Have you ever wondered why there are so many animal related terms in the golf jargon? Golf in itself is a game that seems to have a language all of its own anyway, and only those initiated in the secret society that is the sport are able to understand them, but why the focus on animals? Let’s take a look at some of the animal terms that you may come across.
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Albatross or Double Eagle
The albatross, as it is called in the UK, or the double eagle, as it is called in the USA, is a term that describes hitting three under par. It is perhaps because an albatross (or an eagle) can fly so far that this term has been used, or because they both have such a huge wingspan.
Barkie
A barkie has nothing to do with barking like a dog. Instead, it has to do with betting. Indeed, betting on golf is done through the official channels, but golfers also bet amongst themselves. If a golfer is able to still manage par on any hole after they have hit a tree, they have what is called a “barkie”. Hence, this term has nothing to do with dogs at all, but rather with the bark of a tree. A barkie is a side bet.
Big Dog
The big dog is your driver club. Simple as that, basically.
Dog Leg
The dog leg is the direction in which each individual golf hole points.
Eagle
The eagle describes the score someone gets if they hit two strikes under par.
Hog
Hog is yet another betting game amongst golfers. It is very similar to the Defender betting game, but has slightly different rules.
Quail High
If you take an unusually low trajectory shot, you have hit what is known as a “quail high”. This is probably because of the fact that quails have a tendency to fly very low. Then again, so do swallows (if it is going to rain), so perhaps they could have called it a swallow instead?
Rabbit
Once again, an animal term describes a bet. Here, one golfer sets the pace of the game by running a mile away from the field. The person who gets the lowest score on the hole then receive honour posts on the 9th and 18th hole.
Range Rat
The range rat is a golfer with little to no experience, who spends all of his or her time on the range trying to get a better shot (but usually failing miserably).
Round Robin
This has nothing to do with the robin as in the bird either. Instead, it is a game played with groups of golfers (at least four in each group). This means that every 6th hole, the partners rotate.
Snake
Yet another betting game exists. This one is where the bets are placed on absolutely disastrous play.
Tiger Tees
These are the tees that are used in a professional golf tournament.
These are but some – not all – of the animal terms used in golf. It isn’t clear where this terminology came from, but if you want to get to grips with the game, you have to learn how to use them.
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Rebecca Nicholson is a renowned author of all things sport related. When getting the latest information on master tickets, Rebecca visits www.masterstickets.co.uk.
