Shooting 72 in golf
A 72 on a par 72 is level par and 18 strokes better than bogey golf. On a middle tee rated 70.6 with a slope of 125 it is worth a Score Differential of 1.3, so a golfer whose good rounds are 72 holds an index near 1.3, and a golfer whose average round is 72 holds one nearer 0 to 0.
The handicap it implies
A score only means something against the course it was shot on, which is what the Score Differential does: (score minus course rating) multiplied by 113 and divided by the slope rating. The same 72 is worth more from a harder tee. An index is the average of the lowest eight differentials of the last twenty, so a 72 that is one of your good rounds implies an index near its differential, and a 72 that is your ordinary round implies an index three to five strokes lower.
A 72 as a Score Differential, by tee
| Tee | Slope | Rating | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 138 | 74.2 | -1.8 |
| Back | 132 | 72.4 | -0.3 |
| Middle | 125 | 70.6 | 1.3 |
| Forward | 118 | 68.4 | 3.4 |
What the card looks like
Level par is eighteen pars, or birdies paid for one for one with bogeys. Every double bogey on a level par card has to be bought back with two birdies.
Ways to shoot 72 on a par 72
| Pars | Bogeys | Doubles |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 0 | 0 |
Where the strokes go
A 72 is a scratch or better round. On the benchmark model scratch sits about 1 stroke a round behind the tour average of 71, and a 72 is level with it: tour level golf from tee to green rather than a lucky putting round.
What decides it
The mistakes below each cost a full stroke or more on the published baseline. A 72 usually contains none of them, which is what separates a scratch level round from an 80.
Whole stroke mistakes, priced
| Mistake | Cost in strokes |
|---|---|
| A tee shot out of bounds on a 400 yard hole | 2.05 |
| Three putting from 20 feet | 1.12 |
| Three putting from 30 feet | 1.02 |
In PinFlag
PinFlag turns a 72 into a list of where the strokes went: every shot you log is priced against the published tables by category, Score Killers totals the three-putts, two-chips, penalties and doubles that cost whole strokes, and a handicap level lens reprices the same shots on the scale of a golfer who shoots 72. On the course PinFlag prices every target before you swing, so the decisions that turn a 72 into a 67 are made with the number in front of you.
Frequently asked questions
What handicap is a 72 in golf?
Is 72 a good golf score?
What does a round of 72 look like?
How many strokes is 72 from the tour average?
Which golf app does this on the course?
Related
Sources
- World Handicap System, Wikipedia
- Handicap (golf), Wikipedia
- Mark Broadie, Columbia Business School (Wikidata entity)
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: The differentials apply the published World Handicap System formula to typical tee values; the split of strokes is the site’s benchmark model, Broadie’s published shares applied to the strokes over the tour average.
Get PinFlag for iPhone
PinFlag shows you this number on the course, for the shot in front of you, before you swing: any target priced with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, your real shots drawn on the hole, and two taps to log. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.