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Why do we use the phrase ‘borrow’ when talking about the line of our putts?
Category: Playing the Game and Other Challenges
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nevillewootton/9373804596
Clue
It dates back to (at least) the 17th century. How did they think in those times?
Answer
The idea was that the golfer would ‘borrow’ some ground (above a straight line) in so much as they were borrowing it, not keeping it.
More interesting reading and links of interest
- The earliest reference we could track down was a reference in an 1858 article: ‘…. carefully surveyed the lie of the ground, that he may borrow, if it be sloping’
- From The historical dictionary of golfing terms: from 1500 to present.
- The sport of Curling has a similar use for the word both, it is believed, to have Scottish origins.
- In an 1890 article there was reference to needing to either borrow or put a spin on the ball. Spinning a putt is a unique concept for us nowadays!
- The words ‘break’ and ‘borrow’ are both used and a largely interchangeable but we do sometimes use them in different ways. We’re more likely to say (i) there is a lot of borrow (noun) and (ii) a putt will break to the right (verb).