Par, Even, E

According to Neil Laird, in “Scottish Golf History”, at www.scottishgolfhistory.net, a most delightful read, "par" is derived from the stock exchange term that a stock may be above or below its normal or 'par' figure.  In 1870, Mr. A.H. Doleman, a golf writer, asked as the golf professionals David Strath ans James Anderson, what score would win “The Belt”, then the winning trophy for “The Open”, at Prestwick, where it was first held annually from 1861 to 1870.  Strath and Anderson said that perfect play should produce a score of 49 for Prestwick’s twelve holes.  Mr. Doleman called this Par for Prestwick and subsequently "Young Tom Morris" won with a score of two strokes 'over Par' for the three rounds of 36 holes.

 

Although the first use of the word "Par" in golf was in Britain, today’s rating system and the Par standard was not further developed until later.  It was the American Women's Golf Association, who, from 1893, began to develop a national handicapping system for women.  It was largely in place by the turn of the Century.  The Men’s association, founded in 1894, followed suit a few years later. 

 

In 1911, the United States Golf Association (Men) of the day laid down the following very modern distances for determining Par:

 

Up to 225 yards:  Par-3 

225 to 425 yards:  Par-4

426 to 600 yards:  Par-5

Over 601 yards:  Par-6

 

As golf developed, scores were coming down, but many old British courses did not adjust their courses or their Bogey scores, which meant good golfers and all the professionals were achieving lower than a Bogey score.  This meant that the US had an up-to-date national standard of distances for holes, while the British Bogey ratings were determined by each club and were no longer appropriate for professionals.  The Americans began to referring to one over Par as a Bogey, much to the British chagrin.

 

By 1914, British golf magazines were agitating for a ratings system similar to the US.  However, the Great War 1914 – 1918 intervened and it was not until 1925 that a Golf Union's Joint Advisory Committee of the British Isles was formed to assign Standard Scratch Scores (SSS) to golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland.  Today, this committee is known as the council of National Golf Unions (CONGU).  It is the Golf Union of each country (and not the Royal and Ancient Golf Club) who determine Pars and Handicapping.

Reference: http://www.doubleeagleclub.org/index.php?suffix=scoring_terms