What is the equivalent to scratch golf for running?

Sub 2:40 thon

At my local course it would be equal to a 16:30 5k. At The Masters, it would be equal to a 13:30 5k.

A scratch golfer is not even close to being a pga tour player. I have seen some stats that better pga players have the equivalent to a +8 handicap.

Two Fiddy sumptin.

Jock itch?

2:00, 4:30, 10:00.

Resurrecting an old post because I had the same question. I started golfing last year and it was the most difficult sport I’ve ever attempted.

According to golf.com, of all the men who have recorded handicaps in the US in 2019, the top 1.85% were scratch or better.

I couldn’t find comprehensive data on all the male marathon times, but using the NYC Marathon as a benchmark, the top 1.85% of male times was a 2:48:55. So I’m saying if you are 2:49 or below, that’s as good as being a scratch golfer.

Very interesting question. I agree that golf is quite possibly one of the hardest sports to just "pick up." People with experience in similar physical sports (i.e. baseball) seem to have an easier time.

I think around 2:50 marathon, maybe 1:18 half-marathon, and a 16:15 or so 5K. Another consideration is that college golfers are likely around scratch and under, so you could try and look at AVERAGE performances of college runners.

regular practice , you'll get down to a 10 hdc in a few years . Going from 10-0 , I would say is like 16-14 min 5 K . 13:30 is like KornFerry Tour , 13 minute is PGA .

3:08 for Marathon

Hahaha, my buddies constantly shooting in the 90’s after years and years would beg to differ!

Golf compared to 5K is a tough comparison because any semi-talented kid in high school that is willing to work a little can break 16. The marathon is more like golf because it requires patience, lots of time, mental toughness, and a little luck. Plus, the marathon is the old man’s race like golf is the old man’s game!

What playing off scratch means is that player has a handicap of 0 (or better). If your handicap is 15, you expect to be about 15 over every time you play; a scratch player expects to play level par or better whenever they play.
five nights at freddy's

Member of the European PGA and national junior medalist on 800/1500m.

Running is way easier.... Just run, take care of your self and rest. Work on mental strength a little.

For golf you need to be in te right place everytime to play a decent round. Harsch penalties...

So I guess at my best I was a better runner than golfer according to the figures suggested above. At my best, I got my handicap down to about a 7 or 8 (broke 80 regularly but not every time, usually in the 77-83 range on a regular public course), and I snuck under 2:50 in the marathon a few times.

A big difference in golf though is course set-up. I've run Boston several times so same course, same conditions as the pros. However - go play a course right after a pro tournament and it is night & day. I played a course the day after an LPGA major was held there; this was a course I had played many times before and was usually in the 80-83 range. Not the way it was set up after that LPGA - I struggled to break 90. It gave me a whole new appreciation for how pros put together those rounds on very slick greens and rough that truly penalizes you.

It would be unusual if someone who self selects to post on this message board was a better golfer than runner.

A lot of nonsense on here.

How many people at an average gold club are off scratch.

Perhaps golfers will chip in but my guess is only a few so comparisons of 16 mins for 5km etc or just under 3hr marathon are ridiculous. Don't quote me some % nonsense off the internet I've not met many who are off even close to scratch. Usually for a small club its just the club pro. Theyre not winning big comps but are a professional

Any proper running club (ie not one of the new joggers clubs) in the uk would have at least a few sub 15 min 5km runners - its got to be something in that region.

Global non-positioning - you are correct - the difficulty of the course matters a lot. Years ago I played an outing at Winged Foot - not my kind of place but very difficult. I typically shot 85 most days - shot 100 on Winged Foot, and only did so with an excellent caddie. To give you an example, on one hole I had a 140 yard shot into the green. The caddie told me that I did not put enough backspin on the ball to hold the green, which was true, and the ball if hit on the green would end up down a gully which I really could not recover from. He told me to overclub and hit into the rough on the back right side of the green, which was a flat area. Sure enough, it was a double bogey after hitting a very good drive but likely would have been a 10 from down in the gully. There are some courses which are almost impossible for the average player to score reasonably on. I think your range of estimates is spot on. Golf is hard - my joy today is playing a cheap beat up course in the mountains these days where a friendly springer spaniel comes to greet you!

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linksmagazine.com

How Do You Match Up Against the Average Golf Handicap in 2020? - LINKS Magazine

Erik Matuszewski

In launching the new World Handicap System last year, the USGA said approximately 2 million Americans carried an official golf handicap.

Link:www.linksmagazine.com/how-do-you-match...

livestrong.com

126 Running Statistics You Should Know | Livestrong.com

Running statistics highlight the popularity and benefits of running. Find running stats by age, sex and distance, plus the fastest runners and top marathons.

Link:www.livestrong.com/article/13730338-ru...

A couple important points here

-The conditions tour pros play in are night and day from even the best private clubs in the US. Korn Ferry winning scores tend to be a lot lower than PGA scores because the conditions are closer to "normal". I float between a 6-8 handicap and have played Shinnecock and Bethpage Black in tournament conditions. I didn't break 90 either time. Under normal conditions I've shot 82 or better both places.

-25mm people play golf in the US each year. Only 10% of them keep a handicap. This group is going to play more frequently and be significantly better on average.

-It looks like there are 30k scratch golfers in the US, or roughly 0.1% of total golfers. I doubt there are very many legitimate scratch golfers that don't keep a handicap.

-There are roughly 250k golfers that are a 6 handicap or lower. This is the bar for being a "1%er" in the golf world.

-50mm Americans participate in some form of running/jogging annually. To place in the top 1% of the average 5k road race in the US, someone would have to run 18:24.

Based on this...

-Top 1%: 18:24 5k, 6 handicap. This is on par with an average varsity high school athlete on the cross country or golf team.

-Top 0.1%. Scratch golfer, 15:30 5k. This is an elite high school athlete or average d1 athlete. This person is going to be a club champ in golf or win most local road races.

-Top 0.01%: Mid-Am contender, very solid D1 athlete (14:30 5k)

-Top 0.001%: Korn Ferry Tour or elite D1 athlete (sub 14 5k).

-Top 0.0001%: PGA Tour or Olympic Trials (sub 13:20)

Gender and age are obviously important issues when it comes to running. Socioeconomic status is a big one when it comes to golf. I'm willing to bet the majority of scratch golfers had a significant number of lessons starting at a young age. Trying to put together a great golf swing as an adult is just plain hard. During 2020 I was WFH ten minutes from my club. I took lessons, practiced, played more than ever. I couldn't get lower than a 4.8 handicap. I ran faster than 15:30 but really don't know if scratch is in the cards for me....

If your buddies dont have a club in there hands 6 days a week, they are not trying to improve . Nothing wrong with that . I dont feel like hitting balls every day like I did when younger , I went from a 2hdc , to 7/8 quite quickly .

The PGA / LPGA is now for the young . burnout and injuries being the main cause .