In golf, par is a predetermined number of strokes that a scratch (or 0 handicap) golfer should require to complete a hole, a round (the sum of the pars of the played holes), or a tournament (the sum of the pars of each round). Pars are the central component of stroke play, the most common kind of play in professional golf tournaments.
The length of each hole from the tee placement to the pin determines par values for each hole primarily, though not exclusively. Almost invariably, holes are assigned par values between three and five strokes. For a casual player from the middle tees, a par-three hole will range between and from the tee to the pin. Par-four holes range between and , although tournament players will often encounter par-four holes as long as or more as it is not uncommon for short par-five holes for normal play to be turned into par-four holes in championship play. Par-five holes are typically between and , but in the 21st century holes of over are becoming more common in championship play. Other relevant factors in setting the par for the hole include the terrain and obstacles (such as trees, water, hills, or buildings) that may require a golfer to take more (or fewer) shots. Some golf courses offer par-sixes and, rarely, par-sevens, as well. Par-sevens are not recognized by the USGA.
Typical championship golf courses have par values of 72, comprising four par-threes, ten par-fours, and four par-fives. While 72 is typical, championship course par can be as high as 73 to as low as 69. Most 18-hole courses not designed for championships still have a par close to 72, though some will be lower. Courses with par above 73 are rare. Courses built on relatively small parcels of land will often be designed as "Par-3 Courses", in which every hole is a par 3 (for a total par of 54 over 18 holes).
Tournament scores are reported by totaling the golfer's score relative to par in each round (there are usually four rounds in professional tournaments). If each of the four rounds of a tournament has a par of 72, the tournament par would be 288 and the golfer's score would be recorded relative to the tournament par. For example, a golfer could record a 70 in the first round, a 72 in the second round, a 73 in the third round, and a 69 in the fourth round. This would give the golfer a tournament score of 284, or "four under par".
As golf became more standardized in the United States, par scores were tightened and recreational golfers found themselves scoring over par, with bogey changing meaning to one over par. Bogeys are relatively common, even in professional play - so much so that it is considered somewhat noteworthy if a player manages to complete a 'bogey-free' round - and they are standard for most casual and club players.
More than one shot over par is known as a double-bogey (+2), triple-bogey (+3), and so on. However, it is more common to hear higher scores referred to simply by the number of strokes rather than by name. For example, a player, having taken eight shots to negotiate a par-three, would be far more likely to refer to it simply as "an eight" or "being five over par", than a "quintuple bogey". Double-bogeys and worse scores are uncommon for top performers in professional play.
Between 1970 and 2003, 84 such shots (an average of fewer than three per year) were recorded on the PGA Tour.
Recent well-publicised albatrosses include those scored by Joey Sindelar at the 2006 PGA Championship — only the third in that competition's history, Miguel Ángel Jiménez while defending his BMW PGA Championship title in 2009, Paul Lawrie in the final round of the 2009 Open Championship, Shaun Micheel on the final day of the 2010 U.S. Open — only the second ever in that competition, and Padraig Harrington in the 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions.
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