Golf Glossary: Brief As Possible

Here’s a golf glossary that contains all of the major terms but does not take a week to review. Let me know if I missed a major entry that you think should be added.
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Above the Hole: When the ball’s lie is uphill from the hole on the green resulting in an undesirable downhill putt.
Ace: A hole in one.
Address:  The position of the player when he/she is lined up with the ball before a stroke.  The clubhead is grounded when a player is at address.
Albatross:  A score of 3 under par for a hole — also known as a Double Eagle.
Alignment: The body’s overall orientation with the club when at address.
Alternate Shot:  Form of play best suited to a foursome of two two-person teams in which the two players on a team alternate shots on the same hole.
Approach Putt:  A putt made from outside the green.
Approach Shot:  The shot played onto the green.  On a par four, this would traditionally be the second stroke.
Approach Wedge:Also known as a dual wedge or gap wedge — this club has a high loft and a length between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.
Apron:  The rim of closely mowed grass surrounding the green, sometimes referred to as the collar or fringe.
Away:  The away player is the one whose ball is farthest from the hole.  The away player always plays first.
B
Back in the Stance:  At address, to have the ball closer to your right foot than your left for right-handed players, or closer to your left foot than your right for left-handed players.  Positioning the ball back in the stance is usually used for iron hits.
Back Nine: The last nine holes of an 18-hole round.
Backswing: The first part of the full swing in which the club moves backward, away from the ball in preparation for the downswing.
Bag: The golfer’s bag holds the fourteen clubs regularly allowed for the game.  Most bags are either Stand Bags or Cart Bags.  Stand bags are more lightweight with a built in stand and generally better suited to the walking golfer.  Cart Bags are usually more full-featured, have more pockets and are better suited to the golfer who rides a cart.
Ball in Pocket: When a player, for whatever reason, pockets his/her ball before completing the hole.
Ball Mark:  A depression or divot on the green left by the landing ball, usually caused by a long approach shot.
Ball Marker: Any small, flat object used to mark the position of the ball on the green while the ball is being cleaned or while another player putts.
Birdie:  A score of one under par for a hole.
Blade/Bladed Iron:  An iron with a full, smooth, rounded back that keeps the weight centered in the clubhead.  Though bladed irons offer more control, they have a smaller sweet spot and are less forgiving than cavity-back irons.
Bogey:  A score of one over par for a hole.
Bounce Angle:  The measurement of the angle of a club’s sole with respect to a horizontal line.
Breaking Putt:  A putt with a curved trajectory to the hole caused by the slope of the green.
Bunker:  A sand-filled depression on the golf course — also known as a sand trap.
C
Caddie:  The person who carries a players bag on the course and offers advice on club selection and hitting strategy.
Camber: The curvature of a club’s sole, measured from heel-to-toe.
Can: Another word for the hole or cup.
Carry: 1. Distance of a ball traveling in the air. 2. To hit the ball over an obstacle in order to advance play.
Casting:  The forming of a clubhead by pouring molten steel into a mold.  Casting produces a harder clubhead than one that has been shaped by forging.
Cavity Back:  An iron with the weight distributed around the edges of the clubhead to produce a larger sweet spot and more forgiveness on off-center hits.  The resulting shape of the clubhead has the appearance of a large cavity behind the club face.
Center Weighted:  A ball whose weight is concentrated at the core.
CC:  Cubic centimeters — Measurement of the volume of a clubhead — the higher the number, the higher the volume, the larger the clubhead.
Center of Gravity/Center of Mass:  The point in an object around which the weight and mass are balanced. Manufacturers often times make adjustments to the center of gravity in clubheads, moving it higher, lower, farther back or closer to the front, in an effort to achieve different types of performance from the club.
Chip:  An approach shot played from very close to the green in which the ball is “chipped” up onto the green using a high-lofted iron, with the intention of rolling most of the way to the hole.
Claret Jug:  The trophy awarded to the winner of the British Open.
Closed Stance:  A player has a closed stance if, at address, his/her left foot (for a right-handed player) is closer to the target line than the right.  For a left-handed player, the right foot is closer to the target line.
Club Face: The front, lofted part of a club’s head that makes contact with the ball.
Clubhouse: The main building on most golf courses where refreshments are served and members of the club socialize, usually after the ninth and 18th holes — sometimes referred to as the 19th hole.
Clubhead:  Lowest part of the club used to strike the ball.
Coil:  The backward rotation or twisting of the body away from the ball during the back swing.
Collar:  The rim of closely mowed grass surrounding the green, sometimes referred to as the apron or fringe.
Compression:  The stiffness or density rating of a golf ball.  A golf ball compresses at the moment it is struck by the club.  Balls with a higher compression rating compress less than balls with a lower compression rating.
Compression Molded:  A golf ball that is manufactured by using high amounts of pressure to mold two halves together into the complete ball.
C.O.R:  Coefficient Of Restitution — The measurement of the “spring” of a golf ball off of the club face at impact.  Expressed as a percentage, the coefficient of restitution is determined by dividing the speed of the ball off the clubhead by the speed at which the clubhead struck the ball.
Course Management: A player’s overall strategy to keep a low score on the course.
Cross-Bunker: A bunker that runs perpendicular to, or across the fairway.
Crown:  The topmost part of the clubhead.
Cup: The hole.
Cut: A shot that curves from left to right for a right-handed golfer, or right to left for a left-handed golfer – same as a fade.
D
Dimple:  One of the hundreds of characteristic indentations in a golf ball.  These indentations increase the tendency of a golf ball to spin and produce lift during flight.
Divot: A divot is formed when the clubhead strikes the ground during a stroke and tears out a small portion of turf.
Dogleg: The curve in a fairway to either the left or right.
Dormie/Dormy:  A situation in a match or tournament where one player or team’s lead is equal to the remaining number of holes to be played, meaning that the other player or team cannot win.
Double Bogey: A score of two over par for a hole.
Double Breaker: A breaking putt with two distinct curves in its trajectory to the hole.
Double Eagle:  A score of three under par on a hole — also know as an Albatross.
Downhill Lie: When the ball’s position at rest is on a downhill slope.
Downswing: The part of the swing immediately following the backswing during which the club is brought back toward the ball to strike it.
Draw: A shot with a trajectory that curves from right to left for a right handed golfer, or left to right for a left handed golfer — the opposite of a fade.
Drive:  The first stroke on a hole made off the tee, usually with a driver.
Driver: Usually the longest club in the bag with the largest clubhead used to make long distance shots off the tee.
Driving Range:  Area on most golf courses intended to hit practice balls — sometimes called a practice range.
Drop:   To release the ball by hand back into play after it has been removed or pocketed for any number of reasons within the rules of golf.
Dual Wedge:  Also known as an approach wedge or gap wedge — this club has a high loft and a length that falls somewhere between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.
Duffer: An especially bad golfer.
E
Eagle:  A score of two under par for a hole.
Elevated Green:  A green that sits higher than the surrounding fairway and rough.
Epoxy:  A gel adhesive used to affix the clubhead to the shaft.
Even Par: A score equal to par for the entire course at the end of a round.
Executive Course: A smaller golf course consisting mostly of par threes and some short par fours.
F
Fade:  A shot that curves from left to right for a right-handed player or right to left for a left-handed player — the opposite of a draw.
Fairway:  The manicured path of grass from the tee box to the green on a hole.
Fairway Wood: Any wood other than the driver — usually a 3, 5 or 7 wood.
Fat:  A fat shot is the result of striking the ground before the ball resulting in reduced power and distance — opposite of hitting a shot thin.
Ferrule:  A fitted ring usually made of plastic that covers the joint where the club shaft meets the clubhead.
Flag: The brightly colored cloth banner attached to the top of the flagstick to easily show the location of the hole and the direction of the wind from a distance.
Flagstick:  The post that sits in the hole and has the flag attached to the top — also called the pin.
Flat: When the ball is positioned on a flat lie angle.
Flex: The amount a club shaft bends during the swing.
Flex point: The point of greatest bend on a club shaft during the swing.  A flex point low in the shaft contributes height to the ball’s trajectory while a higher flex point offers improved control.
Flier: A ball or shot that flies farther than intended or desired.
Follow-through:  The continuation of the swing after impact has been made with the ball.
Fore:  Warning call to alert other golfers of a potentially dangerous approaching ball.
Forged: Refers to a clubhead that is formed by beating and hammering heated stainless steel into the desired shape.
Forward Press: The positioning of the hands in front of the ball at address, usually intended to increase backspin.
Foursome:  Group of four players on a round of golf.
Fringe:  The rim of closely mowed grass surrounding the green, sometimes referred to as the apron or collar.
Front Nine: The first nine holes of an 18-hole round.
G
Gap Wedge:  Also known as an approach wedge or dual wedge — this club has a high loft and a length between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.
Gimme: A putt that is so close to the hole that it is certain to be made on the next stroke.  Gimmes are used only during informal play and are not recognized by the official rules of golf.
GPS:  Global Positioning System — A device (handheld or sometimes built into carts) that uses satellites to track and show a players position on a hole or the course.
Grand Slam: To win all four major golf championships (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship) in the same year.
Graphite:  A metal commonly used in club shafts.  Graphite shafts are lighter than steel shafts and offer greater swing speed, power and distance with some sacrifice to control.
Green: The area of closely mown grass where the hole is located and the putter is used.
Greens Keeper: The person responsible for grooming and maintaining the course.
Green in Regulation: To play the ball onto the green in the regulation number of strokes, or par minus two. To reach the green in three strokes on a par five would be to reach the green in regulation.
Grip: 1.The topmost part of the club shaft where the club is held.  2. The rubber or plastic material covering the topmost part of the shaft where the club is held.  3. The position of a player’s hands as they hold the club.
Gross Score: The total number of a player’s strokes during the entire round of golf.
H
Half Swing: A shot made using only half of the force and distance of a full swing.
Halve: A tie score on a hole or match.
Handicap:  An average of a player’s cumulative scores.
Handicap Index:  An official handicap usually calculated by the USGA (United States Golf Association) using one’s recorded handicap and adjusting for course ratings and other variables.
Hazard: Any natural obstacle on the course such as water or a bunker.
Heel:  The curved part of the clubhead on the bottom, below the hosel.
Hole:  The 4 ¼ inch hole on the green into which the player is trying to put the ball in as few strokes as possible — also, to sink the ball into the hole.
Hole in One: A score of one on a hole.
Hook: A shot that curves dramatically from right to left for a right-handed player, or left to right for a left-handed player.  A hook is never intentional and curves much more than a draw.
Hosel: The topmost part of the clubhead where the head and shaft are joined.
Hybrid: A versatile club that serves as a replacement for hard-to-hit long irons.  Their construction borrows features from both long irons and fairway woods.  Hybrids produce a high launch angle with a more optimal spin rate resulting in higher flying, longer carrying, softer landing shots than a typical long iron would produce.
I
Improving the Lie: Moving or changing the position of one’s ball to make it easier to hit.  The penalty for improving the lie of a ball is one stroke added to your score.
In Play: A balls is considered “in play” and subject to the rules of the game from the time it is hit off the tee until it is holed.
Insert: A separate piece of material that is joined with the body of a club’s head for the purpose of providing more durability and more feel.
Inside-out: A swing that travels from inside the target line to outside the target line, resulting in a mishit.
Iron: A club with a both a shorter shaft and clubhead than a wood.  Irons are used for closer shots from the fairway and sometimes from the tee on shorter par three holes.
J
K
Kick: Direction the ball takes when it bounces on the ground.
Knife: A one iron.
Knockdown: A shot with an intentionally low trajectory to avoid interference from strong winds.
L
Lag:  The time delay between the end of the back swing and the beginning of the downswing.
Lag Putt:  A long putt wherein the player tries to control distance and speed to get the ball close to the hole so that an easier follow up shot can be made.
Lateral Water Hazard: A water hazard that runs along the side of the fairway instead of across it.
Launch Angle:  The angle at which the ball leaves the face of the club when struck.
Lay Up: Hitting the ball shorter than normal to avoid a hazard or achieve particular positioning for the next shot.
Leading Edge: The foremost edge on the sole of a club that leads in the swing.
Lie: The positioning of a ball at rest.
Line of Play: The direction in which a player intends his/her ball to travel when struck.
Line of Putt: The direction in which a player intends his/her ball to travel when putted.
Links:  A specific type of seaside golf course with sandy soil, generally with sparse and unobtrusive foliage.
Lip:  The top and outermost rim of the hole.
Loft:  The measurement of the angle of a club face with respect to a vertical line.
Long Game: The game-play early in the hole where the shots are longer and the woods and irons are used.
Long Iron: Generally refers to irons numbered one through four with lower loft angles.
Lost Ball:  A ball that has been hit out of bounds or into the rough and cannot be found within five minutes of beginning a search for it.  When a ball is lost, the player looses both the stroke and the distance.
LPGA:  Ladies Professional Golf Association.
M
Majors:  The four major professional Golf tournaments (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship).
Mallet Putter:  A putter with an enlarged head ranging up to four inches out from the club face.  Mallet putters tend to feature various types of alignment aids such as a geometric shape or a series of directional lines to make it easier for the player to start the ball on the proper target line.
Maraging Steel:  A steel alloy fabricated specifically for its hardness and used primarily in the club faces of fairway woods.
Masters:  The first major tournament of the season held at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.  Winners of the tournament receive the trademark green Edwardian sports jacket.
Match Play:  A form of play in which players or teams compete on a hole-by-hole basis.  The player or team who has won the most number of holes in a round is the overall winner.
M.O.I.:  Moment of Inertia — The resistance to twisting that a clubhead displays at the moment it strikes the ball.  A clubhead with a higher moment of inertia will twist less and offer more forgiveness on off-center hits.
Moveable Obstruction:  Any loose ball obstruction that can reasonably be picked up and moved.
Mulligan:  An illegal second attempt at a shot, usually off the tee.
N
Nassau:  A popular three-part golf bet wherein a wager is placed on the best scores for the front nine, back nine and full 18 holes in a round.
Net Score:  A player’s total score after 18 holes minus handicap strokes.
Ninety-Degree Rule:  A rule implemented by some golf courses, in efforts to maintain the quality of the course, that requires golf carts to stay on the cart path until they are even with the ball as it sits on the fairway.  At this point only, the cart may turn ninety-degrees onto the fairway toward the ball.
O
Obstruction:  Any artificial object that obstructs one’s shot.
Off-Center Hit:  To strike the ball somewhere on the periphery of the club face, and not in the center.  Off-center hits usually result in a slice, a hook or greatly reduced speed and distance.
Open Stance:  A player has an open stance if, at address, his/her right foot (for a right-handed player) is closer to the target line than the right.  For a left-handed player, the left foot is closer to the target line.
Out of Bounds:  Any area officially outside of the course grounds.  These areas are usually marked by white posts or a fence line.  If a player hits a ball out of bounds he/she loses both the stroke and the distance, meaning the shot must be replayed from the original spot and one stroke is added to the player’s score.
Over Par:  Any score greater than the designated par for a hole.
P
Pace:  The ideal speed that a putt must be to make it to the hole.
Pace of Play:  The pace at which a foursome must play to keep from falling behind or slowing down the group or foursome behind them on the course.  Pace of play can usually be determined by checking the amount of time scheduled between tee times.
Par:  The number of strokes, designated both for each individual hole and for all the holes on a course, that it should take to complete that hole or course.
PGA:  The Professional Golfer’s Association.
Perimeter Weighted:  A clubhead with the weight dispersed around the edges instead of being concentrated in the center.  Clubs with perimeter weighting, like cavity-back irons, benefit from an enlarged sweet spot and more forgiveness on off-center hits.
Pin:  The flagstick.
Pitch:  A high-altitude approach shot made with a high-lofted club that is intended to roll as little as possible once it has landed on the green.
Pitching Wedge:  A relatively high-lofted club (45-49 degrees) used for longer approach shots.
Play Through:  When a group of quickly advancing players is allowed to pass a group of slower players on the course.  The slower players pause pay and allow the faster players to play through their current hole.  The slower players resume play after the faster players have completed the hole.
Pro Shop:  The building at most courses where golfers sign up to play and purchase balls or other necessary equipment.
Provisional Ball:  A replacement ball for one that is lost or hit out of bounds.
Pull:  A shot that flies, in a straight line, to the left for a right-handed player or to the right for a left-handed player — the opposite of a push.
Push:  A shot that flies, in a straight line, to the right for a right-handed player or to the left for a left-handed player — the opposite of a pull.
Putt:  A short shot made on the green with the intention of rolling the ball along the ground into the hole.
Putter:  A flat-faced, or extremely low-lofted club used on the green to make a putt.
Putting Green:  A practice green with multiple holes and a variety of breaks.
Q
R
Rake:  Just like the tool used to gather leaves on one’s lawn, rakes are left near bunkers for players to smooth the sand after hitting out of the trap.
Read:  To assess the break(s) on a green in effort to determine the line a putt must take to make it to the hole.
Release:  1. The uncocking of the wrists during the downswing in effort to provide an extra snap of power at the moment of impact.  2. The continued rolling of the ball once it has landed on the green.
Rhythm:  The tempo of a player’s swing.
Rough:  The unmanicured, rough grass that surrounds the fairway.
Round:  A complete nine or 18 holes of golf.
S
Sandbagger:  One who misrepresents his/her actual handicap to be higher than it actually is in an effort to gain an advantage in tournament play.
Sand Trap:  A sand-filled depression on the golf course – also known as a bunker.
Sand Wedge:  A club used specifically for hitting out of a bunker.  The high loft (54-57 degrees) and pronounced bounce angle helps the club glide through the sand and keeps the club from digging.
Score Card:  The card where players’ scores are marked — it usually includes the par for each hole and the measurement of distance to each of the colored flags.
Scramble:  A form of tournament play for two or four man teams in which each player will tee off, the longest ball is determined, and each player plays from the spot of the longest ball on the next shot.
Scratch Golfer:  A golfer with a handicap of zero.
Shaft:  The long cylindrical portion of the club with the grip at one end and the clubhead at the other.  Generally speaking, shafts are made of either steel or graphite.  Steel shafts offer more control than graphite, but require faster swing speeds to achieve the same distance.  Graphite shafts are lighter than steel shafts, offering greater swing speed for more power and distance, but some control is sacrificed.
Shag:  To retrieve practice balls.
Shank:  To accidentally strike the ball with the hosel, usually sending it only a short distance and far to the right.
Short Game:  The game-play at the latter parts of a hole where the player uses shorter irons and a putter to get onto the green and hole the ball.
Skins:  A form of match play where each hole has its own value or wager.  In the event of a tie, the value is carried over into the next hole.
Slice:  A shot that curves severely and unintentionally from left to right for a right-handed player and right to left for a left-handed player.  Slices are the most common type of mishits for beginners.
Stance:  The position of a player’s feet when at address.
Stroke:  An attempt at hitting the ball regardless if contact is made or if the ball actually moves.
Sweet Spot:  The best and most advantageous spot on a club face to hit the ball — usually in the center.
Swing Plane:  The imaginary plane on which the clubhead travels during the swing.
Swingweight:  The weight of a club measured from a certain fulcrum point at the grip end of the shaft. For most golfers, the swingweight of a club is simply how heavy the club feels during the swing, or how slow or fast the club swings.
T
Target Line:  An imaginary line that runs through the ball to the hole.
Thin:  To hit the ball thin is to strike it too high, and often times with the leading edge of the club.  This usually results in a slice or a very low trajectory — also known as “skulling” the ball or “topping” the ball.
Titanium:  A metal commonly used to manufacture clubheads.  Titanium is often preferred for its light weight with respect to strength, allowing for larger clubheads with greater sweet spots.
Toe:  The point at the bottom of a clubhead farthest from the hosel.
Trajectory:  The path that the ball takes once struck.
U
Up and Down:  To complete a hole in two shots from the fairway such that the first shot gets the ball “up” on to the green and the subsequent putt gets it “down” into the hole.
December 27, 2009 | DJ Winger | Tags: , | No Comments »

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