Understanding disc golf scoring starts with knowing the basic concept of par. The ‘Par’ of a hole is an assigned number that represents the number of strokes a proficient player should need on average to complete the hole. Most disc golf holes have a par of three (3), meaning it should take three throws (or “strokes”) or better to get your disc from the tee pad and into the target basket. There are also some par 4 holes and par 5 holes. Some short “pitch and putt” courses may even have par 2s, but this is not common. Traditional pars typically include 2 strokes for putting.
Generally, par in disc golf is based largely on distance. Most holes up to 350 feet long or less will be considered a par 3. Longer holes which would typically require more than 1 drive to reach the basket would be considered par 4s or par 5s. The par for a hole can also be affected by overall difficulty. A heavily wooded hole with lots of OB or a sharp dogleg turn may be relatively short from tee to green, but its difficulty might classify it as a par 4. By contrast, some longer holes that are downhill or easier to reach in one throw could be considered a par 3. There are no set guidelines for how par is determined in disc golf. It is usually up to the course designer or a TD to set the par for each hole and course.
Disc Golf Scoring Terminology
The following scoring terms refer to your score on each hole relative to par:
- Par: The standard score set for the hole
- Birdie: One stroke/throw less than par
- Eagle: Two strokes less than par
- Albatross or Double Eagle (very, very rare): Three strokes less than par
- Ace: Completing the hole in one throw (aka “hole in one”)
- Bogey: One stroke over par
- Double Bogey: Two strokes over par
- Triple Bogey (and so on): Three strokes over par (quadruple = 4, quintuple = 5, etc.)
Container can be found at N 40 20.ABC W 79 42.XYZ
A=Quintuple Bogey on a par 4
B= Birdie on a Par 5
C=Double Bogey on a Par 3
X=Albatross on a Par 5
Y= One less than an "Ace"
Z=Triple Bogey on a Par 4