What is an eagle?
Every hole has a par: the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to need. If you need two strokes fewer, you record an eagle. On a par 3 that is 1 stroke, on a par 4 it is 2 strokes and on a par 5 it is 3 strokes. One stroke more is a birdie, one stroke fewer is an albatross.
How common is an eagle?
An eagle is a lot rarer than a birdie. Most eagles are made on par 5 holes, where long hitters can reach the green in two strokes. A hole-in-one on a par 3 also counts as an eagle.
Where does the name come from?
The name follows on from the birdie, which originated in the United States in the late nineteenth century. For an even better score, golfers chose a bigger and more impressive bird: the eagle.
Eagle in Stableford
In a Stableford competition a net eagle earns 4 points.
