Blog · Basics
Golf Scoring Explained: Par, Birdie, Bogey and More
Golf scoring sounds complicated until you see the one idea behind it: every hole has a target number of strokes, called par, and your score is measured against it. Fewer strokes is better.
Par
Par is the number of strokes a good player is expected to take on a hole. It's the benchmark for everything else. A short hole might be a par 3, which means you're expected to reach the green with one shot and then take two putts.
Under par
- Hole in one (ace): holing the ball with your first stroke. Rare and celebrated.
- Eagle: two strokes under par.
- Birdie: one stroke under par. On a par 3, that's a 2.
Over par
- Bogey: one stroke over par. On a par 3, that's a 4.
- Double bogey: two strokes over par.
How to read "to par"
Scorecards and leaderboards often show your result relative to par instead of the raw stroke count:
| Result | Shown as |
|---|---|
| Birdie | −1 |
| Par | E (even) |
| Bogey | +1 |
Add these up over the round to get your total. Playing nine holes and finishing at −2 means you were two strokes under par overall.
Strokes vs. score to par
Both numbers tell you something. Strokes is how many shots you took. To par tells you how that compares with what was expected. In Mashy you'll see both on the leaderboard, so a 2 on a par 3 shows as a birdie, −1.
A quick example on a par 3
| Strokes | Name | To par |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hole in one | −2 |
| 2 | Birdie | −1 |
| 3 | Par | E |
| 4 | Bogey | +1 |
Why it matters when you play
Knowing par helps you decide how to play a hole. On a short par 3, a safe shot onto the green and two putts gets you a par. Attacking the pin might give you a birdie chance, or an extra stroke if it goes wrong.
Try scoring for yourself
The best way to learn is to play. Try a hole in Mashy and see your score against par right away.
Ready for the full round? Read how to play 9 holes online.