Golf Today's A to Z of Golf: The 'Condor' - four under par for a hole A-Z of Golf The 'Condor' - four under par for a hole Scoring a condor is the rarest event in golf. This is normally a hole in one at a par five (a two at a par six would also count, but this has never been done). Only four condors have ever been recorded: The first occurred in 1962, when Larry Bruce drove into the hole over a stand of trees on the 480-yard dogleg right par-5 fifth hole at Hope Country Club in Arkansas, USA. Another condor was achieved by "cutting the corner" of a dogleg par-5 by Shaun Lynch at Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England, in 1995, on the 496-yard 17th. Lynch aimed straight at the green with a 3-iron, clearing a 20-foot-high hedge and hitting a downslope on the other side, which allowed his ball to roll down to the green and into the hole.

A condor was scored without cutting over a dogleg by Mike Crean at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado, in 2002, when he holed his drive at the 517 yard par-5 9th. This is longest hole in one on record, although it was of course aided by the altitude and thin air of 'mile-high' Denver. The most recent condor was achieved in Australia by 16 year old Jack Bartlett on the 467 metre par-5 17th at Royal Wentworth Falls Country Club, NSW, Australia, on November 3, 2007. None of the above Condor's were made during an official tour and neither were they played on a professionally accredited course, not that their feats are devalued in anyway shape or form. You don't have to be a mathematical genius to understand that a Condor is a rare occurrence.

To give you an idea of odds, it has been estimated a hole-in-one can reach up to 1 in 12,500 for an amateur player, while a double eagle has been assigned odds that have ranged between 1 in 1 million, and 1 in 16 million. The odds of scoring a Condor have not been officially worked out but you can imagine they are significantly higher than the double-eagle. A select number of online bookmakers , have in the past offered odds on double-eagles during championship events, not condors however. Clearly if you choose to place a condor bet with any bookmaker, make sure to get odds of at least above 1 million to one! A condor is also known as a triple-eagle or a double-albatross, although these terms are, of course, mathematically incorrect. There is no other explanation for the name 'condor' apart from its continuation of the 'bird' theme in naming under-par scores, and the size of the bird becoming bigger as the score gets lower (birdie - eagle - albatross - condor). October 2008 What Is a Condor in Golf?

| Golfsmith What Is a Condor in Golf? What Is a Condor in Golf? by M.L. Rose “Condor” is the name of an American golf manufacturer, but most notably it’s the label given to the extremely rare, almost impossible score of 4-under-par for a single hole. As of 2012, four generally accepted condors have been recorded, all involving aces on par-5 holes. Some courses have par-6 holes, so it’s also possible for a golfer to score a condor by completing a par-6 in two strokes, but the feat has never been reported. Larry Bruce A 2004 “Golf World” article credits Larry Bruce with the first known condor in golf history. Playing the par-5, 480-yard fifth hole at the Hope Country Club in Arkansas in 1962, Bruce drove over some pine trees that stood in the rough to the right of the dogleg fairway. Bruce’s drive cleared the trees and rolled into the cup. Because he cut the corner on the dogleg, Bruce’s drive didn’t have to travel the full 480 yards.

Shaun Lynch In 1995, Shaun Lynch used a strategy similar to that of Bruce on a par-5, 496-yard hole at the Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England. Normally a slicer, Lynch hit a draw to cut the corner of the dogleg 17th hole that angled to the left. According the 2004 “Golf World” article, Lynch hit a 3-iron over a 20-foot-tall hedge. The ball landed on a down slope, rolled from the fairway onto the green and dropped into the hole. Lynch said the ball “must have bounced on the hard ground and run and run.” Mike Crean The longest hole-in-one in golf history -- according to the United States Golf Register -- was reported on July 4, 2002, when Mike Crean drove the ball 517 yards straight into hole No. 9 of Denver’s Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. The drive was aided by the thinner air of the “Mile High City” as well as a 30 mph tailwind. Neither Crean nor his three playing partners saw the ball drop into the cup.

They lost sight of his drive, so he played another ball. It wasn’t until the players walked onto the green that they found Crean’s original ball in the hole. Jack Bartlett An Australian 16-year-old, Jack Bartlett, is credited with the fourth condor, which took place at the par-5 17th hole at the Royal Wentworth Falls Country Club in New South Wales in 2007. The hole officially measures 467 meters, or about 511 yards. HOT PRODUCTS ON Golfsmith.com What Is an Eagle? | Wonderopolis Wonder of the Day #189 What Is an Eagle? Listen On April 10, 1916, 35 golfers created The Professional Golfers' Association of America in New York City. Since that time, countless golf balls have taken to the skies in search of the elusive hole-in-one. If you've ever watched golf on television, you may have been confused by some of the interesting words you probably heard. From bogeys to birdies to eagles to holes-in-one, golf certainly has a unique vocabulary all its own. Most of these terms relate to another special term used in golf: par .

Golfers use the word “ par " to describe how many strokes (golf shots) it should take to get the golf ball from the tee (where you start) into the hole (where you end). For example, if par for a particular hole is 4, it should take most golfers four strokes to get the golf ball into the hole. The farther away the hole is from the tee — and the more obstacles there are, such as sand traps, hills, trees or water hazards — the higher the par will be. Holes will usually have a par of three, four or five strokes. Most 18-hole golf courses have par values of 72, based on four par -3 holes, 10 par -4 holes and four par -5 holes. It is quite rare to find par -6 or par -7 holes. A golfer's goal, of course, is to get the golf ball into the hole with as few strokes as possible. The absolute minimum number would be one stroke — the elusive and very rare hole-in-one. And the maximum? Well, as many amateur golfers will tell you, there really is no limit to the number of strokes it can take some days!

Golfers compare the number of strokes it takes to get their golf ball in the hole with the par score. On a par -5 hole, five strokes would be par . Hitting par for a hole is sometimes called "even." Par means “equal" in Latin. Golfers try to avoid going over par , but it happens frequently, even for professionals. A score of 1 over par (+1) on a hole is called a " bogey ." More than one stroke over par is called a "double bogey " (+2), "triple bogey " (+3) and so on. Golfers strive to stay under par on every hole. Since it's difficult to do so, special names are used to refer to the achievement.

Hitting 1 under par (-1) on a hole is known as a " birdie ." Hitting 2 under par (-2) on a hole is even more difficult and is called an " eagle ." An even rarer achievement is 3 under par (-3), which is known as an "albatross." Some golfers, especially in the United States, also call this shot a "double eagle ." It is such a rare achievement that professional golf tours record, on average, less than three of these shots each year. The lowest individual hole score ever recorded is 4 under par (-4), also called a " condor ." There have been only four condors ever recorded and none during a professional tournament. Terms exist for even rarer events — " ostrich " for 5 under par (-5) and " phoenix " for 6 under par (-6) — but no one has ever made these shots. Some consider them impossible — they require a hole-in-one on a par -6 or par -7 hole — because these holes themselves are very rare.

The seventh hole on the Satsuki golf course in Japan happens to be one of the few par -7 holes in the world, and it also happens to be the longest hole in the world at 964 yards. Wonder Words (12) Take the Wonder Word Challenge Wonder What's Next? Tomorrow’s mathematical Wonder of the Day may have you counting 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29… Try It Out Ready to take a shot at a birdie or an eagle? It's time to play some golf. If you're near a golf course and have all the necessary equipment, feel free to hit the links. If not, play at home! Grab a club, a bat, a stick or even a wooden spoon. Get a few golf balls or ping-pong balls or any kind of ball. Find some empty cups or tin cans, and get ready to play. If you need some help, just follow these easy directions to set up your own miniature golf course at home. Don't forget to yell “fore!" before you hit the ball!

Golf Today's A to Z of Golf Three under par score at a hole. Known as a 'double-eagle' in the US. Approach Short or medium shot to either the pin or putting green. Attend the flag To remove and hold flag whilst another player putts. Away The person furthest way from the hole and the first to play. B Back The last nine holes of a golf course. Also a tee position that makes hole the longest. Banana A slice , or shot that curves strongly left to right. For some reason, 'banana' always refers to a slice, although a ' hook ' is simply a banana facing the other way. Also what professional golfers munch several times a round to maintain their energy levels. Below the hole Your ball is 'below the hole' on a green if your next putt is uphill. Uphill putts can be struck firmly, meaning that any break is less important and there is less risk of running way beyond the hole. This is particularly true of fast greens, such as one finds in high-level tournaments. The opposite of ' above the hole '. Best Ball / Better Ball Best score on a hole by partners in a best-ball match. Birdie One under par score on a hole.

Bogey One over par score on a hole. Break In putting, the curve the ball will follow due to slope and/or grain in the green. Turf removed when hitting a shot. Dogleg Left or right bend in fairway. Dog Licence If the winning margin in match play is 7&6, the victory (or defeat) is called a dog licence. In Great Britain, until 1987, dog owners bought a licence for their pet which cost 7/6d (pre-decimal currency = 37p). Dormie In match play , having a lead equal to the number of holes remaining to be played, ie. two up and two to play. Draw Controlled right to left shot with a moderate curve (or left to right for left-handers). Drop When the ball is lost, or there is an unplayable lie, a ball is dropped from arm's length at shoulder height onto the course. The short-grass area between the tee and the green. Follow-through The latter part of the swing from striking the ball to completion of the motion. Fore! Warning shout when a shot may endanger another player.

Four-Ball Group of two pairs of golfers recording the better ball score of each pair based on gross or net scores. Foursome Group of two pairs of golfers playing shots alternately with the same ball. The partners drive at alternate holes, so one will drive the even numbers and one the odd numbers. Free drop When a player is entitled to make a drop without a penalty stroke. G Gilligan The opposite of a Mulligan . When gilligans are agreed in a match, your opponent has the right to ask you to play a shot again - typically a good drive or a long putt holed. Gimmie Very short putt close to a hole, awarded by other players. Only used in match play, or in friendly golf - in stroke play everything must be holed out. Grain Direction in which blades of grass grow and influence the speed and roll of the ball on the putting green. When looking 'into the grain' a green will appear darker, and 'with the grain' it will appear lighter or shinier. When putting 'across the grain' the ball will move left or right. Green Area of course around the hole with very short grass, for putting.

Gross score The total number of actual strokes played within a round, before handicap is taken into account. Ground under Repair (GUR) If an area of the couse is under maintenance and your ball lands there, you can remove your ball without penalty. Normally identified by stakes or a line. H Half Shot Reduced swing when taking a shot. Used for shorter shots, or when extra control is required. Hole out To finish a hole by getting the ball in the cup or hole. Usually done with a putt, but sometimes with a chip from off the green, and occasionally with a full shot. Honour Given to the player scoring lowest on last hole, and granting the right to tee off first on the next. Hook Shot that curves strongly from right to left (or the opposite, if you play left handed!). Hosel Hollow part of clubhead where the shaft is attached. Sometimes called the 'neck'. I In play A shot that comes to rest within the boundaries of the course (the opposite of 'out-of-bounds'). Interlocking grip A right-handed player using this grip will interlock the little finger of his right hand with the index finger of his left hand (vice versa for lefties). A good grip for players with small hands.

Used by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, among others. In the leather A ball that lies very close to the hole; so called because it was measured by the leather of the putter grip. In friendly play, a putt 'within the leather' is often conceded . J Jigger Name of an old club with similar loft to a modern 4-iron. Confusingly, it was also sometimes used to describe a short pitching club for work around the green, otherwise called a pitching niblick, or lofting iron, roughly equivalent to a modern pitching wedge. K Kikuyu Fast-growing, thick African grass that like full sunshine and hot weather. Not suited to woodland or temperate climates. A feature of courses in southern Africa, requiring great skill to play from around the greens. Knee knocker A short putt, which you really shouldn't miss, but often do. Knickers American name for golf trousers that stop just below the knee, worn with knee socks. Called 'plus fours' or 'plus twos' in Britain. Knife Golfing slang for the 1-iron.

In the days when all all iron heads were forged, they were often known as 'blades', and the 1-iron was the sharpest (and most dangerous to use) blade of all. L Lie Resting place of the ball on the course, hence a 'good lie', or 'poor lie'. Also the angle at which the clubhead is set on the shaft. Tall people usually have clubs with an 'upright' lie (making the shoft more vertical) and shorter people use a 'regular' or 'flatter' lie (placing the cubhead further away from the body). Links Golf course on coastal terrain, usually with sand dunes and very few trees, and exposed to the wind. Literally a piece of ground that 'links' the mainland to the sea. Lip Edge of the hole. Lip-out A putt that catches the lip of the hole and turns around the rim without falling in. Lucy Rhyming slang: Lucy Locket = socket, or shank . Arguably the worst shot in golf. M Marker Thin, flat item used to mark the position of a golf ball on the green to prevent your ball obstructing other player's shots.

Small coins may be used, or specifically designed discs of metal or plastic. Also a person who keeps the score in a match, either as a spectator accompanying the players, or one's opponent. Match Play Competition scored by the number of holes won or lost. The opposite of 'stroke' or 'medal' play. In this format, matches often do not go the full 18 holes. Medal Play Another name for 'Stroke Play', keeping the score on every hole. The lowest number of strokes, gross or net, wins. Mixed Man and woman playing together, eg: 'Mixed Foursomes'. Each partner plays off their own tees. Mulligan Chance to replay one's last shot, granted in a friendly game by an opponent. Not permitted in competition. (See also Gilligan ) Score after the handicap strokes have been deducted from the gross score. Niblick Old-fashioned Scottish term for nine iron. Nobble To nobble is to top a ball, or catch it on the upper half, causing a low, weak, running shot, called a 'nobbler' O OB Short for 'out of bounds'.

Area outside the course play area, usually marked by a white line or white stakes, or boundaries such as walls, fences or railings. P Par Standard number of strokes for each hole, always including two putts. Almost all golf holes are par 3, 4 or 5, although some new courses are building ultra-long par 6 holes. Penalty Extra stroke(s) added to a player's score for violation of the rules, loss of ball, out of bounds, etc... PILS No... not yet. You can enjoy a Pils or three in the 19th when you're done with your putting practice. This PILS stands for 'Pure In Line Square' - the putting method advocated by scientist turned short game guru Dave Pelz, and many others. Essentially it involves a pendulum motion from the shoulders, eliminating all independant hand and arm movement, keeping the putter-face square throughout the stroke. Pin A ball which is level with the pin, but to one side. Pitch Shot used to approach the green, shorter swing than normal, but longer and more lofted than a chip. Play Through When a group of slower golfers or those searching for a ball allow others to pass them.

It is good etiquette to allow faster players to 'play through'. 'Plus' Golfer A golfer whose handicap is better than scratch, so he has to add or 'plus' strokes to his gross score after a round, rather than subtracting them. Plus Fours / PlusTwos Golfing trousers once very popular because they end just below the knee, avoiding getting mud on the trousers when playing. Plus fours are more traditional and fuller cut, folding over 4 inches below the knee, while plus twos are slimmer and more modern, folding only two inches. Q Quarter Shot Greatly reduced swing in taking a shot. Used for short shots, or when great control is required. (Also 'three-quarter' shot, somewhere between a 'half-shot'and a full swing.) Practice area (also called the Driving Range). Recovery Shot played back into a good position from an unfavourable one. Redan Permission to lift and drop the ball without incurring a penalty. Rough Longer and thicker grassed area of the course. S Sandie Term used when playing for money, betting against an opponent.

Either a) making par on a hole after being in a bunker at some point, or b) getting out of a bunker and into the hole in two (an ' up and down '). Sand Save Professional equivalent of a ' sandie ' (version b). Getting out of a bunker and into the hole in two shots. Whether the player makes par or not is immaterial, it is the ' up and down ' which counts. Expressed as a percentage of the number of times achieved out of the number of attempts, and one of the many statistical categories computed on the various pro tours. Shank Shot struck by the hosel of the club which causes the ball to go sharply right. Also called a 'socket'. Shiperio Similiar to a Mulligan , ie a second shot graciously allowed by your opponent, but in this case you can choose which of the two balls you will play. Skinny Said of a shot hit thin , which flies lower than usual and with no control. Slice A shot that curves violently to the right, banana-shaped. Usually caused by striking the ball with an open clubface and an in-to-out swing. The commonest shot shape among beginners and high-handicappers.

T Thin A shot somewhere between a top (see below) and a well-struck ball. The ball is hit below the equator, but not enough to get properly airborne, causing a low and uncontrolled shot. Especially destructive when chipping or pitching around the green. Top To hit the ball above the centre, causing the ball to dive down and roll rather than rise. Turn After the 9th hole, ie the halfway point on a golf course, where you 'turn' for home. U Unplayable lie When it is impossible to play a shot because of ground conditions or an obstruction. The player may drop the drop the ball in a better position, in accordance with the rules, under penalty. Up and Down When a player fails to be on the green in regulation, but gets on it with an approach shot and one-putts into the hole. V Vardon Grip Another name for an overlapping grip made popular by Harry Vardon. The little finger of the right hand (for right-handers ) overlaps the forefinger of the left hand. W Whiff To swing and miss the ball completely. Counts as a stroke. Also called an 'air-shot', or 'fresh air'.

Worm-burner A topped , or thinned shot that runs along the ground, thus endangering the useful invertebrates that might be getting a breath of fresh air. X X-outs Balls that do not meet a manufacturer's stringent quality controls, either because of a small cosmetic blemish or because they are very marginally outside the size or weight tolerances (1.680" and 1.620oz). They are sold at a reduced price and the manufacturer's name is 'x'-d out. Otherwise perfectly normal and very good value, but beware of using them in competition as incorrect tolerances will make them illegal. Y Yardage The distance between the player's ball and the target he is aiming for. The 'yardage' of a hole is officially the figure given on the scorecard from a specific tee, but will vary according to the position of the tee-markers and the pin position on the green. Top players use 'yardage charts' to calculate their distance from specific points on the course and to help with club selection. Yips Chronic missing (or fear) of short putts, usually because of a nervous twitch.

Very difficult to overcome, but can be alleviated by unorthodox grips or long (eg 'broom-handle' or 'belly') shafted putters. Z Zoysia A very thin bladed, slow-growing grass with deep roots that is resitant to drought and extreme temperatures. What Do Birdies, Bogeys and Pars Mean in Golf? By Brent Kelley Updated July 24, 2016. So you're new to the game of golf and you keep hearing references to birdies and bogeys , eagles and pars . What are those things, anyway? What do those golf scoring terms mean? Glad you asked. They are terms that describe different types of scores on an individual golf hole . Start With Par, Go From There Start with par, because all golf scoring terms are defined in relation to par. "Par" refers to the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete the play of one hole on a golf course . Golf holes of different lengths will require more or fewer strokes by a golfer. And regardless of length, the par number of a hole always allows for two putts.

So a 150-yard hole is one on which the expert is expected to hit the green with his tee shot , take two putts , and, therefore, require three strokes to finish that hole. Such a hole is therefore called a par-3 . A very good golfer - or a very lucky golfer - might complete a hole in fewer strokes than the par. continue reading below our video Golf Scoring Terms And of course, most of us aren't "experts" at golf, and so on most holes we'll need more strokes than the par. That's where those other terms - birdies, eagles, bogeys, et.al. - come into play. They describe a golfer's performance on a hole in relation to the hole's par: A birdie is 1-under par A bogey is 1-over par An eagle is 2-under par A triple bogey is 3-over par Given that a par-5 hole is the highest par most golfers will ever see, there is a limit to how far under par a golfer can go.

But a hole-in-one - knocking the ball in the hole with your first shot - is also called an "ace." ( On a par-5 hole, making an ace means a golfer is 4-under on that hole and, yes, golfers have a term for that, too: condor.) Scores over par can keep going up, and you just keep adding to the prefix, as in quadruple bogey , quintuple bogey, and so on. Here's hoping that's knowledge you'll never need. The Actual Number of Strokes That Result in These Golf Scores Here's what these most-common golf scoring terms mean for holes with pars of 5, 4 and 3, in the actual number of strokes: Myrtle Beach Scores and Par Myrtle Beach Scores and Par June 24, 2015 by spnora In Myrtle Beach golf, there is a suggested score that a player should get on each hole. This is called par. The most common pars are par 4s, par 3s and par 5s. The par for the hole indicates how many shots it should take for a golfer to get the ball into the hole.

It is generally accepted that the par of the hole also indicates in how many strokes a golfer should hit the green, as a golfer should hit the green in regulation. If a golfer receives a score for the hole that is the same as the par of the hole, the golfer has gotten a par on the hole. If he gets a score that is one stroke better than the par on the hole, the golfer has gotten a birdie. If he gets a score that is one stroke worse than par on the hole, he has gotten a bogey. If the score on the hole is two or three strokes worse, the golfer has gotten a double bogey or triple bogey, respectively. If the golfer receives a somewhat rare score of two strokes better than par, he has gotten an eagle. If he gets an even rarer score of three strokes under par, then the golfer has gotten a double eagle, or albatross. If the golfer gets a score of four strokes under par, it is hypothetically called a condor, double albatross or triple eagle. Generally, the shortest form of a golf hole is the par 3.

Par 3s generally call for players to hit the green in regulation with their tee shot. This allows them two putts to make a par. To make a birdie on a par 3, a player must usually hit the green with their tee shot and sink the putt. Holes-in-one are mostly recorded on par 3s; scoring-wise, holes-in-one are eagles. It is impossible to make an albatross or a condor on a par 3. Par 4s are generally the most common form of hole on a North Myrtle Beach golf course. These are mid-ranged holes distance-wise and require a tee shot and a shot onto the green in order to hit the green in regulation. Two putts are then required to make a par. Birdies commonly can be made by hitting a second shot on the green and sinking the putt or by driving the ball onto the green, called “driving the green”, and then two putting. An eagle can be obtained by either holing an approach shot or by driving the green and one-putting. Holes-in-one do occur on par 4s, although rare, and are albatrosses scoring-wise. Condors are impossible on par 4s.

Par 5s are the longest form of hole on a golf course. These holes generally require a tee shot, a second shot, and an approach shot onto the green to get the ball onto the green in regulation. Two putts are then required for a par. For a common birdie, one must either hit the green in regulation and one-putt or hit the green in two and two-putt. An eagle is most commonly made on this kind of hole, by hitting the green in two and then one-putting. An albatross is generally made by either greening the tee shot (incredibly rare) and making the putt or by holing the second shot. Hole-in-ones are incredibly rare on par 5s, but can be made and are condors scoring wise. Only four of these have ever been officially recorded. A knowledge of the par and scoring system is fundamental in order to understand golf jargon and the way the game works regardless if you are playing golf at Beachwood Golf Club or any other North Myrtle Beach golf course.

Meaning of Golf Words - Par, Bogey, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross - Scottish Golf History Bogey to Blow-Up There is quite a history behind the golfing terms bogey, par, birdie, eagle and albatross. Bogey and par were central to the development of handicapping, pioneered by the LGU . The modern meaning of three of the terms - bogey, birdie and eagle - comes from their use in USA. Bogey Par Birdie Eagle Albatross Bogey "Bogey" was the first stroke system, developed in England at the end of the 19th Century. The full history is given in Robert Browning's History of Golf 1955 . In 1890 Mr Hugh Rotherham Secretary of the Coventry Golf Club conceived the idea of standardising the number of shots at each hole that a good golfer should take, which he called the 'ground score.' Great Yarmouth where term Bogey was first coined Dr Browne, Secretary of the Great Yarmouth Club, adopted the idea, and, with the assent of the club's golfers, this style of competition was introduced there for use in match play.

During one competition Mr CA Wellman (possibly Major Charles Wellman) exclaimed to Dr Browne that, "This player of yours is a regular Bogey man". This was probably a reference to the eponymous subject of an Edwardian music hall song "Hush! Hush! Hush! Here Comes the Bogey Man", which was popular at that time. So at Yarmouth and elsewhere the ground score became known as the bogey score. A 'bogle' was a Scottish goblin as far back as the 16th Century and a Bogey-man was a widely used term for a goblin or devil. Golfers of the time considered they were playing a Mister Bogey when measuring themselves against the bogey score. This allowed the introduction of bogey competitions, which we would call handicap competitions or stablefords. On 2nd January 1892, The Field reported that 'a novelty was introduced in the shape of a bogey tournament for a prize. ...

Fourteen couples started but the bogey defeated them all.' In 1892, Colonel Seely-Vidal, the Hon Secretary of the United Servic es Club at Gosport, also worked out the 'bogey' for his course. The United Club was a services club and all the members had a military rank. They could not measure themselves against a 'Mister' Bogey or have him as a member, so 'he' was given the honorary rank of Colonel. Thus the term 'Colonel Bogey' was born. Later, in the middle of 20th century, bogey was used as the term of one above par. Par Par is derived from the stock exchange term that a stock may be above or below its normal or 'par' figure. In 1870, Mr AH Doleman, a golf writer, asked the golf professionals David Strath and James Anderson, what score would win 'The Belt', then the winning trophy for 'The Open', at Prestwick, where it was first held annually from 1861 to 1870. Strath and Anderson said that perfect play should produce a score of 49 for Prestwick's twelve holes.

Mr Doleman called this 'par' for Prestwick and subsequently Young Tom Morris won with a score of two strokes 'over par' for the three rounds of 36 holes. Tom Morris Jnr Youngest Open Winner Although the first noted use of the word "par" in golf was in Britain and predates the bogey, today's rating system does not and the par standard was not further developed until later. It was the Ladies Golf Association, who, from 1893, began to develop a national handicapping system for women . It was largely in place by the end of the Century. The Men's association, founded in 1894, followed suit a few year's later. In 1911, the United States Golf Association (Men) of the day laid down the following very modern distances for determining par: Up to 225 yards Over 601 yards Par 6 As golf developed, scores were coming down, but many old British courses did not adjust their courses or their bogey scores, which meant good golfers and all the professionals were achieving lower than a bogey score.

This meant the US had an up-to-date national standard of distances for holes, while the British bogey ratings were determined by each club and were no longer appropriate for professionals. The Americans began referring to one over par as a bogey, much to the British chagrin. By 1914, British golf magazines were agitating for a ratings system similar to the US. However the Great War 1914-18 intervened and it was not until 1925 that a Golf Unions' Joint Advisory Committee of the British Isles was formed to assign Standard Scratch Scores (SSS), to golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland. Today, this committee is known as the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU). It is the Golf Unions of each country (and not the Royal and Ancient) who determine pars and handicaps. Birdie "Birdie", meaning a score of one stroke under Par, comes from the early 20th century American slang term "bird", meaning anything excellent.

The September 1911 edition of Maclean Magazine described a golf shot as - '"bird" straight down the course, about two hundred and fifteen yards.' The Country Club in Atlantic City lay claim to the first use of the word 'birdie' itself, as mentioned on the USGA website. In 1962 the US greenkeepers' magazine reported a conversation with A B Smith. He recounted that, in 1898/9, he and his brother, William P Smith, and their friend, George A Crump, who later built Pine Valley, were playing the par-four second hole at Atlantic City, when Ab Smith's second shot went within inches of the hole. Smith said "That was a bird of shot" and claimed he should get double money if he won with one under par, which was agreed. He duly holed his putt to win with one under par and the three of them thereafter referred to such a score as a "birdie". The Atlantic City Club date the event to 1903.

The First Birdie Hole, Courtesy of Atlantic City County Club By 1913, the term had crossed the Atlantic and Bernard Darwin writing in the September 1913 issue of Country Life of a visit to the USA said "It takes a day or two for the English onlooker to understand that ... a 'birdie' is a hole done in a stroke under par." Eagle White tailed Sea Eagle, courtesy of RSPB "Eagle", a score of two under par for a given hole, was clearly the extension of the theme of birds for good scores from a " birdie ". It would be natural for American golfers to think of the eagle, which is their national symbol and the term seems to have developed only shortly after the 'birdie'. Ab Smith ( see Birdie above ) said that his group referred to two under as an 'eagle'. By 1919 the term was being introduced to Britain, as when Mr H D Gaunt's explained the use of 'birdie' and 'eagle' that he met in Canada .

For many years, eagle was always introduced as American terms, as in 1922 when Cecil (Cecilia) Leitch described a putt for a 3 on a par-5 hole as 'securing what is known in American golfing parlance as an "eagle"' (Golf XII 1922 p 202). Albatross Albatross is the term for three under par and is a continuation of the birdie and eagle theme, but is in fact a British term. Ab Smith said his group used the phrase 'double eagle' for three under ( see Birdie above ), which is still the term most Americans and the name for their Double Eagle Club (membership by invitation only). Three under par is a very rare score and an albatross is a very rare bird. The exact origin is unclear but the first known reference in 1929 indicates that it had been in use for some time before then. John G Ridland, who scored an 'albatross' in India in 1934 , theorized that it was the introduction of steel shafted clubs in 1920s which made this score achievable enough to necessitate a name for it.

Durban Country Club 18th Hole site of first recorded albatross, a hole-in-one on 271 yard par-4 The first ‘albatross’ score reported as such in the press is from South Africa when E E Wooler scored a hole-in-one in the summer of 1931 on the 18th hole of the Durban Country Club which is a par-4. It cost £40 in drinks but, had he known that he was making history, he would not have minded. More details of the first albatrosses, are given in The Albatross has Landed in News section. The Whaup and Double Bogeys No standard terms for 2 or 3 or more over Par have emerged. They are just double and triple Bogeys. Depending upon how good you are, anything over 7, 8 or 9 will be a ‘Blow-up’ or a ‘Disaster’. Joyce Wethered once suggested that a hole-in-one should be called a Curlew, known in Scottish as a 'Whaup', which, though fitting, did not catch on.

It seems that golfing terms came into popular use in much the same way as you find new words being invented and used on the Internet. If they sound good, people start using them. What we do not hear about are all the terms, such as beantops , that never made it because they did not catch on. Only the future can tell which of the terms that we invent will still be being used in a hundred years time. Scottish Golf History Has There Ever Been a Hole-In-One on a Par-5 Hole? FAQs Has There Ever Been a Hole-in-One on a Par-5 Hole? It must feel something like this to make a hole-in-one on a par-5 (or any other hole!). Roger Charity/The Image Bank/Getty Images By Brent Kelley Updated August 05, 2016. Most holes-in-one come on par-3 holes , obviously. A few have even been scored on longer par-4 holes (making them double-eagles as well as aces). But has anyone ever aced a par-5 hole ? Yes, it's happened at least several times - once even with a 3-iron!

We'll go over each of them below, but first let's answer another question: What Is a Par-5 Ace Called? Hey, I'd just call it "a par-5 ace," as in, "I just aced that par-5!" Because your golf buddies will freak out. But, technically speaking, a hole-in-one on a par-5 is a score of 4-under par , so it could be called a "double albatross" or a "triple eagle." Those just sound goofy, though. So, sticking with the avian theme of golf's scoring terms ( birdie , eagle , albatross ), a par-5 ace is called a condor . The Longest-Known Hole-in-One Sixty-percent of the par-5 aces we know about happened on holes with severe doglegs , or even horseshoe-shaped holes, that allow a golfer to cut the corner. But not the longest-known hole-in-one. continue reading below our video How to Throw a Perfect Spiral in Football It happened on a mostly straight par-5 hole.

On July 4, 2002, a golfer named Mike Crean teed off with a driver on the 517-yard No. 9 hole at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colo. And not only - in the high, thin air of the "Mile High City" - did he drive the green, but when he and his playing companions reached the green, his ball was in the hole. We said the hole was "mostly" straight: It did have a slight dogleg, but not the type that could remotely explain an ace on a par-5. It should be noted that nobody actually saw the ball roll into the hole. They discovered the ball in the hole when they got to the green. Crean was a 4-handicapper at the time, he was using a Callaway Big Bertha driver, and he and his three playing partners swore affidavits attesting to the hole-in-one. It is recognized by the U.S. Golf Register, a hole-in-one clearinghouse. Another Straight Par-5 Ace On July 4, 1973*, Dick Hogan (no relation to Ben) aced the par-5, 456-yard No.

8 hole at Piedmont Crescent Golf Course in Burlington, N.C. At the time, Hogan was a scratch golfer playing college golf at North Carolina State. One of his playing partners later became a golf professional at Southern Pines Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C. However, Hogan, he told a newspaper in 2013 , has never been 100-percent convinced it was a legitimate ace. There is no evidence it wasn't, he just always wondered if someone could have played a practical joke on him. (If they did, it's never been admitted.) 'Cut the Corner' Aces on Par-5s Since almost nobody - even with today's supercharged equipment - can hit a 500-yard drive (at least not without help - high tailwind, at altitude, etc.), the best place to look for par-5 aces are on those par-5 holes that are severe doglegs, or are even a bit horseshoe-shaped. On such holes, an intrepid long-hitter can attempt to cut a corner or clear trees or other hazards in order to go straight at the green , rather than playing around the dogleg in a normal fashion.

There are three holes-in-one on par-5s known to have been made by cutting the corner: The first-known ace of this nature occurred in 1962 by a golfer named Larry Bruce. Bruce, hitting driver, played over a stand of pine trees in order to go directly at the green, rather than playing up the hole and then around the dogleg. His ball found the green and the cup. It happened on the No. 5 hole at Hope Country Club in Arkansas. The hole was 480 yards if played around the dogleg. The golfer who aced a par-5 using a 3-iron was Shaun Lynch, playing at Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England, in 1995, on the 496-yard No. 17. According to a 2004 article in Golf World magazine, Lynch aimed straight toward the green on a horseshoe par-5, clearing a 20-foot-high hedge, then hitting a downslope on the other side. The downslope carried his ball to the green and into the cup . In 2007, another hole-in-one on a par-5 dogleg happened, this time in Australia.

The golfer was Jack Bartlett, and on Nov. 2, 2007, he teed up on the 17th hole at Royal Wentworth Falls Country Club in New South Wales. The hole measured 511 yards around the dogleg, but Bartlett cut the corner. (*Nice coincidence that two of the five known par-5 aces happened on July 4, America's Independence Day.) How Is Golf Scored? Uncategorized How Is Golf Scored? When you’re new to golf, it may not even occur to you that there is more to the game than just trying to get the ball in the hole in as few hits as possible. There is actually a scoring system to help you know how you’re doing against the people you are playing with, but also how you’re doing on that specific course. So let’s dive in – how is golf scored? Unlike the scoring of most other sports, in golf, the lower the score the better. Your goal should be to end up with as low of a score as possible. Every time you take a swing at the ball, you’re adding another stroke or point to your score.

At the end of each hole, you simply add up how many strokes you took from the tee off shot to the one that sunk the ball. That number of strokes is your score for that particular hole. Par When playing a round of golf, you’ll constantly be comparing the number of strokes you have taken to another number – par. Par is a number that represents the number of strokes it should take a skilled golfer to finish the hole from start to finish. Par will vary from one hole to the next based on how far the hole is from the tee and the level of difficulty. While par for one hole may be 4, for example, it might be 3 for the very next hole. Score is kept as you compare the number of strokes you took for a specific hole and that hole’s par. So if it took you 5 strokes to get the ball into the hole on a Par 4, your score will be “1 over Par.” It is safe to say that most golfers will never see anything over a par 5. Birdies, Eagles and Bogeys As you improve your game, you may get to a point where you will complete a hole with less strokes than par.

Don’t feel bad if it takes a while to get to this point as even many experts who have been playing for many years still struggle to hit under par. But when they do manage to do so, there are special terms in the game of golf that describe a golfer’s performance in relation to the hole’s par. These terms include: Birdie – 1 under par Eagle – 2 under par Double Bogey – 2 over par Double Eagle – 3 under par (This is very rare and is sometimes referred to as an “albatross”) Triple Bogey – 3 over par Of course, the best possible score anyone can get on a single hole is the self-describing “Hole-in-One” shot, where the ball reaches its goal with one precise shot. Penalty Strokes In addition to the number of strokes you take as you play a specific hole, you may have to add penalty strokes along the way. Penalty strokes include extra swings at a ball and are added for rule infractions. When a ball is hit out of bounds or is lost, a penalty stroke is added to the players score.

Other incidents that require a penalty stroke include taking a swing at the wrong ball or when equipment or the removal of loose impediment cause the ball to move. As a beginner, focus on keeping your score as low as possible. You’ll begin to understand the more specific rules and scoring terms as you return to the course often. You’ll find that others will be willing to help you learn as you go. The friendly staff and course attendants at SunRidge Canyon are always happy to help.

Question: In the game of golf, a ‘Condor’ is how many strokes under par for a hole?
Answer: Four