A bogey in golf is a score of one over par on a single hole. If a hole is a par 4 and you take 5 strokes to finish it, you have made a bogey. It is one of the most common results in everyday golf and a key building block for understanding how scoring works.
To make sense of a bogey, it helps to understand par, the scores below it, and the scores above it. Together they form golf’s scoring ladder, a simple system that runs from the rare albatross all the way down to the dreaded triple bogey and beyond.
What does par mean?
Par is the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to need to complete a hole, including two putts on the green. Holes are typically par 3, par 4, or par 5 depending on their length. A full 18-hole course usually totals a par of around 70 to 72. Every other scoring term is defined by how many strokes you take above or below that par.
What is a bogey?
A bogey is exactly one stroke over par. On a par 3 it is a 4, on a par 4 it is a 5, and on a par 5 it is a 6. For a professional, a bogey means a dropped shot, but for many amateurs it is a solid, satisfying score, especially on a hard hole.
What are double and triple bogeys?
When you go further over par, the bogey count rises. Two over par is a double bogey, and three over par is a triple bogey. So on a par 4, a 6 is a double bogey and a 7 is a triple bogey. Scores even higher than that are usually just described by the number over par, such as ‘four over on the hole.’
What are the under-par scores?
Below par, golf switches to bird names. One under par is a birdie, two under is an eagle, and three under is an albatross, also known as a double eagle. These get progressively rarer as you go, with an albatross being one of the hardest single-hole feats in the game.
Golf scoring terms table
| Term | Score vs par | Example on a par 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Albatross (double eagle) | 3 under | 1 (hole-in-one) |
| Eagle | 2 under | 2 |
| Birdie | 1 under | 3 |
| Par | Even | 4 |
| Bogey | 1 over | 5 |
| Double bogey | 2 over | 6 |
| Triple bogey | 3 over | 7 |
What is a bogey golfer?
A bogey golfer is a player whose game averages about one over par on each hole. Over a par-72 course, that works out to a score around 90. The term is widely used as a handicap benchmark to describe a competent recreational player who is not at expert level. Being a bogey golfer is a realistic and respectable target for many amateurs.
How does bogey scoring differ in match play?
In stroke play, every stroke counts toward a total, so a bogey simply adds one over par to your running score. In match play, where golfers compete hole by hole, the number over or under par matters less than who takes fewer strokes on each hole. A bogey can still win a hole if your opponent makes a double bogey, or lose it if they make par. There is also a format called Bogey competition, in which players compete against a fixed target score on each hole rather than against each other directly.
This distinction matters because it changes strategy. A player nursing a lead in match play might happily accept a safe bogey rather than risk a big number chasing a birdie, whereas in stroke play every dropped shot adds up over 18 holes and can be costly by the end of the round.
Where does the word bogey come from?
The term has old roots in British golf, where ‘bogey’ once referred to a target score for a good player, closer to what we now call par. Over time, as the modern definition of par developed, bogey shifted to mean one stroke over par. That historical quirk is why the two ideas are related but no longer the same, and it explains why older golf writing sometimes uses bogey in a way that sounds unfamiliar today.
How can you reduce bogeys?
Cutting down on bogeys is usually less about spectacular shots and more about avoiding big mistakes. Course-management basics help most: aiming for the fat part of the green rather than tucked pins, keeping the ball in play off the tee, and treating a safe two-putt as a good result. Sharpening the short game, especially chipping and putting from inside a few feet, turns many would-be bogeys into pars. For improving amateurs, steadily trading bogeys for pars is one of the clearest signs of progress.
Common misconceptions
One misconception is that a bogey is always a bad score. For most golfers it is perfectly acceptable, particularly on tough holes. Another is confusing double bogey with double eagle. A double bogey is two over par, while a double eagle is three under par, so they sit at opposite ends of the ladder. Finally, some beginners assume par is the same for every hole; it varies by the hole’s length and design.
Bottom line
A bogey is one over par on a hole, with double and triple bogeys stacking additional strokes on top. Read alongside par and the under-par scores, birdie, eagle, and albatross, the bogey completes golf’s simple scoring ladder. Once you know where each term sits, reading a scorecard and tracking your round becomes second nature.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bogey in golf?
A bogey is a score of one stroke more than par on a hole. For example, taking 5 shots on a par 4 is a bogey. It is one of the most common scores for recreational golfers and sits just above par on the scoring ladder.
What is a double bogey and a triple bogey?
A double bogey is two strokes over par on a hole, such as a 6 on a par 4. A triple bogey is three strokes over par, such as a 7 on a par 4. Each additional stroke over par adds another level to the bogey count.
Is a bogey a good or bad score?
It depends on the golfer. For a tour professional a bogey is a dropped shot to avoid, but for many amateurs a bogey is a perfectly respectable result. A player who averages around a bogey per hole is known as a bogey golfer, a common skill benchmark.
What is the opposite of a bogey?
The opposite direction on the scoring ladder is a birdie, which is one under par. Going further under par gives an eagle (two under) and an albatross, also called a double eagle (three under). Bogeys go over par while birdies and eagles go under it.
What is a bogey golfer?
A bogey golfer is a player whose scoring averages roughly one over par on each hole, finishing a typical par-72 course near 90. The term is often used as a handicap reference point to describe a solid but non-expert amateur.