What are birdie, eagle, bogey and par in golf?
Par is the expected score on a hole. One under par is a birdie, two under is an eagle, three under is an albatross (double eagle). One over par is a bogey, two over is a double bogey, three over is a triple bogey. A hole-in-one is holing your tee shot.
The scoring names chart
| Term | Vs par | Par 3 | Par 4 | Par 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albatross (double eagle) | -3 | n/a | 1 | 2 |
| Eagle | -2 | 1 (ace) | 2 | 3 |
| Birdie | -1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Par | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Bogey | +1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Double bogey | +2 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Triple bogey | +3 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Where the bird names came from
"Birdie" is widely traced to American slang of the late 1800s, when "bird" meant something excellent; eagle and albatross extended the bird theme for even better scores. "Bogey" originally meant the score a good player was expected to make, which is why it once meant what we now call par.
Scores you'll hear on TV
"Under par" totals are shown in red with a minus sign; "E" means even par. A "bogey-free round" means no scores over par. For amateurs, "bogey golf" (about one over per hole, roughly 90 on a par-72) is a respectable goal.
What is a hole-in-one?
A hole-in-one, or ace, is holing the ball with your first stroke from the tee. It is almost always on a par-3, where it counts as an eagle. On a par-4 it would be an albatross, and on a par-5 it's sometimes called a condor.
Putting the terms to use
Track how many pars and bogeys you make rather than only your total; it shows where strokes go. To see how these feed into a total and a net score, read how golf scoring works, and for fair games between different abilities see how handicaps work. Celebrating an ace? A hole-in-one display case is a classic gift.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bogey bad in golf?
Not for most golfers. A bogey is one over par, and many amateurs average more than a bogey per hole.
What is a condor in golf?
A condor is four under par on a hole, such as a hole-in-one on a par-5. It is extremely rare.
What does even par mean?
Your total equals the course's par, shown as 'E' on leaderboards.