Par

Par is the number of throws a course designer expects a proficient player to need in order to complete a given hole, factoring in distance, obstacles and elevation change. Most disc golf holes are par 3, though longer or more difficult holes can be par 4 or occasionally par 5, similar in concept to ball golf.

Par matters because it is the baseline every score gets measured against, whether a player is tracking their own round or comparing scores with a group. Scoring relative to par, such as finishing two under across a round, is the standard way disc golf results are reported and discussed, both casually and in organized events.

A common point of confusion for newer players is assuming par is fixed at 3 for every hole, when in fact it depends entirely on how the specific course and hole were designed, and even the same physical hole can be labeled a different par on different scorecards or layouts. Checking the posted par for each hole before a round avoids confusion when comparing scores later.