What’s your handicap? Have you ever hit a birdie? Do you know anyone who has scored an albatross? If you want to become a regular on the golf course and know what you’re talking about, it’s time to learn the lingo. It’s overwhelming to be a beginner at any sport, so let’s take it one term at a time. What is an albatross in golf? Even if you never get to jot the bird namesake down on your scorecard, you should at least be able to speak to it.
Understand scoring in golf
Before you can understand what an albatross is and how you score one, there is a little bit of golf terminology you need to lock down.
What par means
Everything about scoring in golf relates to par. Par is the number of strokes for a golfer to hit the ball from tee to cup at every hole. Well, how many swings it takes an experienced golfer.
Every hole has a par number, with the majority being par 3, par 4, and par 5. Par 6 does exist, but the others are the stars. If the hole you are on is par 4, you have four swings of your club to get the ball in the hole, three swings for par 3, and five strokes for par 5.
What an albatross means in golf
An albatross is when a golfer lands a hole in three swings under par, so par 3 holes are out. If a hole is par 5, and you make it in only two strokes, you score an albatross. Land a hole-in-one on a par 4, and an albatross is yours.
Why an albatross is so rare
While not impossible, think along the lines of winning the lottery or being struck by lightning. Sure, it has to happen to someone, but the odds of it being you are pretty rare. While not an exact science, guessers of the game (and the PGA) have estimated scoring an albatross has 6 million to 1 odds. You have a better chance with the lightning.
Why golf uses birds for scoring
There’s a history with golf and using bird references, dating back to around 1898 when brothers Abe and William P. Smith were playing golf with their friend George A. Crump. During one swing Abe called out, “That was a bird of a shot,” and it stuck. Now, golf uses bird-related words for all of its scoring.
As far as the albatross goes in terms of the bird, it is seen as a symbol of mystery and fortune. This makes sense with how rare it is to score one, where you’ll need all the fortune to land it.
Who has scored an albatross
Technically, the first (professional) albatross was scored by Young Tom Morris in 1870, at Prestwick during The Open Championship — on the first hole of the first round. It would be Gene Sarazen’s albatross on hole 15 during the Masters in 1935 that’s still the talk on the green today. It led to him tying things up where he would go on to win the playoff.
The last albatross by any player in any professional tournament was just in 2022 at The Players Championship by Russell Henley.
It is okay if you never see an albatross during a single round of golf you play. There are less than 50 professional players to have scored one, so it is an elite club you’re trying to get into. But if you ever meet anyone who can prove they scored an albatross in golf, dinner should be on you.
