| Albatross |
a hole played three strokes under par |
| All Square |
in match play, a match is all square (tied) when both players or teams have won the same number of holes. All Square is abbreviated "AS" on the scorecard |
| Address |
to take a stance at the ball |
| Air shot |
missing the ball entirely |
| Apron |
the short grass surrounding a putting green |
| |
|
| Bandit |
someone who regularly plays below their handicap |
| Ball-marker |
any small object used to indicate where a player's ball is on the green. Coins are common ball-markers |
| Best or better ball |
the best score out of two partners in a four-ball or better ball game |
| Birdie |
a hole played one stroke under par |
| Bogey |
a hole played one stroke over par |
| Bunker |
a sand hazard on a golf course |
| |
|
| Carry |
the distance required for the ball to travel through the air to reach a target |
| 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 |
| Club |
a tool for the player to hit the ball. A maximum of 14 clubs are allowed in the golf bag by the rules |
| Condor |
a four-under par shot, a hole-in-one on a par 5 . This has occurred on a hole with a heavy dogleg, hard ground, and no trees. Might also be called "a triple eagle" |
| |
|
| Dimple |
describes the depressions on the surface on a golf ball |
| Divot |
the chunk of grass displaced when an iron shot is played |
| Dormie |
in match play, a player is dormie when leading a match by as many holes as there are left (i.e. 4 up with 4 holes to play). The player who is down must win every hole to save the match and force its continuation past the last regular hole (if a winner must be determined) or halve the match (in a team competition such as the Ryder Cup). |
| Double Bogey |
a hole played two strokes over par |
| Drop |
To drop a ball as in the case of an unplayable lie or if the original ball has been lost. |
| Drive |
a shot of great length played from the tee, usually with a driver |
| |
|
| Eagle |
a hole played in two strokes under par |
| |
|
| Face |
the part of a club head that hits the ball. e.g. club face |
| Fairway |
the short grass between the tee and the green |
| Fore |
"Fore!" is shouted as a warning when it appears possible a ball may hit other players or spectators |
| Four-Ball |
Played with two sides consisting of two players |
| Full shot |
A shot played with any club with it's full swing |
| |
|
| Gimme |
when a player has only a short putt left to play, other players may grant a gimme, i.e. one stroke is counted, but the ball is not actually played |
| Green or putting green |
the area of specially prepared grass around the hole, where putts are played |
| Grip |
The way in which a players hands are positioned in holding a club. Also the part of the golf club on to which the player positions his hands |
| Gross |
A score actually made before the deduction of any handicap |
| Grounding the club |
to place the clubface behind the ball on the ground at address. Grounding the club is prohibited in bunkers or when playing from any marked hazard. |
| GUR |
Ground under repair when the ball can be replaced before place |
| |
|
| Halved |
in match play, a hole is halved (drawn) when both players or teams have played the same number of strokes |
| Hole In One (or ace) |
holing out the tee shot |
| Honour |
The privilege of driving off the tee first |
| |
|
| Lay-up |
to hit a conservative shot intentionally short of a hazard |
| Lie |
the ground that the ball is resting on. Also, the angle a clubhead is set on a shaft |
| Line |
the correct path of the ball to the hole, particularly on putts |
| Links |
a course laid out by the sea, usually flat and devoid of trees |
| Loft |
the angle on the front of a clubface |
| |
|
| Match play |
The original form of competition in golf, the contest is decided between two sides and the score by holes |
| Medal play |
style of scoring in which the player with the fewest strokes wins. Also known as "stroke play" |
| |
|
| Nassau |
a type of bet between golfers that is essentially three separate bets. Money is wagered on the best score in the front 9, back 9, and total 18 holes |
| |
|
| Open stance |
when a player sets up with their front foot to the inside of the target line |
| Out-of-bounds |
the area designated as being outside the boundaries of the course. Out-of-bounds areas are usually indicated by white posts |
| |
|
| Pace |
the speed at which a putt should be moving to get to the hole. Pace and break are the two components of green-reading |
| Par |
standard score in strokes assigned to each hole determined by the length of that hole |
| PGA |
any Professional Golfers' Association |
| Pin high |
at the same level as the hole |
| Pitch |
an approach shot usually played with a higher lofted club and made using a less than full swing. |
| Pitch and run |
A short approach shot followed by considerable run |
| 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. |
| Pivot |
Rotation of the body during a swing |
| Plugged Lie |
a bad lie (typically in a bunker) where the ball is at least half-buried in sand. Also known as a "buried lie" or a "fried egg" |
| Pro |
a professional is a golfer or person who plays or teaches golf for financial reward |
| 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 |
| Putt |
a shot played on the green, usually with a putter |
| Putter |
a special golf club with a very low loft that makes the ball roll |
| |
|
| Rabbit |
a golfer of little ability or a beginner to the game |
| Release |
the point in the downswing at which the wrists uncock. A late release is one of the keys to a powerful swing |
| Royal and Ancient |
The home of golf at St Andrews, Scotland |
| Rough |
the grass that borders the fairway, usually taller and coarser than the fairway |
|
Sand Wedge
|
a lofted club designed especially for playing out of a bunker |
| Scramble |
when a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better on a hole |
| Scratch golfer |
a player's whose handicap equals zero |
| Short game |
comprised of shots that take place on or near the green |
| Slice |
a poor shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves sharply to the right |
| Smother |
a ball that goes a short distance along the ground |
| Stableford |
a form of play in which points are won instead of stokes scored |
| Snowman |
An eight on a hole |
| Stiff |
a shot that lands close to the flag stick |
| Sit |
Telling the ball to land softly |
| |
|
| Tap-in |
a ball that has come to rest very close to the hole, leaving only a very short putt to be played. |
| Tee (part of the course) |
the specially prepared area, usually grass, from which the play of a hole is begun. |
| Tee (piece of equipment) |
a small peg - made of wood or plastic - placed in the teeing ground, upon which the golf ball is placed prior to the first stroke on a hole. |
| Tempo |
the control of timing in a golf swing |
| Thin shot |
a poor shot where the clubhead strikes too high up on the ball, resulting in a shallow flight path. Also known as "skulling" or "blading" the ball |
| Topped |
to hit a ball above its center causing it to run along the ground |
| |
|
| Up and down |
when a player holes the ball in two strokes from off of the edge of the green |
| Underclub |
to select a club giving too little distance for the shot required |
| |
|
| Yardage |
The length of a hole or course traditionally given in yards |