[비즈한국] I recently met an old school friend for the first time in over twenty years. It felt a bit awkward at first. In moments like these, golf is the perfect conversation starter. It usually begins with, “Do you play golf?” and follows with, “Yeah, I haven’t been playing for long,” or “I’ve really been obsessed with it lately.” Without even being asked what their handicap or average score is, they confess as if they’re at a confessional: “I’m still a 100-shooter.” People say “I’m a 100-shooter” as if they’re apologizing or have committed a crime. While there’s no exact data, I feel like a third of the golfers I’ve met have labeled themselves as 100-shooters, almost as if they are asking for understanding in advance.
Golf seems to divide people into ranks or job titles based on their scores. If a low-single-handicap golfer is at the executive level or above, a 100-shooter is roughly equivalent to an assistant manager. It’s a level where you’ve moved past the "golf rookie" stage, learned the ropes, and are capable of getting the job done.
The term "100-shooter" carries several meanings beyond the score itself. I must clarify that a 100-shooter is clearly different from a “110-shooter” or a “120-shooter.” It carries the underlying message: “I’m not great, but if you want to play with me, I’m at a level where I can keep up.” The phrase “I’m a 100-shooter” also includes the virtue of humility, saying, “Golf is hard, and as far as golf goes, I’m not arrogant.” Sometimes, this isn’t humility but a form of “golfer’s bluffing”—a way of setting the stage beforehand. If someone has mastered this kind of bluffing, they’ve truly become a real golfer.
However, the range of what constitutes a 100-shooter is incredibly broad. I’ve seen golfers who say they’re 100-shooters and actually shoot 100, but I’ve also seen some who claim the title and then shoot in the low 80s. At that point, it goes beyond humility and approaches “score fraud.” Of course, there are also “120-shooters” who can’t even get close to 100. This is why golfers are often confused by the term. It’s similar to the vast differences in skill among golfers who simply say, “I’m just a bogey player.”
A score of 100 is a simple composition: it’s what happens when you bogey 8 holes and double-bogey 10 holes. On paper, it looks easy enough, but is shooting 100 really as easy as it sounds?
There are golfers who shout for a collective par on the first hole. If someone fails to make a par, others chime in with “let’s just call it a par for everyone.” They joke that the first hole score should just be printed as a par. It’s no wonder caddies sometimes ask, “Should I record the score accurately?” If you flip that question, doesn't it imply, “Should I just write down something rough?” or “Should I fake it?” There are even teams that do this on the last hole; that kind of golf is neither real golf nor a real score.
Occasionally, I encounter caddies who refuse to record anything worse than a triple bogey on par-4s or par-5s, or anything worse than a double bogey on par-3s. Some caddies even boast about this policy themselves. In those cases, the golfer’s score doesn’t depend on their shots, but on the caddy. Some teams also abuse mulligans. The strange part is that golfers always underestimate their own number of mulligans while inflating the count for their playing partners. A 100 that involves collective par-calls, mulligans, and a “score massage” from a caddy is not a real 100. It is not a real score.
To put it another way, if you’re a true 100-shooter, you aren't actually “bad” at the game. If you played strictly by the rules and recorded your score without a single stroke of error, then 100 is nothing to be ashamed of. At the very least, that’s a skill level equivalent to an assistant manager or higher in the corporate world. Let me say it again: a real 100-shooter isn’t bad at golf. You have to become a real 100-shooter before you can reach the levels above. Every expert in the world was once a beginner, and they were all 100-shooters once.
Who is the author, Kang Chan-wook?
An advertiser and writer. He began his career as a copywriter at Cheil Worldwide030000 and is currently the CEO of the video production company ‘Sidae-ui Siseon (View of the Era).’ With a love for golf, he obtained his USGTF teaching professional certification, and fueled by his passion for writing, he has published books on golf including ‘The Joy of Golf,’ ‘Bad Golf,’ ‘Sincere Golf,’ and ‘Golf Thoughts, Thinking Golf.’ He runs the YouTube channel ‘Bad Golf,’ where he shares various stories and thoughts about golf with readers and viewers.