# Golf terms explained: par, birdie, bogey, dogleg

https://9daily.golf/guides/golf-terms · Updated 29 September 2026 · by the 9Daily team, Berlin

New to golf? These are the words you will meet in 9Daily and on any golf course, in plain English.

**In short**

- Par is the number of strokes a good player should need on a hole. Scores count against par: E is level, −2 two under, +3 three over.
- A birdie is one under par, an eagle two under, an albatross three under. A bogey is one over, a double bogey two over.
- 9Daily holes are par 3 to par 5, and now and then a par 6 or even a par 7.
- A dogleg is a hole that bends, the rough is the longer grass beside the fairway, a bunker is a hollow filled with sand.
- In a shared 9Daily result every hole is a colored square, from 🟨 eagle or better to 🟥 double bogey or worse.

## What do par, birdie and bogey mean?

Golf scores count against par. The table shows every score name on a par 4 hole and the square it gets in a shared 9Daily result.

| Score | To par | Strokes on a par 4 | Square in 9Daily |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Albatross | −3 | 1 | 🟨 |
| Eagle | −2 | 2 | 🟨 |
| Birdie | −1 | 3 | 🟩 |
| Par | E | 4 | ⬜ |
| Bogey | +1 | 5 | 🟧 |
| Double bogey | +2 | 6 | 🟥 |

- **Par:** The number of strokes a good player should need on a hole. In 9Daily holes are par 3 to par 5, and now and then a par 6 or even a par 7.
- **To par:** Your score compared with par. E (even) means level par, −2 means two under, +3 means three over. 9Daily shows every round this way.
- **Birdie:** One stroke under par on a hole.
- **Eagle:** Two strokes under par.
- **Albatross:** Three strokes under par, also called a double eagle.
- **Hole in one:** The ball goes in with the very first shot. Also called an ace.
- **Bogey:** One stroke over par. A double bogey is two over.

## What are the parts of a golf course?

Every 9Daily hole has these parts, like a real course. How to play them: [wind, doglegs and water in 9Daily](https://9daily.golf/guides/wind-and-doglegs).

- **Tee:** Where every hole starts.
- **Fairway:** The short grass between tee and green, the best place to play from.
- **Rough:** Longer grass beside the fairway. From the rough the ball flies shorter; from deep rough even more so.
- **Bunker:** A hollow filled with sand. Hard to play from.
- **Green:** The very short grass around the hole, where you putt.
- **Flag:** Marks the hole on the green. Also called the pin.
- **Dogleg:** A hole that bends left or right, like a dog’s hind leg.
- **Out of bounds:** Outside the course. It costs a penalty stroke and you play again from the same spot.

## What are carry, draw, fade, hook and slice?

- **Carry:** How far the ball flies in the air before it lands.
- **Putt:** A stroke on the green that rolls the ball toward the hole.
- **Draw and fade:** A gentle curve to the left (draw) or right (fade), for a right-handed golfer.
- **Hook and slice:** A strong curve left (hook) or right (slice). In 9Daily the ball curves when you let go past the rim: a little past gives a draw or fade, further past a hook or slice.
- **Penalty stroke:** An extra stroke added to your score, for example after water or out of bounds.
- **Drop:** Putting a ball back into play after the water, with a penalty stroke.

## Which words are only used in 9Daily?

- **Pure:** A 9Daily shot let go right at the rim or at the yellow mark. The ball flies straight.
- **Pick up:** At double par the 9Daily hole ends and you move on.
- **Practice:** Replaying a past day’s 9Daily course. Practice never counts.
- **Streak:** How many days in a row you have played 9Daily. Kept with a free account.

## Quick answers

### What does E mean in a golf score?

E stands for even: level with par. In 9Daily your round shows as strokes to par, for example E, −2 or +3.

### Is an albatross the same as a double eagle?

Yes. Both mean three strokes under par on one hole, for example a 2 on a par 5.

### Do I need to know golf to play 9Daily?

No. 9Daily picks the club for you, and a practice hole shows how it works before your first round. The words on this page are all you need. The rules: [how to play 9Daily](https://9daily.golf/how-to-play).

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