7 min read·Definition, yardage chart, scoring terms·GolfHandicapIndex.com
Par is the number of strokes a scratch golfer is expected to need to complete a hole under normal conditions. It always assumes two putts on the green. Know what par means and you understand how all golf scoring works.
Quick Answer
Par = strokes to reach the green + 2 putts. A par-3 needs one shot to the green plus two putts. A par-4 needs two shots plus two putts. A par-5 needs three shots plus two putts. A standard 18-hole course totals par 72. One under par is a birdie. One over is a bogey.
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The Two-Putt Formula
Every par in golf is built on one principle: an expert golfer reaches the green in a set number of shots, then takes exactly two putts to finish. That formula is constant across all hole types.
1
Shot to green
+
2
Putts
3
Par-3
A 180-yard hole is called a par-3 because an expert is expected to reach the green in one stroke, then need two putts to hole out — three total. Add a required fairway stop before the green and you get par-4. Add two stops and you get par-5. The putts are always two.
What is a scratch golfer?
Par is defined around a scratch golfer — someone with a Handicap Index of 0. They play to par on any course under normal conditions. Only around 1.6% of registered golfers are scratch. For everyone else, breaking par on a hole is an accomplishment.
Par-3, Par-4 and Par-5 Explained
Most courses use a mix of three hole types. The par is determined by distance, but course designers also factor in elevation, terrain, and obstacles when setting the final number.
Par 3
Up to 260 yds (men) / 220 yds (women)
The shortest holes. One shot should reach the green. Golfers typically use an iron off the tee. A hole-in-one on a par-3 scores as an eagle.
Regulation: hit green in 1, 2 putts
Par 4
240–490 yds (men) / 200–420 yds (women)
The most common hole type. A driver off the tee, an approach shot to the green, then two putts. Short par-4s sometimes offer a risk-reward drive at the green.
Regulation: hit green in 2, 2 putts
Par 5
450–710 yds (men) / 370–600 yds (women)
The longest holes. Three shots to reach the green in regulation. Long hitters can sometimes reach the green in two, setting up an eagle opportunity.
Regulation: hit green in 3, 2 putts
USGA Par Yardage Chart (2026)
The USGA sets guidelines for par based on effective playing length rather than raw yardage. A steeply uphill hole plays longer than its measured distance. A downhill hole plays shorter. These are the current standards:
Par
Men (yards)
Women (yards)
Shots to green
3
Up to 260
Up to 220
1 shot
4
240 – 490
200 – 420
2 shots
5
450 – 710
370 – 600
3 shots
6
Over 670
Over 570
4 shots
Par-6 holes exist but are rare. The USGA does not recognize par-7 holes. When yardage falls between two par ranges (for example, a 470-yard hole for men could be either par-4 or par-5), the course designer chooses based on the hole's overall difficulty.
72
Standard 18-hole course par
1911
Year USGA officially adopted par
1.6%
Golfers who play to scratch (par)
All Golf Scores Relative to Par
Every term a commentator uses is just a name for a number relative to par. Here is the full set, from the rarest to the most common:
Score name
Strokes vs par
Example on par-4
Rarity
Condor
-4
Hole-in-one
5 times ever recorded
Albatross / Double Eagle
-3
Hole-in-one
Extremely rare
Eagle
-2
2 shots total
Uncommon, even for pros
Birdie
-1
3 shots total
Common for pros, rare for amateurs
Par
E
4 shots total
Goal for most amateur golfers
Bogey
+1
5 shots total
Very common for amateurs
Double Bogey
+2
6 shots total
Common for high handicappers
Triple Bogey
+3
7 shots total
Common on difficult holes
On a scorecard, par is written as a plain number — no markings. A birdie gets a circle. An eagle gets a double circle. A bogey gets a square. A double bogey gets a double square. These symbols let you read a scorecard at a glance.
How many strokes over par are you?
Calculate your Handicap Index free from recent scores
Course par is simply the total of all 18 individual hole pars added together. A typical championship layout has four par-3s, ten par-4s, and four par-5s — which adds up to 72. But every course is different.
Your score relative to course par is how golf is reported at every level. Shoot 74 on a par-72 course and you are two over par. Shoot 70 and you are two under. Professionals measure entire careers in this comparison. Club golfers typically finish rounds anywhere from 10 to 30 over par, depending on their handicap.
Par vs. handicap
Par has no direct bearing on your Handicap Index. Handicap is calculated using the course rating and slope rating, not the course par. A course can have a par of 72 but be rated much harder than another par-72 layout if it plays longer or has more obstacles.
Where the Word "Par" Comes From
How Par Entered Golf
1870
British golf writer A.H. Doleman borrows the word from the stock market, where "par" described a security's face value. He uses it before The Open Championship at Prestwick to describe the score for "perfect play."
1890
Bogey becomes the standard target for recreational golfers at Great Yarmouth Golf Club. "Bogey man" from a popular music hall song becomes the imaginary opponent players try to beat. Par and bogey meant roughly the same thing.
1899
Three golfers at Atlantic City Country Club coin "birdie" after George Crump's second shot struck a bird in flight and left him inches from the cup. The club adopted the term immediately.
1911
The USGA officially adopts par as the expected score for a scratch golfer. Bogey becomes the target for average golfers, one stroke above par. The two terms split into separate meanings.
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Par in Golf FAQ
Par is the number of strokes a scratch golfer is expected to need to complete a hole under normal conditions. It always assumes two putts on the green. A par-3 should take one shot to reach the green plus two putts. A par-4 takes two shots plus two putts. A par-5 takes three shots plus two putts.
The standard par for an 18-hole golf course is 72. A typical layout has four par-3s, ten par-4s, and four par-5s. Some courses play to par 70 or 71, and resort courses occasionally reach par 73. Course par is simply the total of all 18 individual hole pars added together.
Per USGA 2020 guidelines: par-3 holes are up to 260 yards for men (220 for women), par-4 holes are 240 to 490 yards for men (200 to 420 for women), and par-5 holes are 450 to 710 yards for men (370 to 600 for women). These are guidelines based on effective playing length, not just measured distance.
A birdie is one stroke under par on a hole. An eagle is two strokes under par. An albatross (double eagle) is three under par. A bogey is one stroke over par, a double bogey is two over, and a triple bogey is three over. Par itself means completing the hole in exactly the expected number of strokes.
The word par comes from the stock market, where it described the face value of a stock. British golf writer A.H. Doleman borrowed the term before The Open Championship at Prestwick in 1870 to describe a perfect score. The USGA officially adopted par as a golf scoring standard in 1911.
Under par means you used fewer strokes than the expected number for that hole or round. Over par means you used more. On an 18-hole course with a par of 72, shooting 68 is four under par (written as -4). Shooting 78 is six over par (written as +6). Professional golfers regularly finish rounds under par.
The yardage thresholds differ by gender -- men play par-4s from 240 to 490 yards while women play them from 200 to 420 yards. The par number for each hole can also differ by tee box. Some courses officially rate a hole as par-4 for men and par-5 for women when it falls near the boundary of both ranges.