What is a ‘skin’? A quest to find out why the term is used for the Skins game

It probably has to do with trading posts.

But one source noticed the word “nudes.”

Another source suggested calling it ‘Carryover Clash’.

Instead, however, the golf betting game will be called a “Skins Game,” just like the event taking place Friday at 9 a.m. ET, which will feature Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, Keegan Bradley and Shane Lowry playing for, yes, skins. Hides is the term applied to what is earned when a player wins a hole, and there is usually money involved.

But Why “Hides?”

Here’s what the dictionary, ChatGPT, a golf historian, the USGA Golf Museum and Library, and the USGA told me.

The origin of ‘Skins’, according to Merrian-Webster

Nothing about golf hereUnfortunately. In the dictionary’s defense, the Skins Game hasn’t been played since 2008.

According to definition 1a(1), the skin was “the covering of an animal (such as a furry mammal or a bird), usually separated from the body by its hair or feathers.” However, Definition 1c (1) may be of value here because it states: “the fur of an animal prepared for use as an ornament or in a garment.”

But there is no interest in the definition of the adjective, which says:

“Dedicated to showing nudes.”

The origin of ‘Skins’, according to ChatGPT

I had some fun here. My two questions are in italics.

Where does the term “skin” come from in golf?

The exact origin of the golf term “skin” has not been definitively proven, but the most commonly accepted explanations come from gambling jargon rather than golf itself. These are the two main theories:

1. ‘Skin’ as a slang term for money (most common explanation)

In mid-20th century gambling circles, especially in the US, a “skin” was slang for a dollar bill or a small bet. When golfers began playing informal gambling games where each hole was worth a fixed amount, that pot became known as the “skin.”

Over time, the jargon carried over and the format itself became known as a skins game: each hole has a monetary value, and winning the hole wins the ‘skin’.

2. “Skin” in reference to animal skins (older linguistic link)

A less likely but occasionally cited idea is that it stems from ancient trading practices in which animal skins represented units of value, similar to chips or tokens. There is no strong evidence that this led directly to golf use, but it is part of the wider history of ‘skin’, meaning ‘something of value’.

When did it become an established name in the golf world?

The term appears to have become popular in North American golf gambling circles around the 1950s and 1960s, gaining mainstream visibility in 1983 with the first televised Skins Game, featuring Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

In short:

The golf term skin almost certainly comes from the American gambling jargon for money, which golfers adopted for per-hole betting.

2. If you had the choice, what else would you call it other than a “skins game”?

Here are a few fun, clean alternatives that I’d choose if golf were to name the format today, and each still adheres to the idea of ​​”win a hole, win the pot” but without the strange “skins” link:

“Transfer conflict”

Highlights the drama of holes piling up when no one wins at all.

“Gate premium”

There is a ‘bounty’ on each hole. Simple and intuitive.

“Winner Takes the Hole” (WTH)

Honestly, a bit cheeky.

“Target game”

Every hole is a target worth something.

“Claim the hole”

Has a competitive, almost match play feel.

“Playing Stakes”

Keeps the gambling essence, but sounds more formal.

“The Gem Game”

Each hole is a “gem” to conquer; great if you want a modern, playful name.

The origins of ‘Skins’, according to a respected golf historian

I contacted the Society of Golf Historians X account, run by the very knowledgeable Connor Lewis, and it’s worth it a follow. On Tuesday he tweeted his response, which you can see below:

The origins of ‘Skins,’ according to the USGA Golf Museum and Library – and several old Skins Game programs

This was nostalgic. I sent a message to the USGA Golf Museum and Library, and they sent explanatory pages of eight programs from the heyday of the Skins Game.

Below are some things I found:

– 1985: There was a definition here. The program said: “The Skins Game takes its name from friendly gambling terminology as applied to non-tournament golf. Skins are units (in this case at least $15,000); the winner of each hole earns a skin.

–1986: Golf overview called the Skins Game… the war against Spikes. I don’t mind that.

– 1987: Not much insight here, but an ad from Indio Toyota in California was good. The headline was: ‘Whole in one.’

– 1990: In an article about Don Ohlmeyer and Barry Frank, two of the key people behind the scenes of the Skins Game, I found this part interesting: “Don Ohlmeyer had an idea. The same kind of idea that spawned such wildly successful ventures as ‘Monday Night Football’ and ‘Sportsworld.’ His final brainstorm would be something called The Skins Game. Although The Skins Game was an original concept in the television industry, Ohlmeyer knew it would work. He knew that golfers around the world had been spicing up their weekly rounds for years with this popular and fun gambling proposition. And he knew that, even on the shortest putts, winning a skin took some of the nervous tension. Don Ohlmeyer decided to bottle this ‘nervous tension’ and turn it into a TV drama. The story also mentioned the LPGA Skins Game and the Senior Skins Game.

– 1992: The highlight here was a photo of Payne Stewart, dressed from top to bottom in the colors of the Washington NFL team.

– 1993, 1994, 1995: Same information about Ohlmeyer and Frank. But I did like the 90’s look of the fonts and design.

The origin of ‘Skins’, according to the USGA website

This went deeper, but another problem emerged.

Here it is what the website said:

As a form of golf gambling, ‘skins’ has been around for decades, but only really became popular after the creation of ‘The Skins Game’ in the 1980s. In other parts of the country, ‘skins’ are also called ‘cats’, ‘scats’, ‘skats’ or ‘syndicates’. Of these, ‘syndicates’ appears to be the oldest term, dating back at least to the 1950s, and possibly earlier. It has been suggested that ‘skins’, ‘scats’, etc. are simply shortened, simplified versions of the term ‘syndicates’.

So…why did someone use the term “syndicates?”

The takeaway

So I’m not sure I found the answer and may have added more problems. But the trading post idea seems correct.

‘The Syndicates Game’ sounds quite sweet though.

And information about the “Nudes Game” would not be reported on this site.

Editor’s note: If you have a definitive answer, please email me at nick.piastowski@golf.com.

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