What Is Par? Birdies, Bogeys, and Golf Scoring Explained

Par is the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to take on a given hole. Shoot fewer strokes than par and you have a birdie or eagle. Shoot more and you have a bogey or worse. That is the whole system. Everything else in golf scoring is just names for how far above or below par you finished.

If that is all you needed, great. But most beginners want to know what those words actually mean on the course, how to write scores on a card, and what score to realistically aim for when you are just getting started. This guide covers all of that.

What par means, hole by hole

Par is set for each hole based on its length. Course designers decide the par before the course ever opens, and it stays fixed from round to round. What changes is how many strokes you take to get there.

A regulation round of 18 holes typically adds up to a total par between 70 and 72. Most courses land at par 72. When someone says "I shot an 85," they mean they used 85 total strokes on a par-72 course, which is 13 over par.

Par 3 holes

A par-3 hole is usually between 100 and 250 yards from the standard tee. You are expected to reach the green in one shot, then sink the ball in two putts. Short and compact, these holes still humble plenty of players who assume "short" means "easy."

Par 4 holes

Par 4 is the most common hole type. These run roughly 250 to 450 yards. The expectation is that you hit a tee shot down the fairway, then hit the green with your second shot, then two putts to finish. Four total strokes.

Par 5 holes

Par-5 holes stretch from around 450 yards up to 600 yards or more. You get three shots to reach the green and two putts to close it out. Longer hitters sometimes reach a par 5 in two shots, setting up an eagle attempt.

The scoring terms you will hear on the course

Golf has its own vocabulary for scores relative to par. Here they are in one place.

Term	Strokes vs par	Plain meaning
Albatross (Double Eagle)	-3	Three under par on a hole
Eagle	-2	Two under par on a hole
Birdie	-1	One under par on a hole
Par	0	Exactly the expected score
Bogey	+1	One over par on a hole
Double bogey	+2	Two over par on a hole
Triple bogey	+3	Three over par on a hole

An albatross is rare enough that most club golfers never make one in their lifetime. Eagles happen to good players on par 5s with some regularity. Birdies are the everyday benchmark for strong amateur play. And bogeys? For a beginner, a bogey is a perfectly respectable score on most holes.

Where these names came from

"Birdie" comes from 19th-century American slang where "bird" meant something excellent. An eagle is just a bigger, more impressive bird than a birdie. The albatross follows the same logic, though in the UK it is more commonly called a double eagle. Nobody seems entirely sure how "bogey" became the name for one over par, though an old British song about a mysterious figure called "Colonel Bogey" appears somewhere in the story.

How to fill in a golf scorecard

A scorecard lists every hole, its par, and a column for your score. After you finish each hole, write down how many strokes you took. At the end of the round you add up all 18 holes to get your gross score.

A few things to know before you write your first number:

• Write the actual stroke count, not the result relative to par. If you took 6 strokes on a par-4 hole, write 6, not "double bogey." The relative terms are just shorthand for conversation.
• Count every stroke, including penalty strokes. If your ball goes out of bounds or into a water hazard, that is an extra stroke added before you play again.
• Some groups use a maximum score per hole. For recreational rounds it is common to pick up the ball after you hit double bogey on a hole, marking the scorecard with the maximum. This keeps pace of play moving.

If you want to understand how a full round flows from hole to hole, the article how a round of golf works: 9 vs 18 holes explained walks through what to expect from the first tee to the 18th green.

What counts as a good score for beginners

Here is the honest answer: beginners should not focus on par at first. Par is designed for skilled golfers who have played for years. Expecting to shoot near par in your first season leads to frustration.

A more useful way to think about it:

• First few rounds: Breaking 120 (about 48 over par on a par-72 course) is a reasonable early milestone. Some beginners shoot higher and that is fine.
• After a few months of regular play: Getting into the 100-110 range shows real progress.
• The "breaking 100" goal: Many instructors say breaking 100 is the first meaningful milestone for recreational golfers. It means you are averaging around a double bogey per hole.
• Breaking 90: This is where most casual golfers hover once they have played for a year or two. It requires avoiding big blowup holes more than it requires making pars.

Scoring is only one measure of progress. Hitting a clean iron shot, getting out of a bunker cleanly, or reading a putt correctly all feel like wins even when the number at the top of the card looks rough. If you are just getting into the game, the guide golf for complete beginners: how to get started covers what to focus on before worrying too much about your score.

A quick introduction to handicap

Once you understand par and gross scoring, handicap is the next concept worth knowing.

Your handicap is a number that represents how many strokes above par you typically shoot. It is calculated from your recent round scores using a formula set by the World Handicap System. A player with a handicap of 18 would typically shoot 18 over par, which on a par-72 course means a gross score of around 90.

Handicaps exist so players of different skill levels can compete against each other fairly. If you shoot 95 and your friend shoots 80, the raw numbers make it look like a blowup, but if your handicap is 22 and theirs is 8, the adjusted scores are much closer.

You do not need a handicap to enjoy golf. But once you start playing regularly and want to track progress or play in casual competitions, it is worth setting one up through your local club or a national golf association. Most allow you to register online.

For a broader look at all the terms you will encounter as you learn, golf terms every beginner should know is a good reference to bookmark.

Frequently asked questions

What does "even par" mean?

Even par means you finished exactly at the expected number of strokes. If you played a par-72 course and took exactly 72 strokes, you shot even par, sometimes written as "E" on a leaderboard. It sounds straightforward, but shooting even par puts you in the same ballpark as a very good amateur golfer.

Is a bogey bad?

Not for most recreational golfers. A bogey means you took one more stroke than par on a hole. For beginners and intermediate players, averaging bogeys would actually be a strong performance. Scratch golfers (handicap of 0) aim to average par or better, but that level of play takes years of serious practice.

What is a condor?

A condor is four under par on a single hole, making it the rarest score in golf. It has happened, but only a handful of verified times in history. A condor on a par-5 hole means a hole-in-one. A condor on a par-6 hole (which some unusual courses have) means reaching the hole in just two strokes. You can play golf your entire life and never see one.

How do I count penalty strokes?

Penalty strokes are added to your score when certain rules are broken or certain situations occur. The most common ones beginners encounter: hitting out of bounds (one penalty stroke, replaying from the original spot), losing a ball without finding it (same penalty as out of bounds), and taking relief from a water hazard (one penalty stroke, then you drop a new ball in the designated area). Always check the local rules posted at the course, since some courses use simplified rules for casual play.

Do I have to finish every hole?

In casual rounds, no. Many beginners pick up their ball once they reach a certain stroke count on a hole to keep the group moving. In competition play, you typically must hole out on every hole to post a valid score. For a handicap to count, you also need to complete holes or mark a maximum adjusted score. If you are just starting out, ask your playing partners what approach the group prefers before the round begins.