Golf Terms Glossary

Posted on September 24th, 2008 by J. Cavell

This Golf Terms Glossary will help you understand the most commonly used golf terms which is an important tool for every serious amateur golfer. Learning these terms and proper etiquette makes the game more enjoyable for everyone.

Address: The manner in which a golf player positions his or her body right before hitting the ball.

Alignment: The way you aim the clubface & line up your body at address.

Amateur: Generally refers to players that compete but do not play for prize money. Non-professionals.

Approach Shot: Any shot that sends your ball onto the green area.

Away: When you are the farthest distance from the hole.

Baby Shot: A shot that is much shorter and softer than usual (and from a specific club that is normally used for that shot.)

Back Nine: The second half of an 18-hole course (the last 9 holes).

Backspin: The reverse spin of the ball.

Backswing: The first part of the golf swing, which ends as the club stops moving above your head, & before the downward portion commences.

Balata: A type of tree sap. It was previously used in making golf ball covers.

Ball Marker: A small, flat object used to mark the specific location of the ball when it’s on the green.

Ball Mark Repair Tool: A forked-shaped tool used to fix any marks on the green that are left behind by the ball.

Baseball Grip: A specific grip used to hold the club. When used correctly, all 10 of your fingers remain in contact with the club grip.

Best Ball: A golf game that uses the best score from a 2-person team.

Birdie: When you make the ball in one less stroke than the par for the specific hole you are playing.

Blade: The club head of an iron. Or, hitting the ball on its middle section with the bottom of the blade.

Blocked Shot: When the ball is hit straight ahead but then sweeps to the right of the intended target (assuming a right handed golfer).

Bogey: What you get when you hit the ball into the hole in one additional shot above par.

Break: The amount of turn that occurs when putting.

Breaking Down: The movement of your wrists as they bend during a putt.

Bump & Run: When a ball is hit into the air & flies towards the target, then it “bumps” into the ground and rolls the rest of the way.

Bunker: A hazard area that is completely filled with sand – typically near the green or fairway.

Caddie: The person who gets paid to carry your golf clubs around with you on the course as you play the game. They also offer advice on the course and how to play the game.

Carry: How far a golf ball flies through the air.

Cart: The small vehicles that golf players use to drive around the course with. Standard motorized carts hold 2 or more players. Also can refer to a small dolly that travels on 2 wheels and is pulled manually (often referred to as the “pull cart”).

Casual Water: Puddles that have accumulated on the course through rainy weather. These puddles of water are separate from standard hazards of the course.

Cavity Back Iron: A particular type of iron that has the majority of its club head’s weight distributed around the perimeter. This design helps create a bigger head and a larger “sweet spot.” The back of the club head is basically just a large cavity. This helps reduce the mass in the center of the head and the back.

Certified PGA Professional: Someone who has met or exceeded the golf teaching standards of the Professional Golfer’s Association of America.

Check: The action of the golf ball as it stops rolling because of the amount of backspin on it.

Chip: A shot that is typically played right from the edge of the green.

Closed Face: A club face that points to the left of the target (assuming a right handed golfer).

Closed Stance: A stance where your body alignment faces the right of your intended target (for right handed golfers).

Club Face: The bottom section of the club that makes contact with the golf ball.

Clubhouse: Usually a large indoor area located on a golf course that has restaurants, pro shops, restrooms, & conference rooms.

Collar: The strip of grass that separates the green from the rough or fairway.

Coming Over The Top: The direction of the club as it moves through the downswing and into a right-to-left pathway across the ball (assuming a right handed golfer). Another term for this direction is the “out-to-in blow.”

Compression: The squeezing in of a golf ball that results from the force of impact with the club head.

Course Rating: The difficultly level of the course itself. The higher the course rating number, the more advanced & difficult a golf course is.

Crossed Over: The club shaft direction facing towards the right of the target when it is at the top of the backswing (assuming a right handed golfer).

Cross Handed: A specific putting grip where the left hand is placed below the right hand (assuming a right handed golfer).

Cup: The hole itself.

Cupped Lead Wrist: The backward bend of your lead hand when striking the ball. The lead hand is the one that is closest to the hole after you set up for your swing. (For right handed golfers, the lead hand is the left hand.)

Cut: A shot that bends towards the right (assuming a right handed golfer).

Deloft: ”Delofting” a club is simply decreasing the amount of loft on the club face by tilting your club shaft in the direction of your intended target.

Dimple: The hundreds of small indentations that every golf ball has.

Divot: The small chunk of grass and dirt that is removed from the golf course after the ball is hit.

Dogleg: The curved pathway from the tee to the cup has turns either left or right.

Double Bogey: When you complete a hole with 2 additional shots over par for that hole.

Double Eagle: The completion of a par-5 hole in 3 shots less than then par.

Downhill Lie: The stance where the front foot is below your back foot at address.

Draw: A shot that bends to the left (assuming a right handed golfer).

Drive: The initial shot taken from the tee.

Driver: The longest club in your bag, it sends the ball a greater distance than any other golf club.

Driving Range: A facility built specifically for golf players to practice their swings. Each driving range has separate booth-like areas where you can knock balls as far as you want. Some driving ranges also have areas where to practice your short game.

Drop: When you place a golf ball back into the game after it was considered unplayable.

Duff: To totally mess up or miss a shot, such as to “screw up” or “ruin” the shot.

Eagle: A player who finishes a hole in two under par when playing a par-4 or a par-5 hole. You can also “eagle” a par-3 hole, but that is called an “ace” (See Ace).

Executive Course: A small, 9-hole (par-3) course which can be played through in under 2 hours (typically 90 minutes).

Explosion Shot: A bunker shot that creates an “explosion” of sand flying through the air.

Fade: A shot that sends the ball veering slightly to the right (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Fairway: The entire distance (in-bounds) that runs from the tee all the way to the green. It is kept nicely trimmed.

Fat: When your clubface strikes the ground before hitting the ball. Opposite of “thin.”

Flagstick: The flagged pole that rests inside of the hole on each green.

Flex: The amount of bend that exists within a club shaft.

Flier Lie: When you swing & too much grass comes between the ball & clubface. This reduces the amount of backspin on the ball as well.

Flop Shot: A type of pitch shot that lifts the ball high up into the air, but comes down short and lands soft.

Follow Through: The movement of your club and body after the ball has been hit.

Fore: What you hear shouted loudly when a ball is flying towards another player. It’s a warning signal.

Fringe: The collar of grass that surrounds the green. (See Collar).

Front Nine: The first 9 holes of an 18-hole golf course.

Gimme: A putt that is so short & close to the hole that your playing partners do not require you to actually hit the ball in.

Glove: Something typically worn on the lead hand to help enhance their grip. It prevents skin problems like blisters.

Grain: The direction in which the grass is growing.

Green: The closely mowed surface that surrounds the hole. Also called the putting surface.

Green In Regulation: Getting your ball onto the green in one shot on a par-3 hole, in two shots on a par-4 hole, or in three shots on a par-5 hole.

Greens Fee: The amount of money charged to play a round of golf at a particular course.

Grip: How you hold your club. Also refers to the rubber covering on the shaft where you place your hands.

Grooves: The etched lines of design on the face of the club. They help obtain the desired backspin on the ball.

Ground Under Repair: An area on the golf course that is under repair.

Handicap: A scoring adjustment that allows players of different skill levels to compete with one another. It adjusts the score so that better players won’t dominate the game.

Hard Pan: Turf or ground area on the golf course that is extremely hard-packed.

Hazard: Areas of sand or water which penalize the player.

Hole: The final destination of the golf ball to sink into. (See also Cup).

Holed Out: When the golf ball falls into the cup.

Honor: The privilege of playing first within your group.

Hook: A shot that bends to the left (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Hosel: The section of the clubhead that is attached to the club shaft.

Impact: The exact moment that you hit the ball (when the clubface meets with the ball).

Impediment: Loose debris that can be moved aside and away from your ball.

Interlocking Grip: This type of grip links the index finger of one of your hands and the pinky finger from the other hand.

Iron: Any club that uses a metallic blade for the clubhead. Most golfers carry with them at least 8-10 irons which range from 2-irons to the sand wedge. Each club provides a different loft.

Lag Putt: A long putt which has the goal of having the ball land and stop within a couple of feet (or less) from the hole.

Laid Off: When your club shaft is pointing to the left of the target at the top of the backswing (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Lay Up: A shot that is intentionally hit short from the green to avoid getting into trouble.

Lie: Where your ball lands after a shot. Also used to describe the condition of that area of ground where your ball is.

Lip Out: When the golf ball travels right up to the cup, teeters on the edge of dropping into the hole, but instead pops back, & doesn’t sink.

Loft: The angle that the clubface makes with the ground. Also refers to how high up a specific club will hit the ball.

Matchplay: The original way that golf was played: hole-to-hole. Whoever scores lowest on the first hole is the winner of that hole, and then goes “one up”. Then the winner on the second hole goes “two up”. This scoring pattern continues for each hole thereafter. Should you lose a hole then you go “down one”. If a hole is tied you then “halve” the hole. The final outcome of the matchplay is decided by how many holes you are either up or down by, compared to the number of holes left. For example, if you are 4 up with only 4 holes left in the game, then you are the winner of the match.

Mulligan: An illegal second try at a shot which went wrong. Often observed during casual play with friends on the course.

Municipal Course: A golf course that is owned and operated by a local government, also referred to as a “muni.”

Nuked Shot: A shot that is hit much harder and longer than the typical shot.

Neutral Grip: A grip where a right-handed golfer can see 2 left hand knuckles when looking down at his or her grip during address.

Neutral Stance: The stance that has both feet perfectly parallel to the target line.

Open Face: When the club face is aligned to the right of the target line (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Open Stance: A stance with your body aligned towards the left of the target when set up (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Out-of-Bounds: The area outside of the course typically marked with white stakes.

Out-to-in Blow: See “Coming Over The Top”: The direction of the club as it moves through the downswing and into a right-to-left pathway across the ball (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Overlapping Grip: A standard grip where you grip the golf club with the pinky finger of your top hand resting over the index finger of your bottom hand.

Pairing Sheet: A paring sheet is a schedule-type list that displays the names of the players from each group competing in a tournament.

Par: The recommended number of shots specified for a particular hole. A round can also be scored as “par” as can the final score of a player’s total rounds.

Pin: Another name for the flagstick which sits in the hole until the player’s ball is on the green (or sooner).

Pitch Shot: A shot where the ball is hit very short with the goal to hit the green. The goal is to have a slight roll at the end of the flight.

Plumb-Bob: A special technique that golfers use in order to determine the break of a putt.

Pre-Shot Routine: The warm up prep ritual that each golfer uses to prepare for the shot. Sometimes unique to the player.

Primary Rough: The first section of longer grass that you walk though when you leave the fairway.

Private Golf Club: Golf clubs closed to the public & only open to paying members and sometimes their guests.

Pro-Am: The name of a tournament that includes both professional golf players & amateurs teaming up together.

Professional Golf Player: Men & women who play pro golf for a living & are paid handsomely for doing so.

Pro Shop: The central shop at the golf club where you check in & purchase golf equipment. Golf lessons may also be offered at some pro shops.

Provisional Shot: A second shot made when the player thinks the first shot led to a lost ball. However, if the player subsequently finds the 1st ball, the provisional shot doesn’t count – the first one does.

Public Golf Course: Courses where anyone (the general public) can play a round of golf. Some are free. But most charge a small fee.

Pull: A shot that was intended to travel in a straight path, but ended up veering to the left of the target (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Punch Shot: A shot where you try to hit the ball out of a troubled area, typically a low recovery shot.

Push: A straight shot that is hit towards the right of the target (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Putter: The small, straight-faced club which is predominately used to hit the ball onto the green.

Range: An area used for practice shots.\

Release: The moment when the downswing is in motion meets your wrists uncocking.

Relief: One of the standard golf rules which gives a player permission to move the ball when it lands in a troubled spot without incurring penalties.

Reverse Overlap Grip: A standard grip, typically used when putting. The index finger from the left hand covers the pinky finger of the right hand (assuming it’s a right-handed player).

Rough: Any part away from the fairway where the grass grows to longer lengths.

Round: The entire course played out. It could be 18 holes or 9 holes for smaller courses.

Run: How far a ball rolls after landing, bouncing, and then into its traveling roll.

Score: Your golf score is tallied by how many shots it took you to play the course.

Scorecard: The record where your game scores and other stats are kept.

Scramble: A golf game where 4 players on the same team will tee off and the best shot is selected as the spot where everyone takes their next shot. This process is continued until the ball is sunk into the hole.

Scratch Golfer: A golfer who routinely scores par on the golf course. You might here someone casually bragging to others how they are a “scratch golfer.”

Secondary Rough: The thicker rough (grass) area past the primary rough.

Setup: See “address” above- the setup is where you prep for your shot.

Shaft: The long section of the golf club; it’s the long & thin part that gives you most of the club’s energy.

Shag Bag: A bag used for storing your practice balls. Shag bags are specifically designed to allow you to grab each ball from inside without ever having to bend over.

Tee: The small peg like device for setting the ball up to be hit (it can also refer to the actual placing of the ball on the tee).

Tee Blocks: The 2 objects indicating the forward zone of the teeing area.

Tee Off: The act of hitting a shot from the tee. As in “Are you ready to tee off?”

Trap: A sand filled bunker which is a sunk area of the ground filled with sand or something similar.

Up & Down: When you are 2 shots from the green. Usually used to describe the situation when you are close to the green & you need one more shot “up” onto the green and a final putt down into the hole.

Uphill Lie: The ball coming to rest on a hill sloping but still toward the target.

Vertical Roll: The curved face of a wood and or metal wood.

Wedge: A subclass of irons which have a loft greater than that of a 9-iron. Generally used to play shorter, more lofted shots.

Wet: When your ball lands in the water (AKA water hazard).

Whiff: A swing that intended to strike the ball but missed. Named for the supposed “whiff” sound.