With so many terms mentioned by every golfer, it’s hard to not want to understand what it means. You may have heard what a par, and a birdie is, but not yet understood the Eagle. As a regular golf player, it’s important to brush up on the golf term so you are also familiar with it.
This article will help explain what the Eagle is in golf, the number of strokes it requires, and what you should do to make an Eagle. So with that in mind, let’s continue to explore more about the Eagle golf term!
Here’s what you will learn in this article:
How Many Strokes Does it Take to Score an Eagle?
In its simplest form, to get an Eagle you would need to score 2-under Par in a single golf hole. Now we know that each golf course has more than one type of hole, so how many golf strokes would you need to get for each given hole:
- Par 3 Hole: A single stroke, also known as a hole-in-one.
- Par 4 Hole: Two strokes
- Par 5 Hole: Three Strokes
- Par 6 Hole: Four Strokes
Where Does the term Eagle Come From?
The term Eagle was a natural progression from the term Birdie, which was termed in the early 1900s. This is when you get the ball in the hole with a 1-under Par in a single golf hole.
The Eagle term came up as a term for scoring better than the Birdie, as we consider the eagle bird larger than a regular bird. Hence, if you get an Eagle, it’s seen as a bigger achievement than a Birdie.
Naturally, we can see that the term is just a progression from the previous bird related themes for under par golf scores.
How to Score an Eagle?
To score a golf Eagle is no easy feat and requires practice to improve your general golf game. Most Eagles are scored on a Par 5 hole because you have more shots to get you onto the green and then the hole.
First, you would need to ball off the tee with a powerful driver shot right down the fairway. Using the right golf club and golf balls can help you achieve this, especially if you have a golf driver for distance.
Then you would need to hit the ball with precision onto the green to set you up for the Eagle shot. If you somehow got the ball directly into the hole, it would be counted as the extremely rare Albatross.
Finally, you would need to hit a perfect putt to get the ball into the hole, earning you an Eagle or two strokes under Par.
Is There Anything Better Than an Eagle in Golf?
To achieve an Eagle is no easy feat, but there are 2 more terms that are considered better than an Eagle. First you have the hole-in-one which everyone has heard of, but three is another score, the Albatross.
The Albatross, also known as the Double Eagle, is a rarer score than a hole in one because it’s much harder to score one, usually on a Par 5 hole.
Read more about the Albatross in this article here.
Final Thoughts on the Eagle
To score an Eagle in golf is something you should try to achieve. You’d need to hit an impressive two under par for a given hole, so the number of strokes differs depending on the par on a hole.
Ultimately, if you can achieve hitting an Eagle playing golf, then you will get a lower score and beat your competitors. But remember to have fun while you are playing your best golf. The Eagle will come eventually!
