When your golf ball disappears into the cup, everything from a grand gesture of a swing to the briefest of taps, it's one of the most rewarding feelings in the game. But what is that moment officially called? You've probably heard people shout Birdie! or Nice par! and wondered what exactly separates all the different names for making a shot. This guide will walk you through all the terms for when the ball goes in the hole, from the an official scorecard names to the casual slang you'll year out on the course.
In golf, what you call a holed shot is all tied to a single, fundamental concept: par. Par is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to take to complete a hole. Every full-size golf hole on a course has a par rating, usually par-3, par-4, or par-5. Your score on that hole is described in relation to its par. Think of par as the baseline, the even-keel number you’re measured against.
Here’s a breakdown of the scoring terms, from the truly incredible to the frustratingly common, all explained by how they relate to par.
No, you're not seeing things. A score of four strokes under par on a single hole has a name, and it’s the rarest of them all. A condor can happen in two ways:
The condor is a legendary achievement, so rare that most seasoned golfers will go their entire lives without witnessing one, let alone making one themselves. It's estimated there have only been a handful of verified condors in the history of golf. If you ever make one, you've achieved something nearly impossible in the sport.
Next up is the albatross, also known as a double eagle, which is a score of three strokes under par. While still exceptionally rare and a cause for major celebration, it happens much more frequently than a condor. An albatross occurs when you:
Why the two names? "Albatross" is the more common term worldwide, following the tradition of naming better-than-par scores after birds. "Double Eagle" is a term predominantly used in the United States - since an eagle is two under, a double eagle logically became three under. Both terms are correct and refer to the same incredible accomplishment.
This is where scoring well starts to feel achievable for skilled amateurs. An eagle is a score of two strokes under par. For most golfers, making an eagle is a highlight of their year, an exhilarating moment that pumps you up for the rest of the round. You score an eagle by:
Landing your tee shot close on a short par-4 or reaching a par-5 in two shots gives you a great opportunity to make an eagle putt. It’s a huge momentum-builder and a score to be proud of.
The birdie is the score every improving golfer strives for. It’s the sign that you’re moving beyond just getting by and are starting to play offensive, strategic golf. A birdie is a score of one stroke under par, achieved by making:
Birdies are the backbone of a great round. Making a birdie feels fantastic and it's what separates a good round from a high-scoring one. When you start making birdies consistently, you know your game is on the right track.
Scoring a par is the goal standard on any given hole. It means you completed the hole in the expected number of strokes. Making a par is never a bad thing - in fact, a round full of pars is an excellent round of golf for almost every amateur player. It means you made no major mistakes on the a hole and executed your shots as planned. Don’t ever be disappointed with a par, it's a solid, successful outcome.
It happens to everyone, from a weekend player to Tiger Woods. A bogey is a score of one stroke over par on a hole (a 4 on a par-3, a 5 on a par-4, etc.). While nobody sets out to make bogeys, they are an unavoidable part of the game. The key to playing good golf isn't about never making a bogey, it’s about not letting a bogey turn into something worse.
A "double bogey," or a score of two over par, is where a hole can start to feel like it got away from you. This is what's often referred to as a "blow-up hole." It can happen from one badly placed shot that sends you into the trees or a series of smaller misses that add up. The best players learn to forget a double bogey and move on, focusing entirely on the next hole.
Any score from three strokes over par onward is named numerically: triple bogey (+3), quadruple bogey (+4), and so on. On a scorecard, you might just see the final number written down, like a "7" or "8." In a friendly game, your partners might just say you got an "other" to avoid saying the high number. These holes are damaging to a scorecard, but remember, every golfer has them.
The hole-in-one, also known as an "ace," is arguably the most famous and celebrated shot in all of golf. It's when a player makes their shot from the teeing ground in a single stroke. The ball goes from the tee... to the hole. That's it.
A hole-in-one carries a certain mystique. It's a perfect blend of skill and pure luck. A PGA Tour player might hit a thousand perfect shots on par-3s and not have one drop, while a beginner might see their first great shot find the cup. Due to this blend of chance and perfection, an ace isaccompanied by an old-school tradition: the golfer who makes it is expected to buy a round of drinks for their playing partners, and sometimes even for everyone in the clubhouse. It's a fun, albeit sometimes expensive, way to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
It's important to understand how an ace relates to the other scoring terms. A hole-in-one is how you made the shot, while the scoring name is what it means to your score:
Beyond the official scores, an entire lexicon of casual terms exists to describe a ball going into the hole. Using these will make you sound like you’ve been on the course for years.
These are all interchangeable action words you’ll hear for holing a putt, especially one from a long distance. When your playing partner sinks a 40-foot putt and you yell, "He drained it!", you're acknowledging the confidence and a great read it took to hole out from so far away. "Canning it" is another old-school classic with the same meaning.
This one is more specific. A "slam dunk" is when a shot, typically a chip or a pitch from off the green, flies directly into the hole without touching the green or even the lip of the cup. It’s an exciting, sudden end to the shot that gets its name from basketball for obvious reasons. It's always a spectacular sight to see happen.
To "hole out" is the all-encompassing term for getting your ball in the hole from anywhere on the course - the tee, fairway, bunker, or deep rough. The term is most often used to describe sinking a shot other than a putt. For example, "He holed out from the bunker for birdie" is a more descriptive and active way of saying he made the shot from the sand.
A "tap-in" refers to a very short putt, usually within a foot or two of the hole, that is considered essentially unmissable. It's so short that you just need to give it a little "tap" to get it to go in.
Connected to the tap-in, a "gimme" is a putt short enough that your playing partners tell you that you don't even need to putt - you can just pick it up and count it as holed. In very casual, friendly matches, this happens all the time to speed up the pace of play. However, it's very important to note that "gimmes" are not allowed in stroke-play competitions or any round you intend to post for a handicap. In those cases, every shot must be holed out.
You may be wondering why the best scores in golf are all named after birds. It's a fun piece of golf history that dates back to the turn of the 20th century in America.
In the end, what it's called when a golf ball goes in the hole boils down to its relationship with par. From the sought-after birdie to the rare albatross, these terms give us a universal language to celebrate our best holes and describe our not-so-great ones. Knowing them will make you feel more connected to the history and flow of the game.
Of course, knowing the lingo is one thing, but actually carding eagles and birdies is what we all strive for. That requires a game plan for every shot. I can provide the same powerful on course strategies a Tour player gets from a professional caddie. By analyzing the hole layout, shot conditions, and your strengths, Caddie AI gives you on-demand advice so you can make smarter decisions and swing with commitment. I'm here to to help you pick the right club, find the best target for your approach, or even help you escape trouble, giving you the clarity and confidence to play your best golf and finally lower those scores.
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