Definition: In common usage, a golfer who shoots par or better.
However, the term is an important one in the USGA's course rating and slope rating systems.
For the purposes of rating the difficulty of courses through course rating and slope rating, the USGA defines a scratch golfer thusly: "An amateur player who plays to the standard of the stroke play qualifiers competing in the United States Amateur Championship. The male scratch golfer hits his tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots. The female scratch golfer can hit her tee shots an average of 210 yards and can reach a 400-yard hole in two shots."
