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 the 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.

Authorized

One that is recognized 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 going around the lip of the cup and dropping in from the back end holes a ball.

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.

Back swing

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

Baffy

A 4 wood.

Ball

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

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 clubface causing it to hug the ground in flight.

Blade Shot

To strike the ball above it's center 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.

Championship

Tournaments regulated by a golfing authority recognized by the R&A.

Cavity Backed

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

Chili Dip

When the bottom of the club, causing it to jump straight up and plonk back down, strikes the top of the ball.

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 clubface 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 clubface.

Club Loft

The angle of the clubface - 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 refers 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 organizations 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.

Drop

Bringing the ball back into play after striking the last shot out of bounds or into a water hazard etc. The ball is released from an outstretched arm held at shoulder height.

Duck Hook

To induce too much topspin onto the ball causing in to move from outside to in on your swing. Normally caused by turning your body to quickly through your swing.

Dunk

When a ball lands in a water hazard.

Eagle

To score two under par for a hole.

Equitable Stroke Control Method

Stroke index of a hole on a course. Used in Stable ford and match play competitions.

Etiquette

A set of guidelines to promote proper behavior on the course.

Exact Handicap

A player’s handicap measured to the nearest 10th.

Executive Course

A golf course with mainly par 3 and comparatively short par 4 holes.

Explode

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

Face

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

Fade

To induce backspin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing. Opposite is Draw.

Fairway

The playing area between the tee and the green does not include hazards.

Fairway Hit

Landing and stopping the ball on the fairway from the tee on holes greater than par 3.

Fat Shot

When the club strikes the ground well behind the ball.

Feathery

Early golf balls with a core of compressed feathers inside a leather outer.

Field

The players in a tournament.

Flag Events

A player carries their flag until their net score has fallen behind the course using the hole stroke indexes.

Flagstick

The pole in the center of the green with a flag attached.

Flange

The base of a club, the part that rests on the ground.

Flex

The degree that a club's shaft bends upon impact with the ball.

Flex Point

That part of a club's shaft, which bends the most.

Flier

When a ball travels further than expected when using a given club, sometimes happens when playing from the rough or off a slope.

Flight

A ball is in flight when traveling through the air.

Follow-Through

That part of a golfer's swing after the ball has been struck.

Fore