Breaking 80 as an amateur golfer is one of the toughest milestones to achieve in the game, but that doesn't stop many of us ambitiously hoping to tick it off every time we peg it up on the 1st tee.
Typically, golfers have two questions pertaining to this particular milestone... how many golfers break 80 and how can I do it?
How Many Greens In Regulation Do You Need To Break 80?
It's worth stating that there are clearly a number of ways to achieve the same goal.
Some golfers might boom it off the tee, miss a load of greens but have an electric short game to post a decent score.
Others will focus on the traditional fairways and greens model to bend the course into submission.
For this article, we are going to focus on the latter. The first port of call in my research was to look at the scoring average for amateur golfers who use Shot Scope products.
I found that golfers with a handicap of 5 or less typically post scores that would break 80, with a 5-handicapper having a scoring average of 7.98 (relative to par).
So, with that information in mind, I then decided to look into how many greens in regulation a scratch golfer and 5-handicapper hits on average.
Typically this ranged from 59% (scratch) to 41% (5-handicapper), with the lower figure representing somewhere around five to six greens in regulation per round.
Amateur golfers likely need to hit at least five greens in regulation to have a good chance of breaking 80
That isn't the only factor that supports their quest for a low round, however, as they also 3-putt less than 1.5 times per round on average.
That number grows significantly for a 15-handicapper (3.5) and a 25-handicapper (5.8), highlighting the importance of pairing a solid long game with reliable and consistent performances with the flatstick.
How Many Greens In Regulation Do PGA Tour Pros Hit On Average?
When compared to the average of 5 (or 6) hit per round by a 5-handicapper, and the 8 hit on average by a scratch golfer, you'd expect the PGA Tour professional to be streets ahead.
However, the tour average for GIR is 65%, which translates to around nine per round.
Some of the most prolific ball strikers on tour smash that figure out of the park, with Patrick Fishburn hitting a whopping 74% of greens in regulation last season to lead the tour in that particular measure.
Patrick Fishburn led the PGA Tour for greens in regulation (74%) in 2025
How Can I Hit More Greens In Regulation?
Hitting more greens in regulation is an ambition that almost every amateur golfer holds. There are a number of things you can do to improve in this area, but I'd start with these three key areas...
1. Take enough club
Amateur golfers come up short of the green far more often than they hit it over the back, by some way according to Shot Scope data, so don't get suckered in by the glory shot. Take enough club to reach the middle or back of the green irrespective of pin position and you'll hit more greens in regulation.
2. Work on ball striking
Spend time working on the 20 best ball striking tips and drills in your practice sessions, ensuring you avoid the 7 things you should never do at the range.
3. Be Strategic
For some of the more challenging holes, like par-5s for example, take a strategic approach to hitting more greens. Trying to pull off the Hollywood shot, where you go for the green in two (when you never even get close) could harm your ability to find the putting surface in regulation. Instead, lay up to a comfortable number and give yourself the chance to have a lovely birdie putt instead.
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