Essential Glossary

Action – The spin of a ball when it strikes the putting green. Albatross – A hole played three strokes under par. Amateur – A player who has not competed for prize money – as opposed to professional. Backswing – The initial movement of the club away from the ball until it reverses direction and moves into the downswing. Best ball – The best score on a hole by two or more players in a best ball match. Birdie – A score of one under par on a given hole. Blind shot – A shot where the player cannot see the target. Carry – The distance from where the ball is hit, to where it first lands. Clone – A copy of a brand-name club. Closed face – When the blade of the club points to the left of the target. Closed stance – When a player faces slightly away from the target at address. Club fitting – A club assembled for a specific golfer. Die in the hole – When the ball has just enough momentum to make it into the hole. Divot – A chunk of turf sliced out of the ground by a player’s stroke. English – When the ball has a lot of spin in flight. Etiquette – Code of conduct on a golf course. Executive course – A shorter course with mainly par three and par four holes Fast green – When a putting green is dry and/or hard allowing the ball to travel far with little effort. Fat shot – Striking the ground before striking the ball. Fringe – The area of longer grass around the green. Front nine – The first nine holes on an eighteen-hole course. Goldie bounce – When the ball strikes a tree deep in the rough and bounces out onto the fairway. Good leave – When a long putt ends close to the hole. Gooseneck – The “S” bend in the shaft of some putters. High-handicapper – A player of marginal skill. Honor – The right to hit first from the tee. Knock off – An inexpensive club made to look like a name-brand. Lag – The time the club spends at the top of the swing. Mid-length putter – A putter with a shaft length that falls between a conventional putter and a long putter. Same as a belly putter. Mid-line – The center line of the fairway running from the tee to green. Misclub – To use a club inappropriate for the distance. On the bag – To be the caddie. Pitch shot – A short high shot to the putting green. Rifle shot – To hit the ball straight and far. Shooting the lights out – To play quite well. Stance – The way a player stands when preparing to play. Starter – The person running the order of play from the first tee. Tee – 1) The wooden or plastic device placed in the ground that the ball rests on. 2) The area where the ball is first hit from. Unplayable – When a player determines a ball cannot be played and takes a penalty stroke. Whiff – A swing that completely misses the ball. Wood – A long-shafted club with a large, deep head used for long drives. So called because it used to be made of wood. Yips – Nervous twitching that interferes with a golfer’s play. Yardage chart – Maps of the course showing the length of holes.