Birdies and Double Bogeys per Round by Handicap
A scratch golfer makes almost nine birdies for every double bogey. A 15 handicap makes thirteen doubles for every birdie. Here are birdies and doubles per round from 0 to 25, with the rest of the stat line next to them.
A scratch golfer makes 2.34 birdies and 0.27 double bogeys or worse per round, so about one double every four rounds. A 10 handicap makes 0.72 birdies and 2.88 doubles, and a 15 handicap makes 0.36 birdies and 4.68 doubles, which is one birdie every three rounds and a double almost every fourth hole.
Birdies drop by about two a round from 0 to 15. Doubles go up by more than four. Those two lines cross at about a 5 handicap, and above that the doubles column decides your score.
Birdies and double bogeys per round by handicap: the table
| Handicap | Birdies per round | Doubles or worse per round | Doubles per birdie | Bogeys per round | Typical score | SG total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch (0) | 2.34 | 0.27 | 0.1 | 3.87 | 74–76 | -3.2 |
| 5 | 1.26 | 1.44 | 1.1 | 6.12 | 79–81 | -6.2 |
| 10 | 0.72 | 2.88 | 4 | 7.20 | 84–87 | -9.2 |
| 15 | 0.36 | 4.68 | 13 | 8.10 | 90–92 | -12.2 |
| 20 | 0.36 | 6.66 | 18.5 | 7.38 | 95–98 | -15.2 |
| 25 | 0.18 | 9.18 | 51 | 6.12 | 100–103 | -18.4 |
| 30 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 105–108 | -21.5 |
The birdie, bogey and double columns are Shot Scope data, published by Golf Monthly as Average Number Of Birdies Per Round (18 Holes) By Handicap. Shot Scope repeated the birdie and double figures for 0 to 20 in a December 2025 data release, with a PGA Tour average of 3.72 birdies a round for the 2025 season. “Doubles per birdie” is the doubles figure divided by the birdie figure. Typical scores come from our average score by handicap table, and total strokes gained (per round, against a PGA Tour baseline) from the Broadie-based benchmarks for every handicap. Shot Scope stops at 25, so the 30 row stays blank.
What the source does and doesn’t tell you
The data comes from rounds logged by Shot Scope users. Neither publication says how many rounds or golfers sit behind each row. Every figure in the table is a multiple of 0.18, which suggests Shot Scope rounded to a whole percentage of holes and then multiplied by 18. So the 15 and 20 rows tying at 0.36 birdies is probably the rounding, and the 20 really does make fewer. Treat each number as a typical level, not an exact count.
Our blow-up holes breakdown gives slightly different double counts (0.7 for scratch, 3.0 for a 10, 4.5 for a 15, 6.0 for a 20). Those are rough estimates. The Shot Scope figures are measured, and they cover every level from 0 to 25, so this page uses them.
What’s normal: reading the two curves
Birdies are a low-handicap stat. Scratch golfers make almost twice as many birdies as 5 handicaps, and a 5 makes almost twice as many as a 10. From 10 upward the line goes nearly flat. A 15 and a 20 both make about one birdie in three rounds. A 25 makes one in five or six.
Doubles keep climbing. The jump from 0 to 5 is the biggest relative change in the table: from one double in four rounds to about one and a half per round. After that, each step of five handicap shots adds between 1.4 and 2.5 doubles a round. A 25 makes a double or worse on half the holes.
Bogeys peak at 15. The bogey count rises from 3.87 at scratch to 8.10 at 15, then falls to 6.12 at 25. The 25 still has plenty of bad holes. More of them just end as doubles.
How much of the scoring gap is birdies, and how much is doubles?
Add up what each column costs against par and you can split the gap between two levels. Take a 15 handicap against a scratch player, whose typical scores sit about 16 strokes apart (around 91 against 75).
- Birdies: 1.98 fewer per round, worth 1.98 strokes.
- Bogeys: 4.23 more per round, worth 4.23 strokes.
- Doubles or worse: 4.41 more per round. Each is at least two over par, so at least 8.82 strokes.
That accounts for at least 15 of the 16 strokes. Triples and worse, which the table counts as doubles, make up most of the rest. The doubles column is worth more than four times the birdie column. Two extra birdies and two fewer doubles both save two strokes, but a 15 makes 4.68 doubles a round to work with and only 0.36 birdies. Adding two birdies would mean making more than six times as many as now. Our post on double bogey avoidance covers where those doubles come from.
The same split from scratch to 25 gives 2.16 strokes from birdies and at least 17.82 from doubles. At that level birdies hardly come into it.
A double also costs more than the number on the card suggests. It often starts with one bad shot, then a recovery from trouble, and strokes gained puts the loss on the shot that caused it. To see what a drive into the trees or an approach into a bunker costs from a given spot, compare the before and after positions in the strokes gained calculator.
Birdies, doubles and the full stat profile by handicap
Birdies and doubles are results. These are the stats behind them.
| Handicap | Score | GIR | Fairways | Putts | Up and down | Penalties | SG off the tee | SG approach | SG around the green | SG putting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch (0) | 74–76 | 62% | 50% | 30.5 | 54% | 0.56 | -0.8 | -1.5 | -0.5 | -0.4 |
| 5 | 79–81 | 46% | 51% | 31.5 | 47% | 0.91 | -1.4 | -3.0 | -1.0 | -0.8 |
| 10 | 84–87 | 35% | 50% | 32.5 | 39% | 1.62 | -2.0 | -4.5 | -1.5 | -1.2 |
| 15 | 90–92 | 23% | 47% | 33.5 | 34% | 2.45 | -2.7 | -6.0 | -2.0 | -1.5 |
| 20 | 95–98 | 16% | 45% | 34.5 | 31% | 3.03 | -3.4 | -7.5 | -2.5 | -1.8 |
| 25 | 100–103 | 9% | n/a | 35.5 | 25% | 4.67 | -4.2 | -9.0 | -3.0 | -2.2 |
| 30 | 105–108 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | -5.0 | -10.5 | -3.5 | -2.5 |
Sources by column:
- GIR: our greens in regulation by handicap table, from Shot Scope’s amateur data.
- Fairways hit: Shot Scope’s handicap averages for the 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 handicap.
- Putts: our putting average by handicap, which stops at 25.
- Up and down: inside 50 yards, from our scrambling percentage by handicap table.
- Penalties: our penalty strokes per round by handicap table.
- Strokes gained: Mark Broadie’s research, per round against a PGA Tour baseline.
The GIR column explains the birdie curve. A scratch golfer hits about 11 greens a round, so they get 11 birdie putts. A 15 hits about 4, and most of those putts are long. The approach column explains the doubles: it’s the biggest strokes gained gap at every level, and a missed green is where most doubles start.
How to read your own birdies and doubles against your handicap
Count every double bogey or worse as one, whether it’s a 6 on a par 4 or a 9. Then find your row:
- Birdies above your row, score at your row: your good holes are fine. The strokes are in the doubles column.
- Doubles above your row: this is the quickest change you can make. Each double you turn into a bogey is a full stroke, and you’d need one more birdie per round to get the same stroke back.
- Doubles below your row, score at your row: you’re making a lot of bogeys and few birdies. Look at approach play and greens hit.
For one level in full detail, see what a 5 handicap, 10 handicap, 15 handicap, 20 handicap, 25 handicap or 30 handicap shoots.
Your birdies and doubles against your handicap
The table shows a typical golfer at each level, not you. Two 15 handicaps can both average 91, one with a birdie a round and six doubles, the other with no birdies and three doubles. They need to work on different things.
Log 3 rounds and golfity shows your numbers against your handicap.
