Golf Glossary

A

ace

A hole-in-one. Buy a round of drinks for the house.

address

The positioning of your body in relation to the ball just before starting your swing. And your last conscious thought before takeoff

aerify

Process of boring small holes, typically less than ¾" in diameter, into a putting green (or the fairway) in order to improve growth. The process is usually done once or twice per year.

airball

Your swing missed the ball! Blame it on an alien spacecraft radar.

albatross

A double eagle, or three under par on one hole.

amateur

Any golfer who plays the game for enjoyment and who does not receive direct monetary compensation due to his or her playing or teaching skills.

angle of approach

The degree at which the clubhead moves either downward or upward into the ball. A severe test of agility.

approach

Your shot to the green made from anywhere except the tee. Sounds dangerous; really isn't.

apron

The grass around the edge of a green, longer than the grass on the green but shorter than the grass on the fairway. Or what I wear to barbecue in.

arc

The nearly circular curve around the body made by a golf swing.

Army Golf

Slang term given to a player who has directional problems, especially from the tee. One shot will go to the right, one will go left...(left, right, left, right.) Hence the term "army golf."

attend

To hold and remove the flagstick as a partner putts, usually from some distance.

Australasian Tour

Professional golf circuit for players in Australia and Asia. Similar to the U.S. PGA Tour, but playing courses on the continents of Australia and/or Asia.

away

Term used to describe the ball farthest from the hole and, thus, next to be played.

B

back door

Rear of hole.

back lip

The edge of a bunker (a hazard filled with sand) that's farthest from the green.

back nine

The final nine holes of an eighteen hole round.

backspin

When the ball hits the green and spins back toward the player. Galleries, or spectators, love backspins.

backswing

The part of the swing from the point where the clubhead moves away from the ball to the point where it starts back down again. I hope that your backswing is smooth and in balance.

baffie

Old name for a 5-wood.

bail out

You hit the shot, for example, well to the right to avoid trouble on the left.

balata

Sap from a tropical tree, used to make covers for balls.

ball at rest

The ball isn't moving. A study in still life.

ball mark

Indentation made to the grass/ground on a putting green when a lofted shot lands on the green. Ball marks must be repaired as soon as noticed to properly heal and to maintain a uniform putting surface.

ballooned

A shot pattern wherein a golf ball accelerates upwards to an unreasonably high trajectory.

ball retriever

Long pole with a scoop on the end used to collect balls from water hazards and other undesirable spots. If the grip on your ball retriever is worn out, get some lessons immediately.

ball washer

Found on many tees; a device for cleaning balls.

banana ball

A sliced shot that has a flight pattern shaped liked a banana.

baseball grip

To hold the club with all ten fingers on the grip.

bent grass

Type of grass, characterized by thin blades, found on most courses with varying seasonal climates.

bermuda grass

Type of grass found on most courses located in warmer or tropical climates. Characterized by thick blades and "grainy" surface.

best ball

A match in which one player plays against the better ball of two players or the best ball of three players.

birdie

Score of one under par on a hole.

bisque

Handicap stroke given by one player to another. Receiver may choose which hole it is applied to.

bite

A spin that makes the ball tend to stop rather than roll when it lands.

blade

Not pretty. The leading edge of the club, rather than the clubface, strikes the ball, resulting in a low shot that tends to travel way too far (see thin or skull). Also a kind of putter or iron.

blast

Aggressive shot from a bunker that displaces a lot of sand.

blind shot

You can't see the spot where you want the ball to land.

block

Shot that flies straight but to the right of the target (see push).

bogey

Score of one stroke over par on a hole.

borrow

The amount of curve you must allow for a putt on a sloping green. Or what you need to do if you play a hustler.

boundary

Edge, of course;. Usually marked by white stakes.

brassie

Old name for a 2-wood.

break

See borrow.

bulge

The curve across the face of a wooden club.

bunker

Hazard filled with sand; can be referred to as a sand trap.

buried ball/lie

Part of the ball below the surface of the sand in a bunker.

C

Caddie (Caddy)

One who carries or tends to a player's clubs during a round.

Caddie Master

A course employee responsible for managing caddies and assigning them to players as required.

Calamity Jane

The great Bobby Jones's putter.

Carry-Double

A caddie employed by two players and who typically carries two bags, one on each shoulder.

cart fee

Similar to a greens fee, the fee required to rent a golf cart for either 9 or 18 holes.

casual water

Water other than a water hazard on the course from which you can lift your ball without penalty.

cat box

Slang term given to a sand bunker.

center-shafted

Putter in which the shaft is joined to the center of the head.

character builder

Short, meaningful putt; can't possibly build character.

charting the course

To pace each hole so that you always know how far you are from the hole.

chili-dip

A mishit chip shot, the clubhead hitting the ground well before it hits the ball.

chip

Any number of short shots, typically played to the green, with a higher lofted club (#7, 8, 9 or wedges.)

chip-in

A holed chip.

chip-out

A shot, generally going only a short distance, made from trouble in an attempt to get the ball back in play. Chip-outs are commonly made from trees or similar positions.

choke

To play poorly because of self-imposed pressure.

choke down

To hold the club lower on the grip.

cleat

Spike on the sole of a golf shoe.

cleek

Old term for a variety of clubs.

chunk

A shot in which a player hits behind the ball resulting in a more turf being removed than desired. The resulting shot is also much shorter than desired. May also be called a "chili-dip."

closed face

Clubface pointed to the left of your ultimate target at address or impact. Or clubface pointed skyward at the top of the backswing. Can lead to a shot that goes to the left of the target.

closed stance

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

club length

Distance from the end of the grip to the bottom of the clubhead.

collar

A closely mown area surrounding the putting green. It may be similar to the green in height (fringe) or it may be higher, similar to rough.

come-backer

The putt after the preceding effort finished beyond the hole. Usually gets harder to make the older you get.

competitor

A player participating in a stroke play competition.

compression

The flattening of the ball against the clubface. The faster you swing and the more precisely you hit the ball in the middle of the clubface, the more fun you have.

concede

To give an opponent a putt, hole, or match.

core

The center of a golf ball.

Country Club

Term typically applied to an upscale (normally private or semi-private) golf club that generally offers other amenities in addition to golf (swimming, tennis, clubhouse, etc.)

course

The entire area on which a game (or round) of golf is played.

course rating

A numerical rating, usually by a recognized organization such as the USGA, that identifies the difficulty of a course. For example, a course rated 72.4 is more difficult than one rated at 68.5. A scratch player should expect to shoot a 68 or 69 on the course rated 68.5.

cross-handed

Grip with the left hand below the right.

cross wind

Breeze blowing from right to left or from left to right.

cup/dt>

Container in the hole that holds the flagstick in place.

cuppy lie

When the ball is in a cup-like depression.

cut

Score that eliminates a percentage of the field (or players) from a tournament. Usually made after 36 holes of a 72-hole event.

cut shot

Shot that curves from left to right.

D

dawn patrol

The players who tee off early in the day.

dance floor

Slang for green.

deep

High clubface from top to bottom.

deuce

A score of two on a given hole.

dimple

Depression on the cover of a golf ball.

divot

Turf removed as a result of contact between the club and the ground. Divots occur as a result of most shots from the fairway or rough.

Dogleg

The design of a golf hole (a par 4 or 5) in which the layout changes direction, usually at the position a drive is designed to land. If the hole changes direction to the right, it is called a "dogleg right"; a direction change left is known as a "dogleg left."

dormie

The player or side having a lead in a match equal to the number of holes remaining to be played. A player is dormie-two if he is 2 holes ahead with 2 holes remaining to play.

double bogey

A score of two over par on a hole.

double-cut

Method of mowing putting greens in which the mower cuts in one direction and then cuts again in another direction, creating a fast putting surface. Fairways may be double cut as well.

double eagle

Score of three under par on a hole. Forget it, you'll probably never get one.

downhill lie

When your right foot is higher than your left when you address the ball (for right-handed players).

downswing

The part of the swing where the clubhead is moving down, toward the ball.

DQ'd

Disqualified.

drain

To sink a putt.

draw

A shot that tends to curve from left to right in the air (assuming a right-handed golfer.) A draw is a controlled shot preferred by most players.

Drive

The first shot on a hole, played from the teeing ground.

drive for show, putt for dough

Old saying implying that putting is more important than driving.

driving range

Place where you can go to hit practice balls.

drive the green

When your drive finishes on the putting surface. Can happen on short par-4, or when the brakes go out on your cart.

drop

Procedure by which you put the ball back into play after it's been deemed unplayable.

drop area

An area identified by either paint or chalk in which a player may drop his ball under penalty of one stroke. Drop areas are most often found on holes with water hazards and allow the player relief, with penalty, from the water.

dub

Bad shot or player.

duck hook

A shot that starts straight at the target and curves dramatically to the left of target (assuming a right-handed golfer.) One of the most out of control shot types.

duffer

Bad player.

dying putt

A putt that barely reaches the hole.