What is a birdie in golf?
A birdie is a score of one stroke under par on a golf hole. For example, taking 3 strokes on a par-4 hole is a birdie, while 2 strokes is an eagle.
Every hole has a par, the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need. Scoring par means matching that number. One under par is a birdie, two under is an eagle and three under is an albatross, also called a double eagle. One over par is a bogey.
The term birdie comes from American slang of the late 1800s, when bird meant something excellent. According to a story from the Atlantic City Country Club in 1899, a golfer called a great shot a bird of a shot, and the name stuck.
Rare scores
A hole in one, also called an ace, is getting the ball in the hole with a single shot, usually on a par-3 hole. An albatross is much rarer than a hole in one, because it usually requires holing out the second shot on a par-5.
Did You Know?
A score of four under par on a single hole, such as a hole in one on a par 5, is called a condor. Only a handful have ever been recorded.