Most golfers think breaking 100 requires a better swing.
In reality, it almost always requires better decisions.
In fact, the strategies below aren’t just useful for golfers trying to break 100—they’re principles that apply at every level of the game. Whether you’re trying to shoot 99, 89, or 79, avoiding unnecessary mistakes is one of the fastest ways to lower your scores.
If you can follow these five rules for an entire round, you’ll give yourself a great chance of finally breaking 100.
1. Keep the Ball in Play
At this level, distance doesn’t matter nearly as much as avoiding penalties.
Too many golfers stand on the tee thinking about how far they can hit the ball instead of where they can safely hit it.
If your driver regularly finds trees, rough, or out of bounds, consider using a fairway wood, hybrid, or even an iron. The goal isn’t to impress anyone—it’s to keep the same ball in play from the first tee to the final green.
A 180-yard shot in the fairway is almost always better than a 240-yard shot in the trees.
Big numbers come from penalties, not from being 30 yards shorter than your playing partners.
2. Play Every Hole One Shot Easier
This might be the biggest mindset shift of all.
Instead of treating par 4s as par 4s, play them like par 5s.
Treat par 5s like par 6s.
Suddenly, the pressure disappears.
Instead of trying to hit a perfect drive and a perfect approach to make par, you’re simply trying to advance the ball and give yourself a chance to reach the green comfortably.
Most golfers chasing a score under 100 don’t need pars. They need bogeys.
Remember: 9 bogeys and 9 double bogeys equals 99.
Once you realise that, the game becomes much simpler.
3. Keep the Ball on the Ground
One of the biggest mistakes amateur golfers make is trying to hit high, soft flop shots when they don’t need to.
The higher the ball goes, the more can go wrong.
Whenever possible, keep the ball on the ground.
Use a bump-and-run.
Use a hybrid.
Use a putter from off the green.
The ball spends less time in the air, which means fewer opportunities for mishits, chunks, and thin shots.
Professional golfers often choose the simplest shot available. You should too.
4. Eliminate Three-Putts
You don’t need to hole loads of putts to break 100.
You simply need to stop three-putting.
The secret isn’t reading greens perfectly—it’s speed control.
Your goal on every long putt should be to finish within a three-foot circle around the hole.
If you can consistently leave yourself short tap-ins, you’ll dramatically reduce wasted shots.
A golfer who never three-putts can save several shots every round without changing their swing at all.
5. Forget Hero Shots
We’ve all stood behind a tree and convinced ourselves we can curve one around the corner.
Sometimes it works.
Most of the time, it doesn’t.
The reality is that if you’re trying to break 100, even a straight shot from the fairway isn’t guaranteed.
So don’t make the game harder than it already is.
When you’re in trouble, take your medicine.
Chip out.
Get back into position.
Give yourself a chance to make bogey.
One boring recovery shot is usually the difference between a bogey and a triple bogey.
Final Thoughts
Golf isn’t usually lost because of one terrible shot.
It’s lost because of a series of poor decisions.
The good news is that you don’t need a perfect swing to break 100. You don’t need more distance. You don’t need expensive equipment.
You simply need to avoid the mistakes that create big numbers.
Keep the ball in play. Take your medicine when you’re in trouble. Avoid three-putts. Keep it simple around the greens.
Do that consistently, and you’ll be amazed how quickly those triple-digit scores disappear.
And even if you’re already breaking 100 comfortably, these are still principles worth remembering. The better golfers get, the more they realise that good scoring isn’t about hitting extraordinary shots—it’s about making smart decisions and avoiding unnecessary mistakes.
