How Often Do You Need to Play Golf to Be Good? (Get Good at Golf)

How often do you need to play golf to be good? Whether you’re an avid golfer or a weekend warrior, this is a question all golfers have likely asked at some point, and if you’re like me, you want to know how many times per week you should practice golf in order to improve; however, the answer is not so simple. Simply put, how often I practice may be different than how often you will need to practice, and vice versa.

There’s no simple answer to how often you need to play golf to be good. However, the truth is that it takes a lot of time and practice to become a good golfer. Trust me, I know from experience. I’ve been playing golf for over 20 years and am still not as good as I’d like. I’ve put in a lot of time and effort and have seen gradual improvements over the years because improving at golf takes time and patience. Even Tiger Woods must consistently put in the necessary work on his game to play at a high level.

Goals and Being a “Good” Golfer

Every golfer is different, and their ability to learn the game and become a better player largely depends on their innate ability and their drive to get better. However, the handicap system is the universal standard for determining a golfer’s skill level, and a scratch golfer—someone whose handicap is only a stroke or two above par—is considered a good player.

Ultimately you have to determine what you want to achieve in golf. In other words, perhaps your goal is to win your club championship, or you just want to beat your friends on the weekends. Maybe you want to play golf for a living and win the Masters. All of these are goals. Some will be harder to achieve than others, and some may be impossible, but they are goals nonetheless.

At different points in my golf career, my goals were set according to my abilities at the time. Fortunately, I began playing golf at a relatively young age and was able to pick up on the game rather quickly—I broke 80 for the first time around nine months after I started playing. Of course, there’s a difference between breaking 80 and consistently shooting in the ’70s. The latter didn’t come until later for me.

Everyone has different goals; however, let’s not mix words—I think it’s safe to assume most of us wouldn’t mind playing golf for a living and winning tournaments on the PGA or LPGA tours; however, there are many reasons why playing golf for a living will be a hard road. First and foremost, professional golf is a very competitive sport. There are only a limited number of spots on the PGA and LPGA tours, and the competition to get on these tours is fierce. Secondly, even if you are lucky enough to make it on to one of these tours, you are not guaranteed to make a living. Tour pros typically only make money if they are successful in tournament play. And finally, even if you are a successful tour pro, the lifestyle can be very demanding and stressful. That said, although playing golf for a living and being successful is a lofty goal, I’m a dream motivator, so if you want the life of playing golf for a living, then go for it because who am I to tell you otherwise.

Ultimately, once a goal is determined, and you establish a routine, it will be easier to calculate how long and often you must practice to reach said goal.

Setting the Schedule

Now it’s officially time to draft a practice plan and schedule. Your plan will depend on the time you have available and your goals. Both are equally important to improving your golf game.

My recommendation for players of any level, especially a beginner golfer, is to maximize your practice time by concentrating most of your efforts on the short game and engraining the correct swing movements. Although playing on the golf course is essential, it should only be a fraction of your golf time when trying to become a better player.

Depending on where you are in your journey (skill level), you may need to tweak the practice schedule. This can even vary from week to week. For instance, there may be a period when your putting is your weakness, at which point you should increase the amount of time spent practicing your stroke, alignment, speed, and reading the greens.

It’s essential to keep in mind that the more you practice, the faster you can improve. However, seeing a professional for golf lessons is vital to ensure you spend your practice sessions working on the correct swing path and short-game shots. Good practice sessions are more than just hitting the golf ball and improving your swing speed.

There was a point in my golf career when I attempted to play the game for a living and had the opportunity to practice full-time. During this time, I created a practice routine dedicated to improving my game as quickly as possible while considering that there would be weeks when I would be on the road for tournaments, and my practice schedule would need to change.

Example Practice Day

The following is the practice schedule I used as a professional golfer, but it can also work well for an amateur golfer. Remember, this practice schedule is just an example of what worked for me and may or may not work well for you.

Short Game 

Pitch / Chip shots – 40 minutes

Bunker shots – 10 to 15 minutes

Shots from bad lies – 5 to 10 minutes

Driving Range 

Warm-up / Wedge shots – 40 minutes

Driver – 10 to 15 minutes

Different clubs and shots – 5 to 10 minutes

Putting 

Inside 7 feet – 20 minutes

Long / Lag putts – 10 minutes

Random distance – 5 minutes

*Return to the driving range to hit 5-10 shots with whatever club I will use on the first tee, then play nine holes. After nine holes, I will use the remainder of my time working on any weaknesses and play nine more holes if there is time. 

Remember that the above is just an example of what worked for me.

You may be wondering why I only spend around 35 minutes on putting. I find that I putt my best when I work on my routine and build confidence on the putting green. If I ever practice putting too long, I tend to putt worse on the golf course.

How Long Does It Take to Improve?(Final Thoughts)

Building a practice schedule is essential and improving in golf is exciting and the goal of every golfer, whether they care to admit it or not. However, it’s critical to remember that improvement takes time and is easiest if we establish and follow a good practice routine. I always recommend speaking with a golf professional about your game and goals and receiving a golf lesson or a club fitting session if necessary.

Golf is a lifelong game; with it comes lessons, friendships, and the pursuit of perfection. Although none of us will ever achieve said perfection, we can strive for new heights and learn along the way because golf, like life, should be taken one shot at a time, and when bad shots happen, use it as a learning experience. My goal, and any golfer’s goal, should be to improve whenever possible. Even as we age and the peak of our game begins to decline, there are still lessons to learn from golf.