There are many terms in golf that get thrown around by everyday golfers, with “Bogey” being a common one. You may have heard your friends mentioned it, or you may have scrolled through the newspapers and came across the term.
Bogey is a common golf term that every golfer should know. Even before I had played golf, a bogey was a term that I had frequently heard.
To learn more about the golf scoring term, read this article to know what does bogey mean in golf, how to calculate it, and the origin of the term.
Here’s what you will learn in this article:
What is a Bogey in Golf?
So in golf, what is a bogey? It’s simply a golf term used to describe a score a golfer gets when they score 1 stroke above a Par of the golf hole.
If we look at the different golf holes, a golfer would score a bogey with the following golf scores:
- Par 3 – 4 strokes
- Par 4 – 5 strokes
- Par 5 – 6 strokes
- Par 6 – 7 strokes
As you can see, it’s quite simple to work out the score. If you score above a Bogey, it simply refers to a Double Bogey, Triple Bogey etc…
If you score below, the terms get a bit more complicated and range from a Birdie, Eagle, Albatross or Double Eagle, or a Condor.
History of the Bogey Term
There are different stories about the origin of the term Bogey in golf. The most common one and widely accepted story originates from the British Isles.
According to the USPGA, the term Bogey originally came from the United Kingdom, where there was a popular song in 1890s called “The Bogey Man”. The song later was known as “The Colonel Bogey March”.
Golfers in England and Scotland had used this term to compare how hard it is to get a perfect score, as it is to find the Bogey Man. At first, a Bogey was used referring to the ideal score a good player should get under perfect golf conditions.
Only until the term “Par” was introduced in the early 1910s, a Bogey was recognized as a great score. Once Par, the typical score a really good golfer (scratch golfer) is expected to get under perfect conditions, was introduced the distinction between the 2 became more apparent.
In other words, good golfers are expected to score a Bogey, even better golfers are expected to score a Par.
“Double Bogey,” “Triple Bogey,” “Quadruple Bogey”
If you score a bogey, you are getting the ball into the hole with one stroke above Par. If you end up getting more strokes over Par, then there are other terms used.
For a Par 3 hole, we use the following terms depending on how many strokes you score:
- 4 Strokes (1 above Par) – Bogey
- 5 Strokes (2 above Par) – Double Bogey
- 6 Strokes (3 above Par) – Triple Bogey
- 7 Strokes (4 above Par) – Quadruple Bogey
What Handicap Is a Bogey Golfer?
The golf handicap is a way to measure a golfer’s ability to play golf. It’s used to level the playing field when golfers of different skills play together.
So what handicap do Bogey Golfers have? If playing on a regular 18 hole golf course with a Par Score of 72, then Bogey Golfers would score 90 in total. In other words, they would get exactly 1 stroke above the Par for every hole on average across the 18 holes.
Is Being a Bogey Golfer Considered Good?
Getting a Bogey score is not necessarily a bad thing. Most recreational golfers I know are, in fact, Double Bogey Golfers, so being a Bogey Golfer is still good!
However, for professional PGA golfers, getting a bogey is not a good thing since it affects their overall score. These types of golfers aim to score below Par to increase their chances of winning the overall golf tournament.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up – the term Bogey is simply referring to when a golfer scores one stroke over par in a hole. It’s a common score that everyone can expect to get especially when they are starting out their golf journey.
While it’s a common score, it’s a score that professional golfers try to avoid as it worsens their overall score. But if you are just starting playing golf, getting a Bogey is a step in the right direction to help you Break 100 and then Break 90.
