Five strokes on a par 3, six on a par 4 and seven on a par 5 are all double bogeys. The word double refers to the two strokes above par, not to taking twice the par of the hole.1
The phrase also has a place in handicapping history. When the World Handicap System arrived in 2020, the USGA replaced its Equitable Stroke Control limits with net double bogey. The new calculation considers the hole’s par and the handicap strokes allocated to the player.2
For a player with an established Handicap Index, net double bogey is the maximum hole score used for handicap posting. On a par 4 where the player receives one handicap stroke, that limit is seven: four plus two plus one. Players submitting initial scores to establish an Index instead use a limit of par plus five.3
That posting limit does not automatically cap a competition score. In regular stroke play, the actual total includes strokes made and penalty strokes. A separate format, Maximum Score under Rule 21.2, lets the Committee set a ceiling for each hole, which may be net double bogey.45