How to break 110 in golf

Breaking 110 means shooting 109 or better. The useful way to think about that target is not “I need to make pars”. It is “where can my 109 shots realistically go across these 18 holes?”

Start with the score, not course par

On a par-72 course, 109 is 37 shots over par. Those extra shots do not have to be spread evenly. Some holes will suit you, some will not, and a difficult hole does not ruin the round just because the scorecard calls it a par four.

MyPar starts with your target total and allocates the extra shots across the course using each hole's par and Stroke Index. That gives you a personal target for every hole before you tee off.

Example: a hole may be a par 4 on the card but a 6 for your 109 target. A 6 is then “level MyPar”, not a disaster. That makes it much easier to avoid chasing shots and turning one mistake into three.

Mock round: breaking 110 at Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the most recognisable courses on television. Using the official men's Stroke Index and the white tees, it is par 72 and 6,083 yards. A 109 target gives you 37 shots above par.

That works out very simply: every hole receives two extra shots, then Stroke Index 1 receives one additional shot. So most par 4s become MyPar 6s, par 3s become 5s and par 5s become 7s. The official hardest hole gets one more.

Hole	Par	SI	MyPar target	Mock score	Cumulative +/- vs par	Cumulative +/- vs MyPar	How to think about it
1	4	6	6	6	+2	E	A double bogey is completely on plan.
2	5	10	7	7	+4	E	Play it as a four-shot route to the green if needed. Seven is level MyPar.
3	4	12	6	6	+6	E	Keep it moving forward. No need to manufacture par chances.
4	4	16	6	5	+7	-1	A bogey earns one shot against 109.
5	3	14	5	5	+9	-1	Five is fine. Get on, get down eventually, move on.
6	5	2	7	8	+12	E	A shot goes here, but the round is nowhere near over.
7	3	18	5	4	+13	-1	On the famous short par 3, a bogey immediately wins that shot back.
8	4	4	6	7	+16	E	The dramatic cliffside approach is exactly where taking the safe route matters more than chasing the green.
9	4	8	6	6	+18	E	Back to target immediately.
10	4	3	6	7	+21	+1	Another one slips, but there is no need to change the plan.
11	4	9	6	6	+23	+1	Double bogey is level MyPar.
12	3	17	5	5	+25	+1	Nothing spectacular required.
13	4	7	6	6	+27	+1	Six keeps the total on schedule.
14	5	1	8	8	+30	+1	This is the official hardest-ranked hole, so MyPar gives it the only third extra shot. An 8 is level target.
15	4	13	6	6	+32	+1	Reset after the big number and take the target.
16	4	11	6	5	+33	E	A bogey buys another shot back.
17	3	15	5	5	+35	E	The famous par 3 can be treated as a five without apology.
18	5	5	7	6	+36	-1	On the Pacific-side closer, keep the ball away from the ocean and a bogey finishes the job.
Total	72		109	108	+36	-1	The golfer makes several doubles, an 8 and no birdies, yet still breaks 110 because the whole round is managed against the right target.

Pebble Beach example uses the official published par and men's handicap order. The mock score is illustrative, not a prediction of what any golfer will shoot.

This is the point of MyPar: the same mock round ends 36 over course par but one under MyPar. Seeing both running totals makes it much easier to understand why an 8 or a double bogey does not automatically mean the target has gone.

Protect the round from big numbers

For many golfers trying to break 110, the quickest improvement is not finding more birdies or pars. It is reducing penalties, reloads, duffed recovery shots and the holes that turn into 8s, 9s or 10s.

A target-based plan helps because you know where you can accept a double or triple without mentally writing the round off. If trouble brings a big number into play, getting the ball safely back in position can still keep you close to your target.

Use the hardest holes intelligently

At first, MyPar distributes the extra shots using the tee set's official Stroke Index. That is a sensible course-wide starting point: the tougher-ranked holes receive the extra allowance first.

But the official Stroke Index is not necessarily the same as your difficulty ranking.

MyPar+ learns the holes you struggle with

After three completed rounds on the same tee set, MyPar+ can use your Personal Stroke Index. Your own scoring history ranks the holes by how difficult they have actually been for you. You can then distribute the extra shots in your next 109 target using that personal ranking instead of relying only on the course's official Stroke Index.

If the course's SI 3 hole is normally fine for you but its SI 12 hole repeatedly costs you shots, Personal Stroke Index can make the target better reflect your real game.

A simple break-110 mindset

Play for the total. Keep the ball in play, accept that your target can legitimately be above par on many holes, and judge the round against 109 rather than against scratch golf. A six can be a good score. A bogey can put you ahead of target. The only number that matters at the end is the total you set out to beat.

Build your target in MyPar

Next target: How to break 100 in golf · How MyPar works