Understanding Bogey Golf

If you understand golf scoring terms then you know a bogey is one shot above par on any given hole. For those that don’t remember a par is the typical amount of shots it would take for an expert golfer to complete a hole. In this article we are going to breakdown bogey golf and what it means to play it.

What Does Bogey Golf Mean

So now that we know a bogey is one shot above par on a hole we can explain what it means to play bogey golf. This term is used to describe a golfer who’s average score on each hole is roughly a bogey.

A bogey on any hole will give you a score of +1. That means if you play bogey golf you should typically shoot +18 over par when your round is finished.

A situation when you could use this term would arise if a player is the same amount of strokes over par as number of holes they have completed. For example if your playing partner is five over par through five holes then he is playing bogey golf.

How Bogey Golf Can Be Helpful For Beginners

Bogey golf can be helpful for beginner golfers as it allows them a much more realistic target to shoot for when playing a round. Typically golfers are trying to score well based on golf scoring they see on tv meaning they likely want birdies and pars.

The trouble is for the majority of beginner golfers you’re likely going to see very few birdies and pars as you begin to learn the game. By utilizing bogey golf you will be able to have a more realistic goal that will have you celebrating bogeys on the course.

If you play an entire round of bogey golf your total score will be 89 or 90. If you are a beginner golfer this is likely much better than any round you have ever scored. This should go to show you that getting bogeys each hole is likely a great improvement for your game.

Before your skills reach the level that you’re hoping for pars and birdies you can use bogey golf as a checkpoint to be sure your game is improving.

What Scores Result In A Bogey

If you’re looking for a reminder of which scores result in a bogey here’s an example of what would get you a bogey on each par.

  • 4 Shots = Bogey on a Par 3
  • 5 Shots = Bogey on a Par 4
  • 6 Shots = Bogey on a Par 5

Where Did The Term Bogey Come From?

The term bogey actually came from an 1890s song called the bogeyman. This song depicted and an elusive figure who hit in the shadows at night.

It is not known why they named this scoring after this song but it is believed to be the source.

Are Bogeys Good Or Bad?

Bogeys often get a bad rap. But the reality is the vast majority of golfers would be playing much better if they got in bogey on each hole. As we stated earlier a bogey on every hole would result in a score of 89 or 90. If you compare this to the average score of a golfer this is considerably lower.

If you were playing on the PGA tour on the other hand you will almost never be happy when you score a bogey. This is because highly skilled golfers consider a bogey to be bad.

Though it is typically only high handicap golfers that are happy with bogeys. We believe that they get a much worse rap than they deserve. As any beginner golfer knows it can get a lot worse than scoring one stroke over par.

Conclusion Understanding Bogey Golf

We hope you enjoyed our guide to understanding bogey golf. If you have any questions regarding bogey golf let us know. Feel free to reach out to us on our contact page or in the comments below.

Have you learned a lot from this guide and would like to check out some of her other informational blogs? Please check out our guide to understanding mulligans in golf or understanding dormies in golf.

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