There are two main game formats in golf: match play and stroke play. The first is a match play, in which the basis for scoring is the holes, and the second is a scoring competition, in which the number of strokes is recorded.
Newcomers to the golf course are often lost when they hear their partner say the incomprehensible word “par. Why is a hole in the hole marked “par-3” or “par-4” when you can just have fun?