How are you today, feeling below par?
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that because means you are not feeling too good.
Par is a golfing term. For each hole on a golf course, it is established how many shots should be needed to get the ball in the hole from the tee (starting point) to the hole. Most holes are Par four but shorter ones are three and longer ones are five.
Still with me?
Ok, this is where it doesn’t make sense. If in golf, you only take three shots to make a par four hole, that’s good and you are 1 under par however, in life, if you feel bad, then you feel below par and that’s not good.
Note the words below or under can be used.
We can also use another golfing metaphor, par for the course.
This describes something that is typical or expected, for example, for someone who is always late, we could say,
He’s late again.
Well, that’s par for the course!
One of the best things you can do in golf is to make a hole in one. That means just one shot. It doesn’t happen too often but when it does, it’s quite spectacular! Here's how it's done.
