Par can be used in finance, but is most familiar in golf. It is the number of hits that a golfer should take to go from tee off, to ball in the hole, for each hole. This also applies over the course of nine or eighteen holes. A golfer is said to be at par if the number hit equals the course par, but over-par, if the golfer hit more. You can find more information here:
. http://www.worldgolf.com/wglibrary/reference/dictionary/ppage.html
