What Is Par in Golf?
Par is the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to take to finish a hole. Every score in golf, from a birdie to a triple bogey, is measured against it.
If a hole is a par 4 and you hole out in 4 strokes, you've made par. Take 5 and you're one over; take 3 and you're one under.
How par is worked out
Par isn't a guess. It's built from two parts:
- The shots needed to reach the green. On a par 3 that's one shot, on a par 4 two, on a par 5 three.
- Two putts. Every par assumes the player takes two putts once on the green.
So a par 4 means "two shots to reach the green, then two putts". This is why par is linked so closely to the idea of a green in regulation: hitting the green in par minus two leaves you two putts for par.
The main thing that decides par is length, measured from the tee to the hole. Clubs and golf bodies also consider how the hole plays: uphill or downhill, doglegs, typical wind, and how hard it is to reach the green. Two holes of the same length can have different pars.
Typical lengths for each par
The governing bodies publish guideline lengths, and they differ for men and women and between courses. As a very rough guide for adult men:
| Par | Rough length | Shots to the green |
|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | Up to about 250 yards | 1 |
| Par 4 | About 250 to 470 yards | 2 |
| Par 5 | About 470 yards and over | 3 |
Women's tees and junior tees use shorter lengths for the same par. Some courses also have a rare par 6, but most golfers never play one. For more on the three common hole types, see par 3 vs par 4 vs par 5.
Course par
Course par is simply the par of every hole added together. A standard 18-hole course is usually par 70, 71 or 72, often made up of four par 3s, four par 5s and ten par 4s for a par 72.
Nine-hole courses usually sit somewhere in the 30s. Pitch and putt courses, made up mostly or entirely of short holes, have much lower totals.
How par shapes your score
Golfers usually describe a score against par, not as a raw number:
- Under par: fewer strokes than par, like a birdie (one under) or an eagle (two under).
- Level par, or "even": exactly par.
- Over par: more strokes than par, like a bogey (one over).
Over a round, you add these up. If you finish a par 72 course in 75 shots, you're "three over" or "+3".
Par is not your target (yet)
Par is designed around a very good player. For most beginners, a sensible goal is a bogey on every hole, and that's still a respectable score. Your handicap is the system that measures how far from par you usually play, so you can compete fairly with better golfers.
Where the word came from
"Par" is borrowed from finance, where a share trading "at par" is at its face value. Golf picked up the word in the late 1800s. For a time in Britain, the target score was called the "bogey" instead, which is part of why that word now means one over par.
Try it in Mashy
In Mashy, every hole is a par 3 or par 4, and each course of nine holes has a total par between 27 and 32. The scorecard shows how each hole went against par, so you can see at a glance where you made par, birdie or bogey. It's a quick way to get a feel for par without a long walk.
Next up: what is a bogey in golf? explains the score most golfers make most often.
Frequently asked questions
What does par 72 mean on a golf course?
Par 72 means that adding up the par of all 18 holes gives 72. A skilled player is expected to need 72 strokes to go round. It's often made up of ten par 4s, four par 3s and four par 5s, though courses mix them in different ways.
Is shooting par good for a beginner?
Shooting par over a whole round is a very good score, usually reached only by low-handicap golfers. Most beginners score well over par, and finishing a hole in one or two over par is perfectly normal. A bogey on every hole is a sensible early target.
What does even par mean in golf?
Even par, or level par, means your total strokes match the total par. If the course is par 72 and you shoot 72, you're even par, shown as E on most leaderboards. You can also be even par partway through a round if your birdies and bogeys cancel out.
Who decides the par of a hole?
Par is set by the golf club or course, following guidelines from the national golf body. The main factor is the length from the tee, but they also consider how the hole plays, such as elevation, doglegs and how difficult the green is to reach.
Does par include putts?
Yes, par always assumes two putts on the green. A par 4 allows two shots to reach the green and two putts, and a par 3 allows one shot to reach the green and two putts. That's why a one-putt so often leads to a birdie.