The Meaning of 'In Relation to Par' in Golf
The short definition of "in relation to par" ("relative to par") is that it refers to how many strokes under-par or over-par a golfer is at any point during a round. If a golfer says, "I'm 3-over par," or a scoreboard shows a player at "+3," that is scoring in relation to par.
Let's back up a little and make sure we understand what "par" represents in golf. "Par" is the number of strokes that "an expert golfer" (in the words of the USGA) is expected to need to play a given hole, or the golf course as a whole. If a hole is called a par-4, our "expert golfer" is expected to, on average, play that hole in four strokes. If the course is a par-72, then 72 strokes is the number our expert is expected to average on that course.
So a golfer who scores 3 on that par-4 hole has a score in relation to par of 1-under-par on that hole. And a golfer who scores 75 on that par-72 course has a score in relation to par over 3-over-par on that course.
When talking about scoring in relation to par, then, par is the fixed standard to which a golfer's actual number of strokes played is compared. And her score in relation to par is the number of strokes more than (over par) or less than (under par) she scored compared to that standard.
Total strokes is the way that golf is scored; scoring in relation to par is a way of adding context to that stroke total.
Why Is Scoring Relative to Par Useful?
The biggest benefit of using scoring in relation to par, as opposed to just total strokes, as a way to follow a golf tournament is that it gives spectators and viewers a way to directly compare how golfers stand relative to one another.Imagine it's the first round of the U.S. Open. Golfer A tees off two hours earlier than Golfer B. When Golfer A is on the 17th tee, he stands at 64 strokes. Meanwhile, Golfer B might just be on the 7th hole with a score to that point of 28. Is one of them doing better than the other? How can you tell?
Scoring in relation to par is how you can tell. It was Frank Chirkinian, a television producer for the American network CBS, who introduced scoring relative to par to TV audiences in the 1950s. He realized that including scores over or under par, in addition to or in place of stroke totals, helped viewers understand how golfers stood relative to one another even when they hadn't played the same number of holes.
If one golfer is at 28 after seven holes while another is at 64 after 16 holes, that's difficult to parse. But if Golfer A's score is shown as 1-over (or +1), while Golfer B's score is show as 2-under (or -2), that gives you the sense that Golfer B is actually the one playing a little bit better.
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- Eagle vs. birdie: what's the difference?
- What is a score of 2 on a hole called?
- The golf score called a 'buzzard'
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Dolch, Craig. "Chirkinian's impact on televised golf can't be overstated," PGA Tour, February 10, 2011, http://www.pgatour.com/news/2011/02/10/dolch-column-chirkinian.html.
Rudy, Matthew, and McGann, Michelle. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Golf, 1997, Penguin Publishing.
Steinbreder, John. Golf Rules and Etiquette For Dummies, 2001, John Wiley & Sons.
