Portal reference
Golf glossary
48 golf terms explained in plain English — from albatross to yips.
A
- Ace
- A hole in one — holing your tee shot on a single stroke.
- Address
- The position you take over the ball just before starting your swing.
- Albatross
- A score of three under par on a single hole, such as a 2 on a par 5. Also called a double eagle.
- Approach shot
- A shot played with the intention of landing the ball on the green.
- Apron
- The closely mown grass surrounding the putting green; also called the fringe or collar.
B
- Back nine
- Holes 10 through 18 of an 18-hole course.
- Birdie
- A score of one under par on a hole.
- Bogey
- A score of one over par on a hole. A double bogey is two over, a triple bogey three over.
- Bunker
- A specially prepared area of sand, often a hollow, that acts as a hazard to be avoided.
C
- Carry
- The distance the ball travels in the air before it first lands.
- Chip
- A short, low shot from near the green that rolls more than it flies.
- Course Handicap
- The number of strokes you receive on a specific course from a specific set of tees, calculated from your Handicap Index and the course's Slope and Course Rating.
- Course Rating
- The expected score of a scratch golfer on a course under normal conditions, used in handicap calculations.
D
- Divot
- The piece of turf removed by the club when striking the ball. Replace it or fill it with sand.
- Dogleg
- A hole whose fairway bends left or right, like a dog's hind leg.
- Draw
- A controlled shot that curves gently from right to left for a right-handed golfer (left to right for a left-hander).
- Driving range
- A practice area where golfers hit balls toward targets.
E
- Eagle
- A score of two under par on a hole.
F
- Fade
- A controlled shot that curves gently from left to right for a right-handed golfer (right to left for a left-hander).
- Fairway
- The closely mown area between the tee and the green — the ideal place to play from.
- Fore
- The warning shout given when a ball may hit or come close to another person.
- Front nine
- Holes 1 through 9 of an 18-hole course.
G
- Gimme
- A short putt conceded by an opponent in match play. Not allowed in stroke play.
- Green in regulation
- Reaching the green in two strokes fewer than par: in one on a par 3, two on a par 4, three on a par 5.
H
- Handicap Index
- A measure of a golfer's demonstrated ability under the World Handicap System, based on the average of the best 8 of their most recent 20 score differentials.
- Hazard
- An older term for bunkers and water. Under the current Rules, water areas are called penalty areas.
- Hook
- A shot that curves sharply from right to left for a right-handed golfer.
L
- Lie
- How the ball is resting on the ground. Also, the angle between a club's shaft and sole.
- Links
- A coastal course built on sandy land between the sea and farmland, typically firm, treeless and windy.
- Loft
- The angle of the clubface relative to the shaft, which determines how high the ball launches.
M
- Match play
- A format where players compete hole by hole; the winner is whoever wins more holes.
- Mulligan
- An informal do-over of a bad shot. Not permitted under the Rules of Golf.
P
- Par
- The number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete a hole or course.
- Penalty area
- An area, usually water, from which you may take relief for a one-stroke penalty. Marked with red or yellow stakes or lines.
- Pitch
- A higher, softer short shot that flies most of the way to the target and stops quickly.
- Provisional ball
- A second ball played when your first may be lost or out of bounds, to save walking back.
R
- Rough
- The longer grass bordering the fairway and green.
S
- Sand wedge
- A high-lofted wedge with extra bounce on the sole, designed for bunker shots.
- Scratch golfer
- A golfer with a Handicap Index of 0.0.
- Shank
- A mishit that strikes the hosel of the club and shoots off sharply to the side.
- Slice
- A shot that curves sharply from left to right for a right-handed golfer — the most common miss in golf.
- Slope Rating
- A number from 55 to 155 that measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. The average is 113.
- Stableford
- A scoring format that awards points based on your score relative to par on each hole; the highest total wins.
- Stroke play
- A format where every stroke counts and the lowest total score wins.
- Sweet spot
- The point on the clubface that produces the most solid, efficient strike.
T
- Tee box
- The area from which you play the first shot on each hole, marked by tee markers.
U
- Up and down
- Getting the ball into the hole in two shots from off the green — usually a chip or bunker shot and a putt.
Y
- Yips
- Involuntary twitches or jerks during a stroke, most often when putting.