Golf scoring: par, birdie, bogey and eagle

Golf scores are counted in strokes: every swing at the ball counts, plus any penalty strokes. The fewer strokes you take, the better. But golfers rarely say "I took 4". They say "I made par", "a birdie" or "a bogey". This guide explains what those words mean and how a round is scored.

What is par?

Par is the number of strokes a good golfer is expected to need on a hole. It's set mostly by length, and it always allows two putts on the green:

• Par 3: a short hole. One shot to the green, two putts.
• Par 4: a medium hole. A tee shot, an approach to the green, two putts.
• Par 5: a long hole. Two shots to get near the green, one onto it, two putts.

A course's par is the total of its holes. Most 18-hole courses are par 70 to 72. Our course, Stonepine, is par 72: four par 3s, ten par 4s and four par 5s.

Birdie, bogey, eagle: the scores relative to par

Each hole's score has a name based on how it compares with par:

A hole in one (or ace) is holing your tee shot. On a par 3 it's also an eagle, which is why it's the most common way to make one. An albatross is rarer than a hole in one: it usually means holing your second shot on a par 5.

How a round is added up

In stroke play, the usual way, you add up every stroke on every hole. Your gross score is that total. Your score to par is the difference from the course's par: a round of 75 on a par-72 course is "3 over" (+3), and 70 is "2 under" (−2). "Level" or "E" means exactly par.

A bogey golfer is someone who averages about one over par per hole, around 90 for 18 holes. That's a good, solid amateur, not an insult.

Your net score is your gross score minus your handicap strokes. Net scores let golfers of different abilities compete fairly. How handicaps work.

How to keep a golf scorecard

1. Write each player's name at the top. In a handicap game, mark the holes where each player receives a stroke.
2. After each hole, write the number of strokes each player took, including penalties.
3. Add the front nine (holes 1–9, "out") and the back nine (10–18, "in"), then the total.
4. In competitions, a playing partner marks your card and you check and sign it at the end.

A useful habit: also note putts, and whether you hit the fairway and the green. They show you where your strokes go.

Match play scoring is different

In match play, you don't add up strokes. Each hole is won, lost or halved (tied), and the score is how many holes you're ahead: "2 up" with "3 to play". A match ends as soon as one side can't be caught, written like "3 & 2": three holes ahead with two left. If you lead by as many holes as are left, you're dormie: you can't lose, though your opponent can still tie. Match play rules and scoring.

Penalty strokes

Some situations add strokes to your score. The common ones: a ball in a water hazard (penalty area), a lost ball or a ball out of bounds. Most cost one stroke, and some also mean replaying from where you hit. These count in your gross score like any other stroke.

How scoring works in One Fairway

One Fairway keeps score the same way:

• Every shot counts, and the scorecard marks scores the way golfers do on paper: birdies circled (eagles double-circled) and bogeys boxed (doubles double-boxed).
• In stroke play your round adds up to a gross score and a score to par. In friendly matches with handicaps, the strokes you receive show on the scorecard and your net score is worked out for you.
• In match play the scorecard shows the state of the match after each hole ("AS" for all square, "1 up", and "2 & 1" at the end), and a match ends as soon as it's decided.
• A hole ends at double par plus 2 (8 on a par 3, 10 on a par 4, 12 on a par 5), so one bad hole can't go on forever. If you're struggling, you can choose Pick up and take that score.
• A gimme in match play counts as holed with one more stroke.
• Your first birdie, your first eagle and a hole in one each earn an achievement.

Play a round of Stonepine and see where you finish against par. You can start as a guest; no account needed.