How Did The Golf Terms Eagle and Birdie Come About?

So how did the terms birdie and eagle come about? There’s a book that, unless you are a total geek, you won’t have read, called “Fifty Years of American Golf” that tells the story. It was 1899 and some dudes were playing at Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey, One Tiger wannabe hit a little peach of a shot and said “That was a bird of a shot….I suggest that when one of us plays a hole in one under par he receives double compensation. The other two said something like “word homie” and on the next peach of a shot they began to call it a birdie. In 19th century American slang the word “bird” meant anything totally good. Of course, the term eagle and albatross then followed as bigger and better than a birdie.

The word Fore comes from a shortened version of the word before or afore, which meant “look out ahead”. This was apparently used by soldiers who were warning their mates in the front line. It’s thought that golfers simply started using this word in the 18th century. If you hear the word fore on the golf course, protect your head, both of them and hope for the best.