
Shots
- Par - the predetermined number of strokes required to complete a hole. ...
- Hole-in-One - a shot in which the ball enters the hole from the tee.
- Eagle - a shot in which the ball enters the hole after scoring two shots under par if the par is 4. ...
- Birdie - a shot in which the ball enters the hole after scoring one shot under par.
What is an eagle in golf?
In golf, "eagle" is the term used when a golfer scores 2-under par on any individual hole . Each hole on a golf course is designated as a par 3, par 4 or par 5 (and rarely par 6 ), with " par " representing the number of strokes that an expert golfer is expected to need to complete play of that hole.
What scores do you need to make an eagle in golf?
The Scores Needed to Make An Eagle. So if an eagle is a score of 2-under on a hole, that means you make an eagle by: Scoring a 1 on a par-3 hole. Scoring a 2 on a par-4 hole.
How many eagles do the best golfers make in a round?
Even the best golfers on the planet go eagle-less in most rounds. In the 2016 PGA Tour season, for example, three golfers led the tour in total eagles with 16 each, in around 90 rounds each. So if an eagle is a score of 2-under on a hole, that means you make an eagle by:
Why do golfers put an eagle on a 2-under on a hole?
Once birdie was established, golfers simply stuck with the avian theme and added "eagle" for 2-under on a hole. The bigger question is where that bird theme came from in the first place.

How rare is getting an eagle in golf?
Eagles Are Very Rare, Even For Professional Golfers He made 18 eagles over 2,124 holes (0.85% of holes). While Sungjae Im had the most eagles in 2019, Martin Laird made the most eaglesper holes played.
What is considered an eagle in golf?
An “eagle” in golf means a score 2-under par on each hole. This golf term is really easy to understand. All there is to know to get the equivalent strokes you need to target to get an eagle score on a particular hole is the par.
Can you get an eagle on a par 3?
Note that an eagle on a par-3 hole is a hole-in-one. And you can call a par-3 ace either an "eagle" or a "hole-in-one;" both terms are correct. But nobody calls it an eagle in that case. After all, why call that an eagle when you can say instead, "I just made a hole-in-one!"
What's before an eagle in golf?
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.
How do you get an eagle in golf?
An eagle in golf is a score that is achieved when you are 2-under par. For example, you need to do it in one stroke to score an “eagle” on a par-3 hole and two strokes on a par-4 hole. An eagle is a good indicator of advanced gameplay and is typically not achieved until the professional level.
What is a ostrich in golf?
Supposedly, this is the name assigned to completing a hole having struck the ball five fewer times than par. In other words, this is what happens when you hole-out a Par 7 with two strokes or shoot a Hole-In-One on a Par Six.
Can you get an eagle on a par 4?
An eagle can be either a score of 1 on a par 3 (also known as a hole in one), a 2 on a par 4, or a 3 on a par 5. Eagles are extremely rare and are a cause for celebration. Par is the number that represents the number of strokes on a golf hole it should take a golfer to get the ball in the hole from start to finish.
What is it called when you shoot a 2 on a par 5?
Albatross or Double Eagle An albatross is achieved when a player either aces a par 4, or scores a "2" on a par 5.
How rare is an eagle on a par 4?
Assuming it's a normal “short” par 4 which is typically right around 300 yards, I'd say eagle odds are more like 1 in 50 in a group of scratch players.
What is a turkey in golf?
Its origin is almost certainly American in nature. In ten-pin bowling, a trio of consecutive strikes is called a turkey, while six in a row is known as a wild, or golden, turkey. It wouldn't be the first time golf has borrowed from another sport to expand its lexicon.
Why are golf named after birds?
Used to score one under par. It began to be used in 1899 in New Jersey. It turns out that on one game day, three golfers were playing when one of them, on his second stroke, hit a bird in flight with the ball and it landed very, very close to the hole. The teammates said it was a stroke of luck for a 'birdie'.
What is a falcon in golf?
"Five under"/"falcon"/"quadruple eagle" - five strokes under par. "Four under"/"condor"/"triple eagle" - four strokes under par. "Three under"/"albatross"/"double eagle" - three strokes under par. "Eagle" - two strokes under par. "Birdie" - one stroke under par.
What is an Eagle in Golf?
In golf, an “Eagle” means scoring two strokes under par on a particular hole. Examples of golf eagles include:
What holes do eagles live on?
While extremely rare in general, eagles most often occur on par 5 holes.
What is the MyGolfSpy app?
MyGolfSpy and TheGrint (a golf GPS and Handicapping App) teamed up to find how common birdies or better, pars, and bogey or worse holes are for golfers at various handicaps. While they didn't share data specifically for eagles, they did show how many birdies or better golfers of various handicaps scored.
How many birdies does the average golfer get per round?
Considering the average golfer has a handicap between 16 to 20, this study tells us the average golfer will only score 0.3 birdies per round on average.
What is the name of the golf hole that is 3 strokes under par?
Completing a hole 3 strokes under par is also named after a bird. This achievement is called an "albatross" or a "double eagle".
What is an eagle in golf?
Getting an Eagle in golf is something many players strive for, amateurs and professionals alike. If you are wondering, what is an eagle in golf, it is a term for a score.
How to mark an eagle on a golf scorecard?
An eagle can be marked on a golf scorecard by putting two circles around the score for that particular hole.
Why Is It Called an Eagle?
The golfing terminology Eagle comes from another term, ‘birdie,’ which comes from American golfers. In the book “Fifty Years of American Golf,” H. B. Martin provided an account of a golf match played in the Country Club of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
What does it mean to be a birdie in golf?
After a player got a hole with one score under the par, a player exclaimed, calling the shot ‘a bird of a shot,” and since then term birdie has been used to refer to one score less than the par in golf.
How many strokes do you need to get a birdie?
Remember, four strokes will result in a birdie.
Can you practice eagles on any hole?
Most holes in any golf course would be eligible for practicing eagles, as you can get a 2 below on any hole .
Is a hole in one an eagle?
If a golfer gets a hole in one (as in, putting the hole with just one stroke) for a par 3 hole, then it is an eagle too. This is because for a par 3 hole, getting a hole in one means the score is two below the par.
What Does Eagle Mean In Golf?
How many shots is an eagle? Eagle means that you have scored 2 shots less than the set par for the hole. This relates to a 3 on a par 5, a 2 on a par 4, and an ace (hole-in-one) on a par 3.
An Eagle In Golf Good or Bad?
Eagle in golf scoring is much rarer than scoring birdies and affects the number of shots related to par. If under par, the score will get further while a score of over par will reduce closer to par.
How Rare Is An Eagle In Golf?
Scoring an eagle on the various par holes differ with an eagle on a par 3 being the least common as it requires one shot to get the ball into the hole.
What's Better Than An Eagle In Golf?
Eagle is not the best that you can score on a hole though, staying with the avian theme, you can score a three-under-par double eagle (also known as an Albatross in Europe) while a rare 4-under par score on a hole is known as a Condor.
Eagle Name Origin In Golf
According to the USGA, the term Eagle is, as the term birdie, American in origin, and retains the avian theme for scores below par.
What Does It Really Mean When You Score An Eagle In Golf?
You’re sure to become a golf legend if you can make eagles all the time. No doubt, this would boost your confidence levels to a whole new height. And talk about crushing your fellow golfers and competitors!
How Many Strokes for An Eagle In Golf?
Based on the definition of eagle i.e. 2-under par, you need to achieve the following to earn an eagle…
What Is A Double-Eagle In Golf?
If an eagle is rare then a double-eagle is its even rarer sibling. The latter means a score of 3-under par on the hole, which, only when possible, is done on just a par-4 hole or a longer one.
Is Scoring An Eagle A Good Thing In Golf?
There’s just no denying that an eagle, even though it rarely occurs in the game of golf, is supposed to be very good. It actually is a valid cause for celebration. You should be nothing but proud of yourself and your impressive golfing skills if you get an eagle.
What Is Better than an Eagle in Golf?
There are two scores better than an eagle. The next best score is an albatross, also known as a double eagle, which is a score three strokes under par. An albatross would be a score of 1 on a par 4 or a 2 on a par 5. An albatross can never be scored on a par 3 because there simply isn’t a way to record a negative number of strokes.
How Rare Are Eagles in Golf?
Eagles are far rarer than birdies because they are considerably more difficult to make. One way to score an eagle is to make a hole in one on a par 3 and the odds of that happening vary depending on the golfer’s skill level.
Where Did the Term ‘Eagle’ Come from in Golf?
Bird names and references are used in golf to describe scores that are under par. The first time the word ‘ birdie ’ was used dates back to the early 20th century when the word ‘bird’ was a common term to describe anything excellent.
Who Has the Most Eagles in Golf?
The PGA Tour began recording eagles as a statistic in 1980. Since that year, professional golfer Carlos Franco holds the current record for most eagles recorded in a single season on the PGA Tour at 22 eagles made. He achieved the feat during the 2003 season. Only five other professional golfers have recorded 20 or more eagles in a single season.
How Many Eagles Does Tiger Woods Have in his Professional Career?
Through the course of his esteemed career, Tiger Woods has recorded 188 eagles while playing on the PGA Tour. During the 2000 season, Tiger led the PGA Tour with 19 eagles, the most during any one season in his career.
What Are Some Tips to Make an Eagle?
For the average golfer, making an eagle can seem like an impossible feat but there are ways to improve one’s odds of making one. Outside of lady luck and the golfing gods smiling down on you, here are a few tips you can take to the course the next time you tee it up.
What Are Other Scores in Golf Called?
The game of golf utilizes a vast vocabulary to describe the many different possible scores. Here they are listed from lowest under par to highest above par:
How to get an eagle in golf?
Go for all the par fives. By far, the par fives are your best bet to get an eagle. If you can get up to the green in two shots, you could make a putt for eagle – or even chip in from off the side of the green. Therefore, you should be going for the green in two shots on the par fives any chance you get. As long as you are within a reasonable ...
Can you play a hole in two under par?
Playing a single hole in two under par might seem like a pipe dream for many golfers, but it actually happens all the time. If you are trying to get an eagle to add to your list of golf accomplishments and memories, there are certain holes that you should be paying particular attention to when looking for that eagle.
Do you have to putt the ball in the hole for an eagle?
Take dead aim with your wedges. You don’t have to putt the ball in the hole for eagle – you can always try to make a wedge shot from the fairway to get that accomplishment checked off your list.
What is an eagle in golf?
What Is an Eagle in the Game of Golf? An eagle in the game of golf is two strokes under par on a single hole. Golf uses a system of nomenclature for strokes under par that is based on birds, with a score a single shot below par for the hole called a birdie, and two shots below par called an eagle. An eagle can be scored on a hole ...
How to score an eagle in golf?
The first method of scoring an eagle is to reach the green in regulation, but do so by holing out. A par for a hole is determined by how many strokes it should take to reach a green and then adding a two-putt performance.
How to score double eagle?
A double eagle can only be scored by holing out from distance, either by holing out with a drive on a par 4 or sinking the second shot on a reachable par 5. U. S. Open Golf: Know Your History.
How many shots under par for an eagle?
So if a golfer hits it into the hole with an approach shot, it's two shots under par--an eagle. For some shorter par 4s and par 5s, a player with good distance can actually reach the green in one shot less than regulation, and then can score an eagle with a one-putt.
Is it easier to make an eagle on a par 5 or a par 4?
Making eagle on a par 5 is often an easier task for an average golfer than making one on a par 4, as players are more likely to find par 5s that can be reached in two shots, or approached close enough that the eagle shot is a short chip, than they are to find drivable par 4s.

The Scores Needed to Make An Eagle
Why Is It called An 'Eagle'?
- Now we know what an eagle is ... but why is it called "eagle"? Where does that specific term come from? "Eagle" is used because it followed "birdie" in the golf lexicon. Birdie, meaning 1-under par on a hole, came first. Once birdie was established, golfers simply stuck with the avian theme and added "eagle" for 2-under on a hole. The bigger question is where that bird theme came from in t…
Other Forms of 'Eagle' Used by Golfers
- Golfers also use the term "eagle" as part of a couple other related expressions. For example, an "eagle putt" is any putt that, if the golfer makes it, results in a score of eagle. So if you are on the green in two strokes on a par-5, your first putt attempt is an "eagle putt" because if you make it, you'll have an eagle. And there's "double eagle"—also known as an "albatross"—meaning 3-under …
What Is An Eagle in Golf?
- Before you learn what an Eagle is, let’s discuss the par. It is important to note that a hole’s par is the number of strokes it is standard for putting that particular hole. For example, for a par 3 hole, it means that it should take 3 shots for professional golfers to get the golf ball inside such a hole. The scores of golf are usually calculated relative to the par. This brings us to the Eagle. The ter…
Why Is It called An Eagle?
- The golfing terminologyEagle comes from another term, ‘birdie,’ which comes from American golfers. In the book “Fifty Years of American Golf,” H. B. Martin provided an account of a golf match played in the Country Club of Atlantic City, New Jersey. After a player got a hole with one score under the par, a player exclaimed, calling the shot ‘a bird of a shot,” and since then term bir…
Strategies and Skills Required
- You have to increase your skill level by practicing your strokes to get eagles. If you are an amateur golfer, start by practicing birdie and using maximum power in your strokes. Also, hone your maneuvering skills with a golf club you’re comfortable with. Most holes in any golf course would be eligible for practicing eagles, as you can get a 2 below...
What Does An Eagle Mean in Golf: Conclusion
- I hope by now you have a very clear answer to ‘What is an eagle in golf?’ Throughout this article, we have covered a range of examples where you can make eagles during your golf rounds. Despite being a rare achievement in terms of golf scoring it is something that with practice and time and effort you can add to your golf scorecardsfrom time to time. Now, pick up a golf club, fi…