Course Management · Lesson
A Low-Stress Plan to Break 100
Part of our course management programs for big numbers, picking targets. Build a program with it
Breaking 100 on a par 72 leaves room for nine bogeys and nine doubles. So your job is avoiding big numbers. Around the green, play it safe. Grip down on a pitching wedge. Narrow your stance and use a putting stroke. Just get it on. Don't worry about three-putting from very far away. Aim for about 36 putts. On par 3s, find the trouble and pick the club that avoids it. Play the hardest hole as a par 6.
Step by step
- Think bogey or double, not par.
- Chip with a pitching wedge and a putting stroke.
- Accept a three-putt from long range.
- On par 3s, avoid the trouble.
- Play the hardest hole as a par 6.
Why it works
A round of 100 only needs an average of about 1.4 over par per hole, so one bogey after another is enough. Big numbers come from penalty strokes, chunked chips and long, aggressive putts, and this plan removes those. A putting stroke with a gripped-down pitching wedge has few moving parts, so contact is more consistent and the ball reaches the green more often.
Common mistakes
- Aiming for par on every hole and taking risks to get it.Set bogey as your target, and treat any par as a bonus.
- Using a wristy chipping swing with the wedge instead of a putting stroke.Grip down, narrow your stance, and rock your shoulders like a putt so the club brushes the turf cleanly.
- Trying to hole a very long putt and leaving it well short or running it far past.Aim to stop the ball within a short tap-in range of the hole, and accept a three-putt if it happens.
How you'll know it's working
- Your chips land on the green and roll toward the hole instead of being bladed or chunked.
- Your first putt from long range finishes within a short distance of the hole.
- You make no more than a bogey or double on your hardest hole, and you rarely take a penalty stroke on par 3s.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice the chip on a flat, short lie with a large target, such as a towel on the green, before trying it from rough.
Harder: Play a nine-hole round keeping a full scorecard of putts and penalties, and try to hold to about 36 putts for 18 holes.
Common questions
How many bogeys can I make and still break 100 on a par 72?
If every hole is a bogey, you score 90, which leaves room for nine doubles. That means a mix of bogeys and doubles can still total under 100.
Why chip with a putting stroke?
A putting stroke uses fewer moving parts than a full chipping swing, so you strike the ball more consistently. Gripping down on a pitching wedge lets you keep that stroke while still lifting the ball slightly over the fringe.
