There are A LOT of golf terms. Some – like an ace – are pretty intuitive. But bite, snowman, eagle? These terms can leave you scratching your head.
So today we’ve compiled a list of common golf vocabulary to help you learn the language. And if you’re a seasoned golfer take a look and see, how many golf terms do you really know?
Before You Swing
These are the words you’ll hear before you even hit your first shot, from setup to etiquette.
Tee Box: The starting area for each hole is defined by the tee markers and two club-lengths deep. In stroke play, hitting from outside this area is a two-stroke penalty and you must correct by playing from inside the teeing area. In match play, the opponent may cancel the stroke and require a replay.
Fore: A warning shout when a ball might hit or come close to other players. Always yell “fore” if there’s even the slightest chance your shot might endanger someone else.
Caddie: A person hired to carry your golf clubs and provide advice throughout a round. A forecaddie walks ahead to spot shots and assist the group but does not carry clubs. They can help locate balls, but remember—a provisional ball must be declared before you go forward and doesn’t depend on a forecaddie.
Waggle: A small motion golfers make before hitting to help relax, often involving one to three club waggles.
Alignment: How your feet, hips, shoulders, and clubface are aimed relative to the target.
Off the Tee
Terms that describe what happens when you put the ball in play with your driver or other long clubs.
Slice: A shot that curves from left to right in the air for a right-handed golfer. Excessive sidespin causes shorter distance; a milder version is called a cut or pull-cut.
Hook: A shot that curves from right to left in the air for a right-handed golfer. A severe version is called a duck-hook, while a gentler one is a draw or push-draw.
Cut (Shot): A gentle left-to-right curve for a right-handed player, softer than a full slice.
Fairway: The short-mown area between the tee box and green where you ideally want your tee shot to land. Consistently hitting fairways often lowers scores.
Rough: Longer grass surrounding the fairway and green, making shots more difficult. Rough length varies by course and may include intermediate and deep roughs.
Carry: The distance a ball flies through the air before landing. Carry is key when clearing hazards like bunkers or water.
Dogleg: A hole that bends left or right between the tee and green. Sharp doglegs can block the view of the green or punish straight drives.
Approaches & Short Game
These shots cover the middle of the hole and the delicate plays around the green.
Flop Shot: A high, soft shot that lands gently on the green. Usually hit with a lob or sand wedge, it’s often associated with Phil Mickelson.
Short-Sided: A tough position where your ball misses the green on the same side as the pin, leaving little room for a chip or pitch.
Fringe: The slightly higher-cut grass surrounding the green. Though not counted as a green in regulation, golfers often putt from the fringe.
Bump-and-Run: A low chip that rolls most of the way to the hole.
Knockdown: A shot intentionally kept low to control distance or play in the wind.
Lay Up: Playing short of a hazard or the green to a safe yardage, often on par-5s.
Flyer: A shot from the rough that goes farther than expected because grass reduces spin.
Texas Wedge: Using a putter from off the green instead of chipping.
Putt: A stroke made with a putter on the green. Fewer putts per round usually mean lower scores.
Bunkers & Trouble
When your ball finds sand or ends up in a tough spot, these are the words golfers use.
Bunker: A sand-filled hazard found near greens (greenside) or along fairways. Some golfers also call it a sand trap.
Fried Egg: A ball buried in sand so it looks like a fried egg, with only the top visible. These shots require extra touch to escape.
Chunk (Fat): A mis-hit where the club strikes the ground before the ball, causing a large divot and a short shot.
Thin (Skinny): A mis-hit where the club strikes the lower part of the ball, sending it too far with little loft.
Divot: The piece of turf displaced when a club strikes the ground during a swing. A well-struck iron shot usually creates a forward divot, while fat shots make deep ones before the ball.
Topped Shot: A mis-hit where the bottom of the club strikes the top half of the ball, producing a low shot that travels only a short distance.
Shank: A mis-hit where the ball strikes the hosel (heel) of the club, shooting sharply sideways. Often called “The S Word.”
Unplayable: A rule option when you find your ball but cannot hit it (for example, stuck in a bush). You may declare it unplayable and take relief with a one-stroke penalty.
Ground Under Repair (GUR): A marked area under maintenance. Players get free relief and must drop outside the marked zone.
On the Green
These terms cover what happens once you’re putting and trying to finish the hole.
Green: The closely mown area containing the hole and flag. Hitting greens in regulation usually leads to better scores.
GIR (Green in Regulation): Reaching the green with a chance for birdie—on a par-4, this means hitting the green in two shots.
Lip Out: A putt that rolls toward the hole but rims out instead of dropping. A near-miss also called a “burnt edge.”
Lag Putt: A long putt played to finish close to the hole, not necessarily to go in.
Gimme Putt: A short putt that players may choose not to strike. In casual play, a gimme is simply agreed upon. Under the Rules of Golf, only in match play can an opponent officially concede a next stroke.
Yips: A condition where nerves or muscle spasms cause jerky strokes, often ruining short putts.
Aimpoint: A green-reading method where golfers use their feet to feel slope and assign aim points for putts.
Grain: The direction grass grows on a green, especially Bermuda, which affects how putts break.
Stimpmeter: A tool that measures the speed of greens.
Scoring & Handicaps
Here’s the language of keeping score, from under par to dreaded snowmen.
Par: The expected number of strokes a skilled golfer should take to complete a hole. Courses are usually par-70 to par-72 overall.
Birdie: A score of one stroke under par on a hole. Example: scoring 3 on a par-4.
Eagle: A score of two strokes under par on a hole. Example: scoring 3 on a par-5.
Albatross (Double Eagle): A score of three strokes under par on a hole, such as 2 on a par-5. Extremely rare.
Condor: A score of four strokes under par on a hole, such as a hole-in-one on a par-5. Nearly impossible.
Ace (Hole-in-One): Holing out a tee shot in a single stroke, usually on a par-3.
Bogey: A score of one stroke over par on a hole.
Double Bogey: A score of two strokes over par on a hole.
Triple Bogey (Trip): A score of three strokes over par on a hole.
Snowman: A slang term for scoring an 8 on a hole, because the number looks like a snowman.
Scratch Golfer: A golfer with a handicap of zero who typically shoots at or below par.
Handicap: A golfer’s Handicap Index under the World Handicap System (WHS) is a calculated measure of potential ability, not simply an average of strokes over par.
Slope Rating: A number that shows how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. Ranges from 55–155, with 113 as the standard.
Up-and-Down: Saving par by chipping or pitching onto the green and holing the following putt.
Sand Save: Getting the ball out of a bunker and holing the next putt—saving par from the sand.
Formats & Phrases
Golf has its own formats, slang, and sayings that come up in casual rounds and tournaments alike.
Scramble (Format): A team format where all players hit, then play the best shot until the hole is completed. Popular in charity and casual tournaments.
Scrambling (Stat/Skill): Saving par after missing the green in regulation, usually with a chip and a putt.
Ready Golf: A pace-of-play method where the player who is ready hits first, instead of waiting for the golfer farthest from the hole.
Mulligan: A casual “do-over” where a golfer re-hits a shot without penalty. Mulligans are not allowed in tournament play.
All Square: A match-play term meaning the match is tied.
Press: In golf betting, to start an additional wager—often when a player or team is behind.
Shotgun Start: A tournament format where all groups start at the same time on different holes.
Links: A traditional coastal course built on sandy dunes with firm, windy conditions, few trees, and natural bunkers. Links does not simply mean “golf” or “European course.”
Executive Course: A shorter course with many par-3s, often totaling par 60–65 instead of the usual 70–72.
Green Fee: The price a golfer pays to play a round of golf. Rates vary by course, number of holes, and time of day.
FAQ: Golf Terms, History & More
Do you have a favorite golf term we missed? Leave a comment and keep us up-to-date on the latest golf lingo.
Scott W
1 year ago
“Thompson,” as in, “You got a Thompson!” When a wayward shot (usually off of the T) hits a tree down the fairway and ricochets into the fairway resulting in a reasonably good lie for the second shot, rather than the disastrous lie the ball was aiming for.