Where does this come from, and can I check it?

It was first used at Atlantic City in 1899 for a shot worthy of a bird. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a sports fact?

Yes. It sits on the Sports shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

The word birdie came from American slang

It was first used at Atlantic City in 1899 for a shot worthy of a bird The term grew from American slang in which a bird meant something excellent, so a hole played in one under par became a birdie. An eagle followed for two under par and an albatross for three under. The older British word bogey meant a score of one over par, a meaning that changed from an earlier sense of a standard score. It sits in Mondo's sports collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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History trivia

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Golf has 18 holes because of St AndrewsThe Old Course settled on 18 holes in the 18th century The Ryder Cup dates from 1927A seed merchant donated the trophy for a match between the US and Britain A golf hole is 108 millimetres acrossThat is four and a quarter inches, a size fixed in 1891 at Musselburgh A golfer may carry only 14 clubsThe limit was written into the rules in 1939 to stop players hoarding clubs A golf ball cannot weigh more than 45.93 gramsIt must also measure at least 42.67 millimetres across its diameter The Open began at Prestwick in 1860It was started to find a champion to replace Allan Robertson

Tags: golf, language, history

The word birdie came from American slang: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: It was first used at Atlantic City in 1899 for a shot worthy of a bird. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a sports fact?: Yes. It sits on the Sports shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.