What is Double Bogie? Double Bogie Explained in 2 minutes
Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
26/06/2026
What is Double Bogey?
A double bogey is something all golf players want to avoid as it is when a player has taken two strokes more than the par score on a course.
For example, if a golf hole on a course has a par score of four shots, a double bogey is achieved if the player takes six shots to get their ball in the hole, as it is two more than the expected number of strokes.
Among professional players, a double bogey is a rare occurrence and highly detrimental to a player’s round, where the object of the game is to record the lowest score possible. A player who records a double bogey may also be in danger of not making the cut.
Double bogey is however not the worst possible score on a hole. Three over par is known as a triple bogey and any scores any higher over par than that are referred to just by number - five over par, for example.
How is Double Bogey used in Sports Betting?
Sportsbooks tend not to run specific double bogey markets; however, they may run a bogey-free round market.
This is the target of all players as it means they have not dropped a single shot throughout the round and will be at par for the course or lower. Scoring one under par is known as a birdie, and two under par is an eagle.
When a double bogey does occur for, it will have an immediate effect on their live odds for the tournament they are playing in.
For example, if Tiger Woods was on the 10th hole on the fourth and final day of a tournament and three shots behind the leader, a double bogey would put him five shots behind with eight holes to play. That would all but end his chances of winning the tournament and thus significantly lengthen his odds.
Did you know…
The term bogey in golf originally came from Scotland and is derived from the word bogle, which was a Scottish goblin, also known as a bogey-man.
Golfers at the time considered themselves to be playing against Colonel Bogey, who set the par score for the course. When they scored over par, it was a bogey, and so on.
