Copy of `Golf Europe - Golfing terms`

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Golf Europe - Golfing terms Category: Sport and Leisure > Golf Date & country: 27/04/2011, EU Words: 422

Acceptable Score
A score made over an 18 hole round which is used to calculate or adjust a players handicap.

Ace
A hole in one.

Action
Backspin on ball.

Active Season
The golfing season in which a player's scores can be used to adjust their handicap.

Address
When a golfer takes his stance and lined up the club to make a stroke.

Adjusted Gross Score
Competition scratch used to recalculate handicap. AGS is based on scores recorded by all players in the competition.

Advice
Instruction on how a ball should be played. Only partners and caddies may be consulted without penalty.

Air Shot
Missing the ball during a swing.

Albatross
Three strokes under par for a given hole.

Amateur
Opposite of professional, one who does not receive monetary remuneration from the game.

Approach
Hitting the ball at the green.

Apron
The short fringe surrounding the green which isolates it from the fairway.

Attend the flag
To hold and remove the flagstick from the hole as an opponent putts.

Authorised
One that is recognised by the R&A.

Away
The away ball is that which is furthest from the hole when more than one golfer is playing. It usually is played first.

Back Door
When a ball is holed by going around the lip of the cup and dropping in from the back end.

Back Nine
The last nine holes of an 18 hole course.

Back Side
The last 8 holes of an 18 hole course.

Backspin
Reverse spin applied to the ball and prevents it from bouncing forward after landing; same as Bite.

Backswing
When the golfer takes the club away from the addressed ball, continues until the club is moved back towards to ball.

Baffy
Another name for a 4 wood.

Ball
Golf Balls, go to A History of the Golf Ball.

Ball in Play
The ball is on play once the player starts his downswing on the teeing area. It continues to be so until holed out, lost, out of bounds or lifted.

Ball Mark
The mark left by the ball when it pitches on the fairway or green.

Ball Marker
Any small object used to mark a ball's position on the green prior to it being picked up.

Ball Retriever
An extendable device used to retrieve balls mainly from the water and other inaccessible areas.

Ball Roundness Gauge
An instrument used to measure how spherical a ball is.

Ball Washer
An instrument used to clean golf balls.

Banana Ball
Slicing the ball such that it curves off to the side in a banana shaped trajectory.

Barkie
When the ball hits any part of a tree and the golfer still completes the hole with a par.

Beach
A sand bunker.

Bermuda
Species of coarse grass used in hot climates.

Best Ball
A competition where two or more players form a team. The best net score per team on each hole is recorded on the scorecard.

Best Shot
A team competition where each member of the team plays a shot, the best placed ball is then chosen and all other players of the same team play their next shot from that position.

Birdie
One under par for the hole.

Bite
Reverse spin applied to the ball and prevents it from bouncing forward after landing; same as Backspin.

Blade
When the upper part of the ball is struck by the edge of the club face causing it to hug the ground in flight.

Blade Shot
To strike the ball above it's centre causing it to skip and bounce along the ground rather than rise through the air.

Blast
The material carried with the ball when it is hit out of a sand bunker.

Blind Hole
When the golfer cannot see the green when having to play an approach shot.

Block Shot
When a player strikes the ball late in their swing (usually caused by turning to quickly during the swing). The ball travels outside of the target.

Bogey
One over par for the hole.

Bogey Golfer
A player who has a handicap is the about the same as the number holes on a course (18 to 22).

Brassie
Another name for a 2 wood.

Break
The path a putt must follow over a contour in the green in order to go in the hole.

Buggy
Powered cart used to transport golfer and equipment around the course.

Bunker
A hazard filled by sand or grass that is placed where a fairway shot may end (by a green or driving distance from the tee). You are not allowed to practice swing or ground your club in a bunker.

Caddie
A person who carries a players clubs. Assists a player on deciding distances and club selection. Helps player when deciding on the line of a putt.

Carry
The distance that the ball travels in the air after being struck.

Cart
Powered buggy used to transport golfer and equipment around the course.

Cart Fee
Buggy hire fee changed for use on the course.

Cart Path
Designated carriageways for carts.

Casual Water
Water on the course that is not a water hazard (such puddles after rain). Relief maybe taken when in casual water or if having to play over when on the green.

Cavity Backed
Design of irons with hollowed out back which assists Perimiter Weighting and thus good for beginners.

Championship
Tournaments regulated by a golfing authority recognised by the R&A.

Chili Dip
When the top of the ball is struck by the bottom of the club, causing it to jump straight up and plonk back down.

Chip
Hitting the ball into the air with enough flight to land on the green and roll across the green towards the hole.

Chip and Run
A shot played like a chip over a greater distance.

Chip Shot
A chip with the application of some spin.

Chipping Iron
An iron used to chip the ball onto the green.

Choke
When a golfer looses his nerve and therefore plays an important or hard shot badly.

Chunk
When the club strikes the ground well behind the ball.

Cleek
Another name for a 2 iron.

Closed Face
Turning the club face slightly inward in order to hook the ball or prevent a slice.

Closed Stance
Leading foot is nearer to the ball at address. Position normally adopted in order to hook the ball or prevent a slice.

Club
Used as a shorten name for a golf course or the equipment used to strike a ball. Golf Club, refer to the Rules for full specifications and restrictions.

Club Face
That part of the club head which comes into direct contact with the ball.

Club Head
The end of the club that includes the club face.

Club Loft
The angle of the club face - affects the flight and distance of the ball when struck.

Clubhouse
A golf club's administration, recreational and facilities building.

Collar
The edge around a green or bunker.

Committee
Elected management of a golf club.

Competition Scratch Score
The number shots used to recalculate handicap after a competition. The range is one below or three above the Standard Scratch. The CSS is calculated by using all the scores recorded in the competition.

Compression
The softness (Usually 90 compression) of a golf ball. Harder balls (100 compression) are normally used in windy conditions.

Consecutive Nine-Hole Scores
To combine the score of two nine holes rounds played consecutively within seven days to arrive at a score suitable for handicap adjustment.

Course
A golf course, made up of usually 9 or 18 holes, please refer to the rules for full definition and restrictions.

Course Handicap
A handicap awarded a player based the courses SSS or CSS when playing in a competition.

Course Handicap Conversion Chart
The stroke index of each hole on the course.

Course Handicap Table
The CSS used to recalculate your handicap.

Course Rating
Used by organisations to rate the degree of difficulty of a course.

Cup
The hole in the green into which the ball is eventually putted.

Cut
When a tournament's field is reduced after each qualifying round. Striking the ball causing it to move from inside to out of your stance.

Cut Shot
To put a backspin onto the ball when striking it onto the green causing to stop quicker on impact.

Deuce
To hole out in two strokes.

Dimple
The indentations on the surface of a golf ball which affects it's flight characteristics.

Divot
A piece of turf lifted when ball is struck - typically on fairway, played to create backspin.

Divot Fixer
Instrument to repair ball pitch marks made on the green where the ball landed.

Dogleg
A hole where the fairway hooks to the left or right thus obscuring the green from the tee.

Dormie
Term given to describe the situation when a team cannot lose a match against the competition as the number holes remaining is the same as the current lead.

Double Bogey
Two shots over the hole par.

Double D
When a driver is used on the fairway after being used for the tee shot.

Double Eagle
Three shots under the hole par; also known as albatross.

Down
Number of stokes or holes you are behind your opponent.

Downhill Lie
When the ball rests on a hill that goes down towards where you intend to strike the ball.

Downswing
The down-stroke part of a golfer's swing.

Draw
To induce topspin onto the ball causing in to move from outside to in on your swing. Opposite is Fade.

Drive
A shot from the tee area.

Driver
A 1-Wood Club normally used for the Tee shot.

Driving Iron
A 1 or 2 iron which gives distance rather than height.

Driving Range
An area set aside for practice.