Golf has its own language, and understanding the key golf terms makes every round, lesson, and TV broadcast much easier to follow. This golf terminology guide breaks everything into clear sections so you can move from basic scoring and course words to formats, betting games, and advanced concepts at your own pace.
You’ll find beginner, intermediate, and advanced golf terms explained in simple, practical English, with just enough detail to know what each one means and when you’ll hear it on the course. While organizations like the USGA and The R&A define the official Rules of Golf and many core definitions, this glossary focuses on the everyday language golfers actually use on the course.
Top 25 Golf Terms Every Golfer Should Know
Start with these core golf terms so you can understand any scorecard, broadcast or on‑course conversation.
Par: The expected number of strokes a skilled golfer should take to complete a hole.
Birdie: A score of one stroke under par on a hole.
Bogey: A score of one stroke over par on a hole.
Eagle: A score of two strokes under par on a hole.
Double bogey: A score of two strokes over par on a hole.
Handicap: A number that represents a golfer’s playing ability, used to level the field between players.
Tee box: The designated starting area where you play the first shot on each hole.
Fairway: The closely mown strip between the tee and green that offers the best lies for approach shots.
Green: The smooth, closely cut area around the hole where you putt.
Rough: Longer grass bordering the fairway or green that makes shots harder.
Bunker / Sand trap: A hollow filled with sand that is treated as a hazard and requires a special type of shot.
Out of bounds (OB): Areas outside the course limits where shots incur a penalty and must be replayed.
Penalty stroke: An extra stroke added to your score for breaking a rule or hitting into certain areas like OB.
Mulligan: An unofficial “do‑over” shot, usually agreed on in casual rounds and not allowed in formal rules.
Drive: The first shot on a hole, typically hit from the tee box with a driver or long club.
Approach shot: A shot played into the green after the tee shot, usually from the fairway or rough.
Putt: A soft stroke played on the green to roll the ball toward or into the hole.
Slice: A shot that curves sharply from left to right for a right‑handed golfer.
Hook: A shot that curves sharply from right to left for a right‑handed golfer.
Draw: A controlled shot that curves gently from right to left for a right‑handed golfer.
Fade: A controlled shot that curves gently from left to right for a right‑handed golfer.
Hole‑in‑one (Ace): Holing your tee shot in a single stroke.
Front nine: Holes 1–9 on an 18‑hole course.
Back nine: Holes 10–18 on an 18‑hole course.
A–Z Glossary of Golf terms
This section is your complete golf terms and golf terminology glossary, covering everything from basic scoring phrases to course features, shot shapes and common golf slang. Use it as a quick reference whenever you come across a new golf word or want to double‑check what a specific phrase really means.
Use the A–Z index below to jump straight to any letter, or just scroll to browse every term in order.
Jump to:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Ace: A hole‑in‑one, when your tee shot goes straight into the cup in a single stroke on any hole.
Address: The position you take when you set up to the ball before starting your swing, including stance, posture and club placement.
Alternate shot (foursomes): A team format where two partners play one ball and take turns hitting every other shot until the hole is finished.
Approach shot: Any shot played into the green after the tee shot, usually from the fairway, rough or a lay‑up position.
Airmail: A casual golf slang for hitting a shot that flies completely over the intended target, often sailing past the green.
Alignment: How your feet, hips, shoulders and clubface are aimed relative to the target line before you swing.
All Square: A match play score meaning the players or sides are tied, with neither one up or down in the match.
Angle of Attack: The vertical direction the clubhead is moving at impact, describing whether you hit down on the ball, level, or slightly up.
Attend the Flag: To stand by the hole and hold the flagstick while another player putts, then remove it once the ball is rolling.
Automatics: Side bets in match play that automatically start or reset when certain conditions are met, like new bets kicking in every time the match returns to all square.
Above the Hole: A ball position on the green where your putt is downhill toward the cup, often making speed control more difficult.
AimPoint: A green‑reading method and teaching system that uses your feet to feel slope and then assigns specific aim spots for breaking putts.
Apron: The closely mown collar or fringe area that sits between the fairway and the putting green around the hole.
B
Backspin: The backward spin on the ball that helps shots fly higher and stop faster, sometimes pulling back after landing on the green.
Backswing: The part of the swing where you move the club away from the ball to build power and set your position at the top.
Ball mark: The small indentation a ball makes when it lands on the green, which golfers should repair to keep the surface smooth.
Back nine: Holes 10 through 18 on an 18‑hole course, often where a tight match or round is decided.
Best ball (four‑ball): A team format where each player plays their own ball and the lowest score from the side counts as the team’s result on that hole.
Birdie: A score of one stroke under par on a hole, and one of the most common positive golf scoring terms players chase.
Bingo Bango Bongo: A casual points game where players earn a point for being first on the green, closest to the hole once everyone is on, and first to hole out.
Break: The sideways curve of a putt as it follows the slope of the green instead of rolling in a straight line.
Bogey: A score of one stroke over par on a hole, often used in everyday golf lingo as a solid result for many amateurs.
Bunker: A hollow area filled with sand that acts as a hazard and usually requires a lofted, splash‑style shot to escape.
Below The Hole: When your ball finishes on the low side of the hole, leaving you an uphill putt, which is usually easier to control.
Bladed Shot: A mishit where the leading edge of the club strikes the ball, sending it low and hard with very little loft.
Breakfast Ball: An informal first‑tee do‑over on the opening hole, basically a free mulligan used in casual rounds.
Buzzard: Golf slang for a double bogey, a score of two over par on a single hole.
Ball Marker: A small coin or disc used to mark the position of your ball on the green so you can lift and clean it or get it out of another player’s line.
Baseball Grip: A grip where all ten fingers sit on the club without interlocking or overlapping, similar to how you’d hold a baseball bat.
Belly Putter: A putter with a longer shaft designed to rest against the player’s midsection for added stability, now restricted in how it can be anchored under the Rules of Golf.
Better Ball: A team format where each golfer plays their own ball and the lowest score on the hole counts as the side’s result, a common match‑play golf term in club competitions.
Blast Shot: A bunker shot where you drive the club into the sand behind the ball and use the exploding sand to carry the ball out.
Borrow: The amount you aim left or right of the hole on a putt to allow for the expected break caused by the slope.
Buggy: Another word for a golf cart, used to drive players and clubs around the course instead of walking every hole.
Bump & Run: A low running chip shot that lands short of the target and rolls most of the way to the hole, a classic golf phrase for links‑style play.
C
Caddie: A person who carries a golfer’s clubs and often gives advice on club selection, yardages and strategy during the round.
Carry: The distance a shot travels through the air from impact to its first landing point, not including any roll.
Chip shot: A short, low shot played from near the green that spends little time in the air and mostly rolls toward the hole.
Chip‑in: A chip‑in happens when a chip shot from off the green goes straight into the hole. Chip‑ins are great for saving pars or even making unexpected birdies from tricky spots. They rely on solid technique, good touch, and a bit of luck, and our guide to golf chipping games is a useful way to practice the skills that make chip‑ins more likely.
Clubface: The striking surface of the clubhead that makes contact with the ball and largely determines starting direction and spin.
Course: The full layout of holes, tees, fairways, greens and hazards where a round of golf is played.
Course rating: A number that represents the expected score for a scratch golfer on a specific course under normal conditions.
Cup: The hole in the green, including the liner, into which the ball must be holed to finish the play of a hole.
Cabbage: Slang for very thick rough where the ball sits down and is difficult to advance cleanly.
Chilly Dip: A mis‑hit where the club digs into the ground before the ball on a short shot, causing it to come up weak and short.
Chunk: To hit the ground well behind the ball, taking a heavy divot and leaving the shot significantly short.
Condor: A rare score of four under par on a single hole, such as making a hole‑in‑one on a par 5, one of the most extreme golf scoring terms you’ll ever hear.
Carry Bag: A lightweight golf bag designed to be carried by the player, usually with a stand and minimal storage.
Cart Bag: A larger, heavier bag made to sit on a golf cart or trolley, with extra pockets and space for gear.
Casual Water: Older golf terminology for temporary water on the course from rain or sprinklers, now referred to as temporary water in the Rules of Golf.
Choke down: To grip the club lower on the handle to gain more control or take distance off a shot.
Collar: The band of slightly longer grass around the edge of the green, also called the fringe or apron.
Concede: In match play, to give an opponent a stroke, hole or match without requiring them to finish the putt or hole.
Cross-Handed: A putting or full‑swing grip where the lead hand is placed below the trail hand on the club, a recognizable golf grip term used to help stabilize the stroke.
D
Draw: A controlled shot that curves gently from right to left for a right‑handed golfer, often producing a slightly lower, penetrating flight.
Driver: The longest club in the bag with the biggest head, designed mainly for maximum distance off the tee.
Divot: The piece of turf cut out when the club strikes the ground, as well as the mark it leaves, which should be replaced or filled.
Dogleg: A hole that bends left or right between the tee and the green, creating an angled fairway instead of a straight line.
Dormie: In match play, a state where a player or side is up by as many holes as remain, meaning the worst they can do is tie the match.
Double Bogey: A score of two strokes over par on a single hole, a common reference point in everyday golf scoring terminology for higher‑handicap players.
Double Eagle: Another name for an albatross, a score of three under par on a hole, making it one of the rarest golf terms you’ll ever encounter on a card.
Downswing: The part of the swing where the club moves from the top back down toward the ball and into impact.
Duff: To hit a very poor shot that travels only a short distance, often because the ground was struck well before the ball.
Dimples: The small indentations covering the surface of a golf ball that reduce drag and help it fly higher and farther.
Driving Range: A practice facility with multiple hitting stations where golfers can work on their swing and test different clubs before going onto the course.
E
Eagle: An eagle is a score of two strokes under par on a hole, such as a 3 on a par 5. Eagles usually come from very long, accurate shots or from holing a longer approach or chip. They are less common than birdies and are celebrated as standout moments in a round. For a full breakdown of birdie, eagle, bogey, and more, see our complete golf scoring terms guide.
Executive course: A shorter golf course, usually with mostly par‑3 and a few par‑4 holes, designed for quicker rounds.
Elevated Green: A putting surface that sits higher than the surrounding fairway or approach area, making club selection and distance control more demanding.
Explosion Shot: A bunker shot where the club is driven into the sand behind the ball so the burst of sand carries the ball out onto the green.
F
Fade: A fade is a controlled shot that curves slightly from left to right for a right‑handed golfer. It typically flies a bit higher and lands softer than a draw, which helps when aiming at tighter targets. Many skilled players rely on a gentle fade as their stock, accuracy‑first shot. For a full list of common shot shapes and when to use them, see our complete guide to golf shot names.
Fairway: The closely mown strip of grass between the tee and the green that offers the best lies for most full shots.
Flagstick: The pole placed in the hole on the green to show the cup’s location, which can be left in or taken out while putting.
Florida scramble: A scramble format where one player’s shot is excluded on each hole, so the team must use one of the other partners’ balls.
Forecaddie: A person positioned ahead of the group whose main job is to watch where shots land and help players find their balls.
Fore: A loud warning shout used to alert people that a ball is headed in their direction and they should protect themselves.
Front nine: Holes 1 through 9 on an 18‑hole course, often called “the front” in casual golf lingo.
Flop shot: A very high, soft pitch played with an open‑faced wedge to carry a nearby obstacle and stop quickly.
Fat Shot: A mishit where the club strikes the ground well before the ball, costing distance and often leaving the shot short.
Ferret: Slang for holing a shot from off the green, such as chipping in or making a bunker shot, sometimes used as a fun golf side‑game term.
Foot Wedge: Humorous golf slang for secretly improving your lie by nudging the ball with your foot instead of a club.
Footwork: How your feet move and support your body during the swing, affecting balance, power and consistency.
Forward Swing: The motion of the club from the transition at the top down through impact and into the follow‑through.
Free Drop: Relief where you can move your ball to a new spot without adding a penalty stroke, following the Rules of Golf.
Fried Egg: A lie in a bunker where the ball is half‑buried in the sand, with only the top showing, resembling a cooked egg.
Fringe: The strip of slightly longer grass surrounding the green, also called the collar or apron.
Flatstick: A casual golf term for the putter, often used when someone is rolling the ball well on the greens.
Flex: The amount the shaft bends during the swing, which influences launch, feel and shot shape.
Flush: To strike the ball perfectly in the center of the clubface, producing maximum distance and solid feel.
Flyer (Flier): An iron shot that comes out with less spin than normal from the rough and travels farther than expected.
Four-Ball: A team match‑play golf format where each player plays their own ball and the lowest score from each side counts on the hole.
Full-Sized Stand Bag: A stand bag with more storage and full‑length dividers, designed for players who walk but still carry plenty of gear.
G
Gimme: A very short putt that your opponent or group agrees you would make, so you pick it up and count it as holed without rolling the ball.
Green in Regulation (GIR): Reaching the green in at most two strokes under par for the hole, such as in two on a par 4 or three on a par 5.
Grip: How your hands are placed on the club handle, as well as the actual rubber or leather material you hold.
Green contour: The slopes, tiers and subtle breaks built into a putting surface that control how putts roll toward the hole.
Groove: The thin lines cut across the clubface that help create spin and improve control of the golf ball.
Green: The closely mown putting surface around the hole where you finish each golf term in the scoring sequence with putts instead of full swings.
Gilligan: A fun golf slang side game where opponents can force you to replay a good shot, usually once or twice per round.
Grain: The direction the grass on the green grows, which can speed up, slow down or change the break of a putt.
Grand Slam: Winning all four of golf’s major championships in the same year, a historic milestone often highlighted in golf terminology discussions.
Greenskeeper: The superintendent or staff member responsible for mowing, watering and setting up the course, especially the greens.
Grounding: Letting the clubhead touch the ground behind or next to the ball at address, which used to be restricted in some hazards under older golf rules.
Ground Under Repair: A clearly marked area of the course under maintenance where you normally take free relief, a standard rules‑related golf term.
Grass Bunker: A hollow or depression shaped like a bunker but filled with grass instead of sand, still leaving an awkward stance or lie.
Green Jacket: The iconic coat awarded to the Masters champion, one of the most recognizable symbols in professional golf lingo.
Gross Score: Your total number of strokes for a hole or round before any handicap adjustments are applied.
H
Handicap: A number that represents a golfer’s playing ability, used to adjust scores so players of different levels can compete fairly.
Hole‑in‑one: Holing your tee shot in a single stroke on any hole, one of the most celebrated golf terms you’ll ever hear on the course.
Hook: A shot that curves sharply from right to left for a right‑handed golfer, usually more than intended.
Hybrid club: A club that mixes features of irons and fairway woods to make long shots easier to hit from a variety of lies.
Hole: The full playing route from teeing area to green on the course, as well as the actual cup in the putting surface.
Half Shot: A controlled, shorter swing used to take distance off a club without changing equipment.
Headcovers: Protective covers placed over woods, hybrids or putters to keep the clubheads from getting damaged in the bag.
Heel: The part of the clubface closest to the shaft; shots struck here are called “heeled” and often lose distance.
Hole Out: To finish a hole by getting the ball into the cup, whether with a putt, chip or any other stroke.
Honor: The right to play first on the tee, usually given to the player or side with the best score on the previous hole.
Hosel: The part of the clubhead where the shaft connects, a small but important piece often mentioned in golf equipment terminology.
Hosel Rocket: Slang for a badly shanked shot that shoots almost sideways off the hosel instead of the clubface.
Hanging Lie: A ball position on a slope where your feet are higher than the ball, making it harder to strike solidly.
Hard Pan: Very firm, packed ground with little grass, where the club tends to bounce rather than dig.
Hazard: Older golf term for areas like bunkers and water that brought extra challenge; in modern rules they’re called penalty areas and bunkers.
Hold the Green: When an approach shot lands on the putting surface and stays there instead of bouncing or rolling off.
Hybrid Bag: A golf bag designed to work both on a cart and for walking, lighter than a full cart bag but with more storage than a basic carry bag.
I
Iron: A club with a thinner metal head and numbered lofts, used for a wide range of shots from tee to green and central to most golf terminology about approach play.
Iffy Lie: An uncertain or awkward ball position where the lie isn’t clearly good or bad, making club and shot choice tricky.
Impact Position: The body and club alignment at the moment the clubface strikes the ball, often used in swing‑instruction golf terms to describe solid contact.
Interlocking Grip: A grip where the little finger of the trailing hand interlocks with the index finger of the lead hand to link the hands together.
In Play: Describes a ball that lies within the boundaries of the course and is being used for the current hole under the Rules of Golf.
In The Leather: A casual golf phrase meaning a short putt that’s within the length of the putter’s grip from the hole and often given as a gimme in friendly games.
J
Jerked The Putt: A golf slang expression for pulling a putt sharply off line with a quick, jabby stroke instead of a smooth motion.
Juicy Lie: A casual golf phrase for a very favorable ball position where the ball sits up nicely, making an aggressive shot much easier.
K
Kick In: A very short putt that is so close to the hole it’s considered almost certain, often treated like an easy tap‑in.
Kick Point: The part of the shaft that bends the most during the swing, helping to influence launch height and feel.
Knee-Knocker: Golf slang for a short but nervous putt that feels missable, usually in the three‑ to four‑foot range.
Knickers: Old‑style, below‑the‑knee golf pants often seen in traditional or historic golf photos and events.
Knife: A golfer’s nickname for a 1‑iron, a very low‑lofted club that is notoriously hard to hit.
Knockdown: A controlled, lower‑flying shot played with a shorter swing to keep the ball out of the wind, a useful golf term in links conditions.
L
Lie angle: The angle between the club’s shaft and the ground at address, which helps determine whether the toe or heel sits up and how the ball starts.
Links course: A traditional seaside style of course built on sandy, rolling land with few trees and plenty of wind, classic in old‑school golf terminology.
Lie: The position of the ball on the ground, including how it sits in the grass or sand and how easy it is to strike cleanly.
Loft: The angle of the clubface that controls how high the ball launches and, along with speed and spin, how far it travels.
Lateral Slide: An excessive sideways shift of the hips during the swing instead of turning, which can cause inconsistent contact.
Level Par: Finishing a hole, nine or full round with exactly the same number of strokes as the course’s par, a common scoring golf term on leaderboards.
Lip-Out: When a putt hits the edge of the hole and spins or slides around the rim instead of dropping in, one of the most frustrating moments in golf lingo.
Lob Shot: A very high, soft pitch played with a lofted wedge to carry a nearby obstacle and stop quickly near the hole.
Long Game: All the full swings with woods, hybrids and long irons that cover most of the distance from tee to green.
Loop: A full round of golf, often used as a casual golf term by caddies and regulars to describe going around 18 holes.
Lost Ball: A ball that can’t be found within the allowed search time or is virtually certain to be lost, requiring stroke‑and‑distance under the Rules of Golf.
Low Handicap: Describes a golfer with a small handicap number, indicating consistently low scores and stronger playing ability.
LPGA: The Ladies Professional Golf Association, the main tour and governing body for top‑level women’s professional golf.
Lag Putt: A long putt played mainly to get close to the hole and avoid three‑putting rather than to hole it outright, a useful concept in putting golf terminology.
Lay Up: To deliberately hit short of a hazard or trouble spot, leaving a safer next shot instead of trying to reach the green in one.
Lob Wedge: A very high‑lofted wedge, typically 58–60 degrees or more, designed for soft, high shots that stop quickly around the green.
M
Match play: A scoring format where holes are won, lost or halved, and the match score is kept as “up” or “down” instead of using total strokes.
Mulligan: An informal do‑over shot taken without penalty in casual rounds, a classic piece of golf slang that isn’t allowed under the official rules.
Marker: Either the small object used to mark a ball’s position on the green or the person who keeps another player’s score in a competition.
Mixed Foursome: A format where teams consist of one man and one woman playing alternate shot, often used in club events and social golf formats.
Mudder: A golfer who tends to play particularly well in wet or muddy conditions when courses are soft.
Majors: The four most important professional men’s tournaments—The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open—central to championship golf terminology.
Mallet: A putter head style that is larger and more rounded or square‑shaped than a traditional blade, usually offering more forgiveness.
Mis-Read: To judge a putt’s line or break incorrectly, causing the ball to miss on the wrong side of the hole.
N
Nassau: A popular betting golf format with three separate wagers on the front nine, back nine and total 18‑hole score, often called a classic golf betting term.
Net score: A player’s gross score for a hole or round after subtracting the handicap strokes they receive.
O
Obstruction: Any artificial object on the course, like paths, sprinkler heads or benches, that can provide relief under the Rules of Golf.
Overclub: To choose a club that hits farther than needed, often sending the ball past the target or over the green.
OB (Out Of Bounds): An area outside the course’s defined playing limits where a ball is penalized by stroke‑and‑distance, a key rules‑related golf term every player should know.
Open Face: When the clubface points to the right of the target for a right‑handed golfer at address or impact, encouraging higher shots or left‑to‑right curves.
Open Stance: A setup where the front foot is pulled back from the target line so the body aims slightly left for a right‑handed golfer, often used in short‑game golf terminology.
Overlap Grip: A common grip where the little finger of the trailing hand rests on top of the gap between the index and middle fingers of the lead hand.
Off Center: Describes contact made away from the sweet spot of the clubface, usually costing both distance and feel.
P
Par: The expected number of strokes a skilled golfer should take to complete a hole or course, forming the baseline for most golf scoring terms.
Par 3 course: A short course made up entirely or almost entirely of par‑3 holes, designed for quicker rounds and wedge‑heavy play.
Practice green: A dedicated putting and chipping area where golfers can work on their short game before or after a round.
Pin: Another word for the flagstick and its position on the green, often used in everyday golf lingo like “go right at the pin.”
Provisional ball: A second ball played when the original may be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds, used to save time if the first ball can’t be played.
Parkland course: An inland course style with tree‑lined fairways, lush rough and softer conditions, the opposite of the windy links‑course golf terminology.
Putter: The club with a flat or nearly flat face used mainly on the green to roll the ball into the hole.
Putting green: The smooth, tightly mown surface around the hole where you use a putter to finish the play of each hole.
Penalty Stroke: An extra stroke added to your score for certain rule breaches or relief procedures, a key rules‑focused golf term every player should understand.
PGA: The Professional Golfers’ Association, commonly referring to the PGA of America or the PGA Tour, central bodies in professional golf terminology.
Pin High: When a shot finishes level with the hole from front to back, even if it is left or right of the target.
Playing Through: When a faster group is invited to pass a slower group and move ahead on the course.
Plugged Lie: A ball that is embedded in the ground, often in soft turf or sand, with part of it buried below the surface.
Pre-Shot Routine: The consistent sequence of actions and thoughts a golfer goes through before each shot, such as picking a target, aligning and taking practice swings.
Press: In match or betting play, to start an additional wager during the round—often when a player is behind and wants a chance to get even—an old-school golf betting term.
Punch Shot: A low, controlled shot with a shortened swing used to keep the ball under the wind or branches.
Pull: A shot that starts left of the target for a right‑handed golfer and stays on that line without significant curve.
Push: A shot that starts right of the target for a right‑handed golfer and continues straight without curving back.
Q
Quota: A points‑based game where each player is given a target score (quota) based on handicap and tries to earn enough points from their play to reach or beat it.
Quail: Short for a “quail high” shot, a very low, skimming shot that flies just above the ground with little height.
Q-School: Short for Qualifying School, the series of tournaments where players compete for status or full playing rights on a professional tour.
Quadruple Bogey: A score of four strokes over par on a single hole, one of the harsher golf scoring terms you’ll see on a card.
Quintuple Bogey: A score of five strokes over par on a hole, usually the result of penalties and multiple mistakes on the same hole.
R
Rough: The longer, thicker grass that borders fairways and surrounds greens, making shots harder and acting as a natural penalty for wayward drives and approaches.
Rangefinder / Range Finder: A distance‑measuring device (laser or GPS) that tells you how far you are from the flag, hazards, or other targets so you can pick the right club.
Recovery shot: A golf shot played from trouble—like trees, rough, or bunkers—meant to get the ball back into a decent position, even if it does not advance all the way to the green.
Roll (Run): The ground movement of the ball after it lands, often called “run,” and a key factor when judging how far a shot or putt will actually finish.
Round robin: A match or betting format where players or teams rotate partners and opponents so everyone plays with and against each other over the course of the round.
Ready Golf: A pace‑of‑play concept where players hit when they are ready and it is safe, instead of strictly waiting for “honors” or who is farthest from the hole.
Reading The Green: The process of studying slopes, grain, and speed on the putting surface to predict how a putt will break and where you should aim.
Reverse Pivot: A swing fault where weight shifts the wrong way—toward the target on the backswing and away on the downswing—often leading to weak, inconsistent contact.
Road Hole: The famous 17th hole at the Old Course, St Andrews, with a road and stone wall near the green that often come into play and inspire the “Road Hole bunker.”
R&A: The Royal & Ancient Golf Club’s governing body based in St Andrews, which partners with the USGA to write the Rules of Golf and oversee the game worldwide outside the U.S. and Mexico.
Range Ball: A practice ball made for driving ranges, usually marked with a stripe or “RANGE” stamp and built to be durable more than perfectly consistent.
Rake: The tool used to smooth the sand in a bunker after you play a shot, restoring the surface for the next golfer.
S
Scramble (format): A team format where all players tee off, the team picks the best ball, and everyone plays from that spot until one score is recorded for the hole.
Sand trap: Informal term for a bunker, a hollow filled with sand that acts as a hazard near fairways or greens.
Scrambling: A stats term showing how often a player still makes par or better after missing the green in regulation, typically by getting “up and down.”
Scratch golfer / Zero handicap: A highly skilled player whose handicap index is 0, expected to shoot around the course rating (about even par) on any rated course.
Slice: A mis‑hit shot that curves sharply from left to right for a right‑handed golfer (right to left for left‑handers), usually caused by an open clubface to swing path.
Shamble: A hybrid format where everyone tees off, the team selects the best drive, then each golfer plays their own ball from there and records an individual score.
Shank: A severe mishit shot where the ball is struck with the hosel (“hosel rocket”), shooting almost sideways, usually far right for a right‑handed golfer.
Stymie: An old rules situation where one ball on the green physically blocked another player’s line to the hole; the obstructing ball stayed in place so the other player had to chip or putt around it.
Strokes gained: An advanced statistic that compares each shot to the field average from the same situation to show how many strokes a player gained or lost on that stroke or skill area.
Slope rating: A number from 55 to 155 that shows how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer; 113 is the standard “average” slope.
Skins (game): A betting game where each hole is worth a “skin” won by the player with the lowest score on that hole; ties carry the skin to the next hole, increasing its value.
Sixes Golf (6s / 6‑6‑6): An 18‑hole format where partners and/or formats change every six holes, often playing three different games (like foursomes, four‑ball, scramble) over 6‑6‑6 stretches.
Stableford: A scoring system where you earn points on each hole (for example 1 for bogey, 2 for par, 3 for birdie, 4 for eagle) instead of counting total strokes, so one bad hole hurts less.
Stance: Your foot and body position relative to the ball and target line before the swing, including whether your stance is square, open, or closed.
Stroke play: The standard scoring format where every stroke counts toward a running total, and the player with the fewest total strokes for the round (or tournament) wins.
Sweet spot: The optimal area on the clubface—usually near the center—where impact produces maximum ball speed, distance, and the best feel.
Sandbagger: A dishonest golfer who keeps an artificially high handicap to gain an unfair edge in handicap events and win more often.
Sand Wedge: A high‑lofted wedge (typically 54–56 degrees) designed with bounce to help the club glide through sand or rough on bunker shots and short approaches.
Shoe Cube: A compact golf bag or case designed specifically to carry and protect golf shoes, keeping them separate from the rest of your gear.
Short Game: All the scoring shots played near the green, mainly chipping, pitching, and putting.
Sink A Putt: Slang for successfully holing a putt; when the ball drops into the cup, you “sink” the putt.
Snowman: Golf slang for making an 8 on a hole, named because the number 8 looks like a snowman.
Sole: The bottom surface of the golf clubhead that rests on the ground at address and interacts with turf or sand during the swing.
Square: Describes being properly aligned—most often a clubface that is aimed directly at the target or a stance set parallel to the target line.
Strong Grip: A hand position where both hands are rotated more to the trail side (away from the target), showing more knuckles and tending to close the clubface and promote a draw.
Superintendent: The course manager responsible for agronomy and maintenance—the person overseeing mowing, irrigation, bunkers, and overall playing conditions.
Swing Arc: The curved path the clubhead travels around your body during the swing, from takeaway through impact.
Swing Plane: The three‑dimensional angle and path the club follows as it moves around your body, often visualized as a tilted circle or pane of glass.
Shotgun Start: A tournament start format where all groups tee off at the same time from different holes so the field begins and finishes together.
Stand Bag: A carry bag with built‑in folding legs that let it stand upright on the turf while you walk and play.
Stimpmeter: A simple device that rolls balls on a green to measure green speed in feet; higher numbers mean faster greens.
Sunday Bag: A minimalist carry bag that holds only a few clubs and essentials, designed to be ultra‑lightweight for casual or quick rounds.
T
Tee: A small peg (usually wood or plastic) pushed into the ground to raise the ball for the first stroke of each hole, making it easier to strike cleanly with a driver or other club.
Tee box: The tee box (or teeing area) is the starting area for each hole, marked by two tee markers and a set depth. Players must tee the ball between and slightly behind these markers, following basic golf tee box rules to avoid penalties. You can learn the details in our dedicated guide on golf tee box rules.
Tee time: The scheduled start time for your round of golf, i.e., when your group is booked to hit the first shot from the tee.
Target line: The imaginary line running from your ball to the intended target that you align your feet, body, and clubface to.
Tombstone: A tournament format where each player or team gets a fixed number of strokes, then plants a “tombstone” marker where their final ball stops when those strokes run out.
Tournament conditions: Course setup made tougher for events—faster greens, tighter pins, longer rough, and stricter rules enforcement than normal daily play.
Top / Topped Shot: A mis‑hit shot where the club strikes the upper half of the ball so it skids or dribbles along the ground instead of getting airborne.
Texas scramble: A team scramble variation where everyone tees off, the best shot is chosen, and all players hit from there until the ball is holed, often with rules about using each player’s drive a minimum number of times.
Takeaway: The initial move of the swing where the club is taken back from the ball, setting the swing path and rhythm up to when the shaft reaches parallel to the ground.
Tap In: A very short putt (typically under a foot) that is so close you just walk up and tap it into the hole.
Tempo: The overall rhythm and pacing of the swing from backswing to downswing, not how fast you swing but how smoothly the motion flows.
Tending The Flag: Having someone hold and then remove the flagstick for you while you putt so the hole is visible and the stick is pulled as the ball approaches.
Texas Wedge: Slang for using a putter from off the green, playing a low, running putt through fringe or fairway instead of chipping.
The Turn: The halfway point of an 18‑hole round—after finishing the 9th green and heading to the 10th tee, you’ve “made the turn.”
Triple Bogey: A scoring term for making three strokes over par on a hole (for example, 7 on a par‑4).
Tight Lie: A lie where the ball sits on very thin grass or hard ground, with little cushion under it, making clean contact more demanding.
Travel Bag: A padded cover used to protect your golf bag and clubs during flights or car trips.
U
Up and down: Getting the ball into the hole in two shots from off the green, typically a chip or pitch “up” onto the green and a single putt “down” into the cup.
Undulation: The natural slopes, waves, and contours on greens or fairways that make putts and shots break and change speed.
Uneven Lie: Any stance where the ball and your feet are on different levels (uphill, downhill, ball above or below feet), requiring setup and swing adjustments.
Unplayable: A situation where a player decides a ball cannot be played as it lies; the rules allow relief with a one‑stroke penalty using stroke‑and‑distance, back‑on‑the‑line, or two‑club‑length options.
Uphill Lie: A lie where the ground slopes upward toward the target so the ball sits above your feet, tending to launch the ball higher and shorter than normal.
USGA: The United States Golf Association, the national governing body for golf in the U.S. and Mexico that co‑writes the Rules of Golf, runs major championships, and manages handicapping.
V
Vegas (Las Vegas): A team betting game for four players where two‑person teams pair, not add, their hole scores into a two‑digit number (like 45 vs 55), and win or lose money by the points difference.
Vardon Grip: The classic overlap grip where the trailing hand’s pinky rests on top of the gap between the lead hand’s index and middle fingers, used by most skilled golfers.
Victory Lap: Slang for a putt where the ball spins all the way around the lip of the hole before dropping in, like taking a celebratory lap.
W
Wedge: A high‑lofted scoring club from the iron family, designed for short shots like pitches, chips, and bunker shots that need height and a soft landing.
Wood: A long‑shafted club with a large rounded head, used mainly for tee shots and long fairway shots where maximum distance is the goal.
Worm burner: Slang for a topped shot that barely leaves the ground and skims along the turf, looking like it could scorch worms on the way.
Wolf (game): A betting game for foursomes where one player is the “wolf” on each hole, choosing to partner with a drive they like—or go solo for extra points and bigger payouts.
Waggle: A small, rhythmic club movement at address before the swing to stay loose, set tempo, and preview the motion.
Weak Grip: A grip where both hands are rotated more to the lead side (toward the target), showing fewer knuckles and promoting a more open clubface and often a fade.
Whiff: A complete miss of the ball on an attempted swing where there was intent to hit; it still counts as a stroke even though the ball does not move.
X
X-Out: A golf ball sold at a discount because it has a small manufacturing imperfection, usually cosmetic and not noticeable in normal play.
Made an X: Slang for picking up and not finishing a hole; if you do not complete the hole, you “made an X” on that hole.
Y
Yardage: The measured distance of a hole, shot, or course in yards, often used to decide which club to hit.
Yip: An involuntary flinch, jerk, or freeze during a stroke, most common on short putts and often causing easy misses.
Yank: Slang for a shot or putt that is sharply pulled left of the target for a right‑handed golfer.
Yardage Markers: Course markings or plates (often on fairways, sprinkler heads, or posts) that show the distance to the green, usually to the centre.
Z
Zinger: A shot hit thin that flies low and fast like a line drive, often traveling farther than intended and sending a zing of vibration into the hands.
Zip: Slang for strong backspin on a shot, causing the ball to “zip” or spin back or stop quickly when it lands on the green.
Zoomie: A drive that goes much farther than a golfer’s normal tee shot, usually a surprisingly long bomb down the fairway.
Conclusion
Golf terminology can feel overwhelming at first, but breaking it into beginner, intermediate, and advanced golf terms makes everything easier to learn step by step. Understanding the words you see on a scorecard, hear on the tee, and read in rules or lesson content helps you follow the game without second‑guessing every phrase.
Whether you play a few casual rounds a year or join regular games with formats and side bets, this glossary gives you the vocabulary to communicate clearly and enjoy golf more. As you learn these terms and play more, using a golf scoring app like ParTeeOf18 to track scores, formats, and side games can make it even easier to apply what you’ve learned on the course.
FAQs
What is golf terminology, and why does it matter?
Golf terminology is the set of words and phrases used to describe shots, scores, course features, formats, and rules, such as birdie, bogey, bunker, handicap, and scramble. Knowing these terms makes it easier to understand instructions, follow rules, and communicate clearly with other golfers on the course.
What are the key golf terms a beginner should learn first?
Beginners should start with core scoring and course words like par, birdie, bogey, tee, fairway, green, rough, bunker, driver, putter, and wedge. Learning these basics gives you enough vocabulary to follow a round, read a scorecard, and understand simple coaching tips.
How do golf terms change from beginner to advanced level?
Beginner terms focus on simple scoring and course parts, like tee, putter, fairway, and par. Intermediate language adds concepts such as draw, fade, backspin, handicap index, and Green in Regulation, while advanced terminology covers formats and stats like Wolf, Stableford, strokes gained, and tournament conditions.
Can learning golf terminology actually improve my game?
Yes. When you understand common golf terms, you can follow advice more precisely, make better club and target choices, and avoid simple rules mistakes. It also helps you learn from commentary, practice content, and playing partners because you know exactly what they are talking about.
Where can I find a complete, easy-to-use list of golf terms?
This glossary is designed as a single place to learn golf terms by level, from beginner basics to advanced formats and stats. You can scan the sections that match your current experience, then return as your game and knowledge progress.
