A bogey in golf is a scoring term that means the golfer took one stroke more than par to complete a hole. For example:

• If the hole's par is 3, scoring 4 strokes is a bogey.
• If the hole's par is 4, scoring 5 strokes is a bogey.
• If the hole's par is 5, scoring 6 strokes is a bogey.

Par is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to take to complete a hole, so a bogey is just one stroke above that expected level. For beginners or average golfers, scoring a bogey is quite common and not necessarily bad—it can actually be a score to be proud of when starting out. However, skilled or professional golfers usually aim to score par or better, so they often view bogeys as mistakes. There are also terms for worse scores:

• Double bogey: two strokes over par.
• Triple bogey: three strokes over par.
• Quadruple bogey: four strokes over par.

In essence, a bogey represents a minor mistake or a slightly over-par performance on a hole and is a normal part of the game for many players. This explanation reflects the standard meaning and perception of bogey in the golf community.