In days of yore, which means a long time ago when golf was first played there was a man whose name was Mr. Bogey. Mr. Bogey was somewhat of a braggart, so most golfers of the time wanted to beat Bogey's score and if they did, others would say that they were par for the course. We now believe that we're supposed to be paring the course, which of course, no one does. (Unless you're on the PGA Tour). Whether the above story is true is a matter of supposition.
The weekend golfer puts undue pressure upon himself by trying to par the course, which of course he never does. It is a fact though, that the original scoring was what we consider today as bogey golf. By taking the needless pressure off of oneself most (decent) golfers will actually beat bogey.
Let's assume, like at most courses, that 72 is par for the course. If you play bogey golf then you'll score 90, 72+18=90. This is really not a bad score for the average golfer, but it seems that breaking 90 seems to be a magic number.
Now let's make ourselves feel good. You par one of the par-5's, -1, and par a par-4, -1. You really got lucky that day and birdied a par-3, -2 from a bogey, which gives you an 86. How many of you would be happy to shoot an 86 or an 85? I would venture many of you.
So, take the pressure off of yourself by trying to do the impossible and strive for bogey golf, and the most important part about playing golf is the camaraderie and enjoying a pleasant day outside.
And to become a better player you should practice, practice, and practice some more. But, the biggest lie ever stated is that Practice makes Perfect. If you practice poorly, you'll never get better; therefore, you should follow my 5 Ps. Perfect Practice Produces Perfect Performance. -- Have fun out there.