Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense Everywhere but the USA, a score of 3-under par on a hole is known as an albatross. Post to Facebook Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense Everywhere but the USA, a score of 3-under par on a hole is known as an albatross. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 3 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense AP Published 12:03 p.m. ET April 9, 2013 | Updated 12:05 p.m. ET April 9, 2013 Gene Sarazen as an honorary starter for the Masters in 1997. He was a seven-time major champion and one of only five players to win all four of golf's modern majors. Sarazen, who also helped put the Masters on the map, died in 1999.

(Photo: USA TODAY) Gene Sarazen's "shot heard round the world" in 1935 put the Masters on the map It also led to a golf term, double eagle, that doesn't really make sense Padraig Harrington: "It's an albatross ... There's no such thing in life as a double eagle" 168 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 3 COMMENTEMAILMORE AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Gene Sarazen hit "the shot heard 'round the world," holing out with a 4-wood from 235 yards in the 15th fairway at Augusta National in 1935. He put a 2 on his card, made up a three-shot deficit with one swing, and then beat Craig Wood in a playoff the next day. It was the shot that put the Masters on the map. And it led to a golf term that was made in America, used only in America, and doesn't make a lick of sense. Double eagle? The golf writers deserved a double bogey for that one. "It's an albatross," Padraig Harrington said, incredulous that anyone would dare call it anything else.

"There's no such thing in life as a double eagle. Is there? Two eagles side by side are two eagles, not a double eagle. You don't refer to animals ... 'Oh, I just saw a double elephant over there.' There's no doubting what it is. It's an albatross." On every other continent where golf is played, a score of 3-under par on a hole is known as an albatross. Where the term "double eagle" came from is one of golf's mysteries, and it simply doesn't add up. A birdie is universally known as a score of 1-under par on a hole. An eagle is 2-under par. Double that — a double eagle — and it would be 4-under par. "That's American mathematics for you," Hunter Mahan said. "That's why we're 40th in the world or whatever. I think albatross sounds cool." By whatever name, it's one of the rarest shots in golf. And it returned to the conversation last year at the Masters when Louis Oosthuizen made an albatross on the second hole of the final round.

He hit 4-iron from 253 yards, the first 2 on that hole in Masters history. There has been one albatross on each of the par 5s at Augusta National — Bruce Devlin on No. 8 in 1967, Jeff Maggert on No. 13 in 1994 and Sarazen on the 15th in 1935. Sarazen's was the most famous. It was the first of its kind, and it led to him winning the tournament. GALLERY: GETTING READY FOR THE MASTERS A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Tiger Woods hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during a practice round. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Tiger Woods and Fred Couples walk across the Nelson Bridge on Wednesday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Tiger Woods walks up to the 12th tee box on Wednesday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Sunrise at Augusta on Wednesday, and Fred Couples is out on a practice round. Andrew Redington, Getty Images Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain heads for the range Wednesday. David Goldman, AP Bubba Watson and his pink driver on Wednesday.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Keegan Bradley, Tiger Woods and Fred Couples walk into a bar. Just kidding. The three superstar golfers walk down the fairway of the 12th hole at Augusta on Wednesday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Justin Rose of England draws a crowd. Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images Rory McIlroy hits from the 13th fairway. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Tiger Woods hits a shot during a practice round of the Masters. Mike Ehrmann Getty Images Rickie Fowler hanging over the edge of sand trap on the 7th green during practice rounds on Tuesday. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Y.E. Yang on the 17th green. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports During practice rounds on Tuesday, 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson is wearing watch by Richard Mille. Cost $525,000 and made specifically for golf and for Watson. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Bubba Watson hits a tee shot on the 8th hole during a practice Tuesday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Three-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson walking with Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson up the 8th fairway during practice rounds on Tuesday.

Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Three-time Masters champion Gary Player practices his putting on Tuesday. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports John Rowan holds a fairway walk way sign at the ninth fairway during a practice round Tuesday. David Goldman AP Tiger Woods walks down the second fairway during a practice round for the Masters. Matt Slocum AP Rickie Fowler watches Dustin Johnson hit from the 7th fairway during practice rounds on Tuesday. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa hits a drive during Tuesday's practice round. Mike Ehrmann Getty Images Jack Nicklaus speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament. David Cannon Getty Images Phil Mickelson talks to the media after this Tuesday practice round. David Cannon Getty Images Phil Mickelson on the 2nd green during a practice round Tuesday.

Jack Gruber-USA TODAY USA TODAY Sports Tiger Woods and Fred Couples walk along a fairway during a practice round at the 77th Masters Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images Tiger Woods speaks to the media Tuesday David Cannon Getty Images Bo Van Pelt practices his bunker shots Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Former Masters winner Tom Watson hits an approach shot during a practice round Harry How Getty Images Ian Poulter of England looks at his yardage book during Tuesday's practice round Harry How Getty Images Professional golfer Cheyenne Woods at Augusta National. Woods is the niece of Tiger Woods and is working this week for Back9Network. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Rory McIlroy throws a ball during a practice round Tuesday. Jim Watson AFP/Getty Images Nicholas Casares sweeps at the entrance to the Augusta National Club House. David Goldman AP Rory McIlroy waits to play a tee shot during a practice round Tuesday. Mike Ehrmann Getty Images Rory McIlroy walking down the 13th fairway Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Y.E. Yang, of South Korea, watches as Kevin Na chips out of a bunker on the 10th hole during a practice round for the Masters.

Charlie Riedel AP The Masters logo is cut out of a seat on the driving range at Augusta. Matt Slocum AP Former British Open winner Paul Lawrie on the 2nd green during Tuesday practice. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Y.E. Yang, of South Korea, is silhouetted agains the sunlight as he walks to the 14th tee during a practice round Tuesday. Darron Cummings AP Three time Masters champ Phil Mickelson walking the 2nd fairway during practice rounds on Tuesday. Jack Gruber USA TODAY 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson hits to the number 2 green during practice round on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Rory McIlroy hitting tee shot on number 8 at the Augusta National Golf Club on Monday. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Tigers Woods walking with practice round partner 14-year-old Tianlang Guan. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports George Coetzee practices his iron shots on Monday at Augusta National. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Lee Westwood walks from the tee after hitting a shoton number 8 at the Augusta National Golf Club.

Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Tigers Woods walks across the Byron Nelson Bridge at Augusta National with Gian Tianlang, the 14-year-old who won the fourth-annual Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Azaleas in bloom on the hillside near 6th tee on the backside of the Augusta National Golf Club during Masters practice round play. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Bubba Watson blasts out of the sand during a Monday practice round for this week's Masters. Watson is the defending champion. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Bernhard Langer chipping during a Monday Masters practice round play at Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Y.E. Yang of South Korea during Monday's practice at Augusta National. Don Emmert, AFP/Getty Images Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler play a practice round Monday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, chips out of a bunker during a practice round for the Masters. David Goldman AP Tiger Woods laughs on the practice tee at Augusta National. Mike Ehrmann Getty Images Tiger Woods and his swing coach, Sean Foley, stand on the range Monday of Masters week.

Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images Tiger Woods and China's Guan Tianlang talk at the driving range at Augusta National. Don Emmert AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen 14-year-old Guan Tianlang from China hits from pine straw on the 14th fairway at the Augusta National Golf Club. Guan who won the fourth-annual Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in November, makes him the youngest competitor in Masters history. He will be 14 years, 5 months and 17 days old when play begins at the Masters. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 14-year-old Tianlang Guan from China listens along with his father Guan Han Wen, second from left, to two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw walking the 13th fairway at the Augusta National Golf Club. Tianlang Guan who won the fourth-annual Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in November, makes him the youngest competitor in Masters history. He will be 14 years, 5 months and 17 days old when play begins at the Masters.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Ben Crenshaw laughs along with Guan Han Wen, the father of 14-year-old Guan Tianlang from China, after Crenshaw sank a difficult putt he was demonstrating to the teenage golfer on the 14th green at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal hits from the number two fairway during Masters practice round play at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Spectators watch as Tiger Woods, center, tees off to the 12th hole during a Monday practice round. Charlie Riedel AP A patrons wears a Masters shirt during a practice round on Monday. Andrew Redington Getty Images Justin Rose, of England, hits off the fourth fairway during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament. Charlie Riedel AP Hunter Mahan on the 15th green during practice round play at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber USA TODAY Sports Martin Kaymer of Germany looks at a shot with his caddie during a practice round prior to the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament. Andrew Redington Getty Images Spectators watch practice rounds for the Masters golf tournament Monday.

David Goldman AP Spectators wait for player autographs near the driving range during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament on Monday. Darron Cummings AP 2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrera laughs on the 2nd green with practice round partner Jose Maria Olazabal during Masters practice round play at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Russell Henley, right, talking with two-time Masters champ Tom Watson on the 2nd green during Masters practice round play at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Amateur Nathan Smith, who won the 2012 US Mid-Amateur Championship for players age 25 and older for the fourth time and a fourth trip the The Masters, looks ahead to the 2nd green during Masters practice round play at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano putting on the 2nd green during Masters practice round. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports In front of the clubhouse early Monday morning.

Charlie Riedel, AP 1998 Masters champion Mark O'Meara hitting from the 17th fairway at the Augusta National Golf Club on Monday, April 8, 2013. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports The sun rises on Masters week. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Jose Maria Olazabal, of Spain, putts on the practice green during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament. Charlie Riedel AP Defending champion Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler stroll down the fairway during a Monday practice round for the 2013 Masters. Darron Cummings AP Huntler Mahan lines up a putt during a Monday practice round for the Masters. Harry How Getty Images The azaleas are blooming at Augusta National. Darron Cummings AP Defending champion Bubba Watson waits to hit a shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament. Harry How Getty Images The USA's Michael Thompson hits a tee shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament.

Harry How Getty Images Mark O'Meara, the 1998 Masters winner, practices on Monday prior to the 2013 tournament. Harry How Getty Images Defending champ Bubba Watson at the practice tee on Monday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Ryo Ishikawa, of Japan, looks to the second green before hitting during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament. Charlie Riedel AP The tenth green is seen during a practice round prior to the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Harry How Getty Images The crowds begin gathering early Monday around the No. 2 green as Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler play a practice round. Andrew Redington, Getty Images A Masters flag and Rickie Fowler's bag. Andrew Redington Getty Images Amanda and Frank Meador of Martinez, Ga., pause to have photos made in front of the 2013 Masters board on Monday. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Guan Tianland of China gestures during a practice round for the 2013 Masters. The 14-year-old is the youngest ever in the Masters. He won the Asia Pacific Championship. Harry How Getty Images Like this topic?

You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Meaning of Golf Words - Par, Bogey, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross - Scottish Golf History Bogey to Blow-Up There is quite a history behind the golfing terms bogey, par, birdie, eagle and albatross. Bogey and par were central to the development of handicapping, pioneered by the LGU . The modern meaning of three of the terms - bogey, birdie and eagle - comes from their use in USA. Bogey Par Birdie Eagle Albatross Bogey "Bogey" was the first stroke system, developed in England at the end of the 19th Century. The full history is given in Robert Browning's History of Golf 1955 .

In 1890 Mr Hugh Rotherham Secretary of the Coventry Golf Club conceived the idea of standardising the number of shots at each hole that a good golfer should take, which he called the 'ground score.' Great Yarmouth where term Bogey was first coined Dr Browne, Secretary of the Great Yarmouth Club, adopted the idea, and, with the assent of the club's golfers, this style of competition was introduced there for use in match play. During one competition Mr CA Wellman (possibly Major Charles Wellman) exclaimed to Dr Browne that, "This player of yours is a regular Bogey man". This was probably a reference to the eponymous subject of an Edwardian music hall song "Hush! Hush! Hush! Here Comes the Bogey Man", which was popular at that time. So at Yarmouth and elsewhere the ground score became known as the bogey score. A 'bogle' was a Scottish goblin as far back as the 16th Century and a Bogey-man was a widely used term for a goblin or devil. Golfers of the time considered they were playing a Mister Bogey when measuring themselves against the bogey score.

This allowed the introduction of bogey competitions, which we would call handicap competitions or stablefords. On 2nd January 1892, The Field reported that 'a novelty was introduced in the shape of a bogey tournament for a prize. ... Fourteen couples started but the bogey defeated them all.' In 1892, Colonel Seely-Vidal, the Hon Secretary of the United Servic es Club at Gosport, also worked out the 'bogey' for his course. The United Club was a services club and all the members had a military rank. They could not measure themselves against a 'Mister' Bogey or have him as a member, so 'he' was given the honorary rank of Colonel. Thus the term 'Colonel Bogey' was born. Later, in the middle of 20th century, bogey was used as the term of one above par. Par Par is derived from the stock exchange term that a stock may be above or below its normal or 'par' figure.

In 1870, Mr AH Doleman, a golf writer, asked the golf professionals David Strath and James Anderson, what score would win 'The Belt', then the winning trophy for 'The Open', at Prestwick, where it was first held annually from 1861 to 1870. Strath and Anderson said that perfect play should produce a score of 49 for Prestwick's twelve holes. Mr Doleman called this 'par' for Prestwick and subsequently Young Tom Morris won with a score of two strokes 'over par' for the three rounds of 36 holes. Tom Morris Jnr Youngest Open Winner Although the first noted use of the word "par" in golf was in Britain and predates the bogey, today's rating system does not and the par standard was not further developed until later. It was the Ladies Golf Association, who, from 1893, began to develop a national handicapping system for women . It was largely in place by the end of the Century. The Men's association, founded in 1894, followed suit a few year's later.

In 1911, the United States Golf Association (Men) of the day laid down the following very modern distances for determining par: Up to 225 yards Over 601 yards Par 6 As golf developed, scores were coming down, but many old British courses did not adjust their courses or their bogey scores, which meant good golfers and all the professionals were achieving lower than a bogey score. This meant the US had an up-to-date national standard of distances for holes, while the British bogey ratings were determined by each club and were no longer appropriate for professionals. The Americans began referring to one over par as a bogey, much to the British chagrin. By 1914, British golf magazines were agitating for a ratings system similar to the US. However the Great War 1914-18 intervened and it was not until 1925 that a Golf Unions' Joint Advisory Committee of the British Isles was formed to assign Standard Scratch Scores (SSS), to golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland. Today, this committee is known as the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU).

It is the Golf Unions of each country (and not the Royal and Ancient) who determine pars and handicaps. Birdie "Birdie", meaning a score of one stroke under Par, comes from the early 20th century American slang term "bird", meaning anything excellent. The September 1911 edition of Maclean Magazine described a golf shot as - '"bird" straight down the course, about two hundred and fifteen yards.' The Country Club in Atlantic City lay claim to the first use of the word 'birdie' itself, as mentioned on the USGA website. In 1962 the US greenkeepers' magazine reported a conversation with A B Smith. He recounted that, in 1898/9, he and his brother, William P Smith, and their friend, George A Crump, who later built Pine Valley, were playing the par-four second hole at Atlantic City, when Ab Smith's second shot went within inches of the hole. Smith said "That was a bird of shot" and claimed he should get double money if he won with one under par, which was agreed.

He duly holed his putt to win with one under par and the three of them thereafter referred to such a score as a "birdie". The Atlantic City Club date the event to 1903. The First Birdie Hole, Courtesy of Atlantic City County Club By 1913, the term had crossed the Atlantic and Bernard Darwin writing in the September 1913 issue of Country Life of a visit to the USA said "It takes a day or two for the English onlooker to understand that ... a 'birdie' is a hole done in a stroke under par." Eagle White tailed Sea Eagle, courtesy of RSPB "Eagle", a score of two under par for a given hole, was clearly the extension of the theme of birds for good scores from a " birdie ". It would be natural for American golfers to think of the eagle, which is their national symbol and the term seems to have developed only shortly after the 'birdie'. Ab Smith ( see Birdie above ) said that his group referred to two under as an 'eagle'.

By 1919 the term was being introduced to Britain, as when Mr H D Gaunt's explained the use of 'birdie' and 'eagle' that he met in Canada . For many years, eagle was always introduced as American terms, as in 1922 when Cecil (Cecilia) Leitch described a putt for a 3 on a par-5 hole as 'securing what is known in American golfing parlance as an "eagle"' (Golf XII 1922 p 202). Albatross Albatross is the term for three under par and is a continuation of the birdie and eagle theme, but is in fact a British term. Ab Smith said his group used the phrase 'double eagle' for three under ( see Birdie above ), which is still the term most Americans and the name for their Double Eagle Club (membership by invitation only). Three under par is a very rare score and an albatross is a very rare bird. The exact origin is unclear but the first known reference in 1929 indicates that it had been in use for some time before then.

John G Ridland, who scored an 'albatross' in India in 1934 , theorized that it was the introduction of steel shafted clubs in 1920s which made this score achievable enough to necessitate a name for it. Durban Country Club 18th Hole site of first recorded albatross, a hole-in-one on 271 yard par-4 The first ‘albatross’ score reported as such in the press is from South Africa when E E Wooler scored a hole-in-one in the summer of 1931 on the 18th hole of the Durban Country Club which is a par-4. It cost £40 in drinks but, had he known that he was making history, he would not have minded. More details of the first albatrosses, are given in The Albatross has Landed in News section. The Whaup and Double Bogeys No standard terms for 2 or 3 or more over Par have emerged. They are just double and triple Bogeys. Depending upon how good you are, anything over 7, 8 or 9 will be a ‘Blow-up’ or a ‘Disaster’.

Joyce Wethered once suggested that a hole-in-one should be called a Curlew, known in Scottish as a 'Whaup', which, though fitting, did not catch on. It seems that golfing terms came into popular use in much the same way as you find new words being invented and used on the Internet. If they sound good, people start using them. What we do not hear about are all the terms, such as beantops , that never made it because they did not catch on. Only the future can tell which of the terms that we invent will still be being used in a hundred years time. Scottish Golf History Golf Terms Subscribe Golf Terms Ever wonder what all those golf terms mean? What’s a bogey? What is all this talk about the back side? How much does a free drop cost? Unless you know the answers to these questions, you had better read up here. We’ve tried to make it a little easier for you and even inserted a couple of funnies too. We’ve researched our massive memories (that is the 1st funny!) and come up with a whole bunch of golf terms to assist you on the course and in the clubhouse.

That’s right, you can be that guy who knows all the cool things to say… read on! ACE – This is a term used when a golfer makes a hole in one! In other words, the tee shot is hit and it goes into the hole – how about that! ADDRESS – Contrary to popular belief, this is not where the mailman delivers to but it is the position of one’s body taken just before the golfer hits the ball. You will often hear the term “addressing the ball” which means the golfer is standing there preparing to hit the ball. ALBATROSS – An old British name for a double eagle. What’s that you say, two eagles? No, it means you scored 3 under par on a single hole! In other words, you scored a 2 on a par 5 hole. It’s a very good score and doesn’t happen very often. APPROACH – This is a short or medium iron which is played into the green. Often referred to as an “approach shot”. APRON – The closely cut area just around the edge of the green. Often referred to as the “Fringe”.

BACKSPIN – This is a reverse spin, which causes the ball to stop very quickly on the green. BACKSWING – The backward part of the swing starting from the ground and going back over the top of the golfer’s head. BAIL OUT – A shot played to the “safe” part of the course. For example if the flag is right next to the water and the golfer intentionally shoots away from the flag to avoid the water – thus “bailing out” BALL MARKER – A token or small coin which is placed directly just behind the ball in order to mark the position of the ball on the green. This is usually done to allow another player who is farther away to putt without hitting any other balls. BALL RETRIEVER – A long pole with a scoop on the end of it used to get balls out of water hazards. BALL WASHER – Come on, this one is self explanatory. These are found all over the golf course usually at the tee boxes. They clean and wash your ball. BANANA BALL – A slice that curves in a banana like shape from left to right (for right-handed golfers). BASEBALL GRIP – Holding the golf club like one would hold a baseball bat.

All 10 fingers are on the grip. BEACH – An expression for sandtrap. (i.e. I’m in the beach) BENT GRASS – Type of grass which is found in mostly in northern climates. BERMUDA GRASS – Now think about this one for just a minute. This is a type of grass found mostly in southern climates, as it is tougher and more resilient to harsh sunlight. Kind of like you would find in… that’s right Bermuda! You are a genius! BIRDIE – A score of 1 under par for a hole. (i.e. a score of 3 on a par 4 hole) BITE – A term used for the action of the backspin on the ball stopping it very quickly on the green. BOGEY – A score of 1 over par on a hole. (i.e. a score of 5 on a par 4 hole) BUNKER – Another name for a sandtrap. CADDIE – A person who carries a player’s clubs during play and offers assistance in accordance with the rules. CARRY – The distance in the air that a ball must travel before it hits the ground. (i.e.

you need 160 yards to carry the water means you need to hit the ball 160 yards in the air to clear the water) CASUAL WATER – No this is not water dressed in blue jeans and T-shirt but rather any temporary puddles of water on the course which are not supposed to be there, like say for instance after a rainstorm. There is no penalty for a player to move his ball out of casual water. CHIP SHOT – A short approach shot with a low trajectory usually hit from close to the green. CHIP IN – This happens when you hit a chip shot (see above) into the cup. (Note: this is usually good!) CHOKE – This word has two meanings. One is to grip lower on the club than normal (you may hear the term “choke down” on the club) The other definition in golf (and most other sports) means to collapse under pressure (i.e. he “choked” under the pressure of the Master’s). CHOP – To hit the ball with a hacking motion or the word immediately after “pork”. CLUBHEAD – The hitting area of the golf club.

CLUBHOUSE – The main building at the golf course where players usually go to have refreshments and tell about their 2 under par round (note: at times, you can actually see their noses grow!) COURSE RATING – The difficulty of a course. Usually the higher the course rating the harder it is. CUP – The thing in the hole that holds the flagstick. DEUCE – Hmmm, now lets see, if an ace is a hole in one, then a deuce must be a hole in two! That’s right Sherlock! It is a score of 2 on a hole! DIMPLE – The small round indentations on the golf ball. A lot of really smart guys (some call them scientists) got together and figured out how many dimples would help the ball fly straight and true. DIVOT – A piece of ground that is taken up by the club after hitting the ball. A good golfer ALWAYS replaces his divots and tamps them back down so they will grow back again! DOGLEG – This is one of two things.

It is either one of four things that Rover walks on or it is a hole that goes straight for a while then has a bend (or “dogleg”) to the left or right. You decide which fits here! DOUBLE BOGEY – A score of two over par for one hole. These are not very good! DOUBLE EAGLE – NO, this is NOT two eagles, but it is a good score for one hole! In fact it is an excellent score for one hole – three under par for one hole! (i.e. a two on a par five!) This is also referred to as an “albatross”. DOWNHILL LIE – The ball is on the downslope of a hill. When a right handed player addresses the ball his right foot will be higher than his left foot. DRAIN – To make a putt (“drain it”). DRAW SHOT – This is when a right handed player hits a controlled hook, which goes from right to left. DRIVE – This is the term which means your tee shot. It is also usually the way you get to the golf course. DRIVER – This is the club known as the 1 wood. It is usually the club that hits the ball the farthest.

It is also a person that very rich people have to haul them around. DROP – This is a way that you get the ball back in play after hitting a shot into the water or out of bounds. This also happens to waitresses when they carry too many plates. DUB – A poorly hit shot. I “dubbed” that shot. DUFFER – One who hits a lot of bad shots. Can also be called a “hacker”. EAGLE – This is a bird in real life, but in golf it means a score of 2 under par on a hole. (I.e. a score of 3 on a par 5 hole) FACE – This is what you see when you look in the mirror and it is also the part of the clubhead that makes contact with the ball. FADE – This is a shot (for a right-handed golfer) which curves gradually from left to right. FAIRWAY – This is the area on the golf course which lies directly between the tee box and the green and is cut really short and maintained really nice. You want to hit from this area if at all possible. FAT SHOT – This is a shot which is not good.

The club hits the ground behind the ball and results in a poorly struck shot that usually doesn’t go very far. FLAGSTICK – Come’on, you gotta know this one. FLUB – See dub above. FOLLOW-THROUGH – The continuation of the golf swing to the end. FORE – This is spelled differently than the number 4. This is the term yelled when one hits a shot toward another person on the golf course to alert him/her of impending doom from being hit by the ball. FOURSOME – A term given to a group of… come’on how many do you think players? (hint: 4!) FREE DROP – A drop that you don’t have to pay for, really that is correct, you get to drop the ball and don’t have to add a stroke to your score. This can happen when there is casual water on the course or ground under repair. FRINGE – The closely cut area just around the edge of the green. FRONT SIDE – The first nine holes is usually referred to as the “front side”.

GIMME – A term for a putt that is close enough to the cup that it will certainly be made so the other player says “it’s a gimme” and the player doesn’t have to putt it. However, he does need to add this stroke to his score! GRAIN – This is the direction that the grass on the green is growing. A golf ball will roll faster with the grain and slower against it. GREEN – This is a color and also the term used to describe the putting surface on the golf course. GRIP – This refers to either the part of the shaft by which the club is held by the golfer or the manner in which the golfer holds the club. (i.e. an overlapping grip) GROSS – The total number of strokes a player takes on his round. GROUNDING THE CLUB – Placing the clubhead on the ground behind the ball at address position. GROUND UNDER REPAIR – An area on the golf course that is being repaired. Golfers are able to take a “free drop” if their ball ends up in ground under repair. HACKER – A golfer who is not very skilled. Same as a duffer.

HANDICAP – The number of strokes a player may deduct from his actual (or gross) score to adjust his score to that of a scratch golfer. HAZARD – A hazard is any sand trap, lake, pond, bunker, etc. that may cause problems on the golf course. It is normally a good idea to avoid a hazard on the golf course. HEEL – What you tell your dog to do when walking him/her OR the part of the clubhead nearest the shaft. HOLE – A 4 inch round receptacle on the green that you try to get your ball into. HOLE HIGH – An approach shot which is even with the hole but off to one side. HOLE-IN-ONE – See ACE above. HOLE OUT – the process of a player completing the hole. HONOR – the privilege of hitting first on the next tee. The “honor” is gained by having the lowest score on the preceding hole. HOOK – To hit the ball and have it curve gradually from right to left (for right-handed golfers). HOSEL – The hollow part of the clubhead that the shaft fits into.

INTERLOCKING GRIP – A type of grip where the little finger of the lower hand is interlocked with the index finger of the upper hand. IRON – A club with a metal head which is not a wood! JAIL – A golfer’s term for a ball hit into a lot of trees which makes it very difficult to hit your ball out of…”in jail” JUNGLE – A golfers term for heavy rough or in the woods. (i.e. in the jungle) KICK – A golfer’s term for bounce. (I got a bad kick means I got a bad bounce) LAG – To putt the ball with the intention of leaving it short of the hole so that the golfer is able to have a very easy putt on the next shot. LATERAL HAZARD – Any hazard that runs parallel to the fairway. LIE – This is what you tell your wife when she asks if you went to work and you really went golfing OR it is the position that the ball ends up when it comes to rest on the ground. LINKS – Another word for a golf course. This originally meant a seaside course. LIP – The top rim of the cup or what you have two of on your face.

LOB SHOT – A shot that goes straight up in the air and stops very quickly on the green. LOCAL RULES – A set of rules for a particular golf course as determined by that course. LOFT – This is an apartment in England OR it is the angle of the clubface from vertical. MATCH PLAY – This is a form of competition by holes. Each hole is worth one point no matter how many strokes one player beats another by. MEDAL PLAY – This is a form of competition decided by the overall number of strokes. This may also be referred to as stroke play. MULLIGAN – An extra shot which your opponent MAY allow you to take if you hit a really bad first shot. NOTE: this is NOT the way we suggest to play golf. MUNICIPAL COURSE – A public course which is owned by a local government agency. NASSAU – A form of competition which breaks down the play into front nine, back nine and overall 18 holes. A point is allowed for each nine and the total 18. NINETEENTH HOLE – Another term for the clubhouse or in particular the bar at the clubhouse. This is Waggle’s favorite hole!

OFFSET – A club with the head slightly behind (or offset) the shaft. OUT-OF-BOUNDS – The area outside of the golf course limits in which play is prohibited. If you hit the ball out of bounds you must hit again from the same spot and take a penalty stroke. OVERCLUBBING – Using a club that will hit the ball farther than necessary. PAR – The number of stokes that is recommended to take to complete a hole (or 18 holes). PENALTY STROKE – An additional stroke which is added to a golfer’s score for a rules violation, going out of bounds, losing a ball, or various other situations. PIN – This is the flagstick or the pole that is in the cup. PITCH – A short high arcing shot that lands on the green and usually stops quickly. PITCH AND RUN – Same as a pitch but hit with a lesser lofted club which causes it to roll farther. PIVOT – The rotation of the shoulders, waist, and pelvis during the golf swing. PLAYING THROUGH – The process of slower players in front of faster players allowing the faster players to move ahead of the slower group.

PREFERRED LIE – A lie that may be improved by a player. PRO SHOP – The golf course shop operated by the golf pro. PROVISIONAL BALL – An additional ball which is hit in case the first ball can not be found. If the first ball is found, it is played. If the first ball is not found, the provisional must be played and the player is assessed a penalty stroke. PULL – A ball that is pulled (or hit) to the left of the target (for right handers). PUNCH THE GREENS – No we’re not mad and hitting the greens… this is another way to say the greens are being aerified. PUSH – A ball that is pushed (or hit) to the right of the target (for right handers). PUTT – A shot that rolls on the green hit with the putter. PUTTER – The club with a flat face used to putt. Often called the “flat stick” PUTTING GREEN – The surface area around the hole that is specially prepared for putting. RANGE – This is the area where you go to practice. It usually has many stations to hit practice shots. READING THE GREEN – Determining which way the putt will curve based upon the slope of the green.

ROUGH – Long grass area adjacent to the fairway. Normally you try to avoid the rough. ROUND – Complete 18 holes of golf. (i.e. a round of golf is the playing of 18 holes) RUN – The distance the ball will travel along the ground after it lands. SANDBAGGER – This is a golfer who purposely tells others that he is a worse golfer than he really is in order to gain an edge in competition. SAND TRAP – The common name for a sand hazard. These are areas that are filled with sand and should be avoided. SAND WEDGE – An iron normally used to hit the ball out of the sand. It can also be used on short pitch shots. SANDY – A player makes a sandy when he hits a shot out of the sand and sinks the following putt. SCRATCH GOLFER – A player who has a handicap of 0. This player will theoretically shoot even par or better every time out. SHORT GAME – The part of the game made up of chipping, putting and other shots around the green. SHOTGUN START – A method of starting play where players go to every tee box on the golf course and hit their tee shots at the same time.

Sometimes a horn is sounded to start play. SIDE – This is a term, which is interchangeable with the word “nine” as in front side which means the front nine or front nine holes. Now if you are really smart, you can also figure out that the back side is the back nine or last nine holes! SIDEHILL LIE – This refers to a lie when the ball is resting on a slope and the golfer’s feet are either above or below the ball. SLICE – This is either a piece of bread or a shot struck by a golfer which curves pretty severely from left to right (for a right handed golfer). SLOPE RATING – USGA term that represents the difficulty of a course for bogey golfers relative to the USGA Course Rating (which represents the difficulty for scratch golfers). The higher the slope, the more difficult the course plays for bogey golfers. Slope ratings range from 55 to 155 and 113 is considered average. SNAKE – An award 🙁 given to a player in a friendly game when the player three putts. Whoever has the snake at the end of the round usually ‘gets’ to treat the other players to a beverage.

STARTER – The person who is responsible for sending the groups of players off the first tee. Usually the starter is located somewhere close to the first hole. STIMPMETER – This is a device which is used to calibrate the speed of the greens. Often referred to as ‘stimp’. A reading of 5 to 11 is the normal range with 5 being slow and 11 being extremely (PGA) fast! STONY – You just stuck it next to the pin… congratulations on the stony. This is the shot you wiggle and grunt to try and make it go in because you hit it so close to the hole. STROKE – This is often used in the following context, “how many STROKES are you giving me” which means how many shots or additional swings are you giving me to even out the match. It can also be the term used for the actual process of swinging the club through the ball. SUDDEN DEATH – This is a method of breaking a tied match by playing extra holes. The first player to win a hole is the winner. SUMMER RULES – Ordinary rules according to the rulebook. SWEET SPOT – The center point on the face of the club.

When you hit it here it feels really good! TAKEAWAY – This is what a golfer does when he starts the backswing. TEE – This is the wooden (usually) peg which is used to hold the ball up for driving. It is also the term for the area where play begins on a particular hole (i.e. the third tee is where the third hole starts) TEXAS WEDGE – The term for the putter when it is used from off the green. THREESOME – Hmmm… now if you think about this you might just get it. Hint: it refers to three players playing in the same group. TIGHT FAIRWAY – A narrow fairway with not much area on either side to miss. TOE – This is a term for what you have on your feet OR it refers to the part of the club farthest from where it joins the shaft. TRAJECTORY – The flight path of the ball. If it goes way up in the air it is referred to a high trajectory. TURN – To start the back nine holes. To “make the turn” means you have finished the 1st nine holes and are “turning” to the 2nd nine.

UNDERCLUBBING – Using a club that does not provide enough distance to hit the ball to the intended target. UNPLAYABLE LIE – A lie from which the ball can not be hit. (i.e. it is up against a tree and the player can not hit it) WAGGLE – The movement of the clubhead just prior to the player taking a swing. WEDGE – An iron with a high loft used for short shots requiring a high trajectory. WHIFF – Swinging and missing the ball. WINTER RULES – Local golf rules that permit the player to improve the lie of the ball in the fairway. There may be additional winter rules allowed depending on the golf course condition. WOOD – A club (either wood or metal) which is used for shots requiring a lot of distance. WORMBURNER – A shot which skims very low along the ground. Thus killing any worms that may be poking their heads up. Golf Albatross | Cure A Slice Golf Albatross This term is much less commonly known or used in the golf scoring system; probably because it is so rare. Most golfers will never sniff the albatross golf term in their own golfing vocabulary.

An albatross golf score is a term used for three under par on any one single hole. An albatross is an extremely rare sea bird, and it’s the largest of all sea birds. Their wing span can be more than 10 feet long, and they can fly for extremely long periods of time and distances. This is the reasoning behind why it’s used for a three under par golf score on one hole; because it’s so rare, but also maybe because in order to land an albatross golf score on your card, you’re going to have to hit a golf ball that will fly for a long time and for a far distance. A golfer can only achieve an albatross in golf on par 4s and par 5s. It’s impossible to make an albatross on a par 3 because that would mean you would have to make a zero to achieve three under par…and that’s not possible. Any albatross golf score is made mainly on par 5s by holing out from the fairway on the second shot to make a two.

This is because of the simple fact that there are far more chances to reach a par 5 in two than there are driveable par 4s on the golf courses across the world. An albatross golf score is so rare that it’s hardly ever seen on TV or in person, or much less even heard about. The only way to make a golf albatross on a par 4 is to make a hole-in-one, and these scores are only reserved for the longest hitters of the golf ball because that’s the only chance. You’ve probably heard the term “never up, never in”. It’s so true in that if you can’t get the ball to the hole, you’ll never get the ball in the hole. That’s a prerequisite of making a golf albatross on a par 4…oh yeah, and then there’s that accuracy thing too that you’ll need to take into consideration. This term is often misspelled, probably because it’s not used often or seen very often, or much less even talked about. It is often referred to as a golf albatros with only one “s”. But if you can make one, I’ll let you spell it any way you wish.

You say golf albatross, I say golf albatros. You say tomato, I say tomato. The term probably used more so than the actual golf albatross term is “double eagle”. These terms are interchangeable as they both mean the same thing. But if you think about it, wouldn’t a double eagle mean four under par? I mean, if one eagle is two under par, wouldn’t doubling that mean four under par? This term has never made sense to me, but it’s still probably used more often than the real albatross golf term. Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address What Is An Albatross In Golf? (And Origins of the Term) Updated May 06, 2016. In golf, "albatross" is a term for scoring 3-under par on an individual hole. Yes, albatross is another word for a double eagle - the two terms are identical in meaning. But, as we'll see below, albatross is the more widely used term.

Albatrosses - save for holes-in-one on par-5s , which are nearly (but not quite) non-existent - are the rarest scores in golf. Albatrosses are far more rare than aces . Related: What are the odds of making an albatross? The Scores That Result in an Albatross Remember that " par " is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete the play of a hole. And each hole on a golf course is assigned a par rating. With that in mind, a golfer gets to claim an albatross by: Scoring a 1 (making a hole-in-one) on a par-4 hole ; Scoring 2 on a par-5 hole . Par-6 holes are rare in golf, but they do exist. So you can also make an albatross by scoring 3 on a par-6. Albatrosses on par-3 holes are impossible. Origins of the Golf Use of 'Albatross' You know what an albatross is in golf, but why that word? continue reading below our video LeBron vs. Michael: Who's Better?

How did "albatross" come to be used as the word for 3-under par on a hole? It was simply in keeping with the already established avian theme of terms applied to below-par golf scores. Birdie , for 1-under par on a hole, came first. Eagle , for 2-under par, evolved next. (See The Origins of Birdie and Eagle in Golf for more about that.) Scores of 3-under par on a hole are rare today, but were even rarer in the early part of the 20th century, when, because of equipment limitations, golfers generally hit the ball shorter distances. So a term for the score of 3-under might not even have been considered necessary for a long time. According to ScottishGolfHistory.org, the earliest use of albatross, in its golf sense, in print occurred in a British newspaper in 1929. The British Golf Museum, meanwhile, says that "albatross" became commonly used by golfers only in the 1930s. But again, why albatross? The albatross is a bird, of course, and some albatrosses are quite large with impressive wingspans.

Perhaps golfer and U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy said it best: "It (an albatross bird) is grand, which is what describes the shot." (The shot being the one the golfer holed out with to make the score.) Double Eagle vs. Albatross The two terms are identical in meaning, but where are they used? This is easy: "Double eagle" is the preferred term in the United States, "albatross" is used almost everywhere else. Why "double eagle" came to be the commonly used term in the U.S. probably dates to the 1935 Masters . That's where Gene Sarazen hit a shot that is still among the most famous in golf history, a par-5 hole-out from 200-plus yards on the 15th hole of the fourth round for a double eagle (excuse me, albatross) that helped propel him to victory. In the American newspaper articles the next day, the shot was called a double eagle.

And that term gained primacy in American golf over "albatross." Outside the United States, however, albatross is used almost exclusively - except when golf fans in other countries hear American golfers or golf broadcasters using "double eagle." Australian golfer Ogilvy once told USA Today that, "I didn't know what a double eagle was until I came to the United States." Another Australian golfer, John Senden, said the same thing: "Growing up it was always an albatross. I never knew it was anything different until I was maybe 15." The same article quotes Irish golfer Padraig Harrington disparaging the use of "double eagle": "It's an albatross. There's no such thing in life as a double eagle. Is there? Two eagles side by side are two eagles, not a double eagle. You don't refer to animals ... 'Oh, I just saw a double elephant over there.' There's no doubting what it is.

It's an albatross." There are many American golfers (and golf media members) who'd like to get the United States onto "albatross" and off of "double eagle." But, then, the rest of the world has been trying to get us to switch to the metric system for decades, so ... it probably won't work.

Question: What is the European term of a golf score known in the USA as a double eagle?
Answer: Albatross