Copy of `Golf Europe - Golfing terms`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

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

Rules of Golf
As published by the R&A.

Run
The distance that the ball continues to travel after it's initial impact with the ground.

Running iron
An iron used to make short shots which roll.

Run-up
To hit the ball along or close to the ground toward and onto the green.

Sand Trap
A sand bunker.

Sand Wedge
An iron club designed to lift balls out of sand hazards.

Sandy
When a golfer still makes their par after escaping from a sand hazard.

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

Scoop
To scoop the ball into the air rather than loft it.

Scorecard
The card on which a golfer records his score during play.

Scotch foursome
Where players play in teams of two taking alternate shots. Each hole is started alternatively as well.

Scramble
Team competition where players play from the position of the best ball of a team member after every stroke or drive.

Scratch
A player without handicap meaning that he can complete the course on par.

Scratch Player
A golfer who does not require a handicap, such as a professional.

Second Ball
Situation in which a player is obliged to play with two balls because of a question over the legality of the first ball which cannot be settled by a referee or other members of the group. The player's score is that for whichever ball is deemed legal at a post match adjudication.

Selective Perimeter Weighting
Equal weight over the toe and heel of the club head.

Semi-Private Course
A club with members but also allows non-members to pay and play.

Set
The number of golf clubs carried (maximum is 14).

Shaft
That part of the club between the head and the grip.

Shag Bag
A bag used to store balls whilst practising.

Shagging
To collect balls from a practice area.

Shank
To strike the ball with the part of the club head where the heel is joined to the shaft.

Short Game
Chipping, Pitching and Putting.

Shot
An attempt to hit the ball.

Shotgun Start
Tournament in which the field start from different holes at the same time rather than queuing up at the first tee.

Sidehill lie
When the ball comes to rest on a slope.

Single
An unaccompanied golfer.

Sink a putt
To hit the ball into the hole.

Sit
Expression aimed at the ball to encourage it to stop rolling.

Sit Down
A term which the golfer says to the ball to encourage it to land or stop rolling.

Skull
Hitting the ball above it's centre, thus making it fly very low to the ground.

Sky
When the club head only just strikes the very bottom of the ball causing it to fly straight up into the area. Normally happens when the ball is on a tee or in the rough.

Slice
To induce too much backspin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing. Opposite is Hook.

Smile
Colloquialism for a lacerated golf ball; a cut in the ball is normally caused by a thinned shot.

Snake
A long putt which travels over the undulations of the green.

Snap Hook
To severely hook the ball.

Snipe
To hook the ball such that it drops quickly.

Sole
The underside of the club head.

Sole plate
The metal underside of a wood's club head.

Speed of Play
The time it takes to play an 18 hole ground.

Spike Mark
A tuft of grass caused by spiked shoes.

Spike Wrench
Instrument used to remove spikes from golf shoes.

Spoon
Another name for a 3 wood.

Square stance
When your left and right feet are level and at right angles to the ball when you take your stance.

Stableford
Point scoring competition. One point for a bogey, two points for a par, three for a birdie, four for an eagle and five for an albatross.

Stance
To place your feet in preparation for a swing .

Standard Scratch Score
The score a scratch golfer should get when playing a course in normal conditions.

Starter
An official who determines where and when golfers tee off.

Stick
The pole in the centre of the green with a flag attached.

StimpMeter
An instrument used to measure the speed of a green by applying a known force to the ball and measuring the distance travelled.

Stipulated Round
To play the number of holes of the course determined by the committee during competition.

Stony
When a ball comes to rest near the flagstick.

Straight Flight
A ball travelling in a straight line during flight.

Stroke
An attempt to hit the ball. The stroke starts on a players downswing.

Stroke Counters
Gadget to keep track of strokes.

Stroke Hole
A hole where in match play an opponent receives a shot. It is determined by the stroke index of the hole.

Stroke Play
Where the winner of a match or competition is the player who used the least number of strokes (after handicap deduction) to complete the course.

Stymie
When an object such as a tree lies between a player's ball and the green.

Sudden Death
Where additional holes are played after a tie. The winner is the first player to win a hole outright.

Summer Rules
The normal local rules of the course apply (i.e. allowances made for the winter weather are removed).

Surlyn
Tear resistant plastic outer of modern golf balls (by DuPont Corp).

Swale
A depression in the terrain.

Sweet Spot
The preferred spot on the club face with which to strike the ball.

Swing
The action of hitting the ball.

Swing weight
A measure of a club's weight.

Takeaway
When the clubhead is moved back from the ball at the start of a swing.

Tee
A small peg stuck into the ground on which a golf ball is placed. Also area where golfers play first stroke of any given hole.

Tee Marker
Boundary on the tee behind which a drive must be made. The ball must be placed onto the tee within two club lengths of the tee marker.

Tee Time
Scheduled start time.

Teeing ground
Area from which players start each hole.

Tempo
The speed of a golfer's swing.

Temporary green
A green used when the normal green is under repair or when the club wish to preserve the permanent green.

Tending the Flag
To hold the flagstick such that a player may aim for it and then remove it as the balls approaches.

Texas wedge
Name given to putter when used anywhere other than the green.

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

Thread
To coax the ball through a tight gap.

Three ball
A group of three golfers playing their own ball.

Three Jack
To three putt a green.

Threesome
A group of three golfers.

Through the Green
Any part of the course which is not 'out of bounds' except the tees, greens and hazards.

Tiger tee
The tees used in a pro competition.

Tight fairway
A Fairway (the cut grass area between tee and green) that is only a few yards across.

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

Toe
That part of the club head at the opposite end to the heel.

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

Torque
How far a shaft twists during a swing.

Tour
A series of tournaments over a season.

Tournament
An organised competition for both amateurs and professionals.

Tournament Score
Your gross score for each round added together.

Track iron
Old fashioned club with metal head used to lift balls from tracks and carriageways.

Trap
Sand or grass hazard.

Trolley
A two wheeled device used to aid the carrying of a golf bag around the course.

Trouble shot
Having to play a ball that is in deep rough, behind on object (such as a bush or tree) or from a bad lie.

Turn
The midway point on a golf course, the end of the 9th hole.

Two Piece Ball
A ball made from a core of rubber, metal or other wrapped in strands of rubber encased in a surlyn or balata shell.

Twosome
A group of two golfers.

Unacceptable Score
Situation in which a golfer's score cannot be used for handicap adjustment for various reasons.

Under Clubbing
Hitting the ball short of the target aimed at.

Under Par
Taking less shots than par on a given hole or for the whole round.

Unplayable lie
When ball ends up in a position from which it cannot be played, for example a bush