What Is the Golf Score Called a Dolly Parton?

Do you know what a "Dolly Parton" is in golf? It's a specific score on a hole. But, despite Parton herself being wonderful, a Dolly Parton golf score is one you don't want to make.

"Dolly Parton" is golf slang that means a score of 8 on a hole. If you just used 8 strokes to complete the hole being played, you scored a Dolly.

Why is this score called a Dolly Parton? Consider another slang term for a score of 8, one that is actually more common than the Dolly lingo: snowman. An 8 is sometimes called a snowman because the numeral 8, when typed or written, bears a resemblance to two globes, one on top of another — the shape of a snowman.

Now, what does the numeral 8, when typed or written, look like if you tilt it onto its side? Two globes, side by side. And what is the real-life Dolly Parton famous for, in addition to her remarkable musical talents and philanthropy? Well, she's, uh ... we'll go with the term bosomy. Two globes, side by side. The numeral 8 turned on its side. (Hey, we don't invent golf lingo, we just define it.)

Are there other names for the Dolly Parton score, in addition to snowman? Yes, there is the standard in-relation-to-par golf terminology:

• If you score a Dolly Parton (8) on a par-3 hole, that is 5-over par, or a quintuple bogey.
• If you make an 8 on a par-4 hole, that is 4-over par, or a quadruple bogey.
• If you score 8 on a par-5 hole, that is 3-over par, or a triple bogey.

And if you ever run into a par-6 hole and score a Dolly Parton, that is 2-over par, or a double bogey.

(Note that there is also another golf usage of "Dolly Parton": as slang for a golf ball that catches the lip of a hole and makes a circle around the full cup before dropping in. Full cup, get it? Again, we don't create golf slang, we just define it.)

More scoring terms:

• How 'Bo Derek' became a golf expression and what it means
• The golf score called a 'buzzard' (with examples)
• Defining the golf score called 'abominable snowman'