What Is the Meaning of 'Par'?
- The Par of an Individual Hole. Think of any hole on a golf course. Let's say the 13th hole at Augusta National Golf Club.
- The Par of a Golf Course. For 18 holes of golf, the par is the total number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to...
- Scoring in Relation to Par (1-Under Par, Etc.). If you take five strokes to play a par-4 hole, then...
- 'Par' Before Golf.
Full Answer
What does par stand for in golf?
Par noun (Golf) The number of strokes required for a hole or a round played without mistake, two strokes being allowed on each hole for putting. Par represents perfect play, whereas bogey makes allowance on some holes for human frailty. Thus if par for a course is 75, bogey is usually put down, arbitrarily, as 81 or 82.
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 highest par rating in golf?
- LA QUINTA / CALIF. / 7,266 YARDS / PAR 72. ...
- OAKMONT / PA. / 7,255 YARDS / PAR 71. ...
- FARMINGDALE / N.Y. / 7,386 YARDS / PAR 71. ...
- ASHEBORO / N.C. / 6,543 YARDS / PAR 72. ...
- HAVEN / WIS. / 7,362 YARDS / PAR 72. ...
- PINE VALLEY / N.J. / 6,999 YARDS / PAR 70. ...
- SANFORD / N.C. / 6,554 YARDS / PAR 71. ...
- MAMARONECK / N.Y. ...
- HOBE SOUND / FLA. ...
- SCOTTSDALE / 7,412 YARDS / PAR 72. ...
What is five over par in golf?
In golf, any score, whether on an individual hole or for a completed round, that is higher than the par rating for that hole or for the round is said to be "over par." "Over par" is usually spoken and denoted in relation to par itself; for example, a score of 5 on a par-4 is termed "1-over par."
What does par mean in golf?
For golf purposes, the USGA defined "par" as, "the score that an expert player would be expected to make for a given hole. Par means expert play under ordinary weather conditions, allowing two strokes on the putting green."
How many strokes is par?
Golf Scoring Terms Cheat SheetGolf Scoring TermExplanationStrokeAny forward club swing that's intended to hit the golf ball.ParThe number of strokes an expert player is expected to make for a given hole or a group of holes (usually 9 or 18).BirdieOne stroke under par on an individual hole.8 more rows•Jul 15, 2021
What is a good par in golf?
Golf courses normally have a par that ranges between 70 and 72; any score that is at par or under par is considered good.
How does par work in golf?
PAR. How it works: Par scoring is basically like playing Matchplay against the course, with every hole producing a result of either a plus, half or minus - '+' for a net score under par, '0' for net score of par, and '-' for a net score over par.
Is 92 a good golf score?
In golf, scores less than 120 strokes are seen as respectable, or “good” scores among amateur golfers. While 90 stroke scores are considered average, scores below 120 strokes on an 18-hole course are seen amongst the golf community as relatively good.
Is 89 a good golf score?
For a scratch golfer for example a score of 89 would be considered a very bad round. But for the average golfer who usually scores around 100 it could be one of their very good scoring rounds.
Is 100 a good golf score?
Since a score of 100 is considered an average score for an average golfer, you'll be considered an above-average golfer if you can consistently break 100.
Is 105 a good golf score?
What is the average golf score? An average golf score is 90 strokes for every 18 holes played. This score applies to an amateur golfer playing on a par 72 course. A good golf score is a maximum of 108 strokes, while a bad score is considered to be 120 strokes or higher.
Is 80 a good golf score?
Only about 2 percent of all golfers ever break 80, which generally is considered the Holy Grail of scoring. To legitimately break 80 — no improved lies; no 3-foot gimmes; no free drop from out of bounds — is to breathe the rarefied air of good, if not great golf.
What does 72 mean in golf?
A hole with a par of 4 is one that an expert golfer is expected to need four strokes to complete, for example. A golf course that an expert golfer is expected to need 72 holes to complete is called a par-72 course. And "even par" (often shortened to just "even") means that the golfer matched that par number in strokes.
Why does par matter in golf?
The pressure golfers put themselves under to make a par is unreal. Pressure to make the lowest score possible can have an adverse affect on how you actually perform and can easily result in blow-up holes.
What is 3 shots under par called?
Albatross. An albatross is—you guessed it—a term for three under par. Like the bird itself, achieving an albatross in golf is rare indeed.
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" mean in golf?
"Par" is also used to describe a golfer's scoring performance on an individual hole or for a complete round of golf. If you complete a par-4 hole having used four strokes, then you are said to have "parred the hole." This is also referred to as being "even-par" or " level par ."
What is the par of a golf course?
The Par of a Golf Course. For 18 holes of golf, the par is the total number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to require to complete the course. Most full-size golf courses range from pars of 69 to 74, with par-70, par-71 and par-72 courses most common.
How many strokes to reach green on par 3?
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. On a par-4, he should need two strokes to reach the green, followed by two putts, for four 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 strokes does a par 5 take?
On a par-5, she is expected to reach the green in three strokes, followed by two putts, for five strokes total. There aren't official rules about how long a hole has to be to be called a par 3, 4 or 5, but governing bodies have published guidelines for the length of holes and par ratings .
What does the 13th hole mean?
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.
How Many Strokes In A Par?
Par is not the same between holes, it varies of course. And length is what is taken into account in determining the number of strokes needed for completing a hole. 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.
Connection Between Par and Scoring – Under Par Golf Scoring Terms
BIRDIE – 1-under par, that is 1 stroke under par is referred to as a birdie. Good examples would be 4 strokes on par-5, 3 strokes on par-4, and 2 strokes on par-3.
Connection Between Par and Distance
The logic is pretty straightforward – longer holes equal to higher par.
What Is the Average Par On A Golf Course?
That would be 72 for your regular 18-hole round of golf. As for a 9-hole golf course, the average is par-3.
Time to Wrap Things Up!
You can use the term ‘par’ in multiple ways for the game of golf. But USGA defines it as the total number of strokes any expert golfer would take for completing an individual hole. And it goes without saying that this also depends on the difficulty and length of the hole.
What Is a Par in Golf?
An expected number of golf strokes defines par, and that number represents how many strokes a golfer should reasonably take to complete that particular hole or course. A par will have a slightly different value for different holes on a golf course.
Is Par a Good Golf Score?
As only 1.85% of golfers play off scratch, a par in golf can be considered a good golf score.
Other Golf Scoring Terms
If a golfer takes one stroke more than the course’s par, it is called a bogey. Double bogey, triple bogey, and quadruple bogey mean the golfer took two strokes, three strokes, and four strokes more than the par, respectively.
Why Is It Called a Par in Golf?
In 1911, the USGA decided that par should be the “ideal score” or “reference score” for any hole in a golf play, be it at club level or international, and long before this “par” had been being used in almost the same meaning in clubs around the world. But where did this word come from?
Frequently Asked Questions
You may calculate your handicap by subtracting your average number of strokes over 10 games from your course’s overall par for every hole.
Conclusion
Par is a common golf term that all golfers should be well versed with. By having a par as an aim on any given hole you can set yourself up for success.
What is the par score for a golf tournament?
If each of the four rounds has a par of 72, the tournament par would be 288. For example, a golfer could record a 70 in the first round, a 72 in the second round, a 73 in the third round, and a 69 in the fourth round. That would give a tournament score of 284, or "four-under-par".
How is par determined?
Par is primarily determined by the playing length of each hole from the teeing ground to the putting green. Holes are generally assigned par values between three and five, which includes a regulation number of strokes to reach the green based on the average distance a proficient golfer hits the ball, and two putts.
What is the score of a golfer?
A golfer's score is compared with the par score. If a course has a par of 72 and a golfer takes 75 strokes to complete the course, the reported score is +3, or "three-over-par" and takes three shots more than par to complete the course. If a golfer takes 70 strokes, the reported score is −2, or "two-under-par".
What is a birdie hole?
Birdie. A hole score of one stroke fewer than par (one under par, −1) is known as a birdie, e.g. 2 strokes to complete a par 3 hole or 4 strokes on a par 5 hole. This expression was coined in 1899, at the Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, New Jersey.
What is a score of one stroke more than par?
A score of one stroke more than par (+1) for a hole is known as a bogey, e.g. 4 strokes to complete a par 3 hole or 6 strokes on a par 5 hole.
What is the seventh hole in golf?
A sign at The River Course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin, indicating that the seventh hole being played is a par-four. In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a proficient (scratch, or zero, handicap) golfer should require to complete a hole, a round (the sum of the pars of the played holes), ...
How many yards are there in a par 5?
In general, par-3 holes for men will be under 260 yards (240 m) from the tee to the green, par-4 holes will be 240–490 yards (220–450 m), par-5 holes will be 450–710 yards (410–650 m) and par-6 holes will be over 670 yards (610 m).
