Why Is The Sport Called Golf? And More Golf Good Questions
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The 3M Open tournament officially starts Thursday at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, but the players and fans are already out on the course for the practice rounds. That's why we stopped by to find answers to some golf Good Questions.
- Why is the sport called golf?
According to Scottish Golf History, the first mention of golf was in Scotland in 1457. It's believed to be derived from the Dutch word for club – kolf or kolve. Over time, it transitioned to various spellings of goff, gouff or gowf before eventually becoming golf.
- What do golfers write in their little notebooks?
According to Minnesota-born professional golfer Tom Lehman, it's different for everyone. Some use it as a way to remember where to hit from and where not to hit from.
"I typically go around and I mark all the places with big Xs and 'no,' and the others I put 'OK' or 'easy' or 'not bad,'" Lehman says.
He's kept 40 years of those books in his home.
- What are the odds of hitting hole-in-one?
According to the National Hole-in-One Registry, the odds for a pro golfer are 3,000 to 1 and 12,000 to 1 for an amateur golfer.
- Why is one-under par called a birdie?
According to the USGA, bird was American slang in the early 1900s for anything considered excellent.