Golf has its own language for scores. A new golfer hears "she made a birdie on 14" and either nods along or admits they have no idea what that means. This is the guide that means you never have to nod along again.
All golf scoring terms are defined relative to par — the number of strokes a scratch golfer is expected to take on each hole. Par varies by hole length: a short hole is typically par 3, a medium hole par 4, a long hole par 5.
Ace (Hole-in-One)
Score: 1 stroke on any hole.
A hole-in-one — also called an ace — means your tee shot went directly into the hole. It's the rarest score in recreational golf and statistically more likely on a par-3 (since you're playing directly at the green from the tee).
On a par-3, a hole-in-one is also an eagle (see below). On a par-4 it's an albatross. On a par-5 it would theoretically be a condor — which has happened fewer than ten times in recorded history.
Condor
Score: 4 under par on a hole (1 on a par-5, 2 on a par-6).
A condor is the rarest score in golf. It has happened — a few documented cases of golfers holing out from the tee on a par-5, usually a short dogleg. In practice, you will almost certainly never see one.
Albatross (Double Eagle)
Score: 3 under par (1 on a par-4, 2 on a par-5).
An albatross is one of the most celebrated shots in golf. On a par-4 it means a hole-in-one; on a par-5 it means reaching the green with one shot and holing the putt. Elite professionals achieve albatrosses a handful of times per season across all professional tours globally. For an amateur to make one is genuinely remarkable.
The term "double eagle" is more common in North America; "albatross" is standard in the UK and most of the rest of the world.
Eagle
Score: 2 under par (1 on a par-3, 2 on a par-4, 3 on a par-5).
An eagle is achievable by recreational golfers, particularly on reachable par-5s. The standard route is hitting the green in two and holing the putt — though chipping in also counts. On a par-3, an eagle is a hole-in-one.
In Stableford scoring, an eagle scores 4 points (two more than a par). This is relevant for club competitions where Stableford is the most common format.
Birdie
Score: 1 under par (2 on a par-3, 3 on a par-4, 4 on a par-5).
A birdie is the standard measure of a good hole. A 10-handicap player making 4 birdies in a round is playing well. A scratch player would expect more — but even for professionals, consistent birdie-making separates good rounds from great ones.
The term comes from 19th-century American slang: "bird" meant something excellent. "Birdie" stuck, and the rest of the bird-themed scoring vocabulary followed.
In Stableford, a birdie scores 3 points.
Par
Score: Equal to par on the hole.
Par is the baseline. A golfer who matches par on every hole shoots level par for the round — shown as "E" on leaderboards, or simply 0 (zero over par). This represents scratch-golfer-level play under normal conditions.
In Stableford, a par scores 2 points.
Bogey
Score: 1 over par (4 on a par-3, 5 on a par-4, 6 on a par-5).
Bogey is the most common score for recreational golfers. A "bogey golfer" is someone whose average score is roughly one over par per hole — about a 20 Handicap Index. For most club golfers, a round with mostly bogeys is a solid round.
In Stableford, a bogey scores 1 point.
Double Bogey
Score: 2 over par.
Double bogey is where handicap scores start to suffer. In stroke play, one double bogey can undo several good holes. In Stableford, a double bogey scores 0 points — same as anything worse. This is why Stableford rewards aggressive play: there's no extra cost for going double-bogey vs triple.
Triple Bogey and Worse
Score: 3+ over par.
Triple bogey (sometimes called a "snowman" for the shape of the number 8 on a par-5), quadruple bogey, and beyond are the scores most golfers want to forget. In stroke play they're damaging. In Stableford they score the same as double bogey — zero points — which is why Stableford is often the format for less experienced players.
In WHS handicap rounds, the maximum score on any hole is net double bogey — your par plus two, plus any handicap strokes you receive on that hole. Anything worse than that is capped for handicap calculation purposes.
Net vs gross scores
All the above terms apply to gross scores — the raw number of strokes. When handicap strokes are deducted, you get a net score. A golfer receiving one stroke on a par-4 who shoots 5 (a gross bogey) makes a net par.
In competitions, most club golfers compete on net scores, which is why you'll hear phrases like "she had a net birdie on 7" — she shot one over par gross, but received a handicap stroke, making her effective net score one under par for the hole.
Scoring terms at a glance
| Score vs par | Name | Stableford points |
|---|---|---|
| −4 | Condor | 6 |
| −3 | Albatross / Double eagle | 5 |
| −2 | Eagle | 4 |
| −1 | Birdie | 3 |
| 0 | Par | 2 |
| +1 | Bogey | 1 |
| +2 | Double bogey | 0 |
| +3 or worse | Triple bogey / worse | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Why are golf scores named after birds? The tradition started in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1903. A golfer named Ab Smith hit a shot he described as "a bird of a shot" and then holed the putt for one under par. The term "birdie" spread, and the progression to eagle, albatross, and condor followed the theme of larger, rarer birds for better scores.
What is a "double eagle"? The American term for albatross — 3 under par on a hole. Both terms are correct; the British "albatross" is more standard internationally.
What does +4 mean next to a golfer's name on a leaderboard? They are 4 over par for the round. A negative number means under par (−4 means 4 under par). "E" means level par.
Can you score better than a condor? Theoretically, a hole-in-one on a par-6 would be 5 under par — which has no name and has never happened in competitive golf.
What counts as a birdie for handicap purposes? In a stroke play or qualifying round, a birdie is simply a score of one under par on the hole. It improves your scorecard and, if your round produces a handicap differential better than your current average, it contributes to lowering your Handicap Index.