Birdie = 1 under par, Eagle = 2 under par, Albatross = 3 under par. These are the three standard scores better than par on a single hole. A condor (4 under par) is theoretically possible but has never been recorded in professional competition.
The foundation: stroke play
The most common way to play golf is called stroke play (also called medal play). The rules are simple: count every single stroke you take over 18 holes. Lowest total wins.
That's it. Every time the club moves and you intend to hit the ball — whether you connect or not — that's a stroke. Miss the ball completely on a practice swing? That's not a stroke. Swing and clip it two inches? That's a stroke.
Penalties add extra strokes too. Hit your ball into the water? That'll usually cost you one penalty stroke on top of whatever shots you play from your new position.
Par: the anchor for everything else
Golf doesn't just track your raw total — it measures you against a standard called par.
Par is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to take on each hole. Every hole on a course is a par 3, par 4, or par 5:
- Par 3 — short hole. Expect to reach the green in 1 shot, then take 2 putts. Total: 3.
- Par 4 — medium hole. Reach the green in 2 shots, 2 putts. Total: 4.
- Par 5 — long hole. Reach the green in 3 shots, 2 putts. Total: 5.
Add up the par of all 18 holes and you get the course par — usually 72, though courses range from 68 to 74.
When a player finishes a round, their score is expressed relative to par:
- Even par (E) — same number of strokes as the course par. Excellent.
- −4 — four strokes under par. Very good.
- +12 — twelve strokes over par. A tough day.
So "four under" means the player took four fewer strokes than the course par. On a par-72 course, that's a total of 68 — which is genuinely exceptional.
The scoring terms you'll hear on every hole
Once you understand par, the scoring vocabulary falls into place immediately:
| Score vs par on the hole | Name | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 3 under par | Albatross | Hole-in-one on a par 4, or 2 shots on a par 5 |
| 2 under par | Eagle | Very rare. Celebrated. |
| 1 under par | Birdie | The goal for most amateur golfers |
| Equal to par | Par | The standard |
| 1 over par | Bogey | The most common result for recreational players |
| 2 over par | Double bogey | A rough hole |
| 3 over par | Triple bogey | An even rougher hole |
A hole-in-one (or ace) is when you hole the ball from the tee in a single shot. On a par 3, that's a birdie — but we call it a hole-in-one because it's special enough to have its own name.
Reading the scoreboard: what −3, E, +5 actually mean
On a leaderboard or TV broadcast, you'll see scores like −3, E, and +5. These always refer to the player's total score relative to par for the round (or tournament).
- −3 — three under par. If the course par is 72, this player has taken 69 strokes.
- E — exactly par. 72 strokes on a par-72 course.
- +5 — five over par. 77 strokes on a par-72 course.
In a multi-round tournament (like The Open, which plays four rounds), scores accumulate across all rounds. A player at −12 after three rounds has taken 12 fewer strokes than the course par × 3.
Reading a golf scorecard
A scorecard is where your score gets recorded hole by hole. Here's what each section means:
Hole number — 1 through 18.
Par — the par for that hole (3, 4, or 5). Printed and fixed — this doesn't change.
Yardage — the distance from your chosen tee to the hole. Different tees = different yardages.
Stroke Index (SI) — a number 1 to 18 that ranks each hole by difficulty. This matters for handicap (more on that below). SI 1 is the hardest hole; SI 18 is the easiest.
Score column — where your marker writes your number of strokes per hole.
Out — your total strokes for holes 1–9.
In — your total strokes for holes 10–18.
Gross total — Out + In. Your raw stroke count for the round.
For a complete walkthrough of how to fill in a scorecard correctly during a competition — including how to record penalty strokes, handle Stableford, and sign off — see how to fill in a golf scorecard.
Where handicap fits in
So far we've been talking about gross scores — the actual number of strokes you took. But most amateur golf is played with net scores, which account for the fact that players have very different ability levels.
Your Handicap Index is a portable number that represents your playing level — the lower the number, the better the player. A scratch golfer (Handicap Index of 0) plays to par. A player with a Handicap Index of 18 typically shoots around 90.
For a specific course, your Handicap Index is converted to a Course Handicap — the number of extra strokes you receive across the round. These strokes are distributed across holes based on the Stroke Index: you get a stroke on the hardest holes first.
Your net score = gross score − Course Handicap.
Example: you shoot 92 gross on a par-72 course with a Course Handicap of 18. Your net score is 74. A scratch golfer who shot 74 gross also has a net of 74. The handicap makes you competitive with each other despite the 18-stroke difference in raw ability.
The other scoring system: Stableford
Most club competitions in the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Australia don't use stroke play totals at all — they use Stableford, a points-based system.
Instead of counting every stroke and adding them up, Stableford awards points per hole based on your net result:
| Net result on the hole | Stableford points |
|---|---|
| Eagle or better | 4 points |
| Birdie | 3 points |
| Par | 2 points |
| Bogey | 1 point |
| Double bogey or worse | 0 points |
Highest points total wins. The big advantage: a catastrophic hole scores 0 and is forgotten. In stroke play, an 8 on a par 4 stays on your card and wrecks your total. In Stableford, it scores 0 and you move on.
For most recreational players, Stableford is the better format — it's more forgiving, it keeps you in the round mentally, and it naturally speeds up pace of play (once you can't score, you pick up and move on). To score a round hole by hole with automatic stroke-index allocation, use the Stableford scorecard calculator.
How to keep score during a round
Most beginners wait until the end of the hole to write their score — by then you've forgotten a penalty or a whiff. The habit that saves arguments: announce your stroke count out loud after every shot ("that's three") and have your marker confirm before you tee off on the next hole. If you're unsure whether a swing counted, replay the moment in your head: did the club move forward with intent to hit the ball? Yes = stroke. No = practice swing. Mark penalty strokes with a small "P" next to the hole number so they're obvious when you total up. At the end of the round, add your front nine (Out), back nine (In), and verify the gross total matches the sum of all 18 holes before you sign.
Keep reading: strokeplay · Stableford · Golf Gross vs Net Score
How to fill in your scorecard during the round
Write your strokes for each hole in the score column as you go — don't wait until the end. If you take a penalty, add it to the hole's total (e.g., 5 strokes played + 1 penalty = 6 in the box). At the end of the front nine, add up holes 1–9 for your Out total; do the same for 10–18 for In. Gross total is Out + In. Both you and your marker must sign the card before handing it in, or you're disqualified. If you spot a mistake after signing, tell the committee immediately — they can fix an addition error, but not a wrong hole score you confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
What are birdie, eagle, and albatross in golf?
Birdie is 1 stroke under par on a hole. Eagle is 2 strokes under par. Albatross (also called double eagle) is 3 strokes under par — typically a hole-in-one on a par 4 or a 2 on a par 5.
What is a condor in golf?
A condor is 4 strokes under par on a single hole — a hole-in-one on a par 5. It is the rarest score in golf and has never been recorded in professional competition; only a handful of verified condors exist in history, all on par-5 holes with extreme elevation or doglegs.
Is albatross the same as double eagle?
Yes. Albatross and double eagle are two names for the same score: 3 under par on a hole. "Albatross" is the standard term in British and international golf; "double eagle" is more common in American usage.
What's the difference between birdie and eagle?
Birdie = 1 under par. Eagle = 2 under par. On a par 4, a birdie is a 3 and an eagle is a 2. On a par 5, a birdie is a 4 and an eagle is a 3.
How rare are these scores?
For a typical amateur: birdies happen occasionally, eagles are rare (maybe a few per year), albatrosses are once-in-a-lifetime. Tour professionals make birdies roughly 20% of holes, eagles ~1–2% of par-5 holes, and albatrosses a few times per season worldwide.
For a deeper look at specific formats, see the complete guide to golf formats. For everything about handicap, start with the golf handicap hub. For rules tips, legal course hacks, and everything else the rulebook doesn't explain clearly, browse the Lazar golf blog.
What counts as a stroke in golf?
Any forward swing made with the intention of hitting the ball counts as a stroke, even if you miss it completely. A practice swing with no intent to strike the ball is not a stroke.
How do penalty strokes work?
Penalty strokes are added to your score for the hole when you break a rule — for example, hitting into a penalty area (1 stroke), losing a ball (stroke and distance), or an unplayable lie (1 stroke). They count exactly like normal strokes.
What's the difference between gross and net score?
Gross score is the actual number of strokes you took. Net score subtracts your Course Handicap from your gross score, letting players of different abilities compete fairly.
How does Stableford scoring work?
Stableford awards points per hole based on your net result: 4 for eagle or better, 3 for birdie, 2 for par, 1 for bogey, 0 for double bogey or worse. Highest point total wins — you can pick up once you can't score.
What does Stroke Index (SI) mean on a scorecard?
Stroke Index ranks each hole from 1 (hardest) to 18 (easiest). It decides where you get your handicap strokes: a Course Handicap of 12 means you get one extra stroke on the 12 hardest holes (SI 1–12).
How do I record a penalty stroke on the scorecard?
Add the penalty to your actual strokes for that hole. If you hit 4 shots and took a 1-stroke penalty for water, write 5 in the score box. Don't mark penalties separately — the total per hole is what counts.
Do I have to sign the scorecard?
Yes. Both you and your marker must sign it. An unsigned card means disqualification in stroke play. Check every hole score before signing — you're responsible for the numbers next to your name.