Golf Glossary

J

jail

Slang for when you and your ball are in very deep trouble.

jigger

Old term for a 4-iron. Also a great little pub to the right of the 17th fairway at St. Andrews.

junior golfer

A golfer 16 years of age and under is considered to be a junior golfer

K

kick

Another term for bounce.

Knife

Slang term applied to a #1 iron due to its lack of loft.

Knock-Down

Shot, intentionally played to keep a ball low in the wind. By reducing the length of a backswing and playing the ball back in the stance, a knock-down shot is played.

L

ladies day

Time when course is reserved for those of the female persuasion.

lag

A long putt hit with the intent of leaving the ball close to the cup.

laid off

When the club points to the left of the target at the top of the backswing.

lateral hazard

Water hazard marked by red stakes and usually parallel to the fairway.

lay-up

Conservatively played shot to avoid possible trouble.

Leaf-Rule

A rule, not recognized by the USGA, in which players agree that if a ball is lost in leaves, it is not treated as a lost ball (stroke and distance penalty.) This "rule" is common in certain climates (and times of the year) in which trees lose their leaves and make finding balls difficult.

leader board

Place where lowest scores in tournament are posted.

leak

Ball drifting to the right during flight.

lie

The position of a ball on the ground at any point on the course. A ball in the fairway will typically be considered to have a "good" lie, one in high rough grass will be labeled as a "bad" lie.

lift

What you do before you drop.

line

The path of a shot to the hole.

line up

To stand behind a shot to take aim.

links

Specifically the label given to golf courses constructed in which the 1st hole begins at the clubhouse and the 18th ends there, with no holes except those returning to the clubhouse. Links courses are often built near water. Links is also a generic slang term given to any golf course having 18 holes.

lip

The edge (or rim) of the hole.

lip-out

Ball touches the edge of the cup but doesn't drop in.

lob shot

A high, soft shot, generally played near the green with a high-lofted wedge of some type (i.e., a lob wedge.)

local knowledge

What the members know and you don't.

local rules

Set of rules determined by the members, rules committee, or course professional.

loft

The degree at which a clubface looks upward.

long game

Shots hit with long irons and woods. Also could be John Daly's game.

lost ball

A ball is considered to be lost if it cannot be located or identified after 5 minutes of searching for it.

low-handicapper

Good player.

low riser

Slang term given to a shot, intentionally played, that starts low and ends at a "normal" trajectory. Generally a player must have some degree of skill to play these shots.

low side

Area below the hole on a sloping green.

LPGA (Ladies Professional Golfer's Association)

Governing organization of females making their living in golf-related endeavors. The LPGA issues guidelines and accreditation to its members depending upon their individual positions in the game.

M

Major (Championship)

One of four of the most prestigious professional golf tournaments in the world for male golfers. Played every year, the Majors include the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA. For female players, the Majors include the U.S. Open, The MacDonald's LPGA, the DuMaurier and the Dinah Shore.

make

Hole a shot.

makeable

Shot with a good chance of being holed.

mallet

Putter with a wide head.

mark

To indicate the position of the ball with a small, round, flat object, such as a coin, usually on the green.

marker

Small, round object, such as a coin, placed behind the ball to indicate its position when you lift it. Or the person keeping score.

marshall

A volunteer, usually at professional tournaments, who job it is to keep the members of the gallery under control so that players can easily play shots, walk from tee to green, and so on.

mashie-niblick

Old term for a 7-iron.

Masters

First major tournament of each calendar year. Always played over the Augusta National course in Georgia.

match of cards

Comparing your scorecard to your opponent's to see who won.

match play

Game played between two sides. The side that wins the most holes wins the match.

matched set

Clubs designed to look and feel the same.

Medalist

The golfer with the lowest score in the qualifying round of a tournamentm

Medal Play

Type of competition in which the lowest total score (number of strokes) wins. The same as stroke play.

metal wood

Wooden club made of metal.

mid-iron

Old term for a 2-iron.

miniature course

Putting course.

misclub

To use the wrong club for the distance.

misread

To take the wrong line on a putt.

miss the cut

To take too many strokes for the first 36 holes of 72-hole event and be eliminated.

mixed foursome

Two men and two women.

model swing

Perfect motion.

mulligan

Second attempt at a shot, usually played on the first tee. This is illegal.

Municipal Course

Type of golf course, usually city or county managed, allowing play by the public, subject to tee time availability.

muni 

abbreviated form of "municipal course"

N

Nassau

One of the most common games, a Nassau consists of a given bet for the front nine, a given bet for the back nine and a total bet for the overall game.

net score

Score for a hole or round after handicap strokes are deducted.

never up, never in

Annoying saying coined for a putt that finishes short of the hole.

niblick

Old term for a 9-iron.

Nike Tour

Now-defunct professional golf circuit, sponsored by Nike, for male players one level below the PGA Tour. Now known as the Buy.Com Tour.

nine

Half of a course.

19th hole

The clubhouse bar.

O

O.B. (Oscar Bravo)

Out-of-bounds.

off-center hit

Less than a solid strike.

offset

Club with the head set farther behind the shaft than normal.

one-putt

To take only a single putt on a green.

one up

Being one hole ahead in the match score.

open

Type of tournament that is open to anyone who qualifies. Both professional golfers and amateurs may play in open competitions provided they meet certain qualifying criteria.

open face

Clubface aligned to the right of the target at address, or to the right of its path at impact. Can lead to a shot going to the right of the target.

open stance

Player sets up with the left foot pulled back, away from the ball.

open up the hole

When your tee shot leaves the best possible angle for the next shot to the green.

out of bounds

Any area encountered during a round of golf from which play is prohibited. Typically, but not always, out of bounds (OB) is off normal course property. The penalty for OB is stroke and distance. The player must return to the spot where the original ball was played, hit another shot from there and add a penalty stroke to his score.

outside agency

A term given to something not part of the match. A dog or bird would be examples.

outside-in

Swing path in which the player's club, on the downswing, crosses over its path on the backswing, ending up directed more to the left of target than desired. Outside-In swings typically result in either pulls, fades or slices, depending on the position of the club face at impact.

overclub

To use a club that will hit the ball too far.

overlapping

A type of grip where the little finger of the right hand lies over the index finger of the left hand.

over par

Term given to the number of strokes a player's score is over the par for the number of holes played. For example, if a player shoots a score of 40 on 9 holes whose par is 36, he is said to be "4 over."

over the green

Ball hit too far.

P

Par

Expected score on a given hole based on its length and difficulty. Par 3 holes tend to be less than 225 yards in length, par 4's range from less than 300 to over 450 yards, and most par 5's tend to be longer than 480 yards.

pairings

Groups of two players.

par 3 Course

A short golf course comprised of all par 3 holes. Par 3 courses are good learning courses for beginners and help better players to improve their short games.

partner

A player who is teamed with another player on the same side of a match.

path

The imaginary line formed by the arc of a player's swing. (See "Square", "Inside-Out" and "Outside-In".)

persimmon

A wood from which many wooden clubs are made.

penalty

Stroke(s) assessed when a ball is hit into a specific area either on (water hazard) or off (out of bounds) the course. Penalties may also be assessed for specific violations as defined in the United States Golf Association's Rules of Golf.

PGA (Professional Golfer's Association)

Governing organization of males making their living in golf-related endeavors. The PGA issues guidelines and accreditation to its members depending upon their individual positions in the game.

PGA & LPGA Tour

Golf organizations for male and female professional golfers respectively, that are responsible for the management of a series of events throughout the world in which members play for monetary remuneration.

piccolo grip

A very loose hold on the club, especially at the top of the backswing.

pigeon

An opponent you should beat easily.

pin

The pole placed in the hole.

pin-high

See hole high.

pin-placement

The location of the hole on the green.

pitch

A short, high approach shot. Doesn't run much on landing.

pitch and putt

A short course. Or getting down in two strokes from off the green.

pitch-and-run

Varies from a pitch in that it flies lower and runs more.

pitching-niblick

Old term for an 8-iron.

pivot

The body turn during the swing.

pitch out

Slang term for a "shanked" shot. That is, a ball struck on the hosel of the head resulting in a straight right ball flight.

plane

The arc of the swing.

playoff

Two or more players play extra holes to break a tie.

play through

A situation in which a faster group is permitted to play a hole on which a slower group is playing. The slower group typically stands out of the way of the faster group, who is said to have "played through."

plugged lie

When the ball finishes half-buried in the turf or a bunker.

plumb-bob

Lining up a putt with one eye closed and the putter held vertically in front of the face.

pop-up

High, short shot.

pot bunker

A small, but very deep bunker, usually filled with sand.

power fade

A shot, generally from the tee, that combines the control of a left to right  fade with the power and distance of a pull. A highly effective shot that is difficult to master. The preferred pattern of Ben Hogan and others. 

practice green

Place for working on your putting.

preferred lies

Temporary rule that allows you to move the ball to a more favorable position because of wet conditions.

press

You've lost your match, but you want your money back. This new bet takes place over any remaining holes.

Private course

Type of course requiring a membership to play. Guests may play private courses for a fee at specific times, often accompanied by a member of the club

Pro-Am

A competition in which professional partners team with amateurs.

professional golfer

An individual who earns a living based upon his or her skill at playing the game.

pro shop

A place where you sign up to start play and can buy balls, clubs, and so on.

provisional ball

You think your ball may be lost. To save time, you play another from the same spot before searching for the first ball. If the first ball is lost, the second ball is in play.

Public Course

A course open to play for all golfers, subject to time availability.

pull

A shot that tends to go to the left of the intended target, in a straight path (assuming a right-handed player.) A pulled does not curve, but flies straight.

punch

A shot, played intentionally low, to avoid wind, trees or other obstacles. The shot is played with a short backswing with the ball positioned rearward in the stance.

punch-out

Low shot played from trees designed to get the ball back into play.

push

A shot that tends to go to the right of the intended target, in a straight path (assuming a right-handed player.) A pushed does not curve, but flies straight.

Putting Green

The area of the hole being played that is specifically mowed for putting. The term "Putting Green" may also refer to a practice putting area, usually near the clubhouse.