How to Break 90 in Golf: A No-BS Guide (From Someone Who’s Been There)

By Linda Parker, your friendly neighborhood golf addict who took WAY too long to figure this stuff out

First things first – let’s demolish every myth about breaking 90 in golf. You don’t need perfect golf shots. You don’t need a country club membership. And you definitely don’t need that $600 driver that promises to fix your slice. (Spoiler alert: it won’t. Trust me, I’ve bought three of them.)

The Simple Math Behind Breaking 90

Here’s what breaking 90 in golf actually means: you need to average bogey golf. That’s it. The math is beautiful in its simplicity:

• 9 holes of par golf = 36
• 9 holes of bogey golf = 45
• Total? 81. You’ve got EIGHT SHOTS to play with and still break 90.

Step 1: Tee Shots That Keep You in the Game

Let me tell you about my journey with driver addiction. I used to pull that bad boy out on every golf hole longer than a par 3. Why? Because that’s what “real” golfers do, right? Wrong. So painfully wrong. The day my mom hid my driver and forced me to play a round with just a 4-hybrid off the tee? Shot 87. First time breaking 90 in my golf career. Coincidence? About as coincidental as my slice finding water.

Your new mantra for golf shots off the tee: IN PLAY IS OKAY. Write it down. Tattoo it somewhere (maybe not visible during business meetings). A 200-yard shot in the fairway beats a 250-yard bomb in the trees every single time.

Step 2: Approach Shots

Here’s where most golfers trying to break 90 blow it – including yours truly. You see a pin tucked behind a bunker and think, “I can totally hit that high cut I saw Tiger hit in 2005.” Let me save you some pain: No, you can’t. Not consistently enough to break 90 in golf anyway.

Instead:

• Add one club to whatever you think you need
• Aim for the middle of EVERY green
• Accept that 30-foot putts are better than short-sided chips

I spent years trying to be a hero with my approach shots. “I can totally land this on that tiny sliver of green between the bunker and water,” I’d think. Narrator: She could not, in fact, land it there.

The Truth About Approach Shots

I spent years trying to be a hero with my approach shots. “I can totally land this on that tiny sliver of green between the bunker and water,” I’d think. Narrator: She could not, in fact, land it there. You know what actually helped me break 90 in golf? Aiming for the fat part of the green. Every. Single. Time.

Let’s get real about club selection for your golf shots. That 7-iron you pure once out of every ten shots? That’s not your real distance. Your real distance is what happens when you’re tired, a bit nervous, and the wind’s in your face. That’s why we’re always clubbing up when trying to break 90. Think you need a 7? Grab the 6. Trust me on this one.

The Short Game That Actually Gets Results

You don’t need a magical short game to break 90. You need a RELIABLE short game. There’s a massive difference. I used to watch Phil Mickelson hitting flop shots and think, “Yeah, I should definitely try that in my next golf round.” Three lost balls and one slightly dented cart later, I learned my lesson.

Here’s what you actually need: One reliable chip shot you can hit under pressure. For me, it’s a simple bump-and-run with my 8-iron. Is it sexy golf? Nope. Does it help me break 90 consistently? You bet your overpriced golf balls it does.

The Mental Game That Makes or Breaks You

Let me tell you about what actually goes on in your head when you’re trying to break 90 in golf. Remember that voice that says “don’t hit it in the water” right before you launch one straight into the drink? Yeah, we need to work on that.

I used to have full-blown therapy sessions with myself during rounds. “Okay, Linda, you’re only 4-over through 6 holes. Don’t screw this up. Whatever you do, don’t think about screwing this up. Are you thinking about screwing this up?” Three holes and two lost balls later, I’d be having a different kind of conversation with myself, usually involving words my mom definitely didn’t teach me on the LPGA tour.

Real Course Management

Want to know what finally helped me break 90 in golf consistently? Stop trying to play perfect golf. Start playing smart-enough golf. Massive difference. Let me show you what I mean.

Take par 5s in your golf round. You know what’s better than trying to get home in two and ending up in three different types of trouble? Playing it as a three-shot hole. Every good golfer knows this, but those of us trying to break 90 seem to forget it the moment we see an opening.

Here’s my simple approach to golf shots: If there’s trouble on the right, aim left. If there’s trouble left, aim right. If there’s trouble everywhere… well, that’s what the 19th hole is for. But seriously, when you’re trying to break 90, play away from trouble. Always. Even if it means hitting 7-iron off the tee on a par 4. Even if your playing partners make fun of you. (They won’t be laughing when you break 90 and they don’t.)

For more info on this, please read my post on golf course management.

The Practice That Actually Helps You Break 90

Want to know why most golfers never break 90? They practice what they’re good at instead of what they need. I spent years pounding drivers at the range because it was fun. You know what wasn’t fun? Writing 97 on my golf scorecard because I couldn’t get up and down from 30 yards.

Your practice sessions should look like this when you’re learning to break 90: Spend 70% of your time on short game shots, 20% on full shots, and 10% on putting. I know, hitting drivers is more fun. But you know what’s really fun? Walking off the 18th green knowing you’ve finally broken 90 in golf.

The Truth On Your Equipment

Let me save you about $2,000 on your golf game – the latest equipment won’t help you break 90. I know because I’ve tried everything in the pro shop. That driver promising 20 more yards? Great, now you’re 20 yards deeper in the woods. Those blade irons that look like artwork? Awesome, now your mishit golf shots are going even further off-line.

To break 90 in golf, you need just three things:

1. Golf clubs you can hit consistently (even if they’re from the last decade)
2. A putter you trust (even if it’s not Scotty Cameron)
3. Golf balls you can afford to lose (because this journey has casualties)

The Putting Secret Nobody Talks About

Here’s the truth about putting that revolutionized my golf game: Two-putting from everywhere will change your life. I’m not talking about making 30-footers. I’m talking about getting your golf shots close enough for a stress-free second putt.

Mom taught me the “bowl” concept during my quest to break 90: Imagine there’s a big soup bowl turned upside down over the hole. Your job isn’t to make the putt – it’s to get the ball somewhere on that bowl. Do that consistently, and suddenly those three-putts that kill your chances to break 90 start disappearing.

Playing Under Pressure: The Final Frontier

Let’s talk about what happens when you’re actually close to breaking 90 in golf. Your hands shake. Your mouth gets dry. You start thinking about every golf swing tip you’ve ever heard, simultaneously. Been there, done that, bought the therapy sessions.

The secret? Embrace the nervousness. It means you care. It means you’re close. And most importantly, it means you’re about to learn something about your golf game, one way or another.

Your Complete Game Plan for Breaking 90

Here’s your actual roadmap to break 90:

Off The Tee:

• Keep the ball in play (notice I didn’t say “hit it far”)
• Use your driver only when there’s room for error
• Accept that hybrid is your new best friend in golf

Approach Shots:

• Club up (yes, even when you think you shouldn’t)
• Aim for the fat part of every green
• Take MORE club in the cold (trust me on this one)

Around The Green:

• Develop one reliable chip shot
• Never try to get cute with golf shots near the green
• When in doubt, putt if you can

The Mental Game:

• Stop calculating your score every hole
• Accept that bogeys are fine when trying to break 90
• Play YOUR golf game, not your playing partner’s

What Comes After You Break 90?

Once you break 90 in golf, two things will happen:

1. You’ll immediately want to break 85
2. You’ll realize that golf is still just as frustrating, just at a lower score

But here’s what really matters: Breaking 90 isn’t about perfect golf. It’s about good-enough golf. It’s about making peace with bogeys, accepting that sometimes a punch-out is the smart play, and understanding that every great golf score is just a bunch of decent holes strung together.

Final Thoughts from Someone Who’s Been There

Remember, breaking 90 in golf isn’t about being a great golfer. It’s about being a smart golfer. Play within yourself, make peace with bogeys, and understand that every golf round under 90 started with one simple decision: playing smarter, not better.

And most importantly, remember what my dad (still trying to break 90 himself) always says about golf: “It’s a lot like life – it’s all about how well you recover from your bad decisions.”

Now get out there and break 90! And if you need me, I’ll be on the practice green, still trying to convince myself that my three-footer isn’t breaking both ways. (Narrator: It was definitely breaking both ways.)

P.S. – Mom, if you’re reading this, yes, I finally understand what you meant about course management in golf. Only took 20 years. And yes, I promise to take that lesson you’ve been bugging me about. Maybe.

Want more golf tips? Follow me for more adventures in trying to play this impossible game slightly less badly. Together, we can all break 90 in golf – and have some laughs along the way.