It makes sense that some of the jargon used on the golf course would be confusing to someone just starting out in the sport of golf. A novice may be unsure of what they are getting into as they try to understand why certain rules that have developed over time are in place. However, after some investigation and interaction with other golfers, the conditions and motivations will fall into place, allowing you to fully engage in this wonderful sport.
A rare bird is an albatross.
A golf course is made up of numerous holes that are all different lengths. A par three hole is typically shorter and requires a scratch handicap player to finish in three strokes, as the name suggests. A par four or par five are also longer holes that require four or five strokes to complete. To balance out the playing partners’ skill levels, the handicap of each player is considered.
The terminology used to describe the highs and lows of golf scoring has developed over time and is now widely accepted. A hole that a player completes in one stroke under par is known as a “Birdie,” and a hole that is completed in two strokes under par is known as an “Eagle.” Three strokes under par are extremely rare, and are celebrated as an albatross or, more specifically, as a “Double Eagle” in American golf.
Why the names of our feathered friends are revered so highly is a subject of much speculation. While a player may be happy with a birdie that puts them one shot under par, a larger, more elusive bird like the Eagle is more difficult to see, and an albatross that spends months in flight at sea is even rarer than three birdies.
How did the name “Birdie” come about?
The Atlantic City Golf Club in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, appears to have taken credit for coining the term “Birdie” for a golf score below par. According to a 1903 match mentioned by the USGA museum, Abner Smith, a golfer, hit his ball to within six inches of the par three hole his team was playing. He is quoted as saying ‘That was a bird of a shot’ This seems to be a slang word at the time meaning a great shot, and the word Birdie is now widely accepted as one under par
The Atlantic City Country Club installed a plaque on a granite boulder close to the twelfth hole where the historic event occurred to honor this occasion. The term “Birdie” quickly spread among the participants and gradually increased during competition between clubs. Ab Smith also appears to have claimed the term “Eagle” for two strokes under par, but this claim could not be supported.
A South African newspaper published the first account of an albatross in writing in 1931. The shot, a hole-in-one on the 18th hole of the Durban Country Club’s par four course, was credited to a Mr. E Wooler. As anyone can imagine, an albatross is a very uncommon occurrence, but this most memorable event happened at Augusta in the Masters in 1935 when Gene Sarazen managed to pull off the incredible shot that got him into a playoff that he won.