Condor

Golf Glossary

Condor

In short

A condor in golf is a score of four strokes under par on a single hole. In practice that almost always means a hole in one on a par 5. The condor is regarded as the rarest result in golf and is the last bird in the series after birdie, eagle and albatross.

Condor in golf: meaning and calculation

As with every bird name in golf, a condor is always measured against the par of a single hole. It means four strokes fewer than par. The calculation is par minus four.

That gives these values:

A condor is therefore only possible on holes of par 5 or more. On a par 5 it is identical to a hole in one. Two strokes on a par 6 is a condor, but par-6 holes are a big exception in themselves. A condor therefore almost always requires a tee shot over a very long distance to finish in the hole.

On leaderboards a condor appears as ‘−4’ against par. The scorecard itself only shows the number of strokes, so on a par 5 you write the number 1.

Why a condor is so rare

A hole in one on a par 3 happens again and again, because the hole is short and the green within reach. On a par 5 the picture changes completely. According to the World Handicap System guidelines, par 5s are roughly 410 to 650 metres long for men and roughly 340 to 550 metres for women. Without a dogleg to cut, a ball would usually have to travel more than 400 metres and also end up in the cup.

As a rough guide, good amateurs hit the driver about 200 to 250 metres. PGA Tour professionals average around 300 yards, roughly 275 metres including roll. A condor is therefore only conceivable in special circumstances:

Even if all conditions are right, the ball still needs a great deal of luck to roll into the hole. That explains why there are only a few documented cases worldwide.

Documented cases: who has made a condor?

Golf press reports to this day name only very few condors as documented. Usually the figure is around half a dozen. The count is not uniform, because there is no central official list.

The case mentioned most often is that of Larry Bruce. In 1962 he is said to have holed his tee shot at Hope Country Club in Arkansas on a par 5 of about 480 yards, roughly 440 metres. The hole was a dogleg right, and Bruce hit over a stand of trees straight towards the green. His shot is described in many accounts as the first recorded condor.

Another frequently quoted case is that of Mike Crean in 2002. At Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado, he holed his drive on a par 5 of about 517 yards (roughly 470 metres) without cutting a corner. Denver lies at altitude, where the ball flies further in the thin air. Shaun Lynch is also named: in 1995 at Teign Valley Golf Club in England he is said to have holed a 3-iron on a 496-yard hole (roughly 454 metres).

For all these reports: the details come from press and chronicles. Exact lengths and circumstances can differ slightly from source to source.

Origin: why is it called a condor?

The condor is the last bird name in a long series. It began with the birdie around 1900 in the USA. The eagle followed for two under par and the albatross for three under par. The albatross originated in Britain. In the USA, three under par is also called a ‘double eagle’. With each step golfers chose a larger and rarer bird.

The condor is regarded as one of the largest flying birds on earth. The name therefore suits the rarest of all feats. Four under par is also sometimes called a ‘double albatross’ or ‘triple eagle’.

The Rules of Golf by the R&A and USGA do not use the bird names. They only count strokes or points. The condor is purely golf language and not a term from the rules. On the scorecard and in the results it only appears as a number.

Condor, albatross and eagle compared

The condor belongs to a fixed series of results, all measured against the par of a hole:

The difference between albatross and condor on par 5s matters. If you play a par 5 in two strokes, you have made an albatross. That can happen with a very good drive and a second shot that goes in. Only when the tee shot itself finishes in the hole is it a condor.

The condor is also a special case of the hole in one. A hole in one on a par 3 is an eagle. On a par 4 it is an albatross. On a par 5 it is a condor. For a hole in one on a par 6, five under par, there is no generally accepted name.

Condor and scoring: what goes on the scorecard?

A player who makes a condor on a par 5 simply writes a 1 on the scorecard. The marker certifies the number like any other score. There are no special rules for a condor.

In Stableford a condor is worth a lot of points. The table in the Rules of Golf gives six points for four strokes under the fixed score. Gross, a condor is therefore worth six points. For players who receive handicap strokes on that hole, the net result is even better. In practice it almost never happens.

For your handicap a condor counts like any other score. The World Handicap System only caps bad holes at net double bogey. Good holes are not capped. A player who makes a condor has achieved the best possible result on that hole, and it goes into the calculation unchanged.

Try it at Golf Lounge

There is no par 5 on the Golf Lounge’s 9-hole ‘Black’ course: it is par 33 with six par-4 and three par-3 holes. A condor is therefore not possible there, but a hole in one on a par 3 is. On the par-4 holes an eagle is at least possible. With the DGV Platzreife you can try your luck from April to December, with up to four players per tee time.

View the 9-hole course

Frequently asked questions

What is a condor in golf?

A condor is a score of four strokes under par on a hole. In practice it is a hole in one on a par 5, because only there can the tee shot alone save four strokes. Two strokes on a par 6 would also be a condor. The condor is the rarest score in golf.

How many strokes do you need for a condor?

On a par 5 a single stroke is enough, on a par 6 it takes two. On par 3 and par 4 holes a condor is impossible, because it would need zero strokes. The calculation is always par minus four. A par 5 has to combine distance and luck.

How often has a condor been made?

According to golf press reports only a few cases are documented, usually around half a dozen. Names that come up include Larry Bruce in 1962 in the USA and Mike Crean in 2002 in Denver. There is no central official list, so counts differ from source to source.

What is the difference between a condor and an albatross?

An albatross is three strokes under par, a condor four. On a par 5 an albatross is a score of two strokes, while a condor is a hole in one. On a par 4 a hole in one is already an albatross. The condor is reserved for par-5 and par-6 holes.

Can I make a condor on a 9-hole course?

That depends on the course. A condor needs at least one par 5. Many short 9-hole courses only have par-3 and par-4 holes. There the best you can make is an eagle or an albatross. Knowing the layout quickly tells you whether a condor is even conceivable.

As of: October 2026

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