- An albatross, or double eagle, is when a golfer shoots 3 under par on a single hole.
- Albatrosses are rare but are most commonly achieved by making a two on a par 5.
- Making a hole-in-one on a par 4 would also count as an albatross.
Compared to the birdie and eagle, the albatross is one of the rarest birds in golf.
There were just five albatrosses on the PGA Tour during the 2024 season, so it’s not a scoring prop I would look to target in my golf parlays.
What Does an Albatross Mean in Golf?
An albatross in golf is when a player completes a hole in three strokes under par.
This feat is most commonly accomplished by making a two on a par 5. However, since par 5s typically measure 410-650 metres, players must hole out their second shot from a long distance away.
The odds of making an albatross are generally accepted to be around one in a million for the casual golfer.
Is a 1 On a Par 4 an Albatross?
A hole-in-one on a par 4 is also considered an albatross.
Drivable par 4s, holes measuring around 275 metres, are becoming more commonplace in golf course architecture. And while elite drivers of the golf ball can reach the putting surface from the tee, getting lucky enough for the ball to go in is an entirely different challenge.
There has only been one albatross on a par 4 in PGA Tour history, and it received the luckiest of bounces. Andrew Magee accomplished the feat at the 2001 Phoenix Open, driving the reachable 17th hole, only for his ball to accidentally ricochet into the hole off the putter of Tom Byrom, who was lining up a putt in the group in front of him.
Has Tiger Woods Had an Albatross?
Tiger Woods broke a myriad of PGA Tour records during his distinguished career, but he never made an albatross in tournament play.
If that doesn’t underline the difficulty of making a two on a par 5, I’m not sure what will.
What’s an Ostrich in Golf?
Even though making an albatross is challenging enough, there are even rarer birds in golf.
An ostrich is the name for shooting 5 under par on a single hole, an impossible feat on most traditional golf courses. To do so, a golfer must make a hole-in-one on a par 6.
Between the ostrich and albatross is the condor, a bird representing a 4-under-par score on one hole. While the condor has never been accomplished in professional golf, a handful of hole-in-ones have been recorded on par 5s.
However, those typically featured a severe dogleg or an elevation change that enabled the golfer to reach the green more easily.
