When you started to play, what was your first ever score?

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 11:54AM #1

Last weekend I went for my first ever 18 holes. Went to a normal course and shot a 137 over the 18. My average was 8 shots per hole with some being 10 and some being 6. When you first started to play golf what score did you get? I've also never had lessons and might have went to the driving range like 3 times in my life.

blue note · 29-05-2026 12:01PM

I was 12, played a 7 hole beginners comp from the ladies tees with 3 shots a hole. I had 7 points and got a top flight for it which I still have.

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 12:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508339#Comment_124508339

So in other words, I may find a new hobby 😂

slave1 · 29-05-2026 01:40PM

Never held a club in my life, 129

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 01:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508610#Comment_124508610

I mean for never holding a club I would see that as good still better than me.

Dexters Bow Tie · 29-05-2026 01:45PM

I never properly counted until I went to get a handicap and a few of them were 120+. I now play off 12. Give it time.

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 01:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508629#Comment_124508629

As I didn't expect to be the next top player but just curious how other people got on with their first time. As bad as I was I still enjoyed it.

Gandalph · 29-05-2026 01:58PM

I can't answer your question because I was still **** my nappies and probably couldn't count past my 10 fingers when I first played. But I will say that the amount of shots you had on your first round ever has absolutely no reflection on whatever latent ability you have in this sport going forward. The bigger question is did you enjoy yourself and did you feel like you were getting a better hang of it closer to the end?

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 02:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508667#Comment_124508667

Yes and no. I enjoyed the day out but even knowing I'm new it's still a frustrating sport. And Yeah the last two holes were my best two. The only thing I'm worried about is hitting someone else on the course.

Gandalph · 29-05-2026 02:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508684#Comment_124508684

Well the bad news is that golf never stops getting frustrating no matter what level you are at! I wouldn't worry about hitting anyone, while it does happen it's very rarely anything serious, you'll learn along the way when/when not to hit or if someone is in your potential firing or miss-hit line.

blue note · 29-05-2026 03:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508343#Comment_124508343

Sorry, didn't mean to mislead you. That was my first "score." After I joined the club, before I went out on the course I went playing pitch and putt. And I lost 5 balls on 3 holes and had to go in because I had no more.

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 03:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508895#Comment_124508895

Ah don't worry, I'm only taking the jive at myself that's all.

awec · 29-05-2026 05:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508343#Comment_124508343

No not at all.

Breaking 120 is a very common goal for new golfers to have to start off with. You're not far off it at all.

At your ability level every improvement you make will have a big impact on your scores, the improvement curve is not linear, you can knock large amounts of shots off your scores fairly quickly at the start.

kippy · 29-05-2026 05:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124508640#Comment_124508640

Whave been counting shots the first few times would have played 18.

Still don't take it too seriously. A nice way to spend a few hours in good company (usually) moreso than the shots.

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 05:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124509190#Comment_124509190

I think that that is my next goal now. Going to try a lesson or two and then give it a go again and see how I get on. At the moment I noticed confidence is my issue. Well able to strike the ball but when I see people moving on the hole beside us I panic. Incase I hit a stray which has happened previously on 12 hole course.

XopherIE · 29-05-2026 05:26PM

I only counted it cause the lads were doing it too. And it was my first ever time so just wanted to track the result and see if I can say in a year get it down massively or where will I stand.

awec · 29-05-2026 05:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124509235#Comment_124509235

You'll soon learn not to care about anyone else on the course, or anyone watching you.

Confidence was an issue for me too. If you stand over a ball and your thoughts are all "oh I hope I don't hit this sideways", or "I hope I don't top this" or something else negative then you probably aren't going to swing right, you'll be all tense and jittery.

Ye have to just get in the mindset of standing over the ball, a few quick checks and then a confident smooth swing.

And stop losing balls off the tee. That was the other thing that killed my scores when I started. 😅

spacecoyote · 29-05-2026 10:36PM

Youre probably ahead of the curve if youre getting the lessons in early, so well done on that decision

Most of the rest of us had ingrained a ton of bad habits before we had our first lesson.

There are some golfers that never break 100 in their life, some that never break 90, etc... so give yourself a bit of credit.

I dont know what my first score was. I played a bit of pitch and putt as a child and teen, didn't really play golf till I was in my 20s and was probably shooting around the 100-110 mark.

I remember when I first joined a golf club, you had to submit 3 cards to get your initial handicap. I think my best of the 3 was a 98, other 2 were low 100s

XopherIE · 30-05-2026 02:36AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124509260#Comment_124509260

Ah on one of my 12 hole experiences I may have hit a golf cart with a stray ball that people were in when I was driving off from the tee so I have that in my head still. I suppose it is something that comes with time and when you get more used to the courses and playing.

XopherIE · 30-05-2026 02:36AM

That's actually the reason that I want to get the lessons now, nice and early before the bad habits engrave into the way I play almost like when your learning to drive a car for the first time.

charlieIRL · 30-05-2026 07:11AM

20 odd years later and I’m happy to break 100 now!

It’s much harder game than you think but can still be very enjoyable, regardless of score. I’d go out and play the round and learn rules etc before trying to chase a score.

facehugger99 · 30-05-2026 07:14AM

I’ve only been playing a few years and I just didn’t start keeping score until recently, it would have been too depressing.

I hope to get my handicap soon and I reckon I’ll be around 36.

If I’m having a good round, I can just about break 100 but equally I could be 130 on a bad day. Sometimes I go months without feeling I’m improving at all and then I’ll have periods where things start clicking. There seems to be always setbacks and it’s definitely not a linear progression but I do think over the long term I’m getting better. Just wish the progress was quicker.

FixdePitchmark · 30-05-2026 09:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058439252/when-you-started-to-play-what-was-your-first-ever-score

I think a good few here are around golf so long it is hard to say what that is - but 7s , 8s and 10s on holes sounds about right. About 150. A big factor is age - a good few here would have been on courses from say 9 years of age on. So the number is way up on that say 130 you are near.

If you were actually alowed to finish out - in most situations - your dad would make you pick up. out of boredom, wanting to get the bus , meet your ma, or get to pub. (lol)

I think the moment in golf we all do remember is breaking 90. It is a a key moment for a golfer. I'd say I did this this at about 14. It is very very hard to do (your talking a good few years say 4). When you break 90 , you are playing real golf - because you have got them 8s and 9s off the card. You are getting on average 5. This is a very high standard of golf.

pointer28 · 31-05-2026 06:41AM

I started back in November after a 25 year gap from playing a bit as a teenager but never seriously.

Was doing OK on my own, low 100s and getting close to breaking 100.

Played my first club comp on Wednesday to get my handicap rolling and shot 126. It's like I literally forgot how to hit the ball. Numerous lost balls, slices, shanks, water, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Left feeling about 6 inches tall.

Played a scramble Friday night and had some really great shots that did exactly what I wanted them to. Felt great.

The greatest mind f#ck of a game you'll ever play.

XopherIE · 31-05-2026 10:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124513610#Comment_124513610

A frustrating game but still love it.

When you started to play, what was your first ever score?

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