What is What is a bogey?

Answer 1

A person that shoots 1 over on each hole. For instance, if the hole is a par 4, a bogey golfer would get a 5 on it, and for the total round would shoot a score of exactly 90. In rating the difficulty of courses through course rating and slope rating, the USGA defines a bogey golfer thusly: "A player with a USGA Handicap Index of 17.5 to 22.4 strokes for men and 21.5 to 26.4 for women. Under normal situations the male bogey golfer can hit his tee shot 200 yards and can reach a 370-yard hole in two shots. Likewise, the female bogey golfer can hit her tee shot 150 yards and can reach a 280-yard hole in two shots. Players who have a Handicap Index between the parameters above but are unusually long or short off the tee are not considered to be a bogey golfer for course rating purposes."

Answer 2

Each hole has an established par--the number of strokes (counting putts) that are considered the amount it should take to get the ball into the hole. If it takes you one more stroke than the established par then you have a "bogey" on that hole. Example: a 400 yard hole with a par of 4 takes you 5 strokes to get the ball into the cup--a bogey. Extra info: 2 under the established par is an eagle, one under the established par is a birdie, 2 over the established par is a double bogey, three over a triple bogey, etc.

A bogey is one over par.