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Golf Score Terms

Golf Score Terms: The Ultimate List

From bogeys to eagles, handicaps to penalty strokes, golf scoring terms help us add it all up and measure how we did out there!

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘A

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘A’.

Golf Score Term: “Ace

Definition

An ace, also known as a "hole in one" is when a golfer makes their tee shot. This is most common on par 3 holes.

Usage

You won't believe what happened on the golf course today. I made an ace!

Deep Dive

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Ace

Golf Terms: What is an Ace in golf?

An ace, also known as a "hole in one" is when a golfer makes their tee shot. This is most common on par 3 holes.

Golf Score Term: “Aggregate Score

Definition

Aggregate score is the cumulative score a golfer holds over multiple rounds and is most common in golf tournament scoring. Most PGA Tour events are 4 total rounds and the winner is the golfer with the lowest aggregate score over those 4 rounds.

Usage

Tiger Woods had an aggregate score of 275 during the 2019 Masters and won the tournament by a shot.

Deep Dive

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Aggregate Score

Golf Terms: Aggregate Score

Aggregate score is the cumulative score a golfer holds over multiple rounds and is most common in golf tournament scoring.

Golf Score Term: “Albatross

Definition

An albatross describes a score of 3 under the designated par for the golf hole. This is equivalent to a hole-in-one on a par 4 hole, a score of 2 on a par 5 hole, and is not possible on a par 3 hole.

Usage

An albatross is one of the rarest scores in golf.

Deep Dive

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Albatross

Golf Terms: What is an Albatross in Golf?

An albatross describes a score of 3 under the designated par for the golf hole.

Golf Score Term: “All Square

Definition

When a match is "all square", that means that two golfers are tied. This is most commonly used in match-play formats like the Ryder Cup.

Usage

The match is all square heading into the final hole!

Deep Dive

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All Square

Golf Slang: "All Square"

When a match is "all square", that means that two golfers are tied.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘B

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘B’.

Golf Score Term: “Birdie

Definition

A birdie in golf is a golf term to describe a score made on a golf hole where the golfer takes one stroke less than the designated par for the hole. This is often expressed as "one stroke under par" or more commonly, just "one under".

Usage

Wow, great birdie on that last hole!

Origin

According to the USGA, the term "birdie" originated at Atlantic City Country Club in 1899 when Ab Smith remarked, "That was a bird of a shot!".

Deep Dive

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Birdie

Golf Terms: What is a Birdie in Golf?

A birdie in golf is a golf term to describe a score made on a golf hole where the golfer takes one stroke less than the designated par for the hole.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘C

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘C’.

Golf Score Term: “Course Rating

Definition

In golf, the "course rating" is a term related to golf handicaps and describes how difficult a golf course is relative to other courses.

Usage

The course rating for this course is 75.6 from the championship tees. It's a tough one!

Deep Dive

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Course Rating

Golf Scoring Terms: Course Rating

In golf, the "course rating" is a term related to golf handicaps and describes how difficult a golf course is relative to other courses.

Golf Score Term: “Course Record

Definition

Every golf course keeps track of its course record, generally from the championship tees. This is the lowest documented score ever on the course.

Usage

Tiger Woods shot the course record in the final round.

Deep Dive

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Course Record

Golf Score Terms: Course Record

Every golf course keeps track of its course record, generally from the championship tees. This is the lowest documented score ever on the course.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘D

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘D’.

Golf Score Term: “Double Bogey

Definition

A double bogey is when a golfer makes a score 2 over the designated par. For example, if you make a 6 on a "par 4", you have made a double bogey. For beginners, a double bogey is a decent score and will be very common. For pros, it's considered a bad hole, and many pros will go multiple full rounds of golf without having a single double bogey. But they still make them!

Usage

Dang, I made a double bogey again!

Deep Dive

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Double Bogey

Golf Score Terms: What is a Double Bogey in Golf?

A double bogey is when a golfer makes a score of two over the designated par for the hole.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘E

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘E’.

Golf Score Term: “Eagle

Definition

An eagle in golf is a golf term to describe a score made on a golf hole where the golfer takes two strokes less than the designated par for the hole. This is often expressed as "two strokes under par" or more commonly, just "two under".

Usage

Rory Mcilroy made a magnificent eagle on the last par 5!

Origin

According to the USGA (United States Golf Association), back in 1899, there was a golf match played at Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey where one of the players, Ab Smith remarked, "That was a bird of a shot!". Back in that day, "bird" referred to anything excellent, so he was essentially remarking, "What an excellent shot". Following this logic, an eagle was a more esteemed term than "birdie" while an albatross (double eagle) was even more esteemed than an eagle.

Deep Dive

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Eagle

Golf Terms: What is an eagle in golf?

An eagle is when a golfer makes a score that is two shots under the designated par for the hole.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘F’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘G’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘H

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘H’.

Golf Score Term: “Handicap

Definition

Based on the score a golfer shoots and the assigned difficulty rating of the golf course they played, they will get a "handicap" which is an approximation for how good a golfer is.

Usage

My handicap is a 6 right now, but I hope to get it down to a 3 by the end of the year.

Deep Dive

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Handicap

Golf Scoring Terms: Handicap

Based on the score a golfer shoots and the assigned difficulty rating of the golf course they played, they will get a "handicap".

Golf Score Term: “Hole in One

Definition

A hole-in-one, also known as an "ace" is when you hit a shot from the tee box and make it in the hole. In the golf world, if you are playing with a group and make a hole-in-one, it is tradition to buy drinks for everyone in the group after the round. That is why a golfer who recently got a hole-in-one might say, "That hole-in-one drained my bank account!"

Usage

Great hole-in-one! Now you have to buy all of us drinks after the round!

Deep Dive

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Hole in One

Golf Score Terms: Hole in One

A hole-in-one, also known as an "ace" is when you hit a shot from the tee box and make it in the hole.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘I’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘J’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘K’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘L’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘M’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘N’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘O

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘O’.

Golf Score Term: “Out of Bounds

Definition

Marked with white stakes, out-of-bounds areas on the course require the golfer to re-hit and add 2 penalty strokes to their score.

Usage

I sliced it out-of-bounds on the last hole and had to take penalty strokes.

Deep Dive

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Out of Bounds

Golf Score Terms: Out of Bounds

Marked with white stakes, out-of-bounds areas on the course require the golfer to re-hit and add 2 penalty strokes to their score.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘P

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘P’.

Golf Score Term: “Penalty Stroke

Definition

A penalty stroke is when a golfer gets penalized for hitting a bad shot or committing a rules infraction and must add 1 or more strokes to their score.

Usage

I hit it in the water and had to take a penalty stroke on that hole.

Deep Dive

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Penalty Stroke

Golf Score Terms: Penalty Stroke

A penalty stroke is when a golfer gets penalized for hitting a bad shot or committing a rules infraction and must add 1 or more strokes to their score.

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘Q’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘R’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘S

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘S’.

Golf Score Term: “Slope Rating

Definition

Similar to course rating, the slope rating is an approximation of how difficult a course will play for a high handicapper, or "bogey golfer".

Usage

The slope rating for this course is 134.

Deep Dive

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Slope Rating

Golf Scoring Terms: Slope Rating

Similar to course rating, the slope rating is an approximation of how difficult a course will play for a high handicapper, or "bogey golfer".

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘T’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘U’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘V’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘W’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘X’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘Y’:

Golf Score Terms Beginning With ‘Z’: