Do you know where the term “birdie” came from?

In 19th century American slang, “bird” referred to anyone or anything excellent or wonderful. A great golf shot was once referred to as a “bird” of a shot, which allowed the player to score one under par. The term stuck and any score of one under par was called a “birdie.” The term “eagle” soon thereafter became common to refer to a score of one better than a “bird.”

Why do golfers shout “Fore!” after an errant shot?

The word “fore” is Scottish in origin, and is a shortened version of the word “before” or “afore.” The old Scottish warning, essentially meaning “look out ahead,” most probably originated in military circles, where it was used by artillery men as a warning to troops in foreword positions. Golfers as early as the 18th century simply adopted this military warning cry for use on the golf course.

Why are there 18 holes on a golf course?

The links at St. Andrews originally was laid out with a total of 22 holes, with golfers playing 11 holes out away from the clubhouse, then turning around to play 11 holes back in. In 1764, several of the holes were deemed too short and were combined. The number of holes “out” and “in” was reduced from 11 to 9. Once the R&A was recognized as the rule-making body in the late 1890's, then any golfer who wanted to play by the official R&A Rules would have to play a round of 18 holes.