We have a winner in the Golf Knowledge Contest
September 17, 1999
Congratulations to Bernard J. McMartin of Rehoboth Beach! He won the Golf Knowledge Contest that ran in the August 20, 1999 golf column, and earned a gift certificate for a sleeve of golf balls from Golf Day, on Rehoboth Avenue Extended.
Here are the contest questions and answers.
1. What’s a barky?
A barky is a particularly stunning par score on a hole. It requires the golfer to hit a tree on at least one of the shots.
2. Where can you find a cellophane bridge?
A cellophane bridge appears by magic directly over the hole, just as your putt is about to drop in for a birdie or par. Cellophane is the only possible explanation why it didn’t go in.
3. What is an elephant’s burial ground?
This term refers to a large irregular hump in the middle of some greens. It divides greens into smaller target areas, and will bounce your shots away from the hole farther than you ever thought possible.
4. What’s a greenie?
A greenie is a tee shot that lands and stays on the green on a par 3 hole. This is unusual for most golfers, and worthy of wild celebration if the player’s handicap is greater than 25.
5. What are living statues, and what should be done with them?
Living statues are extremely slow players, especially on the greens. You can find true north by looking for the moss that forms on one side of them, much like trees.
McMartin felt these players should be penalized or asked to leave the course. That’s unlikely, but it might help if other players reminded them that the difficulty of the shot will not decrease over time, and they should JUST MOVE IT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
6. What’s the “pro side?”
The “pro side” refers to the high side of a hole cut into a slope on a green. Golf instruction books always tell golfers to aim for the high side, since a putt will not fall uphill into a hole. The amateur side is the low side of the hole.
I’ve putted golf balls on the pro side, mostly by accident.
7. Give two examples of a “routine par” from your own experience.
A normal par on a par 4 hole is a drive, a second shot to the green, and two putts. A “routine par” is anything but.
McMartin’s contributions were (1) a chip-in after three poor shots on a par four, and (2) sand shot into the cup on a par 3 after flubbing the first shot out of the same sand trap.
Been there. Done that.
8. What’s a double sandy?
A double sandy is a special par score. It requires two shots from sand, usually one from a fairway bunker and another from a greenside trap. Money is usually paid after these shots, and should be.
9. What’s a Frosty?
A Frosty is a score of 8 on a hole. An 8 on the scorecard looks like a snowman. Frosty the Snowman, get it?
Nobody ever said golfers are great comedians.
10. What does “nice putt, Alliss” mean?
Peter Alliss is the British golf announcer for ABC and BBC Television. Prior to his television career, Alliss, 69, was an accomplished professional golfer. Unfortunately, he had a tendency to leave critical putts a little short.
Sometimes the term is misspelled “Alice,” on the obviously mistaken assumption that only women will not hit the putt strongly enough.
Thanks for the responses, and we’ll have another contest for you in the near future.