Triple Bogey, Quadruple Bogey ... What Scores Come Next?

All golfers know that if you are 1-over par on a golf hole, you made a bogey. And that 2-over par is a double bogey. And the names of the bogeys continue on after that, depending on how many strokes over par one's score is. So what we want to know is, what comes after triple bogey, quadruple bogey, and so on? What are the terms for scores that are a lot over par?

First, understand that par is the score on a golf hole that an expert golfer is expected to need to complete that hole. If the par of hole is 4, then a great golfer should need four strokes to play that hole.

Alas, most of us aren't great golfers! We make a par here and there, a birdie more rarely, but we make lots of bogeys and higher scores.

The types of bogeys most golfers are familiar with are these:

• Bogey = 1-over par on a hole
• Double bogey = 2-over par on a hole
• Triple bogey = 3-over par on a hole
• Quadruple bogey = 4-over par on a hole

Many golfers also know this one:

• Quintuple bogey = 5-over par on a hole

After that, familiarity with the proper terms drops off precipitously. That's a good thing! If you don't know what a score of 7-over on a hole or 10-over on a hole is called, then you've probably never made that score! And, of course, it is exceedingly rare for professional golfers to make scores that high on a single hole.

But we get asked this question (what comes next?) from time to time, and we are here to provide answers. These are the high scores that follow double bogey, triple bogey, quadruple bogey and quintuple bogey:

• A score of 6-over par on a hole is a sextuple bogey.
• A score of 7-over par is a septuple bogey.
• A score of 8-over on a hole is an octuple bogey.
• 9-over par on a single hole is a nonuple bogey.
• 10-over on a hole is a decuple bogey.
• 11-over is an undecuple bogey.
• 12-over is a duodecuple bogey.
• 13-over is a tredecuple bogey.
• 14-over is a quattuordecuple bogey.
• 15-over on a single hole is a quindecuple bogey.
• 16-over is a sexdecuple bogey.
• 17-over is a septendecuple bogey.
• 18-over is an octodecuple bogey.
• 19-over is a novemdecuple bogey.
• And a score of 20-over par on a single golf hole is a viguple bogey.

The legendary Tommy Armour is said to have once made a 23 on a par-5 hole, an octodecuple bogey. And it allegedly happened just a week after Armour won the U.S. Open. It's a good story, but it never happened — Armour never scored 23 on a single hole.

And our hope for you is that you, too, never score a 23! Or ever have any reason to use any of the bogey terms above, except to wow (or annoy) your golf buddies with your knowledge.

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