One of the most common terms you will hear in golf is the term Par. You will hear terms such as ‘under Par’, ‘over Par’, ‘Par 3 Hole’, and many more.
All golfers try to hit a Par for each hole in a golf course. But what exactly is it? Without knowing the meaning of the term, you’d be lost listening to golfers talking amongst themselves.
So in this article, we will explore the meaning of the golf term, and understand how a Par is determined for a golf hole.
Here’s what you will learn in this article:
How Does Par Work in Golf?
According to USGA, a “Par reflects the score a scratch player is expected to score on a given hole and may be allocated depending on the playing difficulty of the hole”.
In other words, it’s the total number of strokes a good golfer is expected to get the ball in the hole with. The calculation is based on how many strokes it will take to hit the green, and then accounting for 2 putts to get the ball in the hole.
How Many Strokes in a Par?
The number of strokes expected to get in a Par varies for a hole. Since each hole is designed for a different number of strokes, the Par for a hole depends on how it was designed.
But as we’ve explained in this article, if you want to get a Par in a given hole, you will need to hit the same number of strokes it was designed for. If you score below the Par, there are other terms for this such as the Birdie, and Eagle.
The Different Types of Par
Generally, the longer the hole the higher the Par will be. This is because longer holes require more strokes to get the ball onto the green, and the Par adjusted to reflect this.
To summarise the number of strokes to get a Par on different holes for men:
- Par 3: 3 strokes – these are shorter holes (up to 260 yards) and one is expected to get the ball on the green directly off the tee. Then with 2 putts the ball should go into the hole.
- Par 4: 4 strokes – longer than a Par 3 (240 to 490 yards), you are expected to get the ball onto the green in two strokes, and then 2 putts to get it into the hole.
- Par 5: 5 strokes – on these long holes (450 to 710 yards), you should get the ball onto the green with three strokes. Then you get it into the hole with 2 precise putts.
- Par 6: 6 strokes – the longest holes (670 yards and above). Here you are should to hit 4 shots before getting the ball on the green and then hitting 2 putts to get it into the hole.
There are also instances where the same hole could have multiple Pars. This depends on which tee you start from. For example, a golf hole could have a Par-4 if you start from the men’s tee, but Par-5 if you start from the women’s tee.
What does “Par for the course” mean?
The phrase ” Par for the course” means the total number of strokes that a skilled Golfer is expected to complete a Golf Course in. To know the Par score of a course, you add all the hole’s Par in a 18 hole golf course, and that’s the Par for the course.
So for a typical full sized golf course with a total individual hole score of 72, the total Par for the course would be 72. In other words, it’s a Par 72 course. And if you are good enough to score this exactly, it means you got a “Par for the course”!
Is a Par Good in Golf?
If you get a par on a hole, as a golfer you should be proud. This means that you can get the ball in the hole in as many strokes as a good golfer would.
Not everyone will get a Par on every hole, and for some people, getting a Bogey or Double Bogey is good enough! So if you get a Par, you can consider it to be an excellent result. But to beat the competition, most people aim for better than Par.
What is a Par 3 Hole?
When you hear the term Par 3 Golf Course, it refers to the number of strokes a good golfer can get the ball in the hole. So if you hit the ball in with 3 strokes on a Par 3 Hole, it means you got the hole’s Par.
Different Golf Scoring Terms for Par in Golf
There are different terms that is used depending on what your score was in relation to the overall Par. Golfers prefer to use these terms rather than saying “two under par” or “two over par”.
Under Par
- Birdie – a common score for scratch golfers, where you score one under Par.
- Eagle – when you score two under Par.
- Albatross (Double Eagle) – incredibly rare score, where you score three under par on a hole.
- Hole in 1 – a score when you get the ball into the hole right off the Tee. Despite what many think, this is actually not the rarest score in Golf.
- Condor – a score of 4 under Par, and the most rare golf score. To get this you, on most courses you would need to hit a hole in 1 straight off the tee on a Par 5 hole.
Over Par
- Bogey– when you score one over par.
- Double Bogey – when you score two over par.
- Triple Bogey – when you score three over par.
- Quadruple Bogey – when you score four over par.
Final Thoughts
So that’s really it. A Par in golf just means the total number of strokes a good golfer (scratch golfer) is expected to get the ball in the hole with. And knowing what a Par of a golf course is, makes it easier to keep a track of the golf score when playing.
Now that you know what a par is, head out there and practice so you can start scoring more Pars or better.
