To Par
To par is a golfer’s score measured against par rather than as a raw stroke total. It shows how many strokes above or below the expected number a player stands, written with a minus for under par, a plus for over par, or E for even.
What is to par in golf?
Par is the number of strokes a scratch golfer, meaning one with a zero handicap, is expected to need on a hole or a full course. The United States Golf Association sets that benchmark. To par takes it and reports a player’s real result against it, so instead of saying a golfer has taken 68 strokes, a leaderboard says the golfer is four under par, shown as -4.
The figure is a running difference. It adds up the strokes played on every completed hole and compares that total to the combined par for those same holes. A player who has used exactly the expected number sits at even par. Fewer strokes than that put them under par, while extra strokes put them over.
On a tournament leaderboard, the “To Par” column sets the order of play. It carries across a single hole, a full round, or all four rounds of a professional event, always answering one question: how does this score compare to par? Total strokes tell you how many shots were hit. To par tells you what those shots are worth against the standard.
What the plus, minus, and E mean
Three symbols carry almost all the meaning on a leaderboard. Because the aim in golf is the lowest score, the minus is the one players want.
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minus (-) | Under par: fewer strokes than expected | -5 is five under par |
| Plus (+) | Over par: more strokes than expected | +3 is three over par |
| E | Even par: exactly the expected number | E is level with par, or zero |
A player at -8 has hit eight fewer strokes than par for the holes completed, which puts them ahead of a player at -6. Broadcasts add color to make the board quicker to read. Red numbers mean under par. Black or blue numbers mean over par. Even par usually shows as E, sometimes in green.
“Level par” means the same thing as even par. That term is more common in the United Kingdom and other regions governed by the R&A, while North American golfers tend to say “even par”.
How to par is calculated
The math is cumulative. On a par-72 course, a golfer who finishes in 68 strokes is four under par, because 68 is four fewer than 72. A round of 75 on that same course comes in at +3. Shoot exactly 72 and the score reads E.
The same logic scales to a whole tournament, where par is the sum of every round. Four rounds on a par-72 course make a tournament par of 288. Scores of 70 and 72, then 73 and 69, add up to 284, which a leaderboard reports as four under par (Wikipedia). Individual rounds can bounce above and below par, yet the to-par number always reflects the combined total against the combined par.
One column changes how the figure should be read: Thru, the count of holes a player has completed. Two golfers both at -8 are not level if one is thru 16 holes and the other thru 9. The player with more holes left has more chances to move, so the order near the top stays unsettled until everyone finishes.
To par vs total strokes
Golf could report every score as a plain stroke count, and on a scorecard it does exactly that. Scoring to par exists because a raw total is hard to read during a tournament, when players are scattered across the course having finished different numbers of holes.
| Aspect | To par | Total strokes |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Score against par | Every stroke counted |
| Best for | Comparing players live | The official record |
| Looks like | -4, +3, E | 68, 75, 72 |
| Where it appears | Leaderboard ranking | Scorecard |
The convention came from television. Frank Chirkinian, the CBS producer often called the father of televised golf, made scoring relative to par a standard on American broadcasts after he took over the network’s golf coverage in 1959, giving viewers a way to tell who led even when golfers had played different holes (Golf Compendium; Wikipedia). A figure like -4 communicates a standing at once. A raw 68 does not, at least not until you know the course par and how many holes are done.
Measuring against a fixed standard predates television. The word “par” is thought to have come from the stock exchange, where it described the expected value of a share, and the golf writer A. H. Doleman applied it to the game around the 1870 Open Championship at Prestwick (Wikipedia).
Related Golf Terms
- Architect — The designer responsible for a course’s layout and features.
- Green complex — A green together with its surrounding slopes, bunkers, and run-offs.
- Tree-lined course — A parkland layout framed by mature trees.
- Biarritz green — A long green famous for a deep swale running through its middle.
- Sandbelt course — A course built on sandy soil prized for firm turf and crisp bunkering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “to par” mean on a golf leaderboard?
It is the column showing each player’s score against par for the holes played so far. It sets the ranking, with the lowest figure, usually a red minus number, at the top.
Is being under par good or bad?
Under par is good. A golfer under par has used fewer strokes than the course expected, so -5 beats -2, and both beat even par.
What does E mean in a to-par score?
E stands for even par. The golfer has taken exactly the par number of strokes for the holes completed, so the score to par is zero.
Can an average golfer shoot under par?
Rarely. Average handicaps run near 15 for men and 27 for women (Under Armour), so most golfers finish a full round well over par.
What is the difference between to par and total score?
Total score counts every stroke, such as 68. To par compares that total to par and reports the gap, such as -4. Both describe the same round.
Sources
- United States Golf Association. “Rules of Handicapping, Appendix F: Establishing Par.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicapping/roh/Content/rules/Appendix%20F%20Establishing%20Par.htm - PGA Tour. “Live Leaderboard.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard - The R&A. “Rules of Golf.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.randa.org - Golf Compendium. “The Meaning of ‘In Relation to Par’ in Golf.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.golfcompendium.com/2024/09/scoring-relative-to-par.html - Wikipedia. “Par (score).” Accessed August 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Par_(score) - Under Armour. “What Is Par in Golf? Everything You Need to Know.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/t/playbooks/golf/what-is-par-in-golf/
