Why is it called a bogey? The history of golf's standard score

You’ve heard the term a thousand times. Your friend sinks a putt and yells, "That’s a bogey!" Or maybe you’re standing on the 18th green, staring at the hole, knowing that one more stroke means you’ve just shot a bogey. But have you ever stopped to ask why we use such a strange word for a common golf score? It doesn’t sound like a number. It doesn’t sound like "good" or "bad." It sounds like something from a horror movie.

The answer lies not in modern sports psychology, but in the dusty archives of 19th-century British slang and military jargon. To understand why a bad golf shot is named after a mythical creature, we have to look back over a century ago, when golf was trying to standardize its language across different courses and countries.

The Ghost in the Machine: What Is a Bogey?

Before we get into the etymology, let’s make sure we are on the same page about what the term actually means today. In Golf is a precision club-and-ball sport played on large outdoor courses where players aim to complete holes with the fewest strokes possible, scoring is relative to a baseline expectation. That baseline is called Par is the predetermined number of strokes an expert golfer should require to complete a hole or course.

If you take one stroke more than par, you have a bogey. Two strokes over is a double bogey. Three is a triple bogey. It’s the universal signifier for "I messed up, but I’m still playing." But before "par" became the dominant benchmark, "bogey" was the gold standard. For decades, golfers didn’t shoot for par; they shot for the bogey.

The Song That Started It All

The story begins in 1903, long before television broadcasts or major sponsorships. A British music hall song titled Poor Old Bogey was released by the composer Charles Collins. The song tells the tale of a soldier who is haunted by a ghost named Bogey. This wasn’t just any ghost; Bogey was a mischievous spirit that followed the soldier around, causing trouble and anxiety.

The phrase "Poor Old Bogey" became a massive hit in the United Kingdom. It entered the vernacular as a way to describe anything that was annoying, troublesome, or difficult to shake off. If you had a headache, it was your "bogey." If you had a bad habit, it was your "bogey." It was the ultimate catch-all term for a persistent nuisance.

From Music Hall to Golf Course

So, how did a song about a haunted soldier end up defining golf scores? The connection was made by two prominent figures in early golf: John Moulton and George Sargent. Both were avid golfers and members of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

In the early 1900s, there was no standardized scoring system. Different courses had different expectations. One course might expect a player to finish a hole in four shots, while another similar-length hole might be expected to be done in three. This lack of consistency frustrated players who wanted to compare their skills objectively.

Moulton and Sargent proposed a new idea. They suggested that every hole should have a designated "standard" score. However, they didn’t call it "par." They called it the "bogey" score. Why? Because achieving this score was considered a struggle against the "ghost" of difficulty. If you could beat the bogey, you were doing well. If you matched the bogey, you were average. If you fell behind the bogey, you were being haunted by the course.

They published a book in 1907 called The Modern Game of Golf, where they laid out this system. They assigned a "bogey" score to every hole on a course. For example, a short par-3 hole might have a bogey score of 4. A long par-5 might have a bogey score of 6. The bogey score was always slightly higher than what an expert would achieve, making it a realistic target for the average amateur.

Bogey vs. Par: The Shift in Standards

For several decades, "bogey" was the primary reference point in golf. You didn’t say, "I shot even par." You said, "I shot even bogey." It was the metric by which all other scores were measured. Birdie (one under bogey) and Eagle (two under bogey) were also defined relative to the bogey score, not the par score.

However, the term "par" began to gain traction in the 1920s and 1930s. The USGA (United States Golf Association) and the R&A (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) started promoting "par" as a more accurate reflection of an expert’s performance. Par was stricter. It represented what a scratch golfer (a zero-handicap player) should consistently achieve. Bogey was too generous.

As professional golf grew in popularity, especially in the United States, the need for a tougher standard became apparent. Tournament winners needed to be distinguished from good amateurs. If everyone was shooting "even bogey," it didn’t show enough skill differentiation. Par provided that sharper edge.

By the mid-20th century, the transition was complete. Par became the official benchmark for course rating and handicap calculations. Bogey was relegated to describing a single-hole failure rather than the overall standard. But the linguistic legacy remained. We still use the words birdie, eagle, and albatross, which were all originally defined in relation to the bogey.

Why Did the Name Stick?

Language is stubborn. Even though the definition shifted, the words stayed. Think about it. How many other sports have names for their scores derived from birds and ghosts? Basketball has points. Soccer has goals. Tennis has 15, 30, 40. Golf is unique because it uses a thematic vocabulary that feels almost whimsical.

The persistence of "bogey" speaks to the human desire to personify challenges. When you’re lying in a bunker, looking at a steep uphill putt, you aren’t just fighting physics. You’re fighting the "bogey." You’re fighting the annoyance, the frustration, the little ghost that wants to ruin your round. Naming the score after a nuisance makes the game feel more personal, more narrative.

It also adds a layer of humor. Calling a bad shot a "double bogey" is less harsh than calling it a "failure." It softens the blow. It reminds us that golf is supposed to be fun, even when we’re struggling. The term invites a shrug and a laugh rather than a grimace.

Bogey in Modern Golf Culture

Today, the term "bogey" is everywhere. It’s used in handicaps, in betting markets, and in casual conversation. When you hear a broadcaster say, "He’s sitting at bogey on the front nine," they mean the player has taken one extra shot on each hole compared to the par total. It’s a quick shorthand for performance.

For beginners, understanding the bogey is crucial. Many new golfers think they must shoot par to be good. That’s unrealistic. Par is for professionals. Bogey is for the rest of us. If you can keep your score close to bogey on every hole, you’ll likely finish a round in the 80s or low 90s, which is a respectable achievement for an amateur.

There’s even a concept called "Bogey Golf." It’s a strategy focused on avoiding big numbers. Instead of trying to drive the ball 300 yards and risk finding the woods, a bogey golfer plays safe. They aim for the middle of the fairway, lay up short of hazards, and focus on getting two putts. The goal isn’t to beat the field; it’s to beat the bogey. To keep the ghost at bay.

The Evolution of Golf Terminology

The shift from bogey to par wasn’t just about semantics. It reflected changes in how the game was played and perceived. In the early 1900s, golf was a leisure activity for the wealthy. Courses were shorter, equipment was heavier, and the pace of play was slower. The bogey score accommodated these conditions.

As technology improved-steel shafts, metal woods, advanced ball designs-players started hitting the ball farther and more accurately. The old bogey scores became too easy. They no longer challenged players to improve. Par provided a tighter target that pushed golfers to refine their skills.

This evolution continues today. With GPS launch monitors and data-driven coaching, golfers are more analytical than ever. They know exactly how far they hit each club. They know their probabilities of making putts from various distances. Yet, despite all this data, we still cling to the old terms. We still talk about birdies and bogeys. We haven’t replaced them with statistical metrics like "strokes gained" or "expected par." Why? Because the old terms tell a story. Data tells you what happened. Language tells you how it felt.

Conclusion: Embracing the Bogey

So, the next time you find yourself staring down a tricky approach shot, remember the ghost. Remember Poor Old Bogey. He’s been haunting golfers for over a century, reminding us that the game is hard, frustrating, and occasionally magical. Shooting a bogey isn’t a failure. It’s part of the tradition. It’s your place in the lineage of millions of players who have walked these fairways before you.

Don’t fear the bogey. Respect it. And then try to leave it behind, one stroke at a time.