Par For The Hole - FreeCodeCamp #154 Daily Challenge

Par For The Hole: Analysis & Explanation

Problem Statement

Given the par for a golf hole and the number of strokes taken, return the score using classic golf terms:

• “Hole in one!” if done in a single stroke.
• “Eagle” if done in two strokes less than par.
• “Birdie” if done in one stroke less than par.
• “Par” if done in the same number of strokes as par.
• “Bogey” if done in one stroke more than par.
• “Double bogey” if done in two strokes more than par.

Initial Analysis

Understanding the Problem

The problem requires comparing two integers and returning the appropriate term according to the difference between strokes and par, following golf rules.

Test Cases

• golfScore(3, 3) → “Par”
• golfScore(4, 3) → “Birdie”
• golfScore(3, 1) → “Hole in one!”
• golfScore(5, 7) → “Double bogey”
• golfScore(4, 5) → “Bogey”
• golfScore(5, 3) → “Eagle”

Solution Development

Approach

The approach consists of a series of conditionals that compare the two integers and return the corresponding string according to golf rules.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Define the function golfScore that takes two parameters: par and strokes.
2. Use conditionals to compare strokes with par and return the appropriate string.

Final Code

/**
 * Determines the golf score based on par and strokes taken.
 * @param {number} par - The par for the hole.
 * @param {number} strokes - The number of strokes taken.
 * @returns {string} The score in golf terms.
 */
function golfScore(par, strokes) {
  if (strokes === 1)
    return 'Hole in one!'
  if (strokes <= par - 2)
    return 'Eagle'
  if (strokes === par - 1)
    return 'Birdie'
  if (strokes === par)
    return 'Par'
  if (strokes === par + 1)
    return 'Bogey'
  if (strokes === par + 2)
    return 'Double bogey'
  // Optional: handle other cases
  return 'Out of range'
}

Complexity Analysis

Time Complexity

The function performs simple conditional comparisons, all in constant time. Therefore, the time complexity is $O(1)$.

Space Complexity

Space usage is $O(1)$, as no additional structures are used.

Edge Cases & Considerations

• If strokes are less than par - 2 (e.g., par 5 and 2 strokes), the function returns “Eagle”.
• If strokes are greater than par + 2, it now returns “Out of range” for clarity.

Reflections & Learnings

Concepts Applied

• Use of chained conditionals to map simple business rules
• Simulation of scoring logic based on domain rules (golf)

Possible Optimizations

• The function can be extended to include other golf terms if required.

Resources & References

• Wikipedia: Par (score)
• Wikipedia: Glossary of golf

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