2006-07-31 07:07:48 · 6 answers · asked by nezbitthecat 1 in Sports ➔ Golf
In the 1800's the term "bird" in the US meant anything that was really great (a slang term similar to "cool"). In golf, a great shot that led to a score one under par became known as a bird, which then ended up as "birdie"
2006-07-31 07:15:12 · answer #1 · answered by oracleguru 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
One long day in Scotland, there were 4 men playing a round of golf. They all played horribly, considering that they forgot their clubs and only brought the driver club with them. They kept overshooting the green, and would take many more shots than what the par was. On the 7th hole (a par 3), a man by the name of McDougle hit a ball on the fairway with is first shot. As he was about to hit his next shot, a bird flew by a few feet in front of the hole. He hit the bird and the ball bounced into the hole. Another man named Willie saw this and came up to McDougle and yelled "Oy! Yeh hit a birdie!" Being that it was 1 under par, the name stuck, and that's the origin of the term "birdie".
2006-07-31 07:15:21 · answer #2 · answered by Southpaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the 18th hole of an ancient chinese golf game, commonly refered to as the Tibetan Tourney, and old squinty eyed samurai had to get the ball in three strokes off the tee to win the tourney. His first hit was great right down the fairway, second shot wasnt as good. It landed right in a rice paddy trap (theres no sand in china) it was about 20 yards from the hole. anyways he hit the ball for the third time and it looked like it was gonna go in, but it stopped just a hair before the hole. At that instant a bird flew by and took a crap right on the golf ball and knocked it in. The actual name for 3 strokes is the bird sh*t, shuffle but in english the symbol translates roughly to birdie.
hope that helps
2006-07-31 07:20:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's from an old American slang term that meant "good" or "excellent." The phrase, "That was a bird of a shot" eventually evolved into the term we now use.
http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/bogey_par.htm#Birdie
2006-07-31 07:10:56 · answer #4 · answered by Craig S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Listed a link that might help out. The information's down toward the page's bottom.
2006-07-31 07:17:19 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i read that it started in the 1800 on the united state if you did something good the slang was bird
2006-07-31 07:13:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋