Five things you should know about the mulligan

WHAT DOES “mulligan” mean — and where did it come from?

It’s a word you probably won’t hear during pro golf telecasts, unless someone puts up a big number on a hole and wistfully laments how much better things would have gone had she only had one. But it’s the original instant replay.

Here’s what newbies need to know about the mulligan:

• It’s not legal. It is, however, commonly offered at the first tee of casual rounds in the event of a poor first shot; early in the morning, this may be referred to as a “breakfast ball.”
• It is also commonly sold at charity events, often in sets of three, to be used as prescribed by the organizers.
• In social or business rounds where a fast pace of play is desired, it is perfectly polite to ask a newbie, “Would you like a mulligan?” or even to say, “I’m taking a mulligan.”
• There are no mulligans in a betting round unless the group agrees.
• Here’s what isn’t as widely known: Nobody is quite sure where the term originated, but it is not more than 100 years old and so it probably has nothing to do with the Irish stew.  Most likely,  it started with a do-over by a player with the very common Irish last name Mulligan.

The USGA Museum offers three stories of one David Mulligan; in the more common story, the gentleman put his ball down for what he called a “correction shot” and his friends named the do-over after him.

The term has since become widely used in sports and life. It seems most everyone would like a mulligan at some time or another.

This article first appeared in the April 2011 edition of GottaGoGolf Magazine.