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Keeping Score

A shot in golf happens when a player intends to hit the ball regardless of whether they contact the ball or not.

The image on page 3 shows scorecards for the shorter par 3 golf course and a full size par 72 course.

Each hole on a scorecard has a par. A par is a standardized score based mostly on a hole's length as shown on page 2. All other scores are measured in relation to it.

An albatross or double eagle is a score that is 3 shots under (less than) par. An eagle is 2 under par, a birdie is 1 under par. A bogey is 1 shot over (higher than) par, a double bogey is 2 over par, a triple bogey is 3 over par and so on.

The shorter Par 3 courses only have par 3 holes so the par for 18 holes is 54 (18 x 3). An eagle on a par 3 is a hole in one.

The full size courses have a mixture of par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes which usually add up to a par of 70 - 75 for 18 holes. A typical par 72 course has four par 3's, ten par 4's and four par 5's..

The image shows Bob being physically weighed down between two scorecards. This image was created to symbolize how golfers sometimes let a bad score weigh them down mentally. Bob Dimpleton suggests shaking off a bad score. If a score gets you down, you are identifying too much with it. This can negatively affect your physical energy and enjoyment of the game.

Great golfers may also be affected by a bad score but they usually use it as a trigger to get more intensely focused and present as they continue their round of golf. This is what separates the great golfers from others.