What is A Condor In Golf? As you know, golfers absolutely love their bird-themed references. It’s actually one of the few things that make sense in a game with a dictionary full of obscure jargon.
By relating the number of strokes as either a birdie, eagles, or albatross (aka double eagle), you get a sense of how good (and difficult) making each one is for a golfer.
One event though is next to impossible. Something that only happens maybe once in a lifetime. When a player makes something known as a condor, he automatically goes down in the history books as something of a legend. It’s so rare that bookmakers don’t even offer odds on such a feat.
Are you asking yourself what a condor is in golf? Ask no more because we’re about to break it down!
Table of Contents
What is a condor?
In simple terms, a condor happens when a player shoots 4 strokes below par.
- For example, a player who gets a hole-in-one at a par five has achieved a condor.
- A player that takes two strokes to finish at a par six hole would also count.
The former has only happened a few times in the history of this sport while the latter has only been done once. It goes without saying that such an event is rare.
Skill alone won’t be enough, though a golfer certainly needs to think outside the box to achieve such a stunt. Luck plays a big part in it too.
How rare is it?
It’s hard to give odds though many have tried. With the other types of birds, it has been estimated a hole-in-one can reach up to 1 in 12,500 for an amateur player. A double eagle (aka an albatross) has been assigned odds that have ranged between 1 in 1 million and 1 in 16 million.
Many, including online bookmakers, have never even attempted to place odds on condors and it would be considered ludicrous to bet on it. Since record keeping began for this sport, there have only been 5 instances where a condor was achieved.
How many condors are there in history?
Though almost impossible, it has been done at least 5 times in history.
The first one was in 1968 by Larry Bruce. He, by some miracle, drove the ball into the hole over a stand of trees on the 480-yard dogleg right par-5 fifth hole at Hope Country Club in Arkansas, USA.
The other lucky individuals are Shaun Lynch in 1995, Mike Crean in 2002, a 16-year-old Jack Bartlett in 2007, and Kevin Pon, who made a 2 on a par 6 at Lake Chabot Golf Course on the 10th December 2020.
Getting a condor won’t only make you a local legend, it will immortalize your name in the golf history books as both one of the skilled (and luckiest) golfers ever.
Bottom Line…
And that was our answer to the question: what is a condor in golf? Not an easy thing to achieve but it’s not supposed to be. You’re better off improving your skills and experience than actively attempting to do this. But if you ever become one of those who manage to pull a condor off, prepare to soar!