Par for the Course, or as Expected?

Par means as good as what you had expected, or what you demanded from it. It has a connection with the first expression, par for the course, in the sense of as expected. But it's more positive, isn't it? If something's up to par, you expected it to be good, because it usually is good, and it was. We're not surprised, as expected, but probably in a negative way - just the same old, boring, or unexciting, or uninspiring thing as always. Exactly.