Is Taylor Swift Teeing Off Her Golf Era With a Shadow Creek Appearance and New Song “Albatross?”
This weekend, Taylor Swift was spotted at world-renowned Tom Fazio-designed Shadow Creek during Patrick Mahomes’ 15 and The Mahomies Foundation Vegas Golf Classic. She’s performing with a neon golf club on the Eras Tour and has released a new song with the same name as one of golf’s rarest accomplishments. Is her golf-obsessed boyfriend, Travis Kelce, rubbing off on her?
The Albatross
If you’re a golfer, the bonus track “The Albatross” on her recently released album, The Tortured Poets Department, might have caught your eye. Taylor sings about a seemingly destructive relationship. Is she talking about the endlessly challenging, pull-your-hair-out yet addictive game of golf, the sea bird featured for centuries in lore, herself in relationships, or the burden of fame?
Her Song and the Golf Term Use The Same Metaphor
For centuries, albatrosses have been used as a metaphor for bad luck, incoming doom, a difficult-to-overcome situation, or something that holds you back. The phrase ‘an albatross around one’s neck’ rose to use after a sailor killed the sea bird, resulting in bad luck in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1793 novel The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. His fellow sailors made him wear the dead bird around his neck to remind him all day, every day, of the curse he brought upon them all.
Known for her masterful use of symbols, Taylor uses the albatross in this song to describe a destructive force. However, she not talking about how players can be their own destructive force in their golf game. She refers to herself as the albatross, the harbinger of doom to all who become close to her due to her extreme fame and the danger it can bring. Like golfers who redeem themselves on a hole by achieving this most impressive feat, Taylor also finds salvation and redemption in “The Albatross” despite the challenges before her.
So, while the lyrics may resonate with Swifties who love golf, it is not about one of the game’s most brag-worthy accomplishments.
What Is an Albatross in Golf?
While many know of a hole-in-one, few people know about the impressive albatross, arguably more challenging to achieve than a hole-in-one. It’s the term used when a golfer shoots three-under-par in a single hole. Usually, this occurs when they make a two on a par 5 (thereby scoring -3 on the hole in terms of par). An albatross can also happen when a player makes three strokes on a par 6. It’s a rare feat that golfers worldwide celebrate, and it’s one of the most challenging shots to make in the game.
When it comes to difficulty in golf, an albatross undoubtedly takes one of the top spots for overcoming a difficult situation. For a player to score one, they need to hit it long enough to get the ball to the green in two shots (on a par 5) and have the accuracy to make the second shot.
Though a hole-in-one is more well-known, an albatross is rarer because hole-in-ones usually occur on par threes where the player can tee up the ball and has a short shot into the green. On the other hand, an albatross usually occurs when an extremely lengthy approach shot gets lucky and winds up in the hole. To make an albatross, the golfer must hit a tee shot from the tee box of the golf course, navigate the fairway, and then hit a long iron (or even wood) with eagle-eyed precision and hole out.
What Are the Odds of Getting an Albatross in Golf?
The odds of getting an albatross are extremely low. According to the Professional Golf Association, the odds of an albatross are about 1 in 6,000,000. This fact means an average golfer must play six million golf rounds to score one albatross statistically. This shot is more occasional than sinking a 100-yard putt and getting a hole-in-one. It is even more difficult for amateur golfers, who may have a higher handicap.
As exciting as an albatross is, there’s a reason it’s one of the most elusive achievements in the game of golf: it’s almost impossible to get. Perhaps just as impossible as finding peace when you’re the most famous person on the planet.
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