Golf Glossary

Welcome to the Golf Glossary. Here you'll find common (and some uncommon) golf terms and their definitions.

Golf Glossary Categories

One way to utilize this Golf Glossary is to browse several categories of similar or related golf terms. Click into one of the following categories to browse:

Golf Equipment Terms
This glossary category gathers terms relating to golf equipment, such as bounce angle, cavity back, forgiveness, launch angle, toe-balanced and many more.

Golf Tournament Formats and Betting Games
Do you know your scramble from a shamble? What is Bingo, Bango Bongo? Or best ball, Chapman System, money ball or Peoria System? This section of the Golf Glossary provides explanations of popular golf tournament formats along with betting games or side games that groups of golfers often play.

Golf Course Terms
On this page you'll find terms related to golf courses - features of courses (architectural terms), definitions related to golf course setup and maintenance.

Golf Slang
This is a fun category, with definitions of golf slang terms and expressions. Do you know your chicken stick from a foot wedge? How about Army golf or banana ball?

Golf Glossary: The Full List of Terms and Definitions

If you are looking for the definition of a specific term, browse the following long list. If the word or term appears as a link, then click that link for a detailed definition of the term and explanation of meanings. (Note: If a word appears and is not linked, its definition will be added soon.)

#
1-2-3 Best Ball
2-Man No Scotch
2-Man Scramble
2-Person Best Ball
3-Putt
4BBB
4-Man Cha Cha Cha
40 Balls
90-Degree Rule

A
Abnormal Ground Conditions
Ace
Aces and Deuces
Address
Adjusted Gross Score
Advice
Aeration
Air Shot
Albatross
Alfred S. Bourne Trophy
Alignment
All Square
Alternate Greens
Alternate Shot
Am-Am
Ambrose Competition
American Ball
Amen Corner
Appearance Fees
Approach
Approach Wedge
Apron
Arizona Shuffle
Army Golf
Arnold Palmer Award
Away
A-Wedge

B
Back Door (back door putt)
Back Nine
Back Side
Backspin
Back Tees
Baffie
Bag Raid
Balata
Ball in Play
Ball Mark
Ball Marker
Ball Retriever
Ball Striker
Ballstriking
Ball Washer
Banana Ball
Barranca
Belly Putter
Ben Hogan Tour
Bentgrass
Best At Something
Best Ball
Better Ball
Biarritz
Big Dog
Bingo Bango Bongo
Birdie
Bisque
Bisque Par
Bisque Stroke
Bite
Blades
Blind Bogey
Blind Nine
Blue Tees
Bogey
Bogey Golfer
Bogey Rating
Borrow
Bounce
Bowmaker
Bramble (format)
Brassie
Break
Bridge
British Ball (British Open Ball)
Broomstick Putter
Buggy
Bump and Run
Bunker
Buy.com Tour
Buzzard
Byron Nelson Award

C
Cabbage
Cablinasian
Caddie
Calcutta
Callaway System
Camber
Canadian Foursomes
Cape Hole
Captain's Choice
Captain's Pick
Carry
Cart Jockey
Cart Path
Cart Path Only
Casual Water
Cavity Back
Center of Gravity
Center shafted
Championship Course
Championship Tees
Chapman System
Characteristic Time
Chicago
Chicken Stick
Chili Dip
Chip or Chip Shot
Choke
Choker Tournament
Chunk
Church Pews bunker
Claret Jug
Cleek
Closed Face
Closest to the Pin
Club
Clubface
Clubhead
Clubhead Speed
Clubhouse
C.O.D.
Coefficient of Restitution
Collar
Committee
Compression
Conceded Putt
Concession
Condor
Cool-Season Grasses
Coring
Country Club
Course Furniture
Course Handicap
Course Rating
Criers and Whiners
Criss Cross
Cross Bunker
Crown
CT
Cut
Cut Line
Cut Shot
Cut Throat

D
Daily Fee Course
Defender
Demo Day
Derby
Desert Course
Devil Ball
Dew Sweeper
Dimple Pattern
Dimples
Divot
Divot Tool
Dogleg
Dog Track
Dormie
Dots (or dot game)
Double Bogey
Double Eagle
Double Green
Draw
Driver
Duffer

E
Eagle
Eclectic
Equitable Stroke Control
Even/Even Par
Executive Course

F
Face Angle
Face-Balanced Putter
Fade
Fairway
False Front
Fat (or Fat Shot)
Ferrule
Fescue
First Cut
Fishies
Flags (or Flags Competition)
Flagstick
Flatstick
Flex
Flyer/Flyer Lie
Flight
Flop Shot
Florida Scramble
Foot Wedge
Forced Carry
Fore
Forecaddie
Forgiveness
Forgiving
Four Ball
Fourball Alliance
Four-Man Cha Cha Cha
Foursomes
Frequency Matching
Fringe
Front Nine

G
GHIN
Gap wedge
Garbage
Gimmie
Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden
Goat Track
Golf Buggy
Golf Tee
Gorse
Green
Green Fee
Green Grass (or Green Grass Shop)
Green in Regulation (GIR)
Greensomes
Gross (Gross Score)
Ground Under Repair

H
Hacker
Halve or Halved
Hammer (or Hammers)
Handicap
Handicap Differential
Handicap Index
Hanging Lie
Hate Em
Hazard
Heathland Course
Hogan's Alley
Hogies (Hogans)
Hole
Holed
Hole in One
Hole-in-One Contest
Hole Out
Honors (order of play)
Honors (betting game)
Hood - Hooded - Hooding the Club
Hook
Hosel
Hosel Rocket

I
Inside the Leather
Interlocking Grip
Invitational
Irish Four Ball

K
Kickpoint
Knockdown Shot
KP

L
Ladder Tournament
Ladies Tees
Lag (Lag Putt)
Last Man Standing
Las Vegas
Las Vegas Scramble
Lateral Water Hazard
Launch Angle
Lay Up
Lie
Lie Angle
Links
Lob Shot
Loft (or Loft Angle)
Lone Ranger
Long Putter
Loop
Looping
Low Ball-High Ball

M
Make the Cut
Maltby Playability Factor
MAP
Mark the Ball / Marking the Ball
Marshal
Mashie
Mashie Iron
Mashie Niblick
Match Play
MDF
Medalist
Medal Play
Miami Scramble
Mid Mashie
Miss the Cut
Modified Pinehurst
Modified Stableford
Moment of Inertia
Monday Qualifying
MSRP
Mulligan
Mulligans (format)
Municipal Course
Muni
Murphy
Muscleback

N
Nassau
Nasties
Nearest Point of Relief
Net/Net Score
Niblick
Nicklauses
Nike Tour
Nine Points
Nines

O
Obstacle Stroke Value
Obstruction
Offset
One Club
One Person Captain's Choice
Open
Open Face
Out of Bounds
Overlapping Grip
Over Par
Overseeding

P
Par
Par 3 / Par-3 Hole
Par 4 / Par-4 Hole
Par 5 / Par-5 Hole
Parkland Course
Par Is Your Partner
Par 3 Course
Payne Stewart Award
Peoria System
Pin
Pinehurst (Pinehurst System)
Pin High
Pink Lady
Pin Placement
Pin Sheet
Pitch or Pitch Shot
Pitching Niblick
Pitch Mark
Play Club
Play Through
Poa
Pot(hole) Bunker
Powerball
PowerPlay Golf
Preferred Lies
Press (or Pressing the Bet)
Primary Rough
Private Course
Progressive Offset
Provisional Ball
Proxy (or Proxy Contest)
Public Course
Pull
Punch (Punch Shot)
Punched Greens
Push
Putt for Dough
Putting Cleek
Putting Green

Q
Q-School
Quadruple Bogey
Quota tournament

R
Rabbit
Range Ball
Ready Golf
Reciprocals
Redan / Redan Hole
Red Tees
Red, White and Blue Tournament
Resort Course
Reverse Scramble
Rough
Round
Round Robin
Rub of the Green

S
Sandbagger
Sandie (Sandy)
Scotch Foursomes
Scramble
Scratch Golfer
Selected Score
Semi-Private Course
Shamble
Shank
Shoot Out
Short Side
Shotgun Start
Signature Hole
Skins/Skins Game
Skirts
Skull (Skulled Shot)
Slice
Slope Rating
Small Ball
Smash Factor
Snowman
Snake
Spade Mashie
Splashies
Split Sixes
Split Tees
Sponsor Exemptions
Spoon
Stableford
Stadium Course
Step Aside Scramble
Stimp
Stimpmeter
String It Out
Stroke
Stroke Play
Stymie
Swat Tournament
Swingweight
System 36

T
Tee
Tee Box
Teeing Ground
Tee Time
Texas Scramble
Tee Shot
Texas Wedge
Thin (or Thin Shot)
Three Ball
Three Club Monte
Three-Putt
Three-Putt Poker
Through the Green
Tight Lie
The Tips
Toe-Balanced Putter
Toe-Down Putter - see Toe-Balanced Putter
Toe Flow - see Toe Hang
Toe Hang
Toe-Weighted Putter - see Toe-Balanced Putter
Tombstone
Topdressing
Torque
TPC
Track
Triple Bogey
Two-Man No Scotch

U
Uglies
Umbrella (or Umbrella Game)
Up and Down

V
Vardon Grip
Vardon Overlap

W
Waste Area
Waste Bunker
Water Hazard
Weekend Hacker
Whack and Hack
Whiff
White Tees
Winter Rules
Wolf
Wormburner

X
X-Out

Y
Yardage Book
Yellow Ball
Yips