What Is the Name of One Stroke Over Par in Golf?

The name for scoring one stroke over par on a single golf hole is a bogey. Love them or hate them (and most of us lean toward the latter), bogeys are a fundamental part of the game for nearly every golfer. This article will not only give you the simple definition of a bogey and its variations but also dive into the practical reasons they happen and provide a clear, coach-approved playbook for how to avoid them. We’ll cover everything from the term's origins to the on-course strategies that help you turn would-be bogeys into pars.

What Exactly Is a Bogey? A Simple Breakdown

In golf, every hole is assigned a "par," which is the expected number of strokes a highly skilled golfer should take to complete the hole. Scoring a bogey means you took one more stroke than that number. It’s a straightforward concept, but let’s look at it hole by hole:

• On a par-3 hole, taking 4 strokes results in a bogey.
• On a par-4 hole, taking 5 strokes results in a bogey.
• On a par-5 hole, taking 6 strokes results in a bogey.

Your final score for a round is often discussed in relation to par. For example, if you shoot a score of 90 on a par-72 course, you are "18 over par." This score would be comprised of an assortment of pars, bogeys, and potentially other scores. For most amateur golfers, making a bogey isn’t a disaster, it’s simply part of the experience. The road to improvement lies in understanding why they happen and systematically working to minimize them.

A Quick Look at Double and Triple Bogeys

While a bogey is one stroke over par, the frustration can multiply. When you start adding even more strokes, the terminology follows a logical pattern:

• Double Bogey: This is a score of two strokes over par. For example, a 6 on a par-4 or a 5 on a par-3.

• Triple Bogey: This is a score of three strokes over par, like a 7 on a par-4 or a 6 on a par-3.

Beyond a triple bogey, most golfers simply refer to the number of strokes (e.g., “I made an 8 on that par-4”). These higher scores, often called "blow-up holes," are what can really damage a scorecard. Most often, the path to a blow-up hole started as a simple bogey that compounded with poor decisions or bad luck.

The Surprising Origin of the Term "Bogey"

Here’s a fun piece of golf history you can share with your regular foursome. The term "bogey" didn't originally mean one over par. Back in the late 1890s in Great Britain, there was a popular Vaudeville song called "Hush! Hush! Hush! Here Comes the Bogey Man." The "Bogey Man" was a phantom figure who was difficult to catch.

Golfers at the time adopted this idea and started playing against a fictional opponent: "Colonel Bogey." He represented the ground score, or the score a good player should aim for on a given hole, which was essentially what we call par today. So, finishing a hole in "bogey" meant you matched that very respectable score. However, as the American-coined term "par" rose to prominence as the true standard for scratch play, bogey was shifted down the pecking order and eventually settled into its modern meaning: one stroke over par.

A Golf Coach's Perspective: Why Do We Actually Make Bogeys?

As a golf coach, I've seen thousands of bogeys, and they rarely come from a sudden bad swing. More often than not, a bogey is the result of a chain reaction that started one or two shots earlier. Think of bogeys as the symptom, not the disease. The real issues usually fall into one of these four categories.

1. Trouble Off the Tee

The first shot on a par-4 or par-5 sets the tone for the entire hole. When your drive finds trouble, your chance of making par drops dramatically.

• The Shot: You hit a big slice into the trees, forcing you to punch out sideways back into the fairway.
• The Result: Your punch-out is effectively your second stroke, and you still haven't advanced the ball very far down the hole. You are now playing your third shot from a position where your second should have been. Making par from here requires a perfect approach and one putt - a low-probability outcome. A bogey is the most likely score.
• Special Case - The Penalty Stroke: Hitting a tee shot out of bounds or into a water hazard automatically adds a penalty stroke to your score. In this situation, you are playing your third shot from the tee (or fourth from a drop), and making a bogey becomes the new goal.

2. Missing the Green on Approach

This is probably the single biggest contributor to bogeys for amateur golfers. After a decent tee shot, you have an opportunity to hit the green in regulation (GIR), which means getting your ball on the putting surface in two strokes on a par-4, one on a par-3, or three on a par-5. A missed GIR puts immense pressure on your short game.

• The Shot: You're 150 yards away on a par-4. You choose your 7-iron, but you catch it a little thin and come up short, or miss the green to the left or right.
• The Result: You're now off the green, likely in the rough or a bunker, needing to get "up and down" (one chip/pitch shot and one putt) just to save par. For most amateurs, getting up and down is less than a 50/50 shot. two chips or two putts will immediately result in a bogey or worse.

3. A Shaky Short Game

Your short game is your "bogey-prevention" toolkit. When it fails, pars vanish quickly. After missing the green, a poor chip or pitch shot can turn a potential par save into a guaranteed bogey.

• The Shot: You've missed the green and are chipping from the fringe. You either "chunk" it (hitting the ground first, leaving the ball well short) or "blade" it (hitting the ball with the leading edge, sending it screaming across the green).
• The Result: Instead of having a makeable putt for par, you now have another difficult chip or a very long putt. You've wasted a precious stroke around the green. Now you're facing a putt for bogey, and if you miss that, you’re looking at a double.

4. The Dreaded Three-Putt

The three-putt is the final nail in the coffin. It can turn a birdie opportunity into a par, or, most painfully, a well-earned GIR into a bogey.

• The Situation: You hit a beautiful approach shot onto the green, but it's 40 feet from the hole. Your first putt is overly aggressive and rolls 10 feet past the cup. Under pressure, you miss the comeback putt. Tap-in for bogey.
• The Result: You did the hard work of getting to the green in regulation, only to give a stroke away with the flatstick. This is one of the most frustrating ways to make a bogey because it feels completely unforced.

Your Guide to Turning Bogeys into Pars

Understanding what causes bogeys is the first step. Now, let’s get practical with actionable strategies you can take to your next round to start minimizing them. This isn’t about swinging harder or trying to hit perfect shots. It’s about playing smarter.

Step 1: Shift Your Mindset to "Boring Golf"

Pros often talk about playing "boring golf," which means avoiding risks and playing high-percentage shots. The goal is to eliminate the double and triple bogeys first.

• On the Tee: You don't always need to hit the driver. If a hole is narrow or has trouble, consider a 3-wood or hybrid to find the fairway. Being 20 yards further back but in the short grass is far better than being in the woods.
• On Approach: Aim for the center of the green, not the flagstick. If the pin is tucked in a corner behind a bunker, aiming for the middle gives you a huge margin for error. A 30-foot putt for birdie is a much better miss than being short-sided in a trap.

Step 2: Know Your Actual Club Distances

One of the biggest leaks in an amateur's game is poor distance control, which stems from not knowing how far you really hit each club. Your ego isn't your friend here. Hitting your 7-iron 150 yards once with a perfect strike and a tailwind doesn't make it your 150-yard club.

• The Action: Go to a driving range with distance-tracking technology or use a launch monitor. Hit 10-15 balls with each iron and find the average carry distance. Write these numbers down. This is your new "bible" for club selection.

Step 3: Develop a "Go-To" Chip Shot

You can't master every shot around the green overnight, but you can learn one reliable shot that gets you on the green safely every time. This is your bogey escape hatch.

• The Shot to Learn: A simple bump-and-run with an 8 or 9-iron. Use your putting grip and stance, position the ball back in your stance slightly, and make a putting-style stroke. The ball will pop onto the green and run out like a putt. It’s a low-risk, repeatable motion that minimizes the chances of a chunk or a blade. Practice it until it feels automatic.

Step 4: Become a Master of Lag Putting

Say it with me: the goal of the first putt is not to make it, it’s to leave yourself a tap-in. This simple mindset shift is the key to eliminating three-putts.

• The Drill: When you're on a practice green, don't just putt to the hole. Instead, imagine a three-foot circle around the hole - your "gimme zone." Practice hitting 30, 40, and 50-foot putts with the only goal of getting the ball to stop inside that circle. Master speed and distance, and the three-putts will disappear from your card.

Final Thoughts

At its core, a bogey is just one stroke over par on a hole, a common score for golfers everywhere. Reducing bogeys isn't about needing more power or a flawless swing, it’s about making smarter decisions, managing your misses, and developing a reliable short game to rescue you when things go awry.

Making those smarter decisions - like choosing the right club or picking a safe target - can be tough in the heat of the moment. One way we help you navigate this is with Caddie AI. Our app can analyze the hole in front of you and give you a simple, effective play-by-play strategy to avoid the kind of trouble that leads to bogeys. When you find yourself in a tricky spot, like a weird lie in the rough, it can even analyze a photo of your ball's position and suggest the smartest way to play the recovery shot, helping you turn a potential double bogey into a manageable bogey or better.