Golf Terms & Traditions

A

• Ace – Hole-in-one. Doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you’re buying.
• Address – The position you take before swinging.
• Aim – Where you intend to send the ball. Execution? That’s another story.
• Albatross – Three under par on one hole. AKA double eagle.
• Alignment – How you line up your feet, shoulders, and clubface.
• All Square – Match play term for tied scores.
• Alternate Shot – A team format where players take turns hitting the same ball.
• Amateur – A non-professional golfer. AKA most of us.
• Angle of Attack – The vertical path your club travels at impact.
• Approach Shot – Any shot played toward the green.
• Apron – The cut of grass surrounding the green. Slightly longer than the putting surface.
• Away – The golfer farthest from the hole hits first.

B

• Back Nine – Holes 10–18 on a standard 18-hole course.
• Backspin – The spin that helps a ball stop—or spin back—on the green.
• Backswing – The part of the swing where the club goes up before the downswing.
• Ball Marker – Used to mark your ball’s spot on the green.
• Ball Position – Where the ball sits relative to your feet and stance.
• Ball Washer – A course fixture to clean your ball mid-round.
• Beach – Slang for bunker.
• Best Ball – A team format using the best individual score on each hole.
• Birdie – One under par on a hole.
• Blade (a shot) – A thin shot struck with the club’s leading edge.
• Blade (a club) – A style of iron with a thin profile and less forgiveness.
• Bladed Wedge – When your wedge shot flies low and hot. Not a compliment.
• Blast Shot – A bunker shot with lots of sand—think splash, not finesse.
• Blind Shot – A shot where you can’t see your landing zone.
• Block – A shot pushed out to the right (for right-handed golfers).
• Bogey – One over par.
• Bomb – A long drive. The kind that makes people go “Oof.”
• Break – The way a putt curves due to slope.
• Bump and Run – Low chip shot with roll.
• Bunker – A sand trap.

C

• Caddie – Club-carrier, coach, counselor—all in one.
• Carry – How far your ball flies before touching down.
• Cart (Golf Cart) – A small electric or gas vehicle for getting around the course. Great for conserving energy—especially on hilly terrain or during twilight rounds.
• Cart Path Only – You can use a cart—but it stays on the pavement.
• Casual Water – Temporary puddles from rain. You get free relief.
• Center of Gravity – Where weight is balanced in your clubhead.
• Chili Dip – A chunky shot that travels next to nowhere.
• Chip – A short, low shot played from close to the green.
• Choke Down – Gripping lower on the club for more control.
• Chunk – A fat shot that hits ground before the ball.
• Clubface – The part of the club that hits the ball.
• Clubhouse – The main building at a course. Could be a casual hangout with snacks and Keno or a full-service spot with food, drinks, and post-round stories.
• Compression – How much the ball compresses at impact.
• Course Rating – Indicates difficulty for a scratch golfer.
• Cross-Handed Grip – Lead hand lower than trail hand. Popular on the greens.
• Cup – The hole. Four and a quarter inches of glory.
• Cut (Shot) – A controlled fade.
• Cut (Tournament) – The score required to make it to the next round.

D

• Dance Floor – Slang for the green.
• Dead – A shot with no chance of recovery.
• Decelerate – Slowing down before impact. Usually ends in disaster.
• Divot – The turf you take with your shot.
• Dogleg – A hole that bends like a dog’s hind leg.
• Double Bogey – Two over par.
• Double Cross – A shot that goes opposite your intended curve. Usually ugly.
• Downhill Lie – Ball below your feet, slope pointing away.
• Draw – A controlled right-to-left shot.
• Drive – A powerful tee shot.
• Driver – Your longest club. The big stick.
• Driving Iron – A low-lofted iron often used instead of a driver or wood off the tee.
• Driving Range – A spot to warm up your swing. Not every course has one—call ahead.
• Drop Zone – Designated area to drop after a penalty.

E

• Eagle – Two under par.
• Embedded Ball – A ball stuck in soft ground.
• Etiquette – How you behave on the course. Fix marks. Be quiet. Be cool.
• Even Par – A round with no strokes over or under par.
• Explosion Shot – A blast out of the bunker.

F

• Fade – A left-to-right shot (for right-handers).
• Fairway – The short grass between tee and green.
• Fat Shot – Hitting the ground first. Chunk city.
• Fescue – Thick, tall grass often found on New England courses. You don’t want to be in it.
• Flag – The marker in the hole, attached to the flagstick, showing you where to aim. You’ll hear it called the pin too.
• Flagstick – The pin in the hole.
• Flier Lie – A lie in the rough that reduces spin, often sending shots long.
• Flop Shot – A high, soft shot played near the green.
• Fly the Green – Overshooting your target.
• Fore! – A loud warning that your shot’s gone rogue.
• Fourball – A team format where both players play their own ball.
• Fringe – The cut of grass between the green and fairway.
• Front Nine – Holes 1–9.
• Fried Egg – A ball buried in the sand with a crater around it.
• Funnel Pin – A pin placement where slopes feed the ball toward the hole.

G

• Gimme – A conceded short putt.
• Glove – Worn for grip, not warmth.
• Golf Attire – Collared shirt, golf shorts or pants, and golf shoes. Most public courses are casual—just don’t show up in jeans or tank tops.
• Golf Pro – A certified teaching or club professional. At public courses, they’re part coach, part shopkeeper, part local legend.
• Green – The smooth putting surface.
• Green Fee – What you pay to play.
• Green in Regulation (GIR) – On the green with two strokes left for par.
• Grip – Both the handle and how you hold it.
• Grooves – Lines on a clubface that help add spin.
• Ground Under Repair – Free relief area marked by the course.

H

• Hack – A rough swing. Often through the rough.
• Half Set – A simplified set of clubs, great for quick rounds.
• Handicap – A number representing your playing ability.
• Hazard – Now called a “penalty area.”
• Head Covers – Protective covers for your driver, woods, and sometimes putter. Help prevent dings during the ride and often show off a little personality.
• Heel – The part of the clubface near the shaft.
• Hole Out – To finish a hole by getting the ball in the cup.
• Honor System – Lowest score tees off first. A tradition built on respect—though ready golf works too.
• Hosel – Where the shaft connects to the clubhead.
• Hook – A hard left shot (for righties).
• Hybrid – A club that blends woods and irons.

I

• Impact – Where club meets ball.
• In the Leather – A short putt measured by the grip length. Often a gimme.
• Interlock Grip – Popular grip style where index and pinky fingers lock together.
• Iron – Clubs for mid-range shots, numbered 1–9.

J

• Jail – A spot with no clear shot—trees, brush, or worse.
• Juice – Extra power or spin on a shot.
• Jump on It – Going after a ball aggressively with full power.

K

• Kick – The bounce a ball takes after landing.
• Knock-Down Shot – A low-trajectory shot useful in wind.

L

• Lag Putt – A long putt meant to get close, not in.
• Lateral Hazard – Penalty area alongside a hole.
• Launch Angle – The angle at which the ball leaves the clubface.
• Lay Up – Choosing to hit short of a hazard.
• Lead Tape – Used to alter club weight and feel.
• Lie – The ball’s position.
• Lie Angle– The angle between the shaft and sole of the club. Affects shot direction.‍
• Lip-Out – A cruel near-miss on the edge of the hole.‍
• Lob Wedge – A high-lofted wedge for short, high shots.‍
• Loft – The angle on the clubface.

M

• Marker – A person keeping score, or a small item to mark your ball on the green.
• Match Play – Hole-by-hole scoring. Win more holes than your opponent to win the match.
• Match Scorecard – A version of the card tailored to match play scoring.
• Members Bounce – A lucky bounce that somehow sends your ball back into play.
• Misread – When your putt breaks the other way—or doesn’t break at all.
• Mixed Foursome – A group of two men and two women.
• Modified Scramble – Like a scramble, but with one tweak—usually involving who tees off.
• Mulligan – An unofficial re-do, usually off the first tee. Not USGA-approved, but often beer-approved.

N

• Nassau – A popular betting format with three wagers: front nine, back nine, and total score.
• Net Score – Your gross score minus handicap. Levels the playing field.
• Nineteenth Hole – The clubhouse bar. The most forgiving hole on the course.
• No-Card (NC) – When a player doesn’t turn in a scorecard. Often in tournaments.
• No Talking During the Swing – An unspoken (but very real) rule. Give your playing partners quiet and space during their shot.

O

• OB (Out of Bounds) – White stakes or lines. Hit it here and add a penalty stroke, plus distance.
• Open – A tournament anyone can qualify for, regardless of pro status.
• Outside Agency – Anything that affects your ball but isn’t part of the game—like a bird, or wind.

P

• Pace of Play – How fast a round moves. Keep it steady and respectful.
• Par – The expected number of strokes to complete a hole. Benchmark of the game.
• Penalty Area – Modern term for what used to be called hazards. Water, thick brush, etc.
• Penalty Stroke – A stroke added to your score for a rules infraction.
• Pin – Another name for the flagstick.
• Pin High – When your ball is level with the flag, but not necessarily close.
• Pitch – A short approach shot with height.
• Pitch Mark – The indentation your ball makes on the green. Please repair it.
• Play Through – When a faster group is allowed to go ahead.
• Plugged Lie – When your ball buries in soft ground or sand.
• Practice Green – The area near the clubhouse for warming up your putter before the round. Use it—it makes a difference.
• Pro Shop – The course’s golf store and check-in spot. Stocked with gear, balls, and last-minute must-haves.
• Provisional Ball – A second ball hit in case the first is lost or OB.
• Pull – A shot that starts left of target (for righties).
• Pull Cart – A two- or three-wheeled cart for carrying your bag if you prefer to walk.
• Push – A shot that starts right of target (for righties).
• Putter – The flat-faced club used on the green.

Q

• Qualifying Round – A round played to gain entry into a tournament.
• Quack Hook – A really bad, low hook. More panic than precision.

R

• Ranger (or Marshal) – Course staff who drive around ensuring pace of play, safety, and overall course etiquette. Friendly reminder: don’t ignore them.
• Rangefinder – A handheld device that uses laser tech to measure distance to the flag or hazards. Speeds up play and takes out the guesswork.
• Ready Golf – Play when ready, not just when it’s your turn. Keeps things moving.
• Recovery Shot – A shot played from a tough position back into play.
• Relief – Free or penalty-based repositioning of your ball.
• Reload – Hitting again after a lost or OB ball.
• Rough – Longer grass bordering the fairway.
• Run – How far the ball rolls after landing.

S

• Sandbagger – A golfer who inflates their handicap to gain a competitive advantage.
• Sand Save – Making par after being in a bunker.
• Scorecard – Tracks your round, hole-by-hole. Shows par, strokes, and layout—and makes a solid souvenir.
• Scoring Clubs – Typically wedges and short irons—used to get it close.
• Scramble – A fun format where players pick the best shot and all hit from there.
• Scratch Golfer – A golfer with a handicap of 0.
• Shank – A mishit where the ball flies off the hosel. Avoid at all costs.
• Short Side – When you miss a green on the side closest to the flag. Tough up-and-down.
• Shotgun Start – When all groups start on different holes at the same time.
• Sidehill Lie – A lie where the ball is above or below your feet.
• Skins Game – A betting format where each hole is worth a set value.
• Slice – A shot that curves hard right (for right-handers).
• Slope Rating – Indicates how difficult a course is for the average player.
• Snack Shack – The halfway house between nines—or wherever you get your hot dog and Gatorade.
• Snowman – An 8 on the scorecard. Not very jolly.
• Soft Spikes – Modern golf shoe cleats made of plastic or rubber. Course-friendly and preferred over old-school metal spikes.
• Spin – Backspin helps the ball stop; sidespin can curve it.
• Stableford – A scoring format based on points rather than strokes.
• Stance – Your footing and body position before the shot.
• Starter – The person who organizes groups at the first tee, keeps pace of play moving, and ensures everyone tees off on time. A course’s quiet hero.
• Starter’s Shed – Where the starter hangs out—check in here before teeing off.
• Stroke Play – Standard golf scoring: total strokes count.
• Sweet Spot – The ideal contact point on the clubface.

T

• Tap-In – A short putt that’s basically a formality.
• Target Line – The intended line toward your target.
• Tee – The small peg you use to elevate the ball.
• Tee Box – Where each hole starts.
• Tee Box Marker – Colored markers that show where each set of tees begins
• Tee Time – Your reserved start time for the round. Book early—especially on sunny weekends.
• Tempo – The rhythm of your swing. Smooth > fast.
• Thin Shot – A low shot hit too high on the ball.
• Three-Putt – Two too many.
• Through the Green – All parts of the course except tee boxes, greens, and hazards.
• Toe (of club) – The far end of the clubface, opposite the hosel.
• Top – When you hit the top of the ball. It doesn’t go far.
• Towel – Hangs on your bag for cleaning clubs, wiping hands, or drying off a wet grip. One of the most underrated tools in the game.
• Twilight Rate – Discounted golf in the late afternoon. Less expensive, less crowded, more golden hour vibes.

U

• Up and Down – Getting the ball into the hole in two strokes from off the green.
• Unplayable Lie – A spot where you can’t make a legal stroke. Take relief with a penalty.

V

• Vardon Grip – Also known as the overlap grip. A classic way to hold the club.
• Victory Lap – When a putt circles the cup before falling in.

W

• Waggle – A pre-shot routine with small movements to stay loose.
• Water Hazard – Old term for penalty area with water. Still scary.
• Wedge – High-lofted clubs for short shots and spin control.
• Whiff – A complete swing... and a complete miss.
• Winter Rules – Local rules that allow for better lies in poor conditions.
• Wood – Now made of metal, used for distance off the tee or fairway.
• Worm Burner – A low, fast shot that skims across the turf.

Y

• Yardage Book – A pocket guide with detailed hole layouts and distances.
• Yips – Involuntary movement, usually during putting. Golf’s worst nightmare.

Z

• Zinger – A crisp, clean shot with a little sizzle. Feels amazing.

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