What is a Double Bogey in Golf?

Definition

A double bogey is when you shoot two over par on a hole in golf, meaning +2 gets added to your score.

To understand what a double bogey is in golf, you must first understand what par is. Par is a preset number of shots on every hole that dictates what a player’s score on that hole would be. For example, if a hole is a par 3, and a player makes it into the hole in 3 shots, then no points will be added or subtracted from their score. If they make it in 2 shots, then 1 point will be taken away from their score, known as a birdie. Similarly, if a player makes it in 4 shots, then 1 point will be added to their score, known as a bogey. The goal of golf is to have the lowest score possible.

A double bogey is when you complete a hole using two more strokes than the par of the hole. An example of this would be taking 5 shots on a par 3, resulting in +2 being added to your score. Double bogeys are not considered a good score, and can be devastating for professionals in a tournament.