If you’re new to the game of golf it can all seem a bit confusing. Apart from the rules of the game and the various equipment, there’s also the terminology; golf terms are like a secret code that consists of a mix of technical terms and slang, and what is it with all the birds?
This is where we come in with our comprehensive guide to the most common golf terms, phrases and slang, so that the next time you set foot on the dance floor (the green), you’ll be waggling (pre-shot routine) with the best of them, and hopefully nobody will think you’re a hacker (not a very good player).
We’ve covered scoring, courses, equipment and technique, with a few miscellaneous ones thrown in too.
So, let’s get started!
A
Address – The way you position yourself and your club before taking a shot.
Albatross – Three under par.
Alice – You’ll hear this if you line up a putt, take the stroke, but don’t hit it hard enough to go in the hole. It’s thought to originate from the English pro golfer, Peter Alliss, who was renowned for his weak putting.
B
Back Nine – The last 9 holes on a course.
Ball Marker – A flat disc that players use to mark where their ball lands on the green, so they can lift and clean their ball without being given a penalty.
Ball Retriever – Retrieves golf balls from hard-to-reach places, for example, water, bushes, deep rough.
Belly Putter – A club that’s designed to be anchored against the stomach for stability.
Birdie – One under par.
Blade – A thin, streamlined club with a smaller sweet spot, offers precision and control for low handicap players.
Bogey – One over par.
Broom Handle Putter – Anchored against the forearm for stability, this club creates a pendulum stroke to eliminate excess movement.
Bunker – A sandy area, sometimes called ‘the beach’. Can be hard to get out of for new golfers (also known as Cat Box).
C
Caddie – Someone who accompanies you around the course, carrying golf clubs etc and giving you advice.
Cart Bags – Designed to be taken on a cart; they’re bigger and heavier than the other types of bags and they hold more.
Casual Water – This is temporary, or standing water, e.g. after heavy rain. If a ball lands in this then the player can take ‘free relief’ under rule 16.
Chicken Stick – When a golfer chooses a certain club because he’s being cautious.
Chip – A short shot.
Chunk – When the club hits the ground before it hits the ball (also known as a Duff, a Chili Dip and Fat Shot).
Condor – Four strokes less than par. This is very rare, only four have been recorded.
Course Rating – A value given to each tee to indicate the approximate number of strokes it should take the average player to complete the course.
Cup – The actual hole.
D
Deep Rough – Area of the course where the grass is longer.
Dimples – Indentations on a golf ball that can make them more aerodynamic and increase the lift to make them go further.
Divot – These are marks, or dents made in the ground by the club. It’s usually good etiquette to fill these in or replace the grass over them.
Dog Track – A course in poor condition (also known as a ‘goat track’).
Dogleg – This is when there’s a sharp bend in the course and it can be a real challenge for even experienced golfers.
Double Bogey – Two over par (also known as a Buzzard).
Draw – When the ball goes from right to left (for right-handed golfers, left to right for left-handed).
Drive – A long shot.
Driver – Type of wood with a large clubhead and long shaft, for hitting far (also known as ‘big dog’).
Driving Range – Where you can practice your golf.
E
Eagle – Two under par.
Executive Course – A more compact course which is smaller and takes less time to get around. They tend to have shorter holes with pars of 3, 4 and 5.
F
Fade – When the ball goes from left to right (also known as a ‘cut’).
Fairway – Area of shorter grass between the tee and the putting green.
First Cut – The bit of rough that’s the shortest length.
First Tee – The starting area for the first hole on the course.
Flag/Flagstick – A marker (often a metal pole with a flag on top) that shows where the holes are on a green (also known as a pin).
Fore – This is shouted as a warning to other players, either to warn them of your presence, or warn them that the ball is going in their direction.
Front Nine – Holes 1–9 on the golf course.
Fringe – The slightly longer grassy area that surrounds the green (also known as Collar/Apron/Frog Hair).
G
Green – Grass area around the hole (also known as ‘the dance floor’).
Greensome – A type of competition where each side/team has two players.
Grip – Where the hands meet the club.
Gross Score – The score before player handicaps have been accounted for.
Grooves – Indentations on the clubface that can help the spin and loft.
H
Handicap – This is the average number of strokes over par a golfer makes during a round.
Hacker – Someone who isn’t a very good player.
Hazard – A body of water, either naturally occurring or artificial.
Headcover – Protective cover for golf clubs.
Hole-in-One – When the ball goes in on your first shot (also known as an Ace).
Hook – When a draw shot goes quite severely to the left or right.
Hosel – Where the shaft connects to the clubhead.
Hybrid – A type of club that’s a mix of wood and iron.
Hybrid Bags – As the name suggests, this bag works for both walking and carts.
I
Iron – Thinner, flatter metal clubs.
Level Par – When your score is the same as par (also known as Even Par).
Links Course – A course found on the coast.
J
Jab – A short, quick putting stroke.
K
Knock-down – A shot with a deliberately low trajectory, for example, when it’s really windy.
L
Lip Out – When the ball hits the rim of the hole but doesn’t go in.
Loft – The angle of the clubface compared to the ground.
Long Putter – Has an extended shaft for more stability.
M
Mallet – A type of putter that has a larger clubhead for a bigger sweet spot.
Mickey Mouse Course – A slang term for an easy course.
Municipal Course – A public golf course.
Mulligan – A second chance at a shot.
Muscle Back – A type of golf iron popular with pros and low handicap players.
N
Net Score – The score after handicaps.
O
Out of Bounds (OB) – Anywhere out of the course boundaries.
P
Par – This stands for Professional Average Result. It’s the average number of shots a golfer is expected to make for each hole. For example, a par 4 should take four strokes to get the ball in the hole. Over par is when it takes more strokes, under is when it takes less.
Pitch Shot – An intentional short shot.
Plugged Lie – When the ball becomes embedded in the ground.
Pull – When the ball goes to the left of the target, or the right for left-handed players.
Pull Hook – A mix of a pull and a hook.
Push – When the ball goes to the right of the target.
Push Slice – A mix of a push and a slice.
Putt – The shot on the green.
Putter – Flat club for putting.
Q
Quadruple Bogey – Four over par.
Quintuple Bogey – Five over par.
R
Rough – Long grass at the edge of the fairway.
S
Shank – When you hit the hosel instead of the centre.
Shaft – The long part of the club that attaches the clubface to the grip.
Skull – When the club hits the ball above the sweet spot.
Slice – When a fade goes severely right.
Slope Rating – Indicates course difficulty.
Stand Bags – Smaller, lighter golf bags.
Stinger – A purposefully low shot that rises gradually to keep out of the wind.
Sweet Spot – The ideal contact area on the club.
T
Tee – The peg your ball sits on.
Tee Box – Where you start each hole.
Tee Time – The time of your first shot.
Top – Hitting the ball badly so it barely lifts.
Triple Bogey – Three over par.
U
Unplayable – When course conditions mean you can’t play your shot. You can move your ball away from the obstruction and carry on but you get a one-stroke penalty.
V
Valleys – Low-lying parts of the green.
W
Waggle – Moving the club before swinging.
Wedge/Sand Wedge – Angled club for bunkers.
Whiff – When you miss the ball completely.
Wood – Large-headed club for long shots.
X
X-outs – Balls that don’t meet quality standards, either because of their size or weight, or for cosmetic reasons. These aren’t allowed in competitive use.
Y
Yips – An involuntary twitch when putting.
Z
Zinger – A shot that’s high and hard.
We’ve only just scratched the surface with these golf terms, but there should be enough to make you feel like less of a novice when you get out there. Keep an eye on our blog for more golfing tips and remember to take a look at The Insurance Emporium’s golf insurance, choose from 3 policy types and tweak them with some optional benefits. Visit our website or give us a call for a free, no-strings quote; we’re sure you’ll find something that fits you to a tee!
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