What Is a Hole-in-One on a Par 5 Called in Golf?

A hole-in-one on a par 5 is called a Condor, a score of four-under-par on a single hole. It's the rarest shot in golf by an astronomical margin, far exceeding the improbability of even a traditional ace or an Albatross. This article will break down what a Condor is, explore golf's fascinating scoring vocabulary, and then give you some real, actionable advice on how to improve your long game so you can start chasing down impressive scores of your own.

The Official (and Unofficial) Name for a Par 5 Ace

In golf, we love our special names for great scores. You probably know "birdie" for one-under-par and "eagle" for two-under. If you’re really up on the lingo, you know an "Albatross" (or "Double Eagle") is an incredible three-under-par on a single hole. So, what comes next?

Logically, the next step is four-under-par: the Condor.

Making a hole-in-one on a par 5 is the most common way a Condor is achieved. You can technically also score a Condor by making a two on a par 6, but par 6 holes are exceptionally rare on their own, making this scenario virtually non-existent. The name "Condor" fits the established pattern of naming spectacular scores after birds, with each successive score named for a larger and much rarer bird. The California Condor is one of the rarest birds in the world, fitting for a score that is truly the pinnacle of golfing achievements - more of a myth or legend than a recurring reality.

For most of golf history, the Condor was a purely theoretical score. It was a "what if" scenario that instructors would use to test a student's knowledge of scoring terms. Banging a drive over 500 yards and having it find the bottom of the cup just seemed impossible. But as you'll see, "impossible" is a word that gets challenged from time to time in this great game.

Just How Rare is a Condor, Anyway?

To put this in perspective, let’s talk odds. The National Hole-in-One Registry states the odds of a typical amateur golfer making a standard hole-in-one on a par 3 are roughly 12,500 to 1. The odds of making an Albatross - like a hole-in-one on a par 4 or a two on a par 5 - stretch out to an estimated 6 million to 1.

There are no official odds for a Condor, mainly because there isn’t enough data. It's happened so few times in the entire history of the sport that it's statistically insignificant. It is, without exaggeration, the single hardest accomplishment in golf. As of today, there have only been a handful of verified Condors ever recorded. Ever.

Here are the few golfers who have supposedly joined this ultra-exclusive club:

• Larry Bruce, 1962: The first reported Condor took place at Hope Country Club in Arkansas. On the 480-yard, dogleg-right 5th hole, Bruce hit a monstrous drive that cut the corner, took a fortuitous bounce off a cart path, and rolled into the hole.
• Shaun Lynch, 1995: At Teign Valley Golf Club in England, Lynch aced the 496-yard par-5 17th. He cleared a 20-foot-high hedge on this sharp dogleg hole and his ball, aided by a steep downhill slope, ran all the way to the green and into the cup. He apparently didn't even see it go in.
• Mike Crean, 2002: Arguably the most impressive of the lot. At Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Crean accomplished a Condor on a straight par 5 measuring 517 yards. Thanks to the thin, mile-high air of Denver and a reported 30 mph tailwind, his colossal drive just kept going... and going.
• Kevin Pon, 2020: The most recent recorded Condor happened at Lake Chabot Golf Course in California. Pon drove the green on the 540-yard par-5 18th hole, cutting a corner on another significant dogleg and benefiting from a cart path bounce that propelled his ball perfectly toward the hole.

What do these moments have in common? They all required a perfect storm of immense power, a helpful hole layout (usually a sharp dogleg), an element of fortune (like a bounce off a firm fairway or cart path), and favorable weather conditions.

A Quick Guide to Golf Scoring Terms

Seeing where the Condor lands helps a lot when you understand the full scope of golf's scoring names. Knowing these terms not only makes you sound like a seasoned player but also helps you better understand your own game and set realistic goals. Here’s a quick breakdown.

Standard Scores

• Par: From the phrase "per anum," meaning "by assignment of value". It's the expected score a skilled golfer should make on a hole.
• Bogey: One-over-par (+1). Originally, a "bogey" in the late 19th century was what we now call "par." As the game evolved and skill improved, the baseline "bogey" صار two score was bumped to one-over-par.
• Double Bogey: Two-over-par (+2).
• Triple Bogey: Three-over-par (+3)... and so on. Let's not dwell here too long!

Scores Under Par (The "Birdie" Family)

• Birdie (-1): The term originated in the USA around 1903. "Bird" was common slang for something excellent or cool. Making a one-under-par score was a "bird of a shot."
• Eagle (-2): To keep the avian theme going for an even better score, a bigger, more majestic bird was chosen. An Eagle is most often achieved by holing out your second shot on a par 4 or reaching the green in two on a par 5 and making the putt. A hole-in-one on a par 3 also counts as an eagle.
• Albatross, or Double Eagle (-3): Here's where we get to the really rare stuff. Called an Albatross in most of the world and a Double Eagle primarily in the U.S., this means three-under-par on a hole. It’s either a hole-in-one on a par 4 or, more commonly, making a 2 on a par 5 (drive, then hole-out the approach). Scoring one is a career highlight for any golfer.
• Condor (-4): As we’ve discussed, this is the rarest bird of all - the hole-in-one on a par 5. A score that remains a beautiful, distant dream for every golfer on the planet.

Moving from Bogey to Birdie: Chasing Your Own "Personal Condor"

Alright, let's be realistic. You're probably not going to make a Condor in your lifetime. I likely won't either. But thinking about what it takes - great driving and a stellar long-game approach - can help us improve our own performance on par 5s. Your "Personal Condor" might be making your first birdie, your first eagle, or breaking 90. The principles are the same: play smarter and execute better.

Tee Shot Strategy on a Par 5

The par 5 is a unique opportunity - it's the only hole where we’re "supposed" to take more than two shots to get to the green. That gives us more room for strategic play. The key isn't always brute force. As we teach players, the best swings are balanced and rotational, generating power from the body, not from wild, straining effort. To crush your drives on par 5s:

• Focus on a Smooth Swing: Swinging at 100% is often a recipe for disaster. A balanced rotational swing at 80% to 90% in which your torso and hips do the work will often produce a shot that is just as long, but far more accurate. Stay within yourself.
• Play to a "Smart Miss": Where do you usually miss? If you have a tendency to slice right, why aim down the middle? Aim down the left side of the fairway. If your slice shows up, you’re in the short grass. If you hit it straight, you're still on the fairway. Giving yourself more room for error is a hallmark of good course management.
• Plot the Hole Backwards: Instead of just trying to hit the ball as far as possible, think about where you want your second shot to come from. On a dogleg hole, sometimes hitting a 3-wood to the corner is a much better play than a driver that might go straight through the fairway. This planned, strategic thinking turns a par 5 from a test of power into a test of smarts.

The Long Approach Shot: Your Second Shot on a Par 5

So, you’ve put a good drive out there. Now you're standing 230 yards out. What's the play?

• Be Brutally Honest with Yourself: This is where ego gets a lot of golfers in trouble. Can you really hit your 3-wood 230 yards in the air, have it land softly, and stop on the green? For most amateurs, the answer is no. A smart layup to your favorite yardage (say, 100 yards) gives you a great chance at an easy wedge, a putt, and a guaranteed birdie. This decision turns a potential 6 or 7 into a solid 4.
• Club Up and Aim Smart: If you do decide to go for the green, take enough club! The most common mistake is leaving it short, often in a front-side bunker or water hazard. When in doubt, take the stronger club and aim for the dead center of the green. Let the pros be the ones to take on tight pins. Your goal should be to get on the putting surface in two.
• Embrace Your Hybrids and Fairway Woods: Hitting long irons well is tough. This is exactly what hybrids and higher-lofted fairway woods were designed for. They are more forgiving and help get the ball airborne more easily from the fairway, taking the pressure off trying to hit a PURE 4-iron from 210 yards out.

Final Thoughts

A hole-in-one on a par 5 is called a Condor, an honor so rare that it's more legend than reality. While a Condor may be out of reach, understanding this ultimate accomplishment gives us all a fun piece of trivia and places the more achievable scores, like eagles and albatrosses, into sharper focus. The journey in golf isn’t about chasing impossibility, but about constantly improving and enjoying your own personal victories.

Working towards those personal milestones, like an eagle on your favorite par 5, is about making smarter decisions on the course. I can help with precisely that. By offering real-time course strategy, I help you think through shots, like how to attack a challenging dogleg or what club to hit on that long approach. If you’re faced with a tricky lie, you can even take a photo and get instant advice on how to play it. By taking the guesswork out of these tough situations, Caddie AI helps you play with more confidence and turn those pars into birdies and those bogeys into pars.