GOLFING TERMS

Learning to play is as much about learning the language of the game as its techniques. Given the game's Scottish roots, there are some much loved terms that, sadly, have not stood the test of time. Take Mashie niblook. This has always been guaranteed to bring a wry smile to the face of the uninitiated, but it is in fact the more colourful, and certainly more endearing, name for a seven iron.

Ducking for cover
On a more practical note, if you hear the distant call of "fore" and you find yourself the only one not ducking for cover, then perhaps it's time to start taking notes. Here's what you need to know to take to the course with confidence.

Tee
The grass platform from which the first shot on each hole is taken. This term also refers to the plastic or wooden peg used to raise the ball above ground level for a tee shot.

Fairway
The mown stretch of grass that provides a clean stretch from the tee to the green which, in turn, is home to the hole, the position of which is indicated by a flag.

Rough
Long, unkempt grass bordering the fairway that lies in wait for wayward wood or iron shots.

Bunker
A hollow filled with sand, bunkers can be found both on the fairway and surrounding the green, and are the most recognisable, and sadly most visited, hazard on the course.

Par
The average number of shots that should be taken in playing the ball from the tee and in to the hole. Has come in to common usage in the phrase "par for the course", meaning to be expected. In simple terms, if the par for the course is 72 and you take 72 shots to complete the 18 holes, then you've made par.

Birdie
Not a reference to one of the wives of the Ryder Cup team, as some less than politically correct newspapers recently stated, but completing a hole in one shot less than its designated par.

Eagle
Taking two shots less than the par for a single hole. Now, that's just showing off, isn't it?

Albatross
Not a term that ever enters most golfers' vocabulary, it denotes taking three shots less than the par for a single hole.

Bogey
This one sounds more familiar: taking one more shot than the par for a single hole. Double bogeys are another common occurrence.

The Shank
Surely the most embarrassing shot in the game. It occurs when the player strikes the ball with the part of the club where the shaft meets the head, known as the hosel. More commonly experienced by beginners due to poor weight distribution resulting in a defect in the swing, the shank nevertheless has on occasions arisen during rounds by much more experienced individuals.

Fore
A shouted warning when other golfers are deemed in danger from being hit by a wayward ball.

The 19th hole
After an exhilarating round of golf, why not an equally exhilarating round of drinks to congratulate or commiserate? In short, the term refers to the clubhouse bar and is one that sociable golfers like to reacquaint themselves with on a regular basis.

Caddie
The word Caddie derives from the French word ‘le cadet’, meaning ‘the boy’ or the youngest of the family. The word ‘cadet’ appears in English from 1610 and the word ‘caddie’ or ‘cadie’ appears shortly after that in 1634. Adopting French terms was not unusual for the Scots. For example they adopted the term “Gardez-vous!” as ‘gardyloo’.
This appears to be the origin of the speculative theory, promoted by some, that French military 'cadets' carried the clubs for the golfing royalty in France and this practice came to Scotland when Queen Mary Stuart returned in 1561. Of course the military term 'cadet' has the same origin, as these 'cadets' were often the younger sons of the aristocracy.

A Cady, Caddy, Cadie or Caddie became used for a general-purpose porter or errand boy in Scottish towns in the18th Century, particularly used for delivering water in the days before modern utilities. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary records this use from 1730. Caddies are often mentioned carrying golf clubs, but it was not until 1857 that the Dictionary ascribes the use mainly to those carrying golf clubs. In the early days there were no bags and the clubs were carried in bundle, which can be clearly seen in paintings of the time.