Golf Terms & Glossary
Comprehensive guide to golf terms, definitions, and acronyms.
Categories
Ball Flight
Backspin
Backspin is needed to gain maximum distance on all shots as it provides the ball with aerodynamic lift. It also lets the ball stop quickly when the ball lands.
Block
To hit the ball straight and to the right of the target (for a right handed player). The same as a push shot.
Carry
The distance the ball travels through the air before hitting the ground.
Check
Another word for backspin.
Draw
A slight and controlled spin to the left (for a right handed player). This results in a slightly lower shot with less backspin and more roll than a fade or straight shot.
Fade
A slight and controlled spin to the right (for a right hand player). This gives a slightly higher, shorter and softer landing shot than a straight or draw shot.
Hook
A shot that spins sharply to the left (for a right handed player).
Pull
A shot that travels straight and to the left of the target (for a right handed player).
Push
When the ball is struck and the ball travels to the right of the intended target on a trajectory with no side spin (for a right handed player).
Slice
A shot that spins or veers away to the right (for a right handed player) very severely. This results in a loss on distance and is one of the most common faults in golf.
Course Conditions
Course Features
Apron
The area of well trimmed grass surrounding the green.
Back Nine
The second nine holes on an 18 hole course, also known as the inward nine, or simply in.
Bunker
An area on the course which is emptied of turf and prepared as a hazard by filling it with sand or a similar substance. The lip of a bunker that is not covered in grass is also considered part of the bunker.
Collar
See fringe - the area of slightly longer grass surrounding the putting surface.
Cut
The first cut is the area of grass adjacent to the fairway and is usually of a constant length (often the called light rough). The second cut lies beyond the first cut and is longer grass (often called the heavy rough).
Dogleg
A hole that has a significant turn in the fairway (left or right).
Fairway
The area of a golf hole which is well trimmed and therefore easier to hit golf shots from than other parts of the golf course. It is found between the tee box and the green.
Fairway Bunker
A bunker that lies next to, or on the fairway. They are placed to make the course more difficult and are seen as hazards and penalise any misdirected tee shots.
Flag
This refers to the flag (and the shaft that holds the flag) that is found on the green of a golf hole. In some cases it is used to mean the hole in general.
Front Nine
The first nine holes of an 18 hole golf course, also known as the outward nine.
Gorse
This shrub is found across the UK and parts of Europe. It is particularly spiny and difficult to play golf shots from.
Grain
This is the direction that grass grows. It is mostly considered when trying to read putts on the green as it can have a significant effect on the roll of the ball and the distance travelled.
Hazard
A bunker or water hazard on the golf course. They are used to increase the difficulty of the golf course and change how golfers manage their way around it.
Links Course
A course that is located close to the sea. They often are characterised as having windy conditions, hard and fast greens and narrow fairways.
Municipal Course
A course that is owned and maintained by the local government.
Nineteenth Hole
This is the name given to the bar or restaurant in the club house.
Pot Bunker
A small, deep bunker as found on many British courses. They are notoriously difficult to escape.
Trap
This is another word for bunker. See bunker.
Winter Greens
Putting greens used in the winter months to preserve the quality of the summer greens.
Yardage Marker
These are coloured posts or discs on the fairway which denote specific distances to the centre of the green. Most courses use the standard of a black and white striped stake to indicate 150 yards to the centre of the green.
Equipment
Alloy
This is a combination of different metals blended together to gain benefits from the mixture of the two substances.
Back Weighting
Usually found in woods to promote a higher trajectory and stability, or in mallet putters to promote a better roll of the ball and a more stable club.
Balance Point
The precise location on the golf shaft where the club head end of the golf club and the grip end of the club balance when placed on a fulcrum.
Balata
This was the most popular choice for spin golf balls until the introduction of more durable materials like Surlyn. It is used to make the cover of the ball, but is notoriously easy to damage when playing golf.
Ball Marker
Any object that is used to mark the position of a ball on the green.
Ball Retriever
A device which is used to collect the ball from awkward places like areas of water. They are often telescopic and designed to fit in a golf bag.
Belly Putter
A putter that is longer than a conventional putter, whereby the butt of the club rests on the torso of the golfer.
Bent Shaft
This is a type of shaft used with some putters to allow for different amounts of offset and for visual purposes. For example some allow a clearer view of the golf ball at address giving a better view for alignment.
Blade
This can mean several things. With putters it is used to describe one with a narrow club head from front to back. In relation to irons it is the hitting area of the club but also can mean a type of iron which is traditional in shape and has no cavity back.
Bore-Through
A way of attaching the golf shaft to the club head. A hole is drilled in the club head for the shaft to enter. In a bore-through club head, the hole continues through the bottom of the club head.
Bounce
Most commonly referred to when describing wedges (although all clubs have a value), this is the angle of the bottom surface of the club in relation to the ground. A high bounce in a wedge is useful for soft surfaces like sand.
Broomhandle
See long putter - a putter that has an extra long shaft and is designed to be held at the butt of the club with the left hand and lower down with the right hand.
Butt
This is the very end of the club on the side where the grip is located. Often there is a hole in the top of the butt. This is often used as a reference point in golf instruction.
Cart
This is a small electric vehicle that is used to transport people around the golf course.
Cast
The process by which, or having the properties of, a clubhead that is created by pouring molten metal into a cast. This is an easier way to mass-produce golf clubs compared with forging.
Cavity Back
Irons that have a hollowed out area at the back of the club. This is so that the weight taken out can be redistributed elsewhere. The redistribution of weight then creates a more forgiving club.
Centre of Gravity
This is the location in space where the weight of the club head is centred. A low centre of gravity gives a club a higher trajectory shot than a club with a higher CG, provided the loft is the same.
Centre Shafted
A putter which has the connection between the clubhead and the shaft in the centre of the clubhead, as opposed to the heel on all other golf clubs.
Chipper
A club designed and used solely for chipping the ball. They are mainly an aid for golfers who struggle while chipping with other clubs.
Clubhead
The part of the club that is used to strike the ball. This is connected securely to the shaft of the club.
Coefficient of Restitution
This is the efficiency of energy transfer from one object to another. With regard to drivers, this is the efficiency of the clubhead in transferring energy to the ball. The Legal COR limit set by the R&A and USGA is 0.83.
Component
Any of the parts of the golf club. These include the club head, shaft grip and ferrule.
Compression
The process which the ball undergoes when it is hit. The club head deforms the ball, and the rate of the deformation is termed compression or softness.
Crown
This the top part of the club head on a wood. Some woods incorporate a lightweight carbon-fibre crown with a titanium club face and sole.
Cubic Centimetres
The measurement of the volume of a club head, used to determine the size of fairway woods and drivers. The limit for a driver as stipulated by the R&A and the USGA is 460cc.
Deep Face
A club face that is relatively high from top to bottom. This is the opposite of a shallow face or low profile.
Driver
The longest golf club. It is usually 43 to 45 ½ inches long and has a loft that varies from 7 degrees to 14 degrees. The head size is generally between 300cc and 460cc although they used to be considerably smaller.
Face Balanced
A feature in some putters that allows the putter to be more stable. When balancing the putter shaft on your hand and allowing the shaft to rotate freely, the club face of a face balanced putter will face straight up.
Ferrule
A ferrule is a small plastic ring that is a purely cosmetic attachment used to cover the join between the club head and shaft.
Flange
The part of a golf club head that extends from the leading edge at the sole of the club to the back of the club.
Flat Lie
A flat lie is one where the angle between the sole of the club and the shaft is less than normal. A club which is designed for a shorter player typically has a flatter lie angle while a taller player suits a more upright lie angle.
Flex
Used in the describing of shafts to denote the flexibility or bendy-ness. These are usually listed as: Junior, Senior (A or M), Ladies (L), Regular (R), Stiff (S), Extra Stiff (XS).
Flight Control Technology
A proprietary term used by TaylorMade-adidas Golf. This system allows the removal of the shaft of the golf club on the R9 range of golf clubs to change the position of the shaft in relation to the club head.
Frequency Matching
A club fitting term used for the measuring and standardising of shaft frequency throughout your clubs. Shafts vibrate during the swing and it is thought that frequency matching improves the feel and performance of your set of clubs.
Graphite
A composite material that is particularly strong for its weight. It is used for the shafts of nearly all drivers, most fairway woods and many irons.
Grip
The part of the golf club that the golfer holds, or the way in which the golfer holds the club.
Grooves
The horizontal depressions on the face of a golf club. They provide grip when striking the ball which is essential for creating backspin and lift. There are two main types in irons and wedges, called V and U (square) grooves.
Hosel
The part of the golf club that accommodates the shaft or is attached to the shaft. Putters can have varied types of hosel design.
Irons
A type of golf club that ranges from the 1 iron to the 9 iron. Each iron has a different loft angle and length. The one iron has the smallest degree of loft and the longest shaft, while the 9 iron has the shortest length and the highest loft.
Kick Point
The point on the golf shaft where it bends the most. It is mid, low or high depending on its location. A low kick point is located closest to the clubhead and creates a higher launch angle.
Lake Ball
Balls that are often, but not always, salvaged from lakes to be sold again. In fact many lake balls are simply balls that have been lost in the rough or out of bounds.
Lie Angle
The angle of the shaft in comparison to the sole of the club.
Loft
The angle of the club-face in relation to a line drawn vertically from the base of the club.
Maraging Steel
A very hard type of steel, harder than most normal types of steel used in golf clubs like 17-4 steel.
Metal Wood
As woods were traditionally made of wood, this term was used to describe the new form of wood that used a clubhead constructed of metal. This term is out-dated as most clubs made are now made of metal.
Mid Iron
Any of the irons from 4-6.
MOI
The resistance to twisting around a particular axis. If there is less twisting, there is less energy lost there.
Moveable Weight Technology
A system which allows a number of head weights to be moved and interchanged in a driver or fairway wood. By doing this, the weighting in the head can be shifted to promote different ball flights.
Niblick
An old term for a nine iron or pitching wedge.
Offset
The distance that a clubs leading edge is behind the centre of the shaft / hosel when in the address position.
Onset
The distance that a clubs leading edge is ahead of the centre of the shaft / hosel when in the address position.
Perimeter Weighting
The strategic placing of weight away from the sweetspot to create a more forgiving club.
Progressive Offset
Clubs that have increasing offset with the increase in club length. This is to make the longer irons easier to hit.
Putter
The club used for putting the ball. It is usually the shortest (35 inches) and heaviest club in the bag, with the lowest loft (approx 2-4 degrees).
Rake
This is used to clear footprints from the bunker. Etiquette suggests that the rake be left away from the line of play for the hole, and outside the bunker.
Range Ball
A cheap two piece ball manufactured for use on driving ranges. They are sometimes altered to limit the distance they can travel and therefore not travel out from the driving range.
Sand Wedge
Designed by Gene Sarazen, this is a high lofted club that was initially designed to help golfers hit from the sand found in bunkers. Sand wedges are now a general term for any club with a loft from 54-58 degrees.
Shaft
Often referred to as the engine of the club, the shaft is the part of the golf club that lies between the club head and the grip. Shafts are available in a number of different flexes to suit different swing speeds.
Sole
The base or bottom of the club when it is in the playing position.
Spikes
The studs or cleats placed on the bottom of golf shoes that allow the golfer to maintain his normal swing without slipping.
Stimpmeter
A device used to measure the speed of a putting surface.
Sweet Spot
An ambiguous term, but it is generally used to describe the area on the clubface that offers both the best distance and nicest feel upon impact with the ball.
Swing Weight
This is the measurement of a clubs balance. Represented by a letter and a number, club makers can find a balance that suits you and apply it to all the clubs in your set.
Tee
Either the area of well trimmed turf that is used as the location for the start of a hole on the golf course, or the plastic or wooden object that is pushed into the ground and on which the ball balances.
Titanium
A somewhat expensive metal with a very high strength to weight ratio, which makes it the top choice for driver materials.
Tungsten
A dense metal used for strategic weighting in golf clubs. Tungsten inserts are used in many putters and other clubs to increase the MOI.
U Grooves
Grooves found in irons and wedges that have a U-shaped cross-section. These offer less spin than square grooves.
Variable Face Thickness
A feature of titanium drivers, where the face of the club has varying thickness to allow greater face deflection in the centre of the club.
Wedge
Generally any of the clubs with a higher loft than a 9 iron. These include the popular pitching wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge, as well as the less used gap / approach wedge and high lob wedge.
Wood
Any golf club with a characteristically large club head. These include the driver (1 wood) and the fairway woods (2 wood -15 wood and above). This term originates from a time where the woods club heads were made from one type of wood or another.
X-out Balls
When manufacturers perform quality control checks on their golf balls, some inevitably fail the checks. The balls with only minor defects are then sold at discount to be used as practice or lake balls.
Etiquette
People
Putting
Above the Hole
A putting term referring to anything that is uphill from the hole.
Below The Hole
Referring to the low side of the hole, the ground that lies downhill of the hole.
Borrow
This is how far to one side of the hole you have to aim to account for the slope of the green.
Break
When putting or chipping this is how much the ball moves due to the slope of the green.
Rules
Better Ball
A format of team matchplay where each golfer plays with his own ball. The player who gets the best score wins the hole for his team.
Casual Water
An area of water that is not a fixed feature of the course which a player may take relief from. It must be visible before or after the player takes his stance to qualify as casual water.
Concede
To acknowledge that you do not have a likely chance of winning the hole or match and allowing your opponent the privilege of not having to complete a putt, hole-out or finish the match.
Etiquette
This refers to the behaviour you are expected to show while you play golf as well as around the golf club. Much of the guidelines are based in common sense and consideration for other players.
Fourball
A match where four players compete with two players on each side. Each player hits his own ball.
Foursome
Also known as alternate shot, this is a form of competition play where two teams of two players compete against each other. Each team shares a golf ball and alternates the player that hits the ball after each shot.
Gimme
This is a putt that has an opponent has conceded to you in a matchplay situation. Usually very short putts are conceded as a sporting gesture and as recognition that the player would have holed the putt.
Ground Under Repair
An area of the course that the course committee has marked out as ground under repair. Although it has to be stated by the course committee to be so, it usually means that the ball is not meant to be played from this area to poor condition.
Honour
Having the privilege of teeing off first. This is usually decided by a coin toss for the first hole. Whichever player (or team) gets the lowest score for a hole has the honour for the next hole.
Match Play
A competition between two players (or teams) where they attempt to win each hole. The winner is the person / team with the most points at the end rather than the team with the lowest total score.
Out of Bounds
An area that is designated as outside the zone of play for that hole.
Provisional Ball
The playing of a second ball from the same place as the first because the player is unsure of what may have happened to the first ball (i.e. it may be lost).
Shotgun Start
To start your round partway around the course. For example if you started at the 5th hole you would continue on with the round as normal and finish on the 4th.
Stroke Play
This is the standard method of calculating your score for the round. Each stroke you take is tallied and makes up your final score.
Scoring
Ace
A hole-in-one. Usually on a par 3 hole where the ball enters the hole on the player's first shot for that hole.
Albatross
A score of three shots under par on a golf hole. This is very rare and usually happens when a score of 2 strokes is obtained on a par 5. Rarer still is a hole-in-one on a par 4.
All Square
When opposing players (or teams) have an equal number of points or holes in their favour.
Birdie
A score of one under the par of the hole.
Bogey
A score of one over the par of the hole.
Course Handicap
The par for the course, i.e. the score that a scratch golfer would be expected to score.
Dormie
During match play this is a situation where one player (or team) is leading by the same number of holes remaining. So if they are one up with one hole left to play then the match is dormie.
Double Bogey
A score of two over the par for the hole.
Eagle
A score of two under the par for the hole. Therefore it is a score of 3 on a par 5, or 2 on a par 4.
Handicap
A scoring system that takes into account the ability of the golfer before they are awarded a score. It is used so that golfers of different abilities can compete together. The higher a handicap is, the worse the golfer is (generally speaking!).
Nassau
A system of betting which owes its name to the caribbean island of Nassau. With wagers settled beforehand, the players compete to see who gets the best front nine, back nine and total score, with a point being awarded for each.
Par
Each hole on a golf course has a designated score that is used to represent its difficulty. Pars range from 3 to 5 normally, although some courses have par 6 holes. The sum of the pars for all the holes totals the par for the course.
Scratch
Having a handicap of 0 or better.
Shot Types
Approach Shot
Any shot which you aim to reach the green with.
Blast Shot
A shot used predominantly in bunkers, which aims to strike the ground underneath the ball at a precise depth so that the ball is not directly hit by the club, but rather is moved with the sand or other material.
Bump & Run
When a shot is deliberately played along the ground or at a very low trajectory with several bounces before it reaches the target. This shot is used extensively on links courses which have notoriously hard greens and windy conditions.
Chip
This is used to describe a shot that is propelled towards the green and onto the green from a short distance at a low height.
Chip-in
A chip shot which results in the ball being holed.
Cut Shot
A shot which results in a higher trajectory than normal with greater backspin and sidespin to the right (for a right handed player). It is used to help keep the ball on the green after it lands.
Dead Weight
Hitting a ball dead is to hit a shot that leaves the next putt a certainty.
Fat
Hitting the ball fat means that instead of hitting the ball first and then the ground, you hit the ground and then the ball. This slows down the club significantly and as a result the shot usually ends up well short of where you desired it.
Flier
This happens when a ball is hit and travels much further than expected or wanted. This is because something has become trapped between the ball and clubface during impact (usually grass).
Flop Shot
Usually used by more advanced players, this shot is used to hit the ball on a very high trajectory. Using a sand wedge or lob wedge the face of the club is opened to increase the effective loft.
Pin High
Landing the ball on the green level with the pin.
Pitch
A shot played with a higher lofted club that travels higher and shorter than a full shot, typically used for approach shots from closer distances.
Release
When a chip or pitch is made there is often a distinctive pattern to the movement of the ball. The ball usually bounces, checks, and then releases. The check part is where the ball slows down due to back spin and the release is where the ball continues to roll after this spin.
Sand Save
It most commonly means to get the ball into the hole within two shots of being in a bunker, although it can also mean to par on a hole where you have been in the bunker at any point.
Shank
This shot happens when the ball strikes the hosel of the club.
Tap In
A very short putt which requires very little skill.
Texas Wedge
Putting which is performed off the green, or the name for the putter when not used on the green.
Thin
When the ball is struck along the equator of the ball (or higher) rather than the bottom half of the ball. This results in a low shot that often bounces along the ground at high speed.
Top
When the ball is mis-hit and struck along its equator or on top of the ball (rather than the lower half of the ball), this results in a very low shot, often one that travels a very short distance.
Up and Down
To hole the ball in two strokes from any position.
Statistics
Technique
Address
The position that the golfer takes up directly before swinging the club.
Aim Line
An imaginary line that you intend to start the ball travelling upon. In a neutral stance when the golfer aims to hit the ball straight, this line is pointed directly at the target (usually the hole).
Ball Position
The location of the golf ball in relation to the golfer's stance at address.
Baseball Grip
Also known as the ten finger grip, this is a way to hold the golf club where all ten fingers make contact with the grip.
Breaking Wrists
When chipping or putting, many teachers advocate the use of stiff wrists, meaning that the hands should not remain at a constant angle to the forearms. The breaking of wrists is an unwanted trait that reduces consistency.
Casting The Club
When the wrists unhinge too early in the downswing resulting in a loss of clubhead speed.
Choke Down
Holding the grip of the club lower down (towards the club head) than normal. This has the effect of shortening the club and decreasing distance and increasing control.
Closed Face
When the club face is aligned so that its face points to the left of the aimline (for a right handed player).
Closed Stance
A stance that sees the golfer position his feet in such a way that if you were to draw a line from toe to toe, the line would aim to the right of the aimline in front of the golfer (for a right handed player).
Commit
To commit to a shot is maintain your spine angle throughout the shot and not lift your head (and shoulders). Not committing to a shot often results in topped shots in the full swing and poor distance control.
Core Strength
This relates to the power stored in the muscles of the abdominals and back.
Cross Handed Grip
Also known as left hand low, this is a grip of the club which sees the right handed placed higher up the grip than the left (in right handed golfers). This is the opposite of the conventional grips used in golf.
Divot
The turf or grass that is removed from the ground during a golf shot, or the hole that is left behind. Etiquette suggests that you should retrieve the displaced turf and cover the hole as best as you can.
Effective Loft
The loft of the golf club at impact. By opening up the face of the club, the ball can be hit on a higher than normal trajectory, thereby it has a higher effective loft.
Face Angle
Often used in golf instruction, this term describes the orientation of the club face in relation to the aim line. The face angle can be square, open or closed (shut).
Follow Through
This describes the part of the golf swing after impact with the ball.
Interlocking Grip
A commonly used way to grip the club. For a right handed player the club is gripped in the conventional manner with the small finger of the right hand interlocked between the index and fore finger of the left hand.
Never Up Never In
A well known and often repeated phrase in golf meaning that a putt can never be successful if it doesnt reach the hole.
Open Stance
Opposite of closed stance, where the feet are aligned left of the target line for a right-handed golfer.
Overlapping Grip
Developed by Henry Vardon, it is a very popular golf grip where the left hand is high and the right below it. The little finger of the right hand is placed on top of the hollow between the fore and index fingers of the left hand.
Plumb Bob
A method used to divine the slope of a green in order to read the break better. A putter is held lightly from the grip vertically in front of the golfer, who then uses the shaft of the putter to determine the angle the green lies at.
Pre-shot Routine
This is the set of movements you make prior to hitting the golf ball. The major benefit of a pre shot routine is that it allows you to perform a familiar set of movements in every situation and lets you concentrate better.
Tempo
The speed and rhythm that a person swings their club.
Vardon Grip
Developed by Henry Vardon, it is a very popular golf grip where the left hand is high and the right below it. The little finger of the right hand is placed on top of the hollow between the fore and index fingers of the left hand.
Yips
Yips are the bane of many golfers and affect predominantly the older golfer. It is debated where they are physiological or psychological but the result is that when putting the golfer has an involuntary jerk which often leads to poorly struck putts.
Terminology
Tournaments
Green Jacket
This is the prestigious jacket that is awarded yearly to the champion of the US Masters Golf tournament held in Augusta Florida. It is presented to the champion by the champion of the previous year.
Majors
Any of one of the four main mens competitions on the golf tours. These include the Masters at Augusta National in Florida, the USPGA Championship, the US Open and the Open Championship (the British Open).
Masters
In most cases this refers to the USPGA golf competition held at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia each year. It is often seen as the top American golf competition.
