[Bagger Lance]

"Hawk"

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—PGA Tour golfer Tripp Isenhour was charged with killing a hawk on purpose with a golf shot because it was making noise as he videotaped a TV show
Isenhour was with a film crew for “Shoot Like A Pro” on Dec. 12 at the Grand Cypress Golf course. The 39-year-old golfer, whose real name is John Henry Isenhour III, was charged Wednesday with cruelty to animals and killing a migratory bird.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 14 months in jail and $1,500 in fines.

According to scottishgolfhistory.net, commonly used golfing terms are fairly recent in origin.

"Bogey" was the first stroke system, developed in England at the end of the 19th Century. A 'bogle' was a Scottish goblin as far back as the 16th Century and a Bogey-man was a widely used term for a goblin or devil. Golfers of the time considered they were playing a Mister Bogey when measuring themselves against the bogey score.

"Par" is derived from the stock exchange term that a stock may be above or below its normal or 'par' figure.

"Birdie" is certainly derived from the American vox pop term 'a bird of a score' and hence a Birdie. The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms (1993) believes that "Birdie", meaning a score of one stroke under Par on a given hole comes from the 19th century American slang term "bird", meaning anything excellent.

"Eagle", a score of two under par for a given hole, was clearly the extension of the theme of birds for good scores from a "Birdie" (see above). It would be natural for American golfers to think of the Eagle, which is their national symbol. A score of two under Par is, in some ways, a 'big birdie' and an Eagle is a big bird.

Three under Par is a very rare score and an "Albatross" is a very rare bird, and now three under Par is generally referred to an "Albatross". However nobody knows exactly when the term was coined and it appears to be quite recent. At late as the 8th April 1935, a day after making an albatross on the par-5 15th hole at Augusta in the Masters, Gene Sarazen referred to his shot as a "dodo". Ab Smith said his group used the phrase 'double eagle' for three under.

Some golfers use the term Buzzard for a double Bogey.

Given the publicity of this latest gaff and the obvious lack of judgement associated with it, a "Hawk" could be the next staple in our golfing vocabulary.

If you make "Hawk" on a hole, what would it mean???