Golf scoring systems
How Golf Scoring Works: Par, Birdies, Bogeys, and Beyond
Where scoring systems shows up in misses, decisions, and the numbers on your card.
The score is a story of the hole
Par gives you the yardstick: birdie is one better, bogey one worse, and everything else tells you how cleanly you managed the trouble. A par on a 190-yard par 3 over water may feel like a steal; a par on a short par 5 can feel like a missed chance. Context matters.
- Par: expected score for a skilled player.
- Birdie: one under par.
- Bogey: one over par.
- Double bogey: often the number to avoid when trouble appears.
Play the next shot
Scoring gets easier when you stop trying to erase the last swing. Punch out, wedge close, make the putt — boring golf saves cards.