Organizing a golf outing can be intimidating at times, so we have gathered some of the most common golf terms and phrases you might encounter. If you come across something not on the list, just ask and we’ll be happy to explain. A more comprehensive listing can be found on the PGA.com website.
[#] 19th Hole The clubhouse bar. Players typically gather in the 19th Hole after their round to tally scores, settle bets and enjoy some beverages.
[A] Ace When a player hits the ball directly from the tee into the hole with one stroke. Also called a hole in one.
Albatross A hole played three strokes under par, also called a Double Eagle.
Approach shot A shot intended to land the ball on the green.
Apron The grass surface on the perimeter of the green that separates it from the surrounding fairway or rough. Also known as the fringe.
Automatic Two-putt When a golf course, or tournament, declares that players may consider the ball to be holed in no more than two putts once their ball is on the putting surface (most commonly used as a tournament rule to speed up play) Example: Automatic two-putt is not allowed within the rules of golf, but courses can institute it as a local rule in casual play when conditions warrant.
Away Describing the golfer whose ball is farthest from the hole. The player who is away should always play first.
[B] Back nine The last nine holes of an 18 hole golf course. Playing the back nine is called “heading in”.
Backswing The backward part of the swing starting from the ground and going back behind the head.
Ball-marker A token or a small coin used to spot the ball’s position on the green prior to lifting it.
Ball-washer A device found on many tee boxes for cleaning golf balls.
Best ball A form of team play using two, three, or four person teams. The team score on each hole is the lowest score obtained by one of the team members. For example, if player A has a 5, player B has a 6, player C has a 4, and player D has a 5, the “best ball” and team score is a 4.
Birdie A hole played in one stroke under par.
Bogey A hole played one stroke over par.
Break The tendency of a putted ball to roll left or right of a straight line. This deviation may be a result of a number of factors or combination of factors including uneven surface, grain of the grass, how firmly the putt is struck or, in extreme circumstances, wind.
Bump and run A low-trajectory shot that is intended to get the ball rolling along the fairway and up onto the green. Similar to a chip shot, but played from a greater distance.
Bunker A depression in bare ground that is usually covered with sand. Also called a “sand trap”. It is considered a hazard under the Rules of Golf.
[C] Caddy or Caddie A person, often paid, who carries a player’s clubs and offers advice. Players are responsible for the actions of their caddies. Players cannot receive advice from anyone other than their caddy or partner.
Carry How far the ball travels through the air.
Casual water Any temporary standing water visible after a player has taken his stance. Snow and ice can also be taken as casual water, as well as water that overflows the banks of existing water hazards. You may take relief from casual water no nearer to the hole according to the rules of golf.
Chip A short shot (typically played from very close to and around the green), that is intended to travel through the air over a very short distance and roll the remainder of the way to the hole.
Chunk A swing that results in the clubhead hitting the ground before the ball, resulting in a large chunk of ground being taken as a divot. Also called a “fat” shot, or “chili-dipping”.
Club (i) An implement used by a player to hit a golf ball. A player is allowed to carry up to fourteen (14) clubs during a round of golf. (ii) An organized group of golfers, usually owning or managing a golf course. (iii) The entirety of a golf facility, including course, club-house, pro-shop, practice areas etc.
Clubhead The part of a club that used to strike the ball.
Clubface The surface of the clubhead which is designed to strike the golf ball. Striking the ball with the center of the clubface maximizes distance and accuracy.
Course Rating Course rating is a numerical value given to each set of tees at a particular golf course to approximate the number of strokes it should take a scratch golfer to complete the course.
[D] Dimples The round indentations on a golf ball cover which are scientifically designed to enable the ball to make a steady and true flight. Dimples, by reducing drag, allow a golf ball to stay in the air for a longer flight than would be possible with a smooth ball.
Divot (i) The chunk of grass and earth displaced during a stroke. (ii) The indentation on the green caused by the ball on an approach shot; more properly called a pitch mark or ball mark.
Dogleg A left or right bend in the fairway.
Double bogey A hole played two strokes over par.
Double eagle A hole played three strokes under par. Also called an Albatross.
Downswing The motion of swinging a club from the top of the swing to the point of impact.
Draw A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves to the left; often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone draw usually becomes a hook.
[E] Eagle A hole played in two strokes under par.
Even Having a score equal to that of par.
[F] Fade A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves slightly to the right, and is often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone fade will appear similar to a slice.
Fairway The area of the course between the tee and the green that is well-maintained allowing a good lie for the ball.
Flagstick A tall marker, often a metal pole with a flag at the top, used to indicate the position of the hole on a green. Also called the “pin”. An additional smaller flag, or other marker, is sometimes positioned on the flagstick to indicate the location of the hole (front, middle, or back) on the green.
Fore A warning shout given when there is a chance that the ball may hit other players or spectators.
Fourball In matchplay, a contest between two sides, each consisting of a pair of players, where every individual plays his own ball throughout. On every hole, the lower of the two partner’s scores is matched against the lower of the opposition’s scores. (Fourballs are the opening matches played on the Friday and Saturday mornings of the Ryder Cup). In strokeplay, a fourball competition is played between several teams each consisting of 2 players, where for every hole the lower of the two partner’s scores counts toward the team’s 18 hole total. The term ‘fourball’ is often used informally to describe any group of 4 players on the course.
Foursomes In matchplay, a contest between two sides each consisting of a pair of players, where the 2 partners hit alternate shots on one ball. The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on until the ball is holed. Also partners alternate their tee shots, so that one member of each team will always tee-off on the odd holes and the other will tee off on the even holes. (Foursomes are the afternoon matches played on the Friday and Saturday of the Ryder Cup). In strokeplay, a foursome competition is played between several teams each consisting of a pair of players, where partners play alternate shots until the SINGLE ball is holed. The term ‘foursome’ is often incorrectly used to describe any group of 4 players on the course.
Front Nine Holes 1 through 9 on a golf course.
[G] Gimme Refers to a putt that the other players agree can count automatically without actually being played (under the tacit assumption that the putt would not have been missed). “Gimmes” are not allowed by the rules in stroke play, but they are often practiced in casual matches. However, in match play, either player may formally concede a stroke, a hole, or the entire match at any time, and this may not be refused or withdrawn. A player in match play will generally concede a tap-in or other short putt by his or her opponent.
Golf club (i) An implement used by a player to hit a golf ball. A player is allowed to carry up to fourteen (14) clubs during a round of golf. (ii) An organized group of golfers, usually owning or managing a golf course. (iii) The entirety of a golf facility, including course, club-house, pro-shop, practice areas etc.
Green The area of specially prepared grass around the hole, where putts are played.
[H] Handicap A number assigned to each player based on his ability and used to adjust each player’s score to provide equality among the players. In simplified terms, a handicap number, based on the slope of a course, is subtracted from the player’s gross score and gives him a net score of par or better half the time.
Hazard Any bunker or permanent water including any ground marked as part of that water hazard. Special rules apply when playing from a hazard.
Hole A circular hole in the ground which is also called “the cup”, 4.25 inches in diameter.
Hole in One Getting the ball directly from the tee into the hole with one stroke.
[I] Iron A club with a flat-faced solid metal head generally numbered from 1 to 9 indicating increasing loft.
[K] Knock-down A type of shot designed to have a very low trajectory, usually employed to combat strong winds.
[L] Lie (i) How the ball is resting on the ground, which may add to the difficulty of the next stroke. (ii) The angle between the center of the shaft and the sole of the clubhead.
Line The path the ball it expected to take following a stroke. This is of particular importance on the green, where stepping on another player’s line is considered a breach of etiquette.
Links A type of golf course, usually along a stretch of coastline.
Loft The angle between the club’s shaft and the club’s face.
[M] Mulligan A do-over, or replay of the shot, without counting the shot as a stroke and without assessing any penalties that might apply. It is not allowed by the rules and not practiced in official tournaments, but is common in casual rounds in some countries, especially the United States. Charity tournaments can use the sale of mulligan tickets to raise additional revenue.
[O] Out-of-bounds The area designated as being outside the boundaries of the course. When a shot lands “O.B.”, the player “loses stroke and distance”, meaning that he/she must hit another shot from the original spot and is assessed a one-stroke penalty. Out-of-bounds areas are usually indicated by white posts.
[P] Par Apocryphally an abbreviation for “professional average result”, standard score for a hole (defined by its length) or a course (sum of all the holes’ pars).
Pin Slang for “flagstick”.
Pitch a short shot (typically from within 50 yards), usually played with a higher lofted club and made using a less than full swing, that is intended to flight the ball toward a target (usually the hole) with greater accuracy than a full iron shot.
Pitch mark Another term for a divot on the green caused when a ball lands. Players must repair their pitch marks, usually with a tee or a divot tool.
Play Through Permission granted by a slow-moving group of players to a faster-moving group of players to pass them on the course.
Pro A professional is a golfer or person who plays or teaches golf for financial reward, may work as a touring pro in professional competitions, or as a teaching pro (also called a club pro).
Punch shot A shot played with a very low trajectory, usually to avoid interference from tree branches when a player is hitting from the woods. Similar to the knock-down, it can also be used to avoid high winds.
Putt A shot played on the green, usually with a putter.
Putting green A green usually found close to the club house used for warm up and to practice putting.
Putter A special golf club with a very low loft that makes the ball roll.
[R] Rough The grass that borders the fairway, usually taller and coarser than the fairway.
[S] Sand wedge A lofted club designed especially for playing out of a bunker. The modern sand wedge was invented by Gene Sarazen.
Scramble When a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better on a hole. Scrambling percentage is one of many statistics kept by the PGA Tour. Also a two or four man format, similar to Best Ball, except in a scramble, each player strikes a shot, the best shot is selected, then all players play from that selected position.
Scratch golfer A player’s whose handicap equals zero.
Shamble A format, similar to a scramble, where every player hits from the tee, the best tee-shot is selected, and each player holes-out from the selected tee-shot.
Short game Shots that take place on or near the green. Putting, chipping, pitching, and greenside bunker play are all aspects of the short game.
Slice A poor shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves sharply from the left to the right. A shot that follows the same direction but to a lesser degree is referred to as a fade or a cut and is often intentional. The curved shape of the flight of the ball is a result of sideways spin. For that reason “slice” does not refer to a putt which “breaks”.
Slope Rating Slope Rating is a number, from 55 to 155, used to determine the level of difficulty of a golf course for a bogey golfer. An “average” course has a slope rating of 113.
Snowman To score an eight on a hole. So-named because an eight (8) looks similar to the body of a snowman.
Stableford A points based scoring system. The number of strokes taken on each hole relative to par translates into a set number of points, with the winner being the player who accumulates the highest number of points.
[T] Tap-in A ball that has come to rest very close to the hole, leaving only a very short putt to be played. Often recreational golfers will “concede” tap-ins to each other to speed up the pace of play.
Tee A small peg, usually made of wood or plastic, placed in the ground upon which the golf ball may be placed prior to the first stroke on a hole. May also refer to the teeing ground.
Teeing Group The area from which you hit your drive or tee shot. The teeing ground for a particular set of tees is two club lengths in depth. The ball must be teed between the markers, called tees, that define the teeing ground’s width, and no further back than its depth. Tees are colored, but there is no standard for colors. The “teeing ground” refers to one set of tees. Most courses have at least three sets of tees, some have more than twice that many. The areas where tee markers are placed are called “tee boxes”.
Tips The championship tees on a golf course are known as “the tips”. At Silverstone, the tips would be our set of silver tees.
Topped An errant shot where the clubhead strikes on top of the ball, causing the ball to roll or bounce rather than fly.
[U] Unplayable A player can declare his ball unplayable at any time when it is in play (other than at a tee), and can drop the ball either within two club-lengths, or further from the hole in line with the hole and its current position, or where he played his last shot. A penalty of one stroke is applied. A ball declared unplayable within a hazard must be dropped within that same hazard.
Up and down Describes the situation where a player holes the ball in two strokes starting from off the green. The first stroke, usually a pitch, a bunker shot or a chip, gets the ball ‘up’ onto the green, and the subsequent putt gets the ball ‘down’ into the hole. A variation is called “up and in”.
[W] Wedge A type of golf club; a subset of iron designed for short range strokes.
Whiff An attempt to strike the ball where the player fails to make contact with the ball. A whiff must be counted as a stroke.
Wood A type of club where the head is generally bulbous in shape except for the flatter clubface. Named because the head was originally made of wood, although almost all are now metal.
