Golf Glossary
Par/Bogey competition
In short
A bogey competition is a form of play in which you play each hole against a fixed target, usually par or net par. You win the hole with fewer strokes, tie it with the same number and lose it with more. At the end what counts is how many more holes you won than lost.
Par/Bogey competition in golf: the meaning explained
The par/bogey competition is a form of stroke play that is scored like match play. You do not play against an opponent, however, but on each hole against a fixed target. The Committee sets this target. Usually it is the par of the hole. If handicaps are used, it is net par, that is par plus your handicap strokes on that hole.
On each hole there are three possibilities:
- You need fewer strokes than the target: you win the hole.
- You need the same number: the hole is tied.
- You need more strokes: you lose the hole.
At the end of the round you add up all holes won and deduct those lost. The player with the highest total wins. In the Rules of Golf the scoring is called par/bogey and is set out in Rule 21.3.
When the target is par, people often speak of a par competition. In substance the two names do not differ. What matters is that the conditions of the competition state clearly which target applies.
Scoring: won, tied, lost
The arithmetic is simple. Each hole won counts plus one, each hole tied zero, each hole lost minus one. The sum is the result.
An example over six holes without handicap strokes:
- Hole 1, par 4: 4 strokes, tied, 0
- Hole 2, par 3: 2 strokes, won, plus 1
- Hole 3, par 5: 6 strokes, lost, minus 1
- Hole 4, par 4: 5 strokes, lost, minus 1
- Hole 5, par 3: 3 strokes, tied, 0
- Hole 6, par 4: 3 strokes, won, plus 1
The result after six holes is 0. Two holes were won, two lost and two tied. In Stableford the same round would have earned 12 points, exactly the value of six pars. Here only the balance of wins and losses counts.
An important point is the upper limit. An eagle earns just plus one on a hole, the same as a birdie. A very bad hole costs at most minus one, whether you take two or ten strokes too many. Single disasters therefore do not ruin the round, but single brilliant holes do not earn more than one point either.
Playing with handicap: net par as the target
In competitions with handicap every player has an individual target. It results from the par of the hole and the handicap strokes the player receives on that hole. The procedure is the same as in Stableford.
Example: a player has a course handicap of 18. On an 18-hole course he receives one stroke on every hole. On a par 4 his target is therefore 5 strokes. If he plays the hole in 5 it is tied. With 4 he wins the hole, with 6 he loses it.
The Committee then scores each hole individually. If the conditions of the competition set a handicap allowance, it is applied first. The World Handicap System recommends 95 per cent for individual play. In the World Handicap System par/bogey is an accepted form of play. A round played in this form can therefore count for your personal handicap, provided it is played and submitted as a qualifying round.
If you play just for fun you can also compete against par on a gross basis. Then each hole counts without handicap strokes.
Rules: picking up, penalties and special features
The par/bogey competition has a few rules that set it apart from ordinary stroke play. They make the game easier and save time.
- Picking up is allowed: as soon as you have taken more strokes on a hole than the target, the hole is lost. You may pick up your ball. There is no need to play on.
- Not holing out: a player who does not complete a hole in accordance with the Rules loses that hole. It is not a disqualification. Under Rule 21.3 some breaches lead to the loss of a hole rather than exclusion from the competition.
- Scorecard: on lost holes a dash or any score that results in a lost hole may be entered.
- Penalty strokes: penalty strokes are added to the score as usual. After that a hole counts as lost at worst.
As in other forms of stroke play, some breaches can still lead to disqualification, for example a scorecard that is not submitted. Read the conditions of the competition carefully before the event. They name the form of play and the target on each hole.
Origin: Colonel Bogey and the history of the term
The name bogey has a long history. In 1890 Hugh Rotherham, secretary of Coventry Golf Club in England, devised a kind of standard score for each hole. He called it the ground score. Great Yarmouth Golf Club adopted the idea. There the club secretary Dr Thomas Browne introduced the standard. A member, Major Charles Wellman, is said to have called the invisible opponent he was playing against a regular ‘Bogey Man’. That referred to a popular music hall song about the elusive ‘Bogey Man’. From then on golfers played against Mr Bogey.
In 1892 an officer of the United Services Club in Gosport applied the idea to his own course. Because every club member held a military rank, the score was given a rank too. That is how Colonel Bogey came about. The word became the name for the standard score of a hole.
Over time the meaning changed. As players improved, par became the standard. In the USA the word bogey took on today's meaning of one stroke over par. The par/bogey competition still recalls the original meaning, even though the target today is usually par.
Par/bogey, Stableford and stroke play compared
Three forms of play are especially common in club life. They differ in how they count.
- Stroke play: all strokes of the round are added up. The lowest total wins. A bad hole counts in full.
- Stableford: points are awarded on each hole, the better the result compared with net par the more. An eagle earns more points than a birdie.
- Par/bogey: on each hole there is only won, tied or lost. The balance of wins and losses counts.
All three are individual competitions in which everyone plays their own ball. In par/bogey the influence of single outliers is smallest. In return it does not reward especially good holes more than ordinary wins. The format therefore suits players who play consistently and do not want a single hole to upset them.
In match play, on the other hand, you play against an opponent. Par/bogey uses the same way of counting, but the target is a fixed score and not a playing partner.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can try playing against par yourself on the 9-hole ‘Black’ course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg in Moorfleet. The course is a par 33 with par-3 and par-4 holes, water hazards and bunkers. It is open from April to December to players with the DGV Platzreife (course permit), with up to four players per tee time booked online. From May to October there is also a qualifying 9-hole competition every Saturday. The format is set out in each competition's terms.
Frequently asked questions
What is a par/bogey competition in golf?
A par/bogey competition is a form of play in which you play each hole against a fixed target, usually par or net par. You win the hole with fewer strokes, tie it with the same number and lose it with more. At the end the holes won minus the holes lost count. The rules are in Rule 21.3.
How does par/bogey differ from Stableford?
Both compare your result on each hole with net par. In Stableford you earn points for it, an eagle more than a birdie. In par/bogey there is only won, tied or lost, that is plus one, zero or minus one. Good holes therefore do not count more than ordinary wins.
May I pick up my ball in a par/bogey competition?
Yes. As soon as you have taken more strokes on a hole than the target, the hole is lost and you may pick up. Playing on brings no benefit. That saves time and helps the pace of play, especially in competitions with many entrants.
Where does the term bogey come from?
The term goes back to the ground score that Hugh Rotherham devised at Coventry Golf Club in 1890. At Great Yarmouth Golf Club a player called the invisible opponent he was playing against a ‘Bogey Man’, after a music hall song. In 1892 that became Colonel Bogey. Later bogey became the term for a score of one over par.
Does a par/bogey competition count for the handicap?
In principle yes. Par/bogey is one of the accepted forms of play in the World Handicap System. The condition is that the round is played and submitted as a qualifying round. Whether a competition is a qualifier is stated in its terms.
As of: October 2026