Golf: What is a good score?

I was asked whether Linda’s score (112) the other day was a good one or not. The NGF (National Golf Foundation) maintains an FAQ, that says the following:

• The average score on an 18-hole regulation golf course was 97 in 2004. Average score was 95 for men and 106 for women.
• The percentage of adult golfers by score category are: Score under 80 (8% of golfers); 80-89 (20%); 90-99 (31%); 100-119 (30%); and 120 and above (11%).
• Average score is a statistic that is very unlikely to change over time, because the pool of golfers is constantly being refreshed by newer, less skilled ones. Also, average score increases as golfers age, which tends to balance out better scores by younger players.

So Linda’s score of 112 is just above average. However, this is her second year playing and so I figure that getting close to the average is pretty good.

Now for those of you who read this and say “yes but what about course ratings…” Let’s not make this too complicated.