⬇️ Below standard ⛳ Better than par 💵 Below face value

subpar

4.9

Scoring fewer strokes than the course par in golf

adjective
/sʌbˈpɑr/

Specialized

: bajo par

Why was the golfer's score subpar?
subpar round

Examples

Achieving a subpar result on this difficult course is a remarkable accomplishment.
He was thrilled to finish the tournament with a subpar score for the first time.
The golfer's subpar round put her in the lead after the first day.
Tiger Woods achieved a subpar score in the tournament.
He played an incredible game, scoring four subpar rounds during the tournament.
Her performance was impressive, as she consistently shot subpar scores throughout the championship.
The golfer celebrated after achieving subpar results, which meant she had outperformed the course expectations.

Synonyms

above par

vssubpar

1 4.2

Better than usual in quality, performance or value

is used specifically for golf scoring to mean fewer strokes than par

How Good

eagle

Jargon

6 7.5

birdie

Jargon

13 6.0

subpar

Specialized

4.9

par

Jargon

63 5.0

bogey

Jargon

11 7.0

to double bogey

Jargon

1 6.9

Surface Forms

subpar positive

Morphology

subpar = par (transparent) = sub + par

Literal 'below par' in the golfing sense; structural composition is transparent though the evaluative direction (below = better) depends on the domain.

Etymology

Subpar comes from sub- 'under' and par 'the usual number of strokes in golf'. So a subpar score is 'under par' — fewer strokes than the standard — which is why it is a good result in golf.