What is a bogey in golf?
Each hole has a by: the number of moves a very good player needs to make to finish it (3, 4, or 5). The bogey is a score of one stroke over par.
- A par-3 hole played in 4 strokes: bogey.
- A par-4 hole played in 5 strokes: bogey.
- A par 5 played in 6 strokes: bogey.
People say “make a bogey” or “make a bogey on the 7th.” The word always refers to a score, never to the hole or the flag.
Birdie, par, bogey: the scoring scale
| Score on the hole | Last Name |
|---|---|
| 3 strokes under par | Albatross |
| 2 strokes under par | Eagle |
| 1 stroke under par | Birdie |
| The par | By |
| 1 stroke over par | Bogey |
| 2 strokes over par | Double bogey |
| 3 strokes over par | Triple bogey |
Where does the word “bogey” come from?
The term originated in England in the early 1890s. The Coventry club had devised a “target score” for each hole—the score a good player was expected to achieve. The Great Yarmouth club adopted it for its competitions, and the players nicknamed it the “Bogey Man”, based on a music-hall song that was very popular at the time: we played against this imaginary opponent, as elusive as a ghost.
Originally, a hole’s bogey was therefore its reference score, similar to what we now call par. This is likely where the idea—which we sometimes come across—that “bogey” refers to the hole itself comes from. When par became the standard—first in the United States and then everywhere else—the bogey came to mean a score of one stroke over par.
Is a bogey a bad score?
It all depends on your skill level. For a professional golfer, a bogey is a minor slip-up. For an amateur, it’s often a good score: shooting bogey on all 18 holes of a par-72 course results in a 90—a goal that many golfers take years to achieve.
In Stableford, the most common scoring format among amateurs, a net bogey (after accounting for your penalty strokes) is worth 1 point, compared to 2 points for par.
How can I make fewer bogeys?
- Aim for the center of the green rather than the flag when it's in the wrong place.
- Avoid Major Risks: A bogey is better than a double bogey. After a bad start, a cautious shot to the side often saves the hole.
- Work on your short game: Most amateur bogeys result from a missed approach shot or a three-putt.
- Knowing Your Distances to choose the right club on the second shot.
Video Lessons on How to Avoid Bogeys
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Frequently Asked Questions: Bogey in Golf
What is a bogey in golf?
This is a score that is one stroke over par on a hole: for example, 5 strokes on a par-4 hole.
How many points is a bogey worth in Stableford?
A net bogey—that is, after accounting for the strokes added based on your handicap—is worth 1 point. A net par is worth 2 points, and a net birdie is worth 3.
What is a double bogey?
That's a score of two strokes over par—for example, 6 strokes on a par-4 hole. Three strokes over is a triple bogey.
What is your score if you play bogey on every hole?
On a par-72 course, playing bogey on every hole results in a score of 90, which is 18 strokes over par.