Blog · Basics
What Is an Eagle in Golf? (And an Albatross)
An eagle is a score of two strokes under par on a single hole. An albatross, also called a double eagle, is three strokes under par. Both are rarer than a birdie, and an albatross is rarer than a hole in one.
Eagle on each type of hole
| Hole | Par | An eagle is | An albatross is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | 3 | 1 (a hole in one) | Not possible |
| Par 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 (a hole in one) |
| Par 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
On a leaderboard, an eagle counts as −2 and an albatross as −3. On a paper scorecard, an eagle is often marked with a double circle.
How an eagle happens
- Par 5: the most common eagle. A long drive, a second shot onto the green, then one putt. Long hitters reach par 5s "in two" regularly, so that's where pros make most of their eagles.
- Par 4: hole your second shot from the fairway, or drive the green on a short par 4 and hole the putt.
- Par 3: a hole in one on a par 3 is technically an eagle, but everyone just calls it an ace.
What is an albatross?
An albatross is three under par. In practice that almost always means holing your second shot on a par 5, or making a hole in one on a par 4.
It's one of the rarest scores in golf. Hole in one odds for an average golfer are often quoted at around 12,000 to 1, and an albatross is commonly said to be several times rarer, because it needs a long shot that's both perfectly struck and lucky.
Albatross or double eagle?
Same score, two names. "Albatross" is the traditional term in Britain and most of the golfing world. "Double eagle" is more common in the United States. Both are correct.
The most famous albatross
At the 1935 Masters, Gene Sarazen holed a 4-wood from about 235 yards on the par-5 15th at Augusta National. It was called "the shot heard round the world". It let him catch the leader, and he won the playoff the next day.
Is there anything rarer? The condor
A condor is four under par on a hole: a hole in one on a par 5. It has only been recorded a handful of times, usually on short par 5s with a dogleg the player cut over, or at high altitude where the ball flies further. Most golfers will never see one.
Why the bird names?
It started with "birdie", from American slang for something excellent (the story is in what is a birdie in golf). A score better than a birdie needed a bigger bird, so it became an eagle. Better still, an albatross: one of the largest and rarest seabirds.
The full scale
| To par | Name | How rare |
|---|---|---|
| −4 | Condor | Barely ever recorded |
| −3 | Albatross / double eagle | Rarer than a hole in one |
| −2 | Eagle | A few per season for good amateurs |
| −1 | Birdie | Most rounds for good players |
| 0 | Par | The target |
| +1 | Bogey | Common for most golfers |
Can you make an eagle in Mashy?
Only just. In Mashy, only a putt can drop: tee shots, approaches and chips that reach the cup lip out. So there are no holes in one, and an eagle means reaching a par 4 green with your first shot and holing the putt. Most Mashy par 4s (Dogleg Downs has five) bend out of reach, so eagles are very rare. Birdies are the real target: find a par 3 green from the tee and hole the first putt.
Play Mashy free and see how many you can make.
Want to know how eagles score in other formats? In Stableford, an eagle is worth 4 points.