What is a bogey in golf terms?
Emma Payne
Published Jan 24, 2026
A Bogey means one over par. Birdie: In the 19th century, the term "bird" was the equivalent of "cool" or "excellent" - golf scholars believe this is where the term came from. An Atlantic City, New Jersey, course claims that the term originated there in 1903. The meaning being a score of one under par.
What is a bogey and a double bogey?
Bogey, Double Bogey etc.: A score of one stroke more than par on a hole is a bogey; two strokes above par is a double bogey, and so on. For example, a score of 5 on a par 4 hole is a bogey.
Is a bogey 3 strokes?
“Bogey” is a golf scoring term meaning a golfer made a score of one stroke over par on a particular hole. Examples of Bogeys include: 4 strokes on a par-3 hole. 5 strokes on a par-4 hole.
Why do they call it a bogey in golf?
The term 'bogey' comes from a song that was popular in the British Isles in the early 1890s, called "The Bogey Man" (later known as "The Colonel Bogey March"). The character of the song was an elusive figure who hid in the shadows: "I'm the Bogey Man, catch me if you can."
What comes after albatross in golf?
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.
40 related questions foundWhat is the rarest shot in golf?
Scoring a condor is the rarest event in golf. This is normally a hole in one at a par five (a two at a par six would also count, but this has never been done). Only five condors have ever been recorded: The most recent was Kevin Pon, who made a 2 on a par 6 at Lake Chabot Golf Course on the 10th December 2020.
What is an ace in golf?
An Ace, otherwise known as “Hole-in-One”, is one of the scores in golf which is acquired with only a single stroke. Thus, it is a score of 1 in any hole – or that scenario when you drop the ball from tee to cup in a single shot.
What are the 7 golf scoring terms?
We've compiled a list of 100+ golf terms that are useful to know, but the golf scoring terms we'll cover in this guide are among the most essential when you're out on the course or watching televised golf.
Is bogey a type of bird?
For birders, it's the Bogey Bird, also referred to as the Nemesis Bird. Nemesis birds aren't those critters that were nearly missed on the first attempt, or simply proved to require more effort than anticipated.
What are golf scores called?
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.
Is a bogey golf good?
A bogey is typically considered to be a fairly bad score on a golf hole, as it is a single stroke above par. However, less experienced golfers may view a bogey as an average score since shooting par is not always an easy task. Bogeys are better than double bogeys, triple bogeys, quadruple bogeys.
How does the scoring work in golf?
Every time you make a stroke, count it. At the end of each hole - after you've rolled the ball into the cup - tally the strokes you used on that hole. And that's your score for the hole.
How do you play bogey golf?
(A bogey is a golf score of 1 over par on an individual hole. If the hole's par rating is 4 and a golfer scores 5 on the hole, that golfer has made a bogey.)
What is a birdie and bogey in golf?
A player makes a “birdie” when he uses one fewer strokes than the par of the hole. If a player needs one stroke more than par to finish a hole, he makes a “bogey.” So, if you finish a par 4 with only 3 strokes, you make a “birdie”, but if you take 5 strokes to complete a par 4, you make a “bogey”.
What is worse than a bogey in golf?
Technically, any score greater than 2-over par would be considered worse than a double bogey.
Is double bogey golf good?
Bogey is the golf term for a score that's 1 over par on a single hole. A double bogey represents a score of 2 over par for one hole. Therefore, a bogey is always a better score than a double bogey. There are, however, occasions when the effect of scoring a double bogey is no worse than that of shooting a bogey.
What is 3 shots under par called?
For hole completions three strokes under par is recognized in golf as Albatross. This is also known as “double eagle” in relation to the “birdie” and “eagle” theme. More on albatross in golf here. The reasoning for the name is that albatross is a very rare bird and so is scoring three under par.
Which is better birdie or bogey?
Birdie: A hole played one stroke better than the expected standard (one under par). Bogey: A hole played one stroke over par. Or you could end up with a double bogey (two over par), a triple bogey (three over) or worse — it is not uncommon to suffer from a bogey five.
How do you score a bogey card in golf?
The same applies if a player breaks Rule 6-7 (Undue Delay; Slow Play). Stableford competitions are scored under the following point system: Triple eagle (4-under par on a hole) – 6 points; double eagle – 5 points; eagle – 4 points; birdie – 3 points; par – 2 points; bogey – 1 point; double bogey or worse – 0 points.
What is a good score in golf?
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.
What is snowman in golf?
It actually refers to the number '8', which coincidentally looks like a snowman. Should a player record that score on a single hole, then it is given the name of 'snowman', much like a golfer gets a birdie or an eagle.
What is golf albatross?
Albatross: This term means three under par, but the "double eagle" synonym is simply a continuation of the aviary theme of good scores. The albatross is rare, as is a three under par.
What is a slice in golf?
A slice happens when a sidespin is put on the ball, causing it to curve to the right for a right-handed player and to the left for a left-handed player. Sidespin to the right is caused when the clubface is open (pointed right) relative to the path the club is traveling as the club impacts the ball.
Who has the most hole in ones in golf?
Norman Manley of California is perhaps the luckiest or most skilful golfer in the world with his record of a whopping 59 hole in ones. Luckily he made them over a 15-year timeframe between 1964 and 1979.
Has anyone ever aced a par 5?
Has there ever been an ace on a par-5? Although no one in PGA Tour history has ever recorded an ace on a par-5, there have actually been five records of par-5 holes-in-one. And no, none of them were from Happy Gilmore. The first “condor” occurred in 1962 off the club of Larry Bruce.