How golf is scored
Golf counts strokes: the fewest shots taken to complete a hole or a round wins, with par providing the reference every score is described against.
Overview
A golfer’s score is simply the number of strokes taken, including any penalty strokes. Each hole is assigned a par — the number of strokes a hole is expected to take — and scores are usually described relative to it: one under par is a birdie, one over is a bogey, two under is an eagle.
Two formats sit on top of that count. In stroke play, every stroke over the whole round is added up and the lowest total wins. In match play, each hole is a separate contest and the winner is whoever wins more holes, so a disastrous hole costs one hole rather than the round. Handicaps are a separate adjustment that lets players of different standards compete on comparable terms.
How it works
- The score for a hole is every stroke played plus any penalty strokes.
- Par is the reference: birdie is one under, bogey one over, eagle two under.
- Stroke play totals the whole round; match play scores hole by hole.
- In match play a single bad hole costs only that hole.
- A handicap adjusts scores so players of different standards can compete meaningfully.
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Rules
- Playing the ball as it liesGolf’s founding principle: you play the course as you find it and the ball from wherever it comes to rest, unless a rule allows otherwise.
- Penalty strokes in golfStrokes added to a player’s score in defined situations, such as hitting out of bounds or losing a ball.
- Order of playThe convention that decides who plays next in a golf group — normally the player whose ball is furthest from the hole.
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- Content type
- Scoring system
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-30
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