Activities Sports & Athletics Golf Glossary Advanced and Basic Golf Terms and their Meanings Share PINTEREST Email Print David Cannon/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images Sports & Athletics Golf Basics History Gear Golf Courses Famous Golfers Golf Tournaments Baseball Basketball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Cricket Extreme Sports Football Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Brent Kelley Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. our editorial process Brent Kelley Updated May 24, 2019 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 TermsThis 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 GamesDo 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 TermsOn this page you'll find terms related to golf courses - features of courses (architectural terms), definitions related to golf course setup and maintenance. Golf SlangThis 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 Ball2-Man No Scotch2-Man Scramble2-Person Best Ball3-Putt4BBB4-Man Cha Cha Cha40 Balls90-Degree Rule AAbnormal Ground ConditionsAceAces and DeucesAddressAdjusted Gross ScoreAdviceAerationAir ShotAlbatrossAlfred S. Bourne TrophyAlignmentAll SquareAlternate GreensAlternate ShotAm-AmAmbrose CompetitionAmerican BallAmen CornerAppearance FeesApproachApproach WedgeApronArizona ShuffleArmy GolfArnold Palmer AwardAwayA-Wedge BBack Door (back door putt)Back NineBack SideBackspinBack TeesBaffieBag RaidBalataBall in PlayBall MarkBall MarkerBall RetrieverBall StrikerBallstrikingBall WasherBanana BallBarrancaBelly PutterBen Hogan TourBentgrassBest At SomethingBest BallBetter BallBiarritzBig DogBingo Bango BongoBirdieBisqueBisque ParBisque StrokeBiteBladesBlind BogeyBlind NineBlue TeesBogeyBogey GolferBogey RatingBorrowBounceBowmakerBramble (format)BrassieBreakBridgeBritish Ball (British Open Ball)Broomstick PutterBuggyBump and RunBunkerBuy.com TourBuzzardByron Nelson Award CCabbageCablinasianCaddieCalcuttaCallaway SystemCamberCanadian FoursomesCape HoleCaptain's ChoiceCaptain's PickCarryCart JockeyCart PathCart Path OnlyCasual WaterCavity BackCenter of GravityCenter shaftedChampionship CourseChampionship TeesChapman SystemCharacteristic TimeChicagoChicken StickChili DipChip or Chip ShotChokeChoker TournamentChunkChurch Pews bunkerClaret JugCleekClosed FaceClosest to the PinClubClubfaceClubheadClubhead SpeedClubhouseC.O.D.Coefficient of RestitutionCollarCommitteeCompressionConceded PuttConcessionCondorCool-Season GrassesCoringCountry ClubCourse FurnitureCourse HandicapCourse RatingCriers and WhinersCriss CrossCross BunkerCrownCTCutCut LineCut ShotCut Throat DDaily Fee CourseDefenderDemo DayDerbyDesert CourseDevil BallDew SweeperDimple PatternDimplesDivotDivot ToolDoglegDog TrackDormieDots (or dot game)Double BogeyDouble EagleDouble GreenDrawDriverDuffer EEagleEclecticEquitable Stroke ControlEven/Even ParExecutive Course FFace AngleFace-Balanced PutterFadeFairwayFalse FrontFat (or Fat Shot)FerruleFescueFirst CutFishiesFlags (or Flags Competition)FlagstickFlatstickFlexFlyer/Flyer LieFlightFlop ShotFlorida ScrambleFoot WedgeForced CarryForeForecaddieForgivenessForgivingFour BallFourball AllianceFour-Man Cha Cha ChaFoursomesFrequency MatchingFringeFront Nine GGHINGap wedgeGarbageGimmieGentlemen Only, Ladies ForbiddenGoat TrackGolf BuggyGolf TeeGorseGreenGreen FeeGreen Grass (or Green Grass Shop)Green in Regulation (GIR)GreensomesGross (Gross Score)Ground Under Repair HHackerHalve or HalvedHammer (or Hammers)HandicapHandicap DifferentialHandicap IndexHanging LieHate EmHazardHeathland CourseHogan's AlleyHogies (Hogans)HoleHoledHole in OneHole-in-One ContestHole OutHonors (order of play)Honors (betting game)Hood - Hooded - Hooding the ClubHookHoselHosel Rocket IInside the LeatherInterlocking GripInvitationalIrish Four Ball KKickpointKnockdown ShotKP LLadder TournamentLadies TeesLag (Lag Putt)Last Man StandingLas VegasLas Vegas ScrambleLateral Water HazardLaunch AngleLay UpLieLie AngleLinksLob ShotLoft (or Loft Angle)Lone RangerLong PutterLoopLoopingLow Ball-High Ball MMake the CutMaltby Playability FactorMAPMark the Ball / Marking the BallMarshalMashieMashie IronMashie NiblickMatch PlayMDFMedalistMedal PlayMiami ScrambleMid MashieMiss the CutModified PinehurstModified StablefordMoment of InertiaMonday QualifyingMSRPMulliganMulligans (format)Municipal CourseMuniMurphyMuscleback NNassauNastiesNearest Point of ReliefNet/Net ScoreNiblickNicklausesNike TourNine PointsNines OObstacle Stroke ValueObstructionOffsetOne ClubOne Person Captain's ChoiceOpenOpen FaceOut of BoundsOverlapping GripOver ParOverseeding PParPar 3 / Par-3 HolePar 4 / Par-4 HolePar 5 / Par-5 HoleParkland CoursePar Is Your PartnerPar 3 CoursePayne Stewart AwardPeoria SystemPinPinehurst (Pinehurst System)Pin HighPink LadyPin PlacementPin SheetPitch or Pitch ShotPitching NiblickPitch MarkPlay ClubPlay ThroughPoaPot(hole) BunkerPowerballPowerPlay GolfPreferred LiesPress (or Pressing the Bet)Primary RoughPrivate CourseProgressive OffsetProvisional BallProxy (or Proxy Contest)Public CoursePullPunch (Punch Shot)Punched GreensPushPutt for DoughPutting CleekPutting Green QQ-SchoolQuadruple BogeyQuota tournament RRabbitRange BallReady GolfReciprocalsRedan / Redan HoleRed TeesRed, White and Blue TournamentResort CourseReverse ScrambleRoughRoundRound RobinRub of the Green SSandbaggerSandie (Sandy)Scotch FoursomesScrambleScratch GolferSelected ScoreSemi-Private CourseShambleShankShoot OutShort SideShotgun StartSignature HoleSkins/Skins GameSkirtsSkull (Skulled Shot)SliceSlope RatingSmall BallSmash FactorSnowmanSnakeSpade MashieSplashiesSplit SixesSplit TeesSponsor ExemptionsSpoonStablefordStadium CourseStep Aside ScrambleStimpStimpmeterString It OutStrokeStroke PlayStymieSwat TournamentSwingweightSystem 36 TTeeTee BoxTeeing GroundTee TimeTexas ScrambleTee ShotTexas WedgeThin (or Thin Shot)Three BallThree Club MonteThree-PuttThree-Putt PokerThrough the GreenTight LieThe TipsToe-Balanced PutterToe-Down Putter - see Toe-Balanced PutterToe Flow - see Toe HangToe HangToe-Weighted Putter - see Toe-Balanced PutterTombstoneTopdressingTorqueTPCTrackTriple BogeyTwo-Man No Scotch UUgliesUmbrella (or Umbrella Game)Up and Down VVardon GripVardon Overlap WWaste AreaWaste BunkerWater HazardWeekend HackerWhack and HackWhiffWhite TeesWinter RulesWolfWormburner XX-Out YYardage BookYellow BallYips