Golf scoring can be a confusing business for those either interested in the sport or those just picking up the game. So, here at GolfWRX, we’ve decided to put together this guide to simplify golf scoring to get you prepared and confident for when you next tee it up.

Again, we know much of our regular audience is well acquainted with all of the information below, but as we try to bring new players into the game, we want to be a resource for essential, foundational information.

Here is a rundown with explanations of the key terms and formats of golf scoring.

Golf Scoring Terms

A Stroke

Each time you swing at your golf ball, that’s a stroke. Keep a count of each stroke you’ve made on each hole to get your score for that particular hole. 

What is Par?

Par is the number of strokes that make up an ‘even’ score. Each hole has a designated score, typically either a par-3, 4 or 5. The majority of the holes on every course is a par-4, so four strokes to complete the hole would result in playing the hole in even or par.

In tournament scoring, you’ll often see players a certain number under or over par. If a player shoots 66 on a par 72 course, that player would be six-under-par. Alternatively, a player who shoots 78 on the same course would be six-over-par. The aim is to shoot as low a score as you can.

Birdie 

A birdie is when a player finishes a hole in one stroke less than that hole’s designated par number. On a par 3 that score would need to be a two, on a par 4 a three, and a par 5 a four.

Eagle

An eagle is when a player finishes a hole in two strokes less than that hole’s par number. Typically this would be on a par 5 but sometimes on a par 4 also. An eagle on a par 3 is classified as a hole in one which you can find further down the list.

Double Eagle/Albatross 

A double eagle or albatross is when a player finishes a hole in three strokes less than that hole’s par number. An extremely rare feat that is often only ever seen when a player holes his second shot into a par 5.

Hole in one

A hole in one is when a player holes his shot off the tee. This is most likely to happen on a par 3 hole.

Bogey (Or Worse)

A bogey is when you take one stroke too many relative to par to complete a hole. In the case of a par 4, that number would be five. If a player takes two strokes too many relative to par the term is a double bogey, three too many a triple-bogey etc.

Other Elements

Penalties

A penalty stroke is an additional stroke or strokes added to a player’s score for an infraction of the rules during their round. Typically, a penalty will be assessed for lost balls, and shots hit out of bounds.

What does ‘Handicap’ mean on the scorecard?

Handicap on the scorecard indicates the difficulty of each hole. 1 being the hardest, 18 the easiest.

Why are there different tee boxes?

The different tee boxes contain different level of difficulty. Lower handicapped players would use the tee boxes longest from the hole, while higher handicapped or beginner golfers would typically use one of the front tee boxes.

The 3 Main Scoring Formats:

Strokeplay

Strokeplay is the most common scoring format. Players count up each stroke, write down the number of strokes taken on each hole, add them together, and whoever has the lowest cumulative number is the winner.

Matchplay

Matchplay is similar to strokeplay in that players count their total strokes for a hole but then compare that number with their competitor. The player with the least amount of strokes on the hole is awarded the hole, and the winner of the contest is the one who wins the most holes.

Stableford

With Stableford scoring, players score points based on the number of strokes it takes them to finish a hole. The number of total points then decides the winner. Unlike in traditional scoring, the player with the highest score (points) is determined the winner.

Points in Stableford are awarded as follows:

• 6 points – Four strokes under

• 5 points – Three strokes under

• 4 points – Two strokes under

• 3 points – One stroke under

• 2 points – Level par

• 1 point – One stroke over

• 0 points – Two strokes or more over

Hopefully, this is all the information anyone looking to get into this great game needs to feel comfortable when it comes to the subject of golf scoring.