An albatross in golf is a score of three strokes under par on a single hole. It is also called a double eagle.
The most familiar example is scoring a 2 on a par-5. A hole-in-one on a par-4 is also an albatross because one stroke is three below the hole’s par of four.
It is one of golf’s rarest scores, which explains why even experienced players can go their entire golfing lives without making one.
Here’s how an albatross fits into golf scoring, how it can happen, and why the name is used.
What Is an Albatross in Golf?
An albatross means completing a golf hole in three strokes fewer than par.
For example, if you hole your second shot on a par-5, your score for the hole is 2. Since 2 is three strokes below the par of 5, you have made an albatross.
The term describes your score relative to par, not a particular type of shot.
That distinction matters because an albatross can technically occur in more than one way.
- Par 4: hole-in-one
- Par 5: score of 2
- Par 6: score of 3
Par-6 holes are unusual, but they do exist. Our guide to par-6 golf holes explains where they fit into the game.
Golf Scoring: Birdie, Eagle, Albatross and Condor
Understanding an albatross becomes much easier once you see how it fits into the normal golf scoring terms.
| Golf score | Relative to par | Example on a par 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bogey | 1 over par | 6 |
| Par | Even par | 5 |
| Birdie | 1 under par | 4 |
| Eagle | 2 under par | 3 |
| Albatross | 3 under par | 2 |
| Condor | 4 under par | 1 |
The previous version of this article mixed up these definitions. A birdie is specifically one under par, while an eagle is two under and an albatross is three under.
An albatross is therefore one stroke better than an eagle.
How Do You Get an Albatross in Golf?
The classic route is hitting a good drive on a par-5 and then holing your second shot from the fairway or rough.
That requires enough distance to reach the green in two, but distance alone is nowhere near enough. The second shot still has to finish in a cup measuring only a few inches across from potentially hundreds of yards away.
You can also make an albatross by holing your tee shot on a par-4.
That is both a hole-in-one and an albatross because the shot completed the hole in one stroke and produced a score three below par.
On the much rarer par-6, a score of 3 would also count as an albatross.
How Rare Is an Albatross in Golf?
Albatrosses are exceptionally rare, but there is no reliable universal probability that applies to every golfer.
The often-repeated claim that the odds are exactly 1 in 6 million should be treated cautiously. The likelihood changes enormously according to player ability, course setup, hole length, altitude, conditions, and how many reachable par-5s a golfer actually plays.
PGA Tour statistics give some useful perspective.
During the 2017-18 PGA Tour season, only 2 of 326,052 recorded hole scores were albatrosses, equivalent to 0.0006% of the hole scores recorded that season.
That does not give us the odds for an amateur golfer, but it shows just how uncommon the score remains even among elite players.
You can see the PGA Tour’s historical statistical breakdown in its 2017-18 season review.
Is an Albatross Rarer Than a Hole-in-One?
Generally, an albatross is regarded as the rarer achievement, but comparing them using one fixed odds ratio is misleading.
Most golf courses contain several par-3 holes where players have a direct opportunity to make an ace. Far fewer golfers have the length and circumstances required to reach a par-5 in two and then hole the second shot.
There is another wrinkle.
A hole-in-one and an albatross are not mutually exclusive. An ace on a par-4 is both at the same time.
A normal hole-in-one on a par-3 is two under par, making it an eagle as well as an ace.
Albatross vs. Double Eagle: What’s the Difference?
There is no scoring difference. An albatross and a double eagle both mean three under par on one hole.
The terminology developed alongside golf’s other bird-related scoring terms.
The USGA notes that “double eagle” was used for a score of three under par, while “albatross” emerged as the preferred bird name during the 1920s.
Both terms remain understandable today.
“Double eagle” can sound mathematically odd because an eagle is two under par and doubling two would suggest four under. Golf terminology does not work that way, though. In traditional usage, double eagle simply means albatross.
Why Is It Called an Albatross?
The exact origin of the golf term is not completely documented.
According to the USGA’s history of golf terminology, albatross became established after birdie and eagle had already entered golf’s vocabulary.
The progression makes intuitive sense because an albatross is a much larger and rarer bird than the birds referenced by the lower under-par scores.
What we should not do is invent a precise origin story about the bird’s wingspan or flight. The historical record does not establish that explanation as the reason golfers chose the term.
Famous Albatrosses in Golf
Because an albatross is so unusual, a handful of examples have become part of golf history.
Gene Sarazen, 1935 Masters
Gene Sarazen produced arguably the most famous double eagle in golf on the par-5 15th hole at Augusta National during the final round of the 1935 Masters.
Sarazen holed a 4-wood from 235 yards, a shot that became known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.”
The albatross helped him erase a three-shot deficit and force a playoff against Craig Wood. Sarazen won the 36-hole playoff the following day.
The Masters still highlights Sarazen’s shot in its history of the 15th hole.
Louis Oosthuizen, 2012 Masters
Louis Oosthuizen made another unforgettable Masters albatross during the final round in 2012.
He holed a 4-iron from 253 yards on the par-5 second hole. The ball landed on the front portion of the green and rolled all the way into the cup.
It was the first albatross recorded on Augusta National’s second hole.
Oosthuizen eventually finished runner-up to Bubba Watson after a playoff.
Shane Lowry, 2024 Farmers Insurance Open
Albatrosses are not confined to golf history books.
During the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open, Shane Lowry holed his second shot from 256 yards for an albatross, providing another reminder of how suddenly this rare score can appear in professional competition.
What Is the Difference Between an Eagle and an Albatross?
An eagle is two under par, while an albatross is three under par.
On a par-5:
- A score of 3 is an eagle.
- A score of 2 is an albatross.
So if your second shot finishes close to the hole and you tap in for 3, you have made an eagle. If that second shot actually goes into the cup, you have gone one better and made an albatross.
What Comes After an Albatross in Golf?
A score of four under par on one hole is commonly called a condor.
For example, a hole-in-one on a par-5 would be a condor. A score of 2 on a par-6 would also be four under par.
Condors are even more extraordinary than albatrosses because the circumstances required to produce one are exceptionally unusual.
Can You Make an Albatross on a Par 3?
No.
A hole-in-one on a par-3 is a score of 1, which is two strokes below par. That makes it an eagle, not an albatross.
There is no way to score three below par on a par-3 because you cannot complete a hole in zero strokes.
Can You Make an Albatross on a Par 4?
Yes.
A hole-in-one on a par-4 is three under par, so it counts as both an ace and an albatross.
This corrects another misconception from the previous article, which suggested a hole-in-one could occur only on a par-3.
Can You Make an Albatross on a Par 6?
Yes.
Completing a par-6 in three strokes is three under par, so the score is an albatross.
Par-6 holes are uncommon enough that most golfers will encounter the par-5 version of an albatross far more often in golf coverage.
How Many Albatrosses Have Been Made in Golf History?
There is no reliable worldwide total.
Professional tours and major championships maintain records of notable scores from their own events, but there is no universal database recording every competitive and recreational round ever played.
That makes claims about the exact number of albatrosses in all of golf impossible to verify properly.
It is more useful to look at individual tournaments or tours where complete historical records are available.
Does an Albatross Count Differently in Stableford?
The meaning of an albatross does not change. It is still a score of three under par on the hole.
What changes is how that score contributes to the competition.
Stableford awards points according to your score rather than simply totaling every stroke, and individual competitions can use different scoring structures.
Our guide to Stableford scoring in golf explains how that format works.
Albatross in Golf FAQs
What Does Albatross Mean in Golf?
An albatross means completing one hole in three strokes fewer than its par.
The most common example is a score of 2 on a par-5.
Is a Double Eagle the Same as an Albatross?
Yes. Both terms mean three under par on one hole.
Is an Albatross Better Than an Eagle?
Yes. An eagle is two under par, while an albatross is three under par.
An albatross is therefore one stroke better relative to par.
Can an Amateur Golfer Make an Albatross?
Yes. There is no skill-level restriction on the score.
An amateur who holes a second shot on a par-5, makes an ace on a par-4, or scores 3 on a par-6 has made an albatross.
Does an Albatross Have to Be a Hole-Out From the Fairway?
No.
Only the final score matters. The ball could be played from the fairway, rough, a bunker, or another permitted area before going into the hole.
Is a Hole-in-One Better Than an Albatross?
They describe different things.
A hole-in-one tells you how many strokes were taken. An albatross tells you the score relative to par.
An ace on a par-3 is two under par, while an ace on a par-4 is three under and therefore an albatross.
Did Tiger Woods Ever Make an Albatross on the PGA Tour?
No. PGA Tour reporting states that Tiger Woods has never recorded an albatross in PGA Tour competition.
The previous version of this article incorrectly attributed one to him at the 2012 Memorial Tournament.
What Is Rarer Than an Albatross in Golf?
A condor, meaning four under par on one hole, is rarer still.
Examples include a hole-in-one on a par-5 or a score of 2 on a par-6.
What Is an Albatross in Golf? The Bottom Line
An albatross is three under par on a single golf hole and is also known as a double eagle.
The classic example is a 2 on a par-5, although a hole-in-one on a par-4 or a score of 3 on a par-6 also qualifies.
What makes an albatross memorable is not a complicated rule. It is simply the extraordinary difficulty of producing a score three shots better than par on one hole.
For most golfers, an eagle is already worth celebrating. If your second shot on a par-5 ever disappears into the cup, you have gone one better and joined a very small group of golfers who can say they have made an albatross.