match on the line, which do you trust more: your putter or your driver?
Putter: 66%
Driver: 34%
In season, how often do you practice or visit the range?
Once a week: 47%
Twice a week: 17%
More than twice a week: 15%
Never: 21%
; "What do average golfers *really* think about their games? They told us")
Do you like to practice?
Yes: 71%
No, just interested in playing: 29%
Do you take regular lessons?
Yes: 11%
No: 73%
Used to: 16%
Other than lessons, where do you most commonly seek out game-improvement advice? (Note: respondents were able to select multiple answers.)
Golf websites/apps: 62%
YouTube: 43%
Watching the pros on TV: 37%
Friends: 25%
Instagram, X, TikTok: 10%
Do you like getting mid-round advice from playing partners?
Yes: 14%
No: 41%
Could take it or leave it: 44%
Do you use training aids in your practice sessions?
Yes: 18%
No: 56%
Sometimes: 26%
How much does it matter to you that you’re “good at golf”?
A lot: 42%
Somewhat: 51%
Couldn’t care less; it’s just a game: 7%
What is the scariest shot in golf?
Long carry over water: 34%
Flop shot off tight lie over hazard: 17%
Opening tee shot in front of crowd: 15%
50-yard bunker shot: 12%
Five-footer to halve match: 11%
Fairway wood off downhill lie: 11%
; "What do average golfers *really* think about their games? They told us")
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Do you putt with the flag in or out?
Always in: 27%
Occasionally in: 55%
Out: 18%
Have you made a hole-in-one?
Yes: 50%
No: 50%
Have you ever witnessed a hole-in-one?
Yes: 75%
No: 25%
Should a mulligan hole-in-one count as an actual ace?
Yes: 9%
No: 91%
Do you have regular playing partners or do you normally play solo?
A regular partner or group: 88%
Solo: 12%
Most golf courses are…
Too long for me: 17%
Too short for me: 1%
About right: 82%
Do you ever feel pressure to play from a tee distance that is beyond your ability?
Yes, often: 4%
Yes, occasionally: 36%
No: 60%
Relative to other amateurs of your age and gender, which best describes how you assess your driving distance?
It’s about average: 46%
It’s shorter than average: 23%
It’s longer than average: 31%
