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Where does dormie in golf come from?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 08, 2026

Historically, the term dormie is derived from the French/Latin cognate 'dormir,' meaning 'to sleep,' suggesting that a player who is 'dormie' can relax (literally, go to sleep) without fear of losing the match. The word 'fore' is Scottish in origin, and is a shortened version of the word 'before' or 'afore.

Why is the term dormie used in golf?

'Dormie' Probably Arose from a French Word

"Dormir" means "to sleep." "Dormie" means that a golfer has reached a match-play lead that is insurmountable (at least in matches in which halves are in use), and so the player can, in a manner of speaking, relax, knowing that he cannot lose the match.

Why is it called an albatross in golf?

The excellent Scottish Golf History website posits that the Americans simply inserted their national bird here. Albatross: This term means three under par, but the "double eagle" synonym is simply a continuation of the aviary theme of good scores. The albatross is rare, as is a three under par.

Why was dormie removed from Rules of Golf?

Sadly, “dormie” has been dropped from the rules of golf, perhaps less due to its lack of accessibility and more to its relative uselessness.

Who is dormie in a golf match?

"Dormie" is a term used in match play in golf, and it means that the golfer or side that is leading the match is ahead by the same number of holes as remain to be played. A golfer who is 1-up with one hole to play, for example, is dormie.

43 related questions found

Is the term dormie still used in golf?

– “Dormie,” the match play term long used to represent leading or trailing a match by the same number of holes remaining, has been removed from the Rules of Golf.

What does dormie 2 mean?

"Dormie" is a match play term in golf that applies when one of the golfers or sides in the match achieves a lead that equals the number of holes remaining. For exampke, 2-up with two holes to play, 3-up with three holes to play, 4-up with four holes to play — all are examples of a match that is dormie.

Why is all square not used in golf?

As part of the massive overhaul in the Rules of Golf, the USGA and R&A decided to change the vocabulary used to describe match-play status. An "all square" match is now "tied." There's no such thing as a "halve" of a hole or a match; it's now a "tie."

What does halve the hole mean?

Key Takeaways. "Halved" is a term used in match-play golf to mean that the two golfers (or two sides) playing the match tied on a given hole, or tied in the overall match.

Can you tie in match play?

Breaking a Tie

In most match-play competitions, extra holes will be played until somebody wins one hole and the match. For example, if players A and B were tied after 18 holes and it took three more holes for A to win, the result would be that Player A won in 21 holes.

What is the rarest shot in golf?

Scoring a condor is the rarest event in golf. This is normally a hole in one at a par five (a two at a par six would also count, but this has never been done). Only five condors have ever been recorded: The most recent was Kevin Pon, who made a 2 on a par 6 at Lake Chabot Golf Course on the 10th December 2020.

Has anyone ever made an ostrich in golf?

Ostriches almost never happen in golf.

In fact, obtaining a score of five-under par has never happened in a professional golf match. This feat is so rare that there are no recorded instances of it actually happening.

Has Tiger Woods hit an albatross?

Although Tiger has never recorded an albatross on TOUR, his closest call came in 2015 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which was won by Brooks Koepka. After a 329-yard drive, Tiger hit his second shot just 7 inches from the pin for a tap-in eagle.

What was a stymie in golf?

A stymie is an obsolete rule in the sport of golf. It legislated for the situation where a player's ball lay behind or blocked by another player's ball; the blocked player was not afforded relief.

What does Dormy House mean?

: a building with dormitory accommodations operated by a golf club for lodging members overnight.

What does halved mean golf?

That is, if the two golfers or two sides finish a match with a tie score, there is no playoff to determine a winner; the match is called a halve, each side is awarded a half-point.

What does all square mean in golf?

Essentially, match play scoring tells golfers and spectators not how many holes each golfer has won, but how many more holes than his opponent the golfer in the lead has won. If the match is tied, it is said to be "all square." (On leaderboards and in television graphics, all square is often abbreviated as "AS.")

How do you get a half point in golf?

Scoring system

The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is halved.

When did all square become tied?

In the 2019 revisions to the rule book, the governing bodies for the first time added "tied" as the preferred term to "all square." We can expect golfers to continue using all square for many years to come, however.) The specific way of stating "all square" might change depending on context.

What is match play format in golf?

Topic Overview: Match play is a form of play where a player (or players) plays directly against an opponent (or opponents) in a head-to-head match. You win a hole by completing it in the fewest number of strokes, and you win a match when you are winning by more holes than remain to be played.

Has any golfer ever gotten an albatross?

The most common way to make an albatross is getting the ball in the cup in two shots on a par-5. To date, this is how every albatross at a Major has been achieved. The only golfer to have made more than one albatross at a Major (instantly becoming the answer to a trivia question) is Jeff Maggert.

What is an ace in golf?

An “ace” is one of the most coveted accomplishments in the golf. It is simply an alternate golf term for “hole-in-one“, which is when a player needs only one shot to get his ball in the hole. Virtually all “aces” or “holes-in-one” occur on par 3s.

Has anyone ever aced a par-5?

Has there ever been an ace on a par-5? Although no one in PGA Tour history has ever recorded an ace on a par-5, there have actually been five records of par-5 holes-in-one. And no, none of them were from Happy Gilmore. The first “condor” occurred in 1962 off the club of Larry Bruce.

What is a par-5 hole-in-one called?

A condor is also known as a double albatross, or a triple eagle. This is the lowest individual hole score ever made, relative to par. A condor would be a hole-in-one on a par-five (typically by cutting over a dogleg corner), a two on a par-six, or a three on a par-seven (which is not known to have been achieved).

Is there a par 7 in golf?

A mile is 1,760 yards. A golf hole in South Korea is almost two-thirds of a mile and is probably the world's longest. The third hole on one of five courses at Gunsan Country Club is a par 7 that measures 1,097 yards from the tips.