Par
Par is the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to take to complete a hole, a round, or a full course. Each hole has its own par, usually 3, 4, or 5, based on length and difficulty.
What is a par in golf?
Par is the benchmark every golfer plays against. The scorecard tells a player how many strokes a hole is “supposed” to take, and that target number is the par for that hole. Finishing under that number puts the player under par; going over puts them over. Matching it gives the player a par.
The figure rests on a quiet assumption: a skilled golfer (specifically, a “scratch” player with a 0.0 handicap) should reach the green in a set number of shots, then take two putts to finish. On a par 3, that means one shot onto the green and two putts. On longer holes, the player gets extra strokes to reach the green, but the two-putt assumption stays the same.
Par exists so any score on any course can be read against a shared reference point. Without it, a 75 tells a player almost nothing on its own.
How par is determined for each hole
The main factor in setting par is yardage from the tee to the green. The USGA and R&A publish guidelines mapping distance to par value, and longer holes carry higher par numbers. For men, a hole up to roughly 260 yards is usually a par 3, with par 4s and par 5s extending out from there. Women’s yardages are shorter at each tier.
Yardage alone is not the end of the calculation. Raters also weigh what the USGA calls “effective playing length,” which captures how elevation changes, prevailing wind, forced lay-ups around water, and altitude can stretch or shrink the way a hole actually plays. Picture a 460-yard hole climbing uphill into the wind. It plays longer than its scorecard number suggests, so raters may set it as a par 5. A hole that drops 80 feet downhill, by contrast, might keep a par 4 even at a yardage that would normally suggest par 5.
The USGA’s Appendix F: Establishing Par also lets course raters use design intent. If a hole was built to be played as a three-shot hole, it can be set as a par 5 even when yardage borders the par 4 range.
Par 3, par 4, and par 5 holes
Most regulation golf holes fall into three par categories. Each plays differently in pace, club selection, and the kind of shot a golfer makes off the tee.
| Hole type | Men’s yardage (USGA) | Women’s yardage (USGA) | Regulation play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | Up to 260 yards | Up to 220 yards | Tee shot onto green, two putts |
| Par 4 | 240 to 490 yards | 200 to 420 yards | Tee shot, approach to green, two putts |
| Par 5 | 450 to 710 yards | 370 to 600 yards | Tee shot, fairway shot, approach, two putts |
| Par 6 | 670+ yards | 570+ yards | Three shots to reach green, two putts |
Par 6 holes are uncommon and rarely appear in professional play; most courses do not have one. The USGA does not officially recognize par 7. A typical regulation course is built mostly around par 4s, with a handful of par 3s and par 5s mixed in.
Total course par
The par for a full round is the sum of the pars on each hole. A standard 18-hole regulation course typically totals between par 70 and par 73. Par 72 is the most common layout, usually built from four par 3s, ten par 4s, and four par 5s.
| Course par | Common breakdown |
|---|---|
| 70 | Two par 3s, fourteen par 4s, two par 5s |
| 71 | Three par 3s, twelve par 4s, three par 5s |
| 72 | Four par 3s, ten par 4s, four par 5s |
| 73 | Four par 3s, nine par 4s, five par 5s |
Nine-hole courses run roughly half those totals, often par 35 or par 36. A par-3 course (where every hole is a par 3) totals around par 27 across 9 holes.
Scoring terms relative to par
Golf’s scoring vocabulary is built entirely around par. Every score on a hole gets a name based on how far above or below par it lands.
| Term | Score relative to par | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Condor | 4 under par | Hole-in-one on a par 5 (only a handful are known) |
| Albatross (or double eagle) | 3 under par | A 2 on a par 5 |
| Eagle | 2 under par | A 3 on a par 5 |
| Birdie | 1 under par | A 2 on a par 3 |
| Par | Equal to par | A 4 on a par 4 |
| Bogey | 1 over par | A 5 on a par 4 |
| Double bogey | 2 over par | A 6 on a par 4 |
| Triple bogey | 3 over par | A 7 on a par 4 |
Scores worse than triple bogey have names (quadruple bogey, quintuple bogey), but at that point, most golfers just report the raw stroke count. Birdies are the realistic goal of a competent amateur on a given hole; eagles and better get progressively rarer.
Where the term “par” comes from
The word “par” arrived in golf in 1870, when Scottish golf writer A.H. Doleman asked two professionals at Prestwick what score “perfect play” would produce across the 12-hole course. They guessed 49. Doleman called it “par for Prestwick,” and the label stuck.
Doleman did not invent the word. He borrowed it from Latin par, meaning “equal,” which had been in financial use since 1601 to describe the standard or face value of a stock. The Oxford English Dictionary records the first golfing use of “par” in W. Simpson’s The Art of Golf in 1887.
The modern American framework was formalised in 1911, when the United States Golf Association set yardage ranges for what would count as a par 3, par 4, and par 5. Those guidelines have been revised over the decades, but the basic structure has held since.
Par vs course rating
Par is not the same as a course’s rating. Par tells a golfer what a scratch player is theoretically expected to shoot on a hole or course based on yardage and design. Course rating reflects what a scratch golfer is actually expected to shoot under normal conditions, factoring in real-world difficulty.
The two numbers often disagree. A par 72 course might have a course rating of 73.8, meaning the typical scratch player will average around 1.8 strokes over par on that layout. The USGA itself notes that par “is not an accurate measure of the playing difficulty of a golf course” and points to course rating and slope rating for handicap calculations.
Even scratch golfers rarely shoot par. Data from Break X Golf, drawn from 3,788 rounds across more than 1,000 players, shows scratch handicappers averaging 74.6 strokes per round, with a typical range of 72 to 78. Breaking par happens roughly once every twelve rounds, even at scratch level.
Related Golf Terms
- Outside-in swing — A swing path traveling from outside the target line to inside at impact, often causing a slice.
- Pace of play — The speed at which a round of golf is played.
- Ostrich — A score of five under par on a single hole (virtually impossible, theoretical).
- Out of bounds — Areas outside the boundaries of the course, marked by white stakes.
- Overlap grip — A grip where the pinky of the trail hand overlaps the index finger of the lead hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does E mean on a golf scoreboard?
E stands for “even par,” meaning a player’s total strokes match the par for the holes they have completed. On leaderboards, +3, -2, or E next to a player’s name shows their position relative to par.
Can a hole be a par 6 or par 7?
Par 6 holes exist but are rare; they are typically over 670 yards for men and almost never appear in professional play. The USGA does not officially recognize par 7. Most regulation 18-hole courses contain only par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s.
Do all golf courses total par 72?
No. Par 72 is the most common total for 18-hole regulation courses, but par 70, 71, and 73 are also common. The total depends on how many par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s a course has.
Is breaking par realistic for an average golfer?
For most players, no. Estimates put scratch golfers at roughly 1-2% of all golfers, and even scratch players average around 74 to 75 strokes per round rather than 72. The average male amateur carries a 14 handicap, which usually means a score in the high 80s or low 90s.
What is the difference between gross par and net par?
Gross par is a player’s raw score against par. Net par subtracts the player’s handicap strokes, giving a level field across skill levels. A 20-handicap golfer shooting 92 on a par 72 course has a gross score of +20 but a net score of even par.
Sources
- United States Golf Association. “Appendix F: Establishing Par,” Rules of Handicapping. Accessed May 2026.
- United States Golf Association. “Position Paper on Par.” Accessed May 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Par (score).” Accessed May 2026.
- Scottish Golf History. “Origin of Golf Terms: Bogey, Par, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross.” Accessed May 2026.
- Golf.com. “A brief history of golf’s most fundamental words: par, birdie, caddie and more.” 2025.
- Grammarphobia. “Par for the course.” 2011.
- Break X Golf. “Average golf stats by handicap: What Changes From 25 To Scratch?” 2026.
- Break X Golf. “What Does Each Handicaper Shoot? Average Scores by Handicap.” 2026.
- Under Armour Playbooks. “What Is Par in Golf? Everything You Need to Know.”
- BBC Sport. “What is a birdie, eagle and albatross? Golf terms explained.”
- The Golf News Net. “The minimum and maximum yardage for golf holes to be par 3, par 4, par 5 or more.” 2024.
