Golf has a scoring vocabulary all its own, full of terms like birdie, bogey, and eagle that can feel like a foreign language to newcomers. This article explains what par actually means, how the common scoring terms relate to it, the difference between stroke play and match play, what a handicap is conceptually, and how a typical course is laid out across par 3, par 4, and par 5 holes.

What Par Actually Means

Par is the foundation of golf scoring. It represents the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete a given hole, accounting for the distance of the hole and typically including two strokes reserved for putting once the ball is on the green. A hole's par is determined primarily by its length, though course designers and governing bodies also factor in terrain and layout when assigning it.

Every hole on a course is assigned a par value, almost always a 3, 4, or 5, and the sum of the par values for all holes produces the course's overall par. An 18-hole course is very commonly set at a total par of 72, though courses can and do vary from this depending on their specific mix of hole lengths.

Scoring Terms Relative to Par

Once a hole's par is established, a golfer's score on that hole is described in relation to par rather than as a standalone number. This is the heart of golf's distinctive scoring language:

There is also a rarer term, albatross (sometimes called a double eagle), used for a score of three strokes under par on a single hole, which typically only happens on longer par 4 or par 5 holes where a golfer can cover enormous distance in very few strokes.

At the end of a round, a player's total score is typically expressed relative to the course's overall par as well. A player who finishes four strokes better than the course's total par is said to have finished "four under par," while a player who needed four more strokes than par finished "four over par."

Stroke Play vs. Match Play

Golf is played under two fundamentally different scoring formats, and understanding the difference is essential to understanding how a given competition is actually decided.

In stroke play, sometimes called medal play, every single stroke a player takes across the round, or across multiple rounds in a longer tournament, is counted and added together. The winner is whoever completes the designated number of holes with the fewest total strokes. Because every stroke counts toward the cumulative total, a single disastrous hole can significantly damage a player's overall position, even if the rest of their round was strong.

In match play, the competition is instead decided hole by hole, with players or teams competing directly against one specific opponent rather than the whole field. Whoever takes fewer strokes on a given hole wins that hole outright, and the exact number of strokes above the opponent does not matter; winning a hole by one stroke counts the same as winning it by several. A match is scored in terms of how many holes a player is ahead or behind, described using the phrase "up" or "down," such as being "2 up" with a certain number of holes remaining. A match concludes once one player has an insurmountable lead relative to the holes left to play, for example winning "3 and 2," meaning the player was three holes ahead with only two holes remaining to be played, making it mathematically impossible for the trailing player to catch up. Because of this format, a single catastrophic hole in match play only costs a player that one hole, rather than dragging down a cumulative total the way it would in stroke play.

What a Handicap Is, Conceptually

A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a player's skill level, designed to allow golfers of different abilities to compete against one another on a fair basis. In broad terms, a handicap represents approximately how many strokes above a course's par a player is expected to shoot, based on their demonstrated past performance.

When players of different handicaps compete against each other, the higher-handicap, less experienced player is typically given a certain number of strokes back, effectively subtracting them from that player's final score, in order to level the playing field. A player's handicap is generally calculated using a formula that accounts for recent rounds, the difficulty rating of the courses played, and is governed by standardized systems maintained by national and regional golf associations working under guidance connected to golf's international governing bodies. Lower handicaps indicate stronger players, with an expert amateur carrying a handicap close to zero, while a beginner might carry a considerably higher handicap number.

Basic Course Structure

A standard round of golf is played over 18 holes, though many courses also offer a shorter 9-hole layout. Each hole on the course is assigned one of three standard par values, and courses typically feature a mix of all three:

  1. Par 3 holes: The shortest category, generally designed to be reachable with a single well-struck shot from the tee, leaving a putt or two to finish.
  2. Par 4 holes: The most common hole length on most courses, typically requiring a tee shot followed by an approach shot to reach the green before putting.
  3. Par 5 holes: The longest standard category, usually requiring three full shots to reach the green before putting, though very long hitters can sometimes reach the green in two.

A typical 18-hole course blends these hole types to create variety in distance and strategic demands across the round, and the arrangement of par 3s, 4s, and 5s is part of what gives each course its own particular character and difficulty.

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