What is a scratch golfer? All you need to know

There are two definitions of a scratch golfer: an official one and a common one. Although both are different in their details, in general, they serve to illustrate the same player: a scratch golfer is an amateur who is extremely good at golf.

The official definition is provided by the United States Golf Association (USGA). It places this type of player with a handicap of zero or below zero. Let's all remember that a handicap of zero means that the player is capable of playing, on average, for par, something very remarkable for an amateur.

Paige Spiranac has a handicap of zero (Image via Getty)

However, it is accepted that this kind of player's handicap is in the vicinity of zero, because if it is consistent and widely below zero, it is called plus handicappers.

The definition, according to the USGA, is the following:

"Is an amateur player who plays to the standard of the stroke play qualifiers competing in the United States Amateur Championship."

Logically, since the definition is as broad as it is concise, the USGA has been in charge of issuing specifications for its better interpretation. Currently, a scratch golfer meets two requirements, with distinctions for men and women:

• "Can play to a course handicap of zero on any and all rated golf courses.
• A male scratch golfer can hit tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots at sea level.
• A female one can hit tee shots an average of 210 yards and can reach a 400-yard hole in two shots at sea level."

The term 'rated golf courses' refers to courses that have been visited and evaluated by the USGA for their tournaments. These evaluations are made based on the skills expected of the kind of player we are talking about, so the term has a wide use and utility.

Scratch golfer: common definition

Common golfers are less technical when it comes to defining what a scratch golfer is. For them, this category simply characterizes a player who is so good that he or she has a handicap of zero or below zero (though not widely below).

Former MLB pitcher Derek Lowe has a handicap of zero (Image via Getty).

This is no small accomplishment. The most recent data we had access to (USGA, 2019) reflects that only 1.6 percent of the more than two million male players who keep their handicap indexed, classify in this category.

Among the ladies, the figure is even lower, just over 0.37 percent play for a handicap of zero, among the 544,000 registered female players.

If to this we add that, also according to the USGA, in 2021, the average handicap among men was 14, and that of women was 27.7. This is not much but is needed to consider what was said at the beginning: a scratch golfer is someone very, very good at playing golf.

Some famous scratch players are former golfer and social media influencer Paige Spiranac, NBA star Stephen Curry and former MLB pitcher Derek Lowe.