The Consistency Score

Your golf game in one number.

A 0-100 score that captures how you actually played — driving, putting, and scoring combined. Better than handicap for tracking improvement, and far more useful than a total score.

72consistency

Inside the number

Three components, equally weighted

Driving

Fairways found

Fairway-hit percentage weighted by hole difficulty. Par-3 tee shots are excluded. Penalties (lost balls, OB) cost half a stroke from the component.

0–33range

Putting

On the green

Penalises three-putts heavily, rewards one-putts. Baselined against course par. A 31 putts round on a hard greens course scores higher than 31 on flat greens.

0–33range

Scoring

On the card

Score-to-par with a 1.2x multiplier on doubles or worse. Rewards making par. Heavily penalises blow-up holes — which is where most amateur strokes are lost.

0–34range

Why this exists

Two 85s can be completely different rounds

Ask any amateur golfer how they played and you will get a number. 82. 91. 76. The number is almost always wrong — not literally, but as a description of the round.

An 85 where you hit 14 of 18 fairways and three-putted six times is not the same round as an 85 where you missed every fairway right and got up and down ten times. Both score the same. Neither golfer can usefully improve from "I shot an 85."

The Consistency Score breaks the round into the parts that actually matter — and shows you which part is dragging you down.

Golfer A

85same score
Fairways
14/18
Putts
38
Doubles+
1
Consistency
71

“Drove it straight. Putter was cold. Three-putted six times — including from inside 25 feet on the 11th.”

Golfer B

85same score
Fairways
6/18
Putts
28
Doubles+
4
Consistency
56

“Missed every fairway right. Putted brilliantly to save par six times. Four doubles when the tee shots ran into trouble.”

Reading the score

What a good Consistency Score looks like

85–100
Tour-level
Tournament golf — fairways, greens, and putts all clicking. Less than 1% of amateur rounds.
70–84
Single-digit handicap on form
Two or three loose holes max. Putter is on. Most of your good rounds will live here.
55–69
Mid-handicap normal
A handful of blow-ups balanced by some clean stretches. Most weekend rounds.
40–54
High-handicap typical
Several penalty shots, three-putts, and blow-up holes. Common when learning or playing tired.
0–39
Rough day
Multiple penalty shots, lost balls, three-putts. Use the round as feedback, not a verdict.

FAQ

Questions about the Consistency Score

What is a good Consistency Score?

A 5-handicap player typically sits in the 75-85 range. A 15-handicap is 60-75. A 25-handicap is 45-60. But your range matters more than your absolute number — improvement shows up as a tighter range over 10 rounds, not a higher peak.

How is the Consistency Score calculated?

It is the sum of three components, each weighted equally — Driving (0-33) from fairway-hit percentage weighted by hole difficulty, Putting (0-33) penalising three-putts and rewarding one-putts, and Scoring (0-34) from score-to-par with a 1.2x multiplier on doubles or worse.

How is it different from a handicap?

A handicap is a running average across 20 rounds. The Consistency Score is round-by-round. It is also absolute — a 75 means the same thing across courses and tee selections, while a handicap differential is adjusted for slope and rating.

Does it work across different courses?

Yes. The score normalises driving by hole difficulty (par-3, par-4, par-5) and scoring by par. So an 80 on a brutal links is the same achievement as an 80 on an easier resort course.

Can I see my Consistency Score breakdown?

Yes. After every round, GolfStack shows your Driving, Putting, and Scoring components separately, plus the single number. The biggest problem area is highlighted, and a tip is suggested for your weakest component.

Get your Consistency Score after your next round

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