Fore! - Scottish Golf History Scottish Golf History Disclaimer Fore! The etymology for the word "Fore!" is not absolutely certain. The Oxford English Dictionary records its first use in 1878 as a warning cry to people in front of a golf stroke and, like most people, believes it is an abbreviation of the word 'before'. There is an earlier reference in 1857 in a glossary of golfing terms. Its origin is almost certainly earlier and bound up with that of the word Caddie. Currently there are three explanations for the origins of term FORE! From Forecaddie! to Fore! Because golf balls were expensive, golfers employed "Forecaddies" to stand where the ball might land and reduce the number of lost balls, as is done in tournaments today. In 1824 the Rules of the Thistle Golf Club recount a conversation which a youthful Mr Tytler of Woodhouselee, an 'Antiquary' in Edinburgh, had with the aged Andrew Dickson when he said that he had performing this role for the Duke of York in 1681 at Leith Links. Dickson was then performing the duty of what is now commonly called a fore-cady.

Robert Clark repeated the story in his history in 1875 as 'what is now commonly called a fore-caddie' It is probable that golfers shouted to their 'Forecaddie!', who would always be some distance ahead to draw attention to the fact the ball was coming and, in time, this was shortened to 'Fore! The almost contemporaneous appearance of the terms caddie, fore-caddie and Fore! supports this theory over the others. Shoot over their heads! A second explanation, still given by the USGA, derives from the military battle craft of musket days, when rank after rank would fire fusillades, some over the heads of those in front. It was speculated that the term Fore! might have been used to warn those in front to keep their heads down. Modern historians pour cold water on this theory, partly because it is difficult to relate it to a Scottish golf connection and partly because the relevant military terms used do not bear any relation. However, this theory may in fact be a misunderstanding of the theory below. Ware Before! - the John Knox story There is a third explanation, which appears utterly implausible, but which is an outside possibility.

It derives from a story told by John Knox (1505?-1572) the 'hell-fire' protestant reformer. He tells the tale, as only hell-fire preachers can, of someone arriving at the East Port (east gate) of Leith. This story was noticed by Dr Neilson and subsequently reported by Robert Browning in his book 'History of Golf' (1955) thus: 'One among many comes to the East Port of Leith, where lay two great pieces of ordnance, and where their enemies were known to be, and cried to his fellows that were at the gate making defence: "Ware Before!" and so fires one great piece, and thereafter the other.' So Fore!' could be derived from an artillery term warning gunners to stand clear. This last explanation means, firstly, that the term 'Ware Before!' (Beware Before!) was foreshortened to Fore! (rather than Ware!) and, secondly, it must have been sufficiently well known to be used by golfers.

Frankly, I had always thought only the 'Forecaddie' explanation was plausible, until a construction company dug up a body next door to where I worked in Leith. It turned out the body was two thousand years old, but, more importantly, it was lying next to the last and only known remnant of Ramsay's Fort, shown in the picture here. This was part of the great fortifications that ringed Leith, including the aforementioned East Gate, which were built by the French to withstand the Siege of Leith by the English in 1560. The English did not take the fort, but the fortifications were destroyed not long afterwards as part of the uneasy peace with England. However, there are still two hillocks on Leith Links, allegedly gun embankments called 'Lady Fife's Brae' and 'Giant's Brae built by Sir William Pelham, Captain of the English Pioneers, in 1560. Giants Brae can be seen in the background of the picture shown on the history of Leith Links .

The pictured remains of Ramsay's Fort have mostly been recovered but the builders left a small pit so that top of part of the wall can be seen in the car park of new flats on Tower Street. The years that John Knox could have been in Leith to hear of the story of the guns overlaps only this fort. Given the somewhat contrary nature of his views, he was often either in exile, or a prisoner or latterly at Berwick during his adult life. In researching the history and layout of Ramsay's Fort, it became clear that the East Gate directly overlooked the Links where golfers were playing, as best they could, among all the military preparations and sieges that went on in the middle of the 16th Century. The plan shown is an 1830 depiction of the 1560 fortifications, but mirrors earlier plans. The last parts of the walls disappeared in early Victorian times, when Leith Assembly rooms were built. Ramsay's Fort was a triangular stone bastion on the right side of the river mouth. Most of the rest of the walls were earthen works. The gunners and the golfers would have got to know each well as they each practiced their arts at Leith Links.

Today the north links is built up, and only a small part of the south links remains The noise of the gunnery practice would be remembered, if heard. It is possible the gunners used the term to warn the golfers, when they were practicing firing and the golfers then began to use it among themselves. The golf players at Leith Links were influential people in political and golfing terms. If they used the term, others would follow. However the fort was destroyed after only a short number of years, so it could be the gunnery cry lived on only in the memory of the golfers, which might explain why they foreshortened the term to 'Fore!' as a misremembering of the term. Scottish Golf History WATCH: Patrick Reed gets creative out of the bunker for a birdie on 18 - CBSSports.com CBSSports.com WATCH: Patrick Reed gets creative out of the bunker for a birdie on 18 Patrick Reed plays the slope perfectly to hole out a birdie from the bunker on 18.

Apr 10, 2015 • 1 min read Augusta State product Patrick Reed finished off his second round in style with a birdie on 18 out of the right greenside bunker, using the massive slope to help funnel the ball to the cup. Patrick Reed with some creativity out of the bunker on 18. pic.twitter.com/nUM0sOiIgY — Adam Sarson (@Adam_Sarson) April 10, 2015 Reed's bunker shot was the first we've seen today that's used the slope to make a shot from off the green on the 18th, although there have been plenty of approach shots and chips from around the green that have used it to get close. That birdie moved Reed to 2-under for the tournament, meaning the 24-year-old that played college golf in Augusta will make his first Masters cut. Patrick Reed holes out from the bunker on 18 at Augusta National. (Getty Images) For more golf news, rumors and analysis, follow @KylePorterCBS and @RKalland on Twitter and link up with CBS Sports Golf on Facebook and Google+ . 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 Terms Golf Terms Learning to play golf is one of the great challenges in all of sports. Learning the game’s golf terms and lingo may be just as difficult. Golf terms frequently searched in our golf dictionary: Golf Terms: Drivers . Wedge . Hybrid . What’s a newbie to make of all these baffling golf terms? Heck, even veteran golfers are sometimes stumped by the language that pops up on the course. There’s one set of words and phrases covering the swing (address, backswing, follow-through), another describing results (fade, draw, fat), still another devoted to different types of shots (chip, pitch, bump-and-run). Then there’s the golf course (fairway, green, bunker) and equipment (putter, perimeter weighting, center of gravity). You’ve got to know golf’s basic rules (out of bounds, penalty stroke, ground under repair) and its byzantine etiquette practices (honors, away, marking your ball). And you can’t walk a yard on a golf course without hearing a few slang terms (19th hole, chicken wing, sandy) or statistical talk (green in regulation, up-and-down).

That, friends, is merely the tip of a massive linguistic iceberg. When learning any new language, total immersion in the culture is the best way to go. By playing and practicing often, hanging around the clubhouse, talking to other golfers and watching golf on TV, you’ll pick up the lingo lickety-split. If your golf time is limited, however, you’ll find the Golf-Info-Guide.com Golf Terms Glossary a terrific resource for boning up. Before long, you’ll be slinging golf slang like an old pro. “Man, I am loving my new progressive offset irons.” “Maybe I should try a left-hand-low putting grip.” “Did you see Bob cut the corner on that dogleg?” On those occasions when you hear a new golf term, dial up this page and scroll down. You’ll probably find it here. We’re constantly expanding our own vocabulary, adding words and phrases to help all golfers – from novices to old hands – better understand this perplexing game. Please find below a glossary of golf terms. A dictionary with definitions, and golf terminology of the most popular golf jargon terms used by other golfers, golf web sites, and golf videos.

Golf Terms 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 Magazine: News, Equipment, Instructions, Courses & Travel Courses & Travel Kevin Kisner's Steps to Hit Laser-Like Approaches by Kevin Kisner Private Lessons: Make Windy Putting a Breeze by GOLF.com Staff Lexi Thompson: Visualize Your Shot, Control Your Drive 0 Show-Off Shots: Hit Out of Water, Penalty-Free!

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Question: Bunker, Birdie and Fore are all terms used in which sport?
Answer: Golf