Double bogey
A double bogey is two strokes over par on a hole.
The double bogey lies two strokes over the par specification. On a par 3 those are five strokes, on a par 5 seven. In the result scale it stands below the bogey and above the triple bogey, so three strokes over par. For beginners a double bogey is a normal result, especially on long or narrow holes. For players with a single-digit handicap it is on the contrary a warning signal. Mostly behind it is no single bad stroke but a chain of two or three wrong decisions.
A typical example: the tee shot on a par 4 lands in the rough behind a tree. Instead of playing sideways onto the fairway the golfer tries the flat stroke through the gap. The ball hits wood and remains lying. The third stroke goes into the green bunker, the fourth onto the green, two putts follow. Six strokes on a par 4. The actual mistake was stroke two, not stroke one.
The practical handling with it is called damage limitation. After a pulled ball take the safe option and play back into play. Also the rules help: an unplayable ball costs one penalty stroke, a further botched rescue attempt often two. In the Stableford format a double bogey without handicap stroke brings zero points, the hole is cancelled. Afterwards every new hole begins at zero.
How you get such holes targeted out of your score shows the post on Improving your handicap without a tournament.
FAQ
What is the best way to avoid double bogeys?
Through damage limitation instead of hero strokes. Most double bogeys do not arise from the first mistake but from the attempt to iron it out with a risky stroke. If your ball lands in the rough behind a tree, play back onto the fairway and accept the bogey. Whoever does that consistently strikes out the scores that tip a round — that affects your handicap (handicap index) more strongly than any birdie.
How bad is a double bogey in Stableford really?
Less bad than thought: without a handicap stroke on the hole there are zero points, the hole is thereby cancelled — more damage is not possible. Afterwards the next hole begins at zero, and a few cancelled holes can be compensated over the round. If you have a handicap stroke on the hole, the net result often even brings one point. So direct your frustration not at the hole but at the next tee.
Is a double bogey a bad sign for me as a beginner?
No, on the contrary: for beginners double bogeys are completely normal, especially on long or narrow holes. Only at single-digit handicaps they are considered a warning signal, because there usually a chain of wrong decisions lies behind. Compare yourself with the bogey as reference: whoever plays stable bogeys lies at around 90 strokes — the way there leads through avoiding the really big numbers, not through perfection.