What are the odds of having back to back 2's on a golf course?

Holes in one - Odds of back to back

The odds of course depend on what par is for the hole, and the skill level of the golfer (pro or not). As an example, the odds of making a 2 on a par 5, which is called an "albatross" are estimated at 6,000,000 to 1 by Golf Digest:

http://www.golfdigest.com/majors/masters/index.ssf?/majors/masters/gw20040402albatross.html

and a 1,000,000 to 1 for golf pros.

Back to back 2's, on back to back par 5's, for a PGA pro would then be 1,000,000,000,000 to 1 and never been recorded (very few opportunities given course designs). Interestingly, several players, including John Daly, have recorded more than one albatross in their careers!

Let's answer a perhaps more interesting question...

The odds of making a hole in 1 for PGA tour players is 3,700 to one, so says Golf Digest:

http://www.golfdigest.com/majors/masters/index.ssf?/majors/masters/gw20040402albatross.html

and the odds of an everyday golfer doing are 33,000 to one. Since golf holes are independent events, the odds of making two holes in one in a round are the same as two aces back to back.

For a golf professional then the odds would 13,670,000 to 1, but the statistics show in fact that the odds are significantly better. Take a look at Golf Digests' Hole in One page for some great stats on aces:

http://www.golfdigest.com/features/index.ssf?/features/gd200509holeinone4.html

Of note is that Jack Nicklaus has done it 19 times, that 5 people have done it back to back !

Another Answer

While the previous answer addresses holes-in-one, the question, as asked, has to do with the odds of getting a score of "two" on back-to-back holes. The odds of this happening are not so great as one might imagine. Consider a par three hole either preceded or followed by an easy par four hole. It is relatively easy for even an average golfer to hit a good shot and get a birdie (one under par) on a par three hole...yielding a score of two. It may be a bit more difficult, but it's certainly not all that uncommon for an average golfer to get an eagle (two under par) particularly on an easy par four...and this, too, would yield a score of two. Back-to-back twos while perhaps a bit unusual for an average golfer, are common everyday occurrences for professional golfers.

First answer by ID0000000000. Last edit by Joepoidog. Contributor trust: 759 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 128 [recommend question]