Golf Terms: Birdie, Eagle, Par and Bogey Explained
What par means, the full golf scoring chart (birdie, eagle, albatross, bogey), what a hole in one counts as and a glossary with tee, green, fairway, bunker and putt.
By Polarzinho ·
The first time I played golf, the screen said "Double bogey" in red and I thought it was a compliment. It was not. Golf has a whole vocabulary of birds and odd words, and almost all of it spins around one idea: par.
Here you get what par means, the full scoring chart from condor to triple bogey, and a glossary of the words people use on the course, at mini golf and in games.
What is par?
Par is the number of strokes a skilled player should need to get the ball into a hole. On a regular course, holes are usually par 3, par 4 or par 5. Added together, an 18-hole course usually has a par of around 72.
In mini golf, holes are short and par is usually 2 or 3.
Golf scoring terms chart
- Condor: 4 under par. Extremely rare.
- Albatross (or double eagle): 3 under par.
- Eagle: 2 under par.
- Birdie: 1 under par.
- Par: exactly the expected number.
- Bogey: 1 over par.
- Double bogey: 2 over par.
- Triple bogey: 3 over par.
Example: on a par 4, finishing in 3 strokes is a birdie, in 2 is an eagle and in 5 is a bogey.
Where does "birdie" come from?
The most told story says it began in the United States in the early 1900s, from "bird", slang at the time for something excellent. The next names kept the bird theme.
What is a hole in one?
A hole in one (or ace) is getting the ball in the cup with a single stroke. It almost always happens on a par 3, the shortest holes. On a par 3 it counts as an eagle; on a par 4, as an albatross.
Golf glossary
- Stroke: every time you hit the ball.
- Tee: the area where you take your first shot, and also the little peg that holds the ball.
- Fairway: the short-grass path between the tee and the green.
- Rough: the longer grass at the sides, where the ball is harder to hit.
- Green: the very short grass around the hole.
- Bunker: the sand trap along the way.
- Putt: the short shot that rolls the ball on the green. The club is the putter.
- Drive: the long first shot. The club is the driver.
- Chip: a short, lofted shot near the green.
- Flagstick or pin: marks where the hole is.
- Fore!: the shout that warns someone a ball is heading their way.
- Penalty stroke: an extra stroke added when the ball goes in the water or out of bounds.
- Dogleg: a hole that bends, like a dog's hind leg.
- Handicap: a number that shows a player's level and evens out games between players of different levels.
- Caddie: the person who carries the clubs and helps the player.
The terms in Puttide mini golf
In Puttide, my 3D browser mini golf, each hole is par 2, 3 or 4, and the game writes how it went on screen, like PAR or Double bogey. There are five courses with six holes each, thirty in total.
PolarzinhoI celebrated that par like a championship final.
There are penalties too: a ball in the water costs one extra stroke.
And every putt is aimed: you choose direction and power before you hit.
FAQ
What is a birdie in golf?
Finishing a hole in one stroke under par.
What is an eagle in golf?
Two strokes under par.
What is a bogey in golf?
One stroke over par. A double bogey is two over.
What is par for a golf course?
On 18-hole courses it is usually around 72, adding up the par of every hole.
Your turn
On a par 5, what do you call finishing in 3 strokes? And in 7? Answer from memory, then check the chart.