Snowman
A snowman in golf is a score of 8 on a single hole. The term gets its name from the visual resemblance between the number 8 and the stacked circles of a snowman figure.
What is a snowman in golf?
Golf has no shortage of colourful scoring terms — birdies, bogeys, eagles — but “snowman” sits firmly at the other end of the scale. Write an 8 on your scorecard for any hole, and you’ve made a snowman.
The name comes from the number itself. Look at the digit 8, and you’ll see two round circles stacked on top of each other — the same basic shape as a snowman built from two balls of packed snow. That visual connection is the entire origin of the term. It’s simple, it’s memorable, and it stings a little more than simply saying “eight.”
A snowman applies to any hole regardless of par. On a par 5, an 8 is a triple bogey. On a par 4, it’s a quadruple bogey. On a par 3, it’s a quintuple bogey, which is a lot of strokes to run up on the shortest type of hole on the course.
Despite its reputation, snowmen happen to golfers at every level. A single bad tee shot into a penalty area, followed by a lost ball or a chunked recovery, can put a score of 8 within reach before the hole is over. Mental composure after an early mistake on a hole often determines whether a bad start becomes a double bogey or a snowman.
How does a snowman happen?
Most snowmen aren’t the result of one catastrophic swing. They build up stroke by stroke, usually through a combination of a wayward shot, a penalty, and then a recovery that goes wrong.
Common causes include:
- Out-of-bounds or lost ball: Under the Rules of Golf (USGA/R&A), a stroke-and-distance penalty applies — the player rehits from the original spot with a one-stroke penalty added. That’s two strokes before any progress is made toward the hole.
- Penalty areas: Red or yellow-staked hazards add a stroke when taking relief. Hitting into the same penalty area twice can turn a bogey hole into something much worse.
- Three-putting or worse: A poor approach that leaves a long lag putt, followed by a miss, followed by another miss, adds up fast on a hole already heading in the wrong direction.
- Compound errors: A slice into the trees, a poor punch-out, a fat chip, and a two-putt — each individually manageable — can chain together into an 8 without any single swing being obviously catastrophic.
Rory McIlroy’s opening hole at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush is one of the more prominent tour-level examples: he made an 8 on the very first hole, sending his card in a direction no one expected on day one.
Snowman vs. other high-score golf terms
The snowman sits in a family of informal golf scoring terms, mostly used for single-hole disasters.
| Term | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Triple bogey | 3 over par | The last “named” standard score (e.g., 7 on a par 4) |
| Snowman | 8 on any hole | Named for the shape of the numeral 8 |
| Abominable snowman | 9 on any hole | A step beyond the snowman; also called “hangman” |
| Blizzard | Two or more snowmen in a round, or a round total of 88 | Extends the winter theme |
The “hockey sticks” (a round score of 77) and “trombones” (76) use the same idea of linking a score’s visual shape to a nickname, but none of those terms have the staying power or widespread use of “snowman.” It gets mentioned in television broadcasts when a tour pro is in danger of making one, which tells you how embedded the term has become in the language of the game.
Snowman on different par holes
Because a snowman is always a score of 8 regardless of the hole’s par, the relative damage it does to a scorecard changes depending on where it happens.
| Hole par | Score of 8 equals | Strokes over par |
|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | Quintuple bogey | +5 |
| Par 4 | Quadruple bogey | +4 |
| Par 5 | Triple bogey | +3 |
A snowman on a par 5 is painful but recoverable — triple bogeys happen to mid-handicappers regularly. A snowman on a par 3 is another matter. Par 3 holes are typically the shortest on the course, and the expectation is to be on or near the green in one shot. Losing 5 strokes on the shortest type of hole is where snowmen do the most scorecard damage.
Related Golf Terms
- Slope rating — A number indicating how much more difficult a course is for a bogey golfer versus a scratch golfer.
- Skins — A betting game where each hole has a value, and the lowest score wins the skin.
- Slice — A shot that curves dramatically from left to right for a right-handed golfer.
- Smash factor — The ratio of ball speed to clubhead speed, measuring efficiency of impact.
- Skull — A mishit where the leading edge strikes the middle of the ball, causing a low screaming shot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a snowman always a bad score?
On any standard golf hole — par 3, par 4, or par 5 — a snowman (score of 8) is at least three strokes over par. It’s considered a poor score at any level, though it happens more often among higher-handicap golfers.
What’s worse than a snowman in golf?
A score of 9 on a hole is sometimes called an “abominable snowman” or “hangman.” Beyond that, scores are generally just stated as numbers.
What is a blizzard in golf?
A blizzard refers to two or more snowmen (scores of 8) in a single round, or a total round score of 88. It’s an informal extension of the snowman terminology.
Can a professional golfer make a snowman?
Yes. Tour pros occasionally make scores of 8, though it’s rare. Rory McIlroy made an 8 on the first hole of the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The term is sometimes used by television commentators when a pro is in danger of reaching that score.
Does a snowman affect a handicap index?
Under the World Handicap System, there is a maximum hole score of net double bogey for handicap purposes. This means scores above that threshold — including snowmen — are capped at net double bogey when submitted as a scoring record, which limits the damage to a player’s handicap.
Sources
- Galvin Green. “Golf Terminology with Definitions.” galvingreen.com.
- Hole19. “Snowman — Golf Glossary.” hole19golf.com.
- Kelley, Brent. “When Bad Scores Attack: Do You Know What a Snowman Is in Golf?” LiveAbout. March 20, 2018.
- Golfible. “What’s a Snowman in Golf?” golfible.com. April 30, 2023.
- Golf Monthly. “An A-Z Glossary of Golf Slang.” golfmonthly.com. March 13, 2024.
- USGA/R&A. Rules of Golf — Maximum Score / Net Double Bogey. usga.org.
