Is There a Difference Between Par And Level 4s?

[Sean_A]

I recently read in Golf Quarterly (an interesting new publication in the UK) that it wasn't until an Open in the 60s that the terminology of the tournament was changed from reporting scores compared to level 4s (ie 1 over level 4s) to par. Do folks think there is any difference between the two and if knuckling under to Par has helped lead to the current obsession of golfers grading themselves against par or ultimately grading holes against par?  

Ciao    

[Mark Chaplin]

"level fours" is certainly a term that's gone out of use in mainstream golf, however for the readership of Golf Quarterly it is still most relevant. We often hear it as a way of showing how foursomes knockout matches were scoring.

[Niall C]

Sean

I think the term level 4's was used back when a score of level 4's ie 72, was considered very good shooting. Even in good amateur tournaments today that wouldn't be good scoring. Who knows, as things progress there might come a time when 3's might be the appropriate yard stick.

Niall

[Ross Tuddenham]

Not sure if it would be comparable with better players of around 50 years ago playing level fours but when I was a kid my Dad would always keep my score in terms of level 5’s.  Which is clearly not the same as par but I think it allowed me to play my own game and the shots I wanted to play instead of worrying about GIR and par.