The Ultimate Golf Glossary: The Only One You’ll Need

Getting into the sport of golf seems difficult, especially when there are so many terms to know and understand. Here's the only guide you'll ever need to learn the lingo when it comes to golf. So gear up, and get ready to hit the greens with confidence and style. Your journey to becoming a golf enthusiast starts now.

A

Ace: A hole in one.

Address: The stance and positioning of the body over the ball.

Albatross:  A score of three under par on a single hole.

All Square: A tied score in which both golfers or teams have won an equal number of holes in a match play format.

Approach:  A shot played towards the green.

Apron: The closely-mown area of grass surrounding the green that provides a transition area between the green and the rough

B

Back nine: The last nine holes of an 18-hole round.

Backswing:  The portion of the swing where the club is raised away from the ball.

Birdie:  A score of one under par on a hole.

Bogey:  A score of one over par on a hole.

Bunker:  A sand trap.

Blade: The golf club head which has a square top and thinner face compared to normal irons for increased speed and distance.

Ball Retriever: A tool with a long handle and scoop/basket used to retrieve balls from water hazards or difficult to reach areas.

Ball Marker: A small flat object used to mark the spot where the player’s golf ball lies on the green and is used when the ball needs to be moved out of the way temporarily.

Ball Washer: A device used to clean golf balls and typicallly found on golf courses near tee boxes.

Best Ball: A format of golf play where each player in a team hits a shot and the best shot of the team is selected and all players play their shot from that spot.

Bite: A term used to describe the amount of backspin created when a golf ball lands on the green, causing it to stop quickly or “bite” into the turf.

Bump and Run: A low-trajectory shot played around the green with a pitching wedge or similar club, where the ball lands on the apron or fringe of the green and rolls towards the hole.

C

Caddie: A person who carries a player's golf bag and clubs during a round of golf, and provides various assistance and advice to the player, such as reading greens, and providing recommendations on club selection.

Chip: A short shot played towards the green.

Clubface:  The striking surface of a golf club.

Course Marshal:  A person who manages player flow and etiquette on the course.

Course Rating:  A measure of the difficulty of a golf course for scratch golfers.

Course Slope:  A measure of the relative difficulty of a golf course for bogey golfers compared to scratch golfers.

Cup: The hole in the green.

Cut:  A cut shot, also known as a slice, is when the golf ball is hit unintentionally to curve from left to right (for a right-handed player) during its flight.

D

Divot: A piece of turf that is displaced when a golfer hits a shot, typically with an iron club.

Dogleg: A hole where the fairway bends sharply to the left or right.

Draw: A shot that curves from right to left (for a right-handed player) during its flight.

Driver:  The longest and largest club in the golf bag.

E

Eagle:  A score of two under par on a hole.

Executive Course: A shorter golf course with a lower par than a standard course, often with par values of 3 or 4 for each hole, designed to be completed in less time than a standard 18-hole course.

F

Fade:  A shot that curves from left to right for a right-handed golfer.

Fairway:  The area of the course that is well-manicured and extends from the tee to the green.

Fairway Bunker:  A bunker that is located in the fairway.

Fairway Wood:  A type of club with a large head used for shots from the fairway.

Fat Shot:  A shot that is hit into the ground before reaching the ball.

Flop Shot: A "flop shot" in golf is a high, soft shot hit with a lob wedge to clear an obstacle and land the ball gently on the green.

Fore:  A shout to warn other players that a shot is hit towards their direction.

Fried Egg: A shot that is deeply buried in a sandtrap, resembling a fried egg.

Fringe: The "fringe" in golf is the area of grass around the putting green that is slightly longer than the green and not considered part of the putting surface.

Front Nine:  The first nine holes of an 18-hole round.

G

Gimme: A shot that is assumed to be made and not required to be played, typically offered to save time and speed up play.

Good Good: When both players in a match agree to concede each other's putts.

Grain: The direction in which the blades of grass on a putting green are growing which can affect the speed, line, and break of a putt.

Green: The putting surface.

Green in Regulation (GIR):  A golf shot that reaches the green in the number of strokes expected for a given hole, typically two strokes less than par.

H

Halve a Hole: When golfers competing in a match or competition have tied the hole by completing it in the same number of strokes.

Handicap:  A measure of a golfer's ability used to determine strokes in a competition.

Heel: The part of the clubhead closest to the shaft and is used to describe shots that are hit off-center and result in less accuracy or distance.

Hole:  The 4 1/4-inch diameter excavation where the ball is meant to be hit into.

Hole-Out: When you make a shot from off the green using a club other than a putter.

Honors: The privilege of teeing off first on the next hole, usually earned by having the lowest score on the previous hole.

Hook: A "hook" in golf is a shot that curves sharply to the left (for a right-handed player).

Hybrid:  A type of club that combines features of woods and irons.

I

In-Play: The ball being in a position where it can be hit and continue with the round.
Iron: A type of club with a flat face used for precision shots.

L
Leading Edge: The front part of the clubhead that makes contact with the ball.

Lob: To hit the ball high.

Lie:  The position of the ball on the course, either on the fairway, rough or bunker.

Lip Out: When a ball is putt towards the hole but rolls around the edge of the hole, causing it to miss.

Lost Ball:  A ball that cannot be found after being struck.

Loft: Refers to the angle of the face of a golf club in relation to the ground.

M

Match Play:  A type of competition where golfers compete hole by hole instead of counting total strokes.

Mulligan: Re-hitting a shot with no penalty. This is only permitted in casual-play.

O

Out of Bounds (OB): Refers to areas on the golf course that are designated as outside the boundaries of the course and off limits to play.

P

Pace of Play: The amount of time it takes to hit a shot or play a round of golf.

Par: The number of strokes a skilled golfer should take to complete a hole or round.

Penalty Shot:  A stroke added to a player's score for a rules infraction.

Pin:  The flagstick marking the location of the hole.

Pin-High: A shot that travels the correct distance, as the hole on the green in golf.

Pitch:  A high-lofted shot played towards the green.

Provisional Ball: A provisional in golf is an additional ball played when there is a chance that the original ball may be lost or out of bounds.

Pull: A shot or putt that starts left of the target (for a right-handed player).

Punch: A low-trajectory shot used to avoid obstacles or in windy conditions.

Push: A shot or putt that starts right of the target (for a right-handed player).

Putting Green:  The area surrounding the hole specifically designated for putting.

Putt:  A shot played on the green with the intention of getting the ball in the hole.

R

Range Finder: A device used in golf to measure the distance to the target or specific points on the course.

Ready Golf: Method of playing golf where golfers hit their shot when ready versus waiting for the golfer in the group that’s farthest from the hole.

Rough:  The uncultivated area surrounding the fairway.

S

Sand Wedge:  A type of club with a high loft and a wide sole used for shots from bunkers or rough.

Scramble: A format where all members of a team hit their own balls from the tee, and then choose the best shot among them to continue the next shot.

Scratch Golfer: A golfer who has a handicap of 0.

Shank:  A shot that comes off the hosel (the connection between the clubhead and the shaft) instead of the club-face.

Slice:  A shot that curves from right to left for a right-handed golfer.

Stymie: A term used in golf to describe a situation where a golfer's ball is obstructed by another ball on the green, and the player is unable to make a straight shot to the hole.

Stroke Play:  A type of competition where golfers compete based on the total number of strokes taken over a set number of holes.

T

Tee: The starting point for each hole.

Tee Box:  The area where tee shots are taken.

Tee Marker:  The markers on the tee box indicating the location of the tee shot.

Texas Wedge: A Texas Wedge is a golf shot played with a putter from off the green instead of chipping.

Tips: The backmost tees on a golf course.

Toe: The toe refers to the part of the clubhead farthest from the shaft and is used to descibe shots that are hit off-center and result in less accuracy or distance.

Tourney:  Another term for tournament.

Trap:  Another term for bunker.

Turkey: Three consecutive birdies in a round of golf.

U

Up and Down:  A term used when a golfer gets the ball up and in the hole in two strokes starting from off the green.

W

Water Hazard:  A pond, lake, or stream that is a designated hazard and affects play.

Wedge:  A type of club with a high loft used for shots around the green.

Y

Yardage: The length of a hole, a shot, or a golf course which is measured in yards.

Yips:  A sudden, involuntary movement during the putting stroke.