
Par just represents the number of strokes you need to take for completing a single hole on the golf course. This implies that every hole has its very own par value or rating (set by the USGA
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules of golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system f…
Full Answer
What is 4 under par called in golf?
In golf, "condor" is the popular term for a score of 4-under par on an individual hole. Among common golf holes, a condor is only possible on a par-5 hole. Scoring a condor is so rare that only a handful are known in the history of golf. Since a condor is a score of 4-under-par on a golf hole, these are the scores required to claim a condor:
What is the definition of par in golf?
In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a proficient golfer should require to complete a hole, a round, or a tournament. Holes are generally assigned par values between three and five. A typical 18-hole golf course will have a total par around 72, and a 9-hole par-3 course will have a total par of 27.
What is 2 under par in golf?
They describe a golfer's performance on a hole in relation to the hole's par:
- A birdie is a score of 1-under par on a hole (for example, scoring 4 on a par-5).
- A bogey is 1-over par on a hole.
- An eagle is 2-under par on a hole.
- A double bogey is 2-over par on a hole.
- A double eagle (very rare) is 3-under par (also called an "albatross").
- A triple bogey is 3-over par.
How is golf course par determined?
- Hole List – Usually found at the very top of the scorecard is the hole list. ...
- Out and In – These are terms to specify which holes are closest to the clubhouse. ...
- Colored Names – These are labeled to help tell players how far the tee box (starting area) is for each hole. ...
- Numbers – On your scorecard should be numbers that are already filled in. ...

What is par in golf?
Brent Kelley. Updated June 21, 2019. In golf, "par" is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete an individual hole, or to complete all the holes on a golf course. Par is the standard to which golfers aspire. Usage Examples: "This hole is a par-4.".
What does par 5 mean in golf?
It's a par-5 hole. What does that mean? In this case, it means that five is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to finish play of that hole.
What is the difference between par 4 and par 5?
A par-4 hole is going to be longer than a par-3 hole, and a par-5 longer than a par-4 (with rare exceptions).
How many strokes do you need to hit a par 3 hole?
On a par-3 hole, an expert golfer is expected to need only one stroke to reach the green, followed by two putts, for three strokes total.
How many strokes are under par on a par 4?
This is also referred to as being "even-par" or " level par .". If you take five strokes to play a par-4 hole, then you are 1-over par for that hole; if you take three strokes on a par-4, you are 1- under par on that hole.
How many pars are there in a golf course?
Most full-size golf courses range from pars of 69 to 74, with par-70, par-71 and par-72 courses most common. Add up the par of each hole on a golf course to get the par for the course as a whole. (A standard, regulation golf course might have, for example, 10 par-4 holes, four par-3 holes and four par-5 holes, for a total par of 72.)
How many over par is 68?
The same applies to 18-hole scores: if the golf course's par is 72, and you shoot 85, you are 13-over par; if you shoot 68, you are 4-under par.
How Does ‘Par’ Work In Golf?
Par is the benchmark you should be aiming for. And these standard numbers aren’t just randomly selected for each hole. Rather they’re a total of the number of strokes needed for completing those individual holes.
How Many Strokes In A Par?
This is why the par-3 hole, since it’s a short one, requires a single stroke (by a highly skilled golfer), followed by two putts. And if it’s a long hole, then its rating is par-4 or par-5.
What is “Par” in Golf?
The term “par” in golf refers to the number of strokes that an expert golfer should need to complete an individual hole or a “round” of golf holes (usually 18 or 9 holes).
What is the par of a golf course?
The par of a golf course or group of holes (like the back 9 or front 9 holes) is the sum of par for every hole in the group.
What is a condor in golf?
Condor – A “Condor” is a score of 4 strokes under par on an individual hole. On most golf courses, this could only be accomplished by getting a hole-in-one on a par-5 hole. You’ve probably never heard of this golf term because only a handful of “condors” have ever taken place. It should generally be physically impossible to hit the ball far enough for a condor on a par 5.
What is an eagle on a par 3?
Eagle – An “Eagle” is a score of two strokes under par on an individual hole. For example, 2 strokes on a par-4 hole or 3 strokes on a par-5 hole. While a hole-in-one (one stroke) on a par-3 could be described as an eagle, it’d more commonly be referred to as a “hole-in-one” or “ace.”
What is double eagle?
Albatross (Double-Eagle) – An “Albatross” or “Double-Eagle” is a score of 3 strokes under par on an individual hole. For example, 2 strokes on a par-5 or a “hole-in-one” on a par-4. Again, 1 stroke on a par-4 is usually referred to as a “hole-in-one” or “ace,” rather than an albatross. This feat is so incredibly rare that I doubt it’ll ever come up in your golf round!
What does "one under par" mean in golf?
If you took 4 strokes to complete a par-5 hole, you could say you were “one under par” or “one under.” However, other terms are more commonly used to describe a golfers score for a hole in relation to par (see the “Scoring Terms for Individual Golf Holes” section below).
What is a birdie score?
Birdie – A “Birdie” is a score of one stroke under par on an individual hole. For example, 2 strokes on a par-3 hole, 3 strokes on a par-4 hole, or 4 strokes on a par-5 hole.
What does "par" mean in golf?
Overall, par can be used multiple ways in golfer terminology and vocabulary. You can refer to the par of the golf course or the par of the individual hole. You can also refer to your score relative to par.
What is the standard score for par golf?
For example, if the “Par” of the golf course is 72 (which is pretty standard for most golf courses) then you would be expected to score a 72 to shoot par golf.
How Do Golf Courses Determine the Par of a Hole?
The score assigned to represent the par value of that hole is always determined by adding two strokes for putting. The remaining strokes that comprise that par score are determined by the distance of the golf hole.
How to determine the par value of an 18 hole golf course?
The par of the entire 18 hole golf course is determined by adding up the par of all individual holes on the golf course. The total sum usually comes out to 72 for most golf courses but there are others who have par value of 70, 71, and sometimes 73.
How many strokes do you need to hit a par 4?
On a par 4 a golfer should need two strokes to reach the green, followed by the 2 putts to get the ball into the hole and complete the par 4 score.
How many shots off a par 5 to get 3?
Using the Par 5 as an example, you would subtract 2 shots off the Par 5 value to get 3. This is the number of shots it should take you to get the ball on the green so that you can finish with the two putts to complete the par.
What is the end goal of golf?
The end goal is to achieve the par of a golf course, which is very hard to do especially if you’re a beginner and new to the sport of golf.
What is par?
According to the USGA, par is a measure of what an expert player would be expected to score on any one particular hole based on the length and difficulty of that hole. Par assumes a player reaches a green in regulation and then takes two putts from the putting surface to hole the ball.
When did the term "par" come into play?
It is from that meaning that the USGA applied the term par to golf in 1911. Par and bogey were once interchangeable terms, but with this delineation, the golf world decided par was better than bogey. The phrase "par for the course" is typically used colloquially to mean something that is commonplace and expected.
What is the most common par for an 18 hole course?
For an 18-hole course, the most common par is 72, though 70 and 71 round out the most common golf course par. If you shoot even par, you have, by USGA standards, played a tremendous round of golf.
What do golfers talk about?
They talk about whether the round was over par, under par or even par, in addition to talking about the total score for their round or tournament.
Is it rare to shoot a par round?
Shooting a round of even par or better in a round is quite rare and unexpected. Considering that less than 1.6 percent of all golfers are capable of routinely breaking the course rating on any golf course -- a term known as being a scratch player -- "par for the course" is anything but ordinary.
What does "par is your partner" mean?
"Par Is Your Partner" is the name of a rule or stipulation put into place in a golf tournament that limits a player's or team's maximum score on each hole to a net par.
How many points is a par?
Since net par is the maximum score, pars are worth 0 points. In this case, total points rather than strokes is what determines the winner. (Think of this as the Stableford version of Par Is Your Partner).
When Is Par Your Partner?
When "Par Is Your Partner" is in place, you pick up your ball and move on when you can no longer beat a score of net par on the hole you're playing. Which is another way of saying that net par is the maximum score any golfer or team can make when Par Is Your Partner is in use, so that's what you write on the scorecard if you pick up.
Is par your partner scoring stipulation in effect in high level golf tournaments?
The Par Is Your Partner scoring stipulation would never be in effect in high-level golf tournaments. But in tournaments that involve many golfers of higher handicap ratings, this add-on rule can keep golfers and teams from compiling large scores on those blow-up holes. And by limiting the number of triple-, quadruple- and worse bogeys during the tournament, the rule helps keep the pace of play moving.
What is the difference between par 4 and par 6?
Par 4 holes are typically more challenging than pars for 5 and under, while 6s tend not only be a whole lot shorter but also provide an opportunity cost with their length-- you cannot get closer without going off-course! The beauty of this sport lies in its simplicity: it takes just one great shot from each player (and sometimes none at all), so every match has high suspense until someone finally sinks that winning putt or makes bogey Number One instead.
Is under par a good score?
It's not a great score, but it can still be impressive. Under par means golfers get lower than expected scores on their shots and this is what makes them different from players who tee off with numbers that are above average or even high for Golf percentage.

How Does Par Work in Golf?
Is A Par Good in Golf?
How Many Strokes in A Par?
What Is The Deal with Par-70, par-71 and Par-72?
Par and Scoring Relationship
What Does “Par For The Course” Mean?
- You probably heard of the term “par for the course.” It’s basically an idiomatic expression derived from golf which usage is equal to that of “normal”, “expected” or “common.” Like in golf, par is the expected/normal number of strokes. So you could use the phrase to describe a similar situation, event or behavior.