There are several essential basics that you must understand when you are getting started with golf, and golf scoring terms are certainly among the most important basics to understand. The common golf scoring terms are used frequently in the game of golf, so it is clear that understanding them will help you understand the game even further.
Assuming you are playing on a par-5 hole, the term Eagle is used when you finished the hole in 3 strokes. This means you get an Eagle when you are finishing the hole in 2 strokes under par. If you finish the hole in 4 strokes – or 1-under par – you get a Birdie.
Of course, finishing the hole in 5 strokes means you are scoring a par. Whenever you finish a hole in the same number of strokes as the listed par number, you are scoring a par. Finishing the hole in 6 strokes or 1 stroke over par is called Bogey.
As you finish the hole with more strokes, the common golf scoring terms also changes. Finishing the hole in 2 strokes over par – or in this case, in 7 strokes – is called a Double Bogey. Finishing the hole in 8 strokes or 3 strokes over par, on the other hand, is called a Triple Bogey.
Now that you know the basics of golf scoring terms, it is not difficult at all to use the correct term no matter which hole you are playing; simply calculate the right scoring based on the hole’s par.
