Par (score)

This article is about the general definition of par on a golf hole. For the specific scoring system, see Par (golf scoring format).

A sign at The River Course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin, indicating that the seventh hole being played is a par-four

In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a proficient (scratch, or zero handicap)[1] 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).[2][3] For scoring purposes, a golfer's number of strokes is compared with the par score to determine how much the golfer was either "over par", "under par", or was "even with/equal to par".[4]

Holes are generally assigned par values between three and five based on the distance from the teeing ground to the putting green, and occasionally other factors such as terrain and obstacles.[5] A typical 18-hole golf course will have a total par around 72,[2] and a 9-hole par-3 course (where all holes are rated as par 3) will have a total par of 27.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Block was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "What is par?". BBC Sport Academy. September 22, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  3. ^ "How is par on a golf course determined?". Sporting News. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  4. ^ "The Meaning of 'Over Par' in Golf, With Scoring Examples". liveabout.com. May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference usga was invoked but never defined (see the help page).