Here's a breakdown:
* Par: The standard number of strokes a skilled golfer should take to complete a hole or a course.
* Under par: Scoring fewer strokes than par.
* Over par: Scoring more strokes than par.
Examples:
* A hole with a par of 4 means a golfer is expected to take 4 strokes to complete it.
* If a golfer completes the hole in 3 strokes, they are 1 under par.
* If they take 5 strokes, they are 1 over par.
The term "under par" is often used to describe a golfer's overall score for an entire round, which consists of 18 holes.
Here are some additional points to consider:
* Course difficulty: Par is determined by the length and difficulty of a course or hole. A challenging hole might have a higher par than a shorter, easier one.
* Professional vs. amateur: Professional golfers typically play on courses with much higher pars than amateur golfers.
So, if you hear someone say "He played under par," it means they played the course very well, scoring below the expected number of strokes.