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What is an Eagle in Golf

ByEric Davis

Seeing golfers scoring an Eagle is always a beautiful sight. Although it is not that common. Here we will have a look on details about this scoring term.

There are several weird scoring terms in golf. Before you start your career as a professional golfer, You should understand some Golf scoring terms like Albatross, birdie, etc. To understand Eagle in golf you must know about the par rating of holes. Each hole on the golf course is assigned a par. Par is the number of strokes that a scratch golfer would need to complete a hole, usually ranging from 3 to 6.

Eagle is a golf-scoring term which means you are 2 under par. You need to put the ball in the hole with 2 strokes less than the par rating of that particular hole

Strokes required to score an Eagle

  1. For a par 3 hole you can score an eagle in a single stroke
  2. For a par 4 hole you can score an eagle in two strokes
  3. For a par 5 hole you can score an eagle in three strokes
  4. For a par 6 hole you can score an eagle in four strokes

What is a Golf Eagle

For hitting an Eagle in golf you just need to follow the 2 under par rule, which means you have to take the par rating of any hole and just subtract it by two. Similarly, birdie is 1 under par. Both these feats are not common.

Golfer attempting Eagle in Golf

Origin of the term Eagle shot

Golf scoring terms have various sorts of origins. The term Eagle has no proper history. “Birdie” and “Eagle” has some sort of link. Birdie was introduced in the 19th century in America by AB Smith. This term used to define something exceptional. So, we can assume that the term “Eagle” in Golf refers to something which is even more incredible than a birdie.

Types of Eagle

1. Net Eagle

A net eagle is when you play two strokes under par with the help of your handicap strokes. 

So, let’s take an example you’re an 18 handicap and you are playing a 5-par hole and you play a stroke less than par to get a birdie on this hole. As your handicap takes a shot off per hole this birdie has an extra shot taken off leaving you with a net eagle. 

2. Gross Eagle

A gross eagle is the score you get without deduction of any handicap strokes. So if you’re playing a par-6 hole, you will need to finish the hole in 4 shots to get a gross eagle as stated earlier in the definition.

What is a Double Eagle?

A double eagle is a very occasional feat to achieve. To score a double eagle you have to shoot 3 under par. A double eagle is only possible on par-4, par-5, or a par-6 hole. We can call Double Eagle as Albatross which is a bigger bird than Eagle. So, it’s too obvious that the albatross or double eagle is more exceptional as compared to the Eagle or Birdie. Then there is another golf scoring term, Condor which you can achieve by scoring 4 under par. The condor is only possible on par-5 or par-6 holes. If you achieve any of these in 1 shot that is called a hole-in-one.

Golfer after failing to score double eagle

How Rare is an Eagle in golf?

Scoring an Eagle requires Top-notch ball maneuvering skills, and an excellent grip on gameplay and it is very challenging. On top of that, You must be a long hitter and have a lot of power to smash the ball if you want to score an Eagle. Additionally, scoring an eagle requires precision and concentration.

Eagle in golf is usually achieved in professional gameplays. Average golfers can try to score an eagle on a par-5 or par-6 hole because it gives you a bit of relaxation for error.

Benefits of Scoring an Eagle

Scoring an Eagle is a confidence booster and it will enhance your gameplay. With eagles on your scorecard, there are more chances of winning the game.

On which par hole Eagle is usually common?

On a 5-par hole, Eagle is quite common. There are some reasons for that

  1. No of Strokes: You can play 3 strokes to score an eagle which gives relaxation for mishaps.
  2. Creating Right Strokes: On a 5-par hole, you can create the right strokes in order to get an Eagle.

Average or beginners can consider attempting an Eagle shot on a 5-par hole. Similarly, the 6-par hole is also worth trying because you get an extra stroke, which is quite helpful.

On 5-par or 6-par holes achieving an eagle is a bit easier but on a 3-par or 4-par it is quite challenging but it is possible.

  1. On a 3-par hole you have to play only 1 stroke to shoot an eagle
  2. On a 4-par hole you have to hit the ball into green and then the next stroke will help you in achieving an Eagle
Golfer in a perfect position to play a shot

FAQs

Eagle is a specific term in which players puts the ball in a hole in 2 two shots less than its usual par rating. If you want to score an eagle you have to subtract 2 from par of that hole.

We have discussed Eagle in detail already. Talking about other golf scoring terms, birdie is 1 under par, bogey is 1 over par and albatross is 3 under par(Double Eagle)

There isn’t any fix number of strokes to score an Eagle. It depends on the par rating of any hole. For a 6-par hole, you can play four strokes while for the 3-par hole, You can play 1 stroke. Allowed strokes are simply equal to par rating minus two

Ostrich refers to another golf scoring term. To achieve an ostrich you have to hit 5 under par. This is only possible in 6-par hole. This is a very rare shot.

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