news | February 23, 2026

How to Understand Golf Scoring Language

Golf has its own language, and its scoring lingo can be especially puzzling to understand. If understanding golf scores seems like a foreign language, the following table of golf scoring terms can help you feel right at home on the course.

Scoring TermWhat It Means
AceHole in one
Albatross/double eagleThree strokes under par on a hole
EagleTwo strokes under par on a hole
BirdieOne stroke under par on a hole
ParScore a good player would expect to make on a hole or
round
BogeyOne stroke over par on a hole
Double bogeyTwo strokes over par on a hole