49 golf terms explained, from birdie, bogey and eagle to mulligan, shank, the turn and yips, each with a one-line definition.
Few sports load as much meaning into single words as golf does. A round throws golf terminology at you from the first tee onward, and much of it is scoring shorthand, some of it is equipment, and a fair share is pure clubhouse slang. The words related to golf below cover all three, and the words associated with golf that only surface after a bad hole are here too. The golf glossary at the end is the quick reference version.
Must-Know Golf Terms, Phrases and Slang:
- Albatross
- Birdie
- Bogey
- Chip
- Divot
- Eagle
- Fairway
- Green
- Hazard
- Hole-in-one
- Iron
- Links
- Mulligan
- Par
- Putt
- Rough
- Slice
- Tee
- Wedge
- Backswing
- Fore
- Hook
- Match play
- Out of bounds
- Sand trap
- Stance
- Stroke play
- Sweet spot
- The turn
- Up and down
Golf Glossary: Every Term A to Z
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Albatross | Three strokes under par on a hole. Rarer than a hole-in-one and usually the result of holing out from the fairway on a par 5. |
| Approach shot | The shot played toward the green from the fairway or rough, the one that decides whether you are putting for birdie or scrambling for par. |
| Backswing | The first half of the swing, taking the club back and up away from the ball. Everything that follows depends on it. |
| Birdie | One stroke under par on a hole. |
| Bogey | One stroke over par on a hole. |
| Bunker | A hollow filled with sand, placed to catch loose shots. The same thing as a sand trap, and the word professionals actually use. |
| Caddie | The person who carries the bag, reads greens and advises on club selection. In casual rounds anyone riding along without playing is just a passenger. |
| Chip | A short shot played to carry a little way through the air and then run out to the hole, usually with a lofted club. |
| Condor | Four strokes under par on a hole. Almost unheard of, and only realistic on a short, sharply doglegged par 5. |
| Divot | The strip of turf lifted by the clubhead at impact. Replacing or filling it is basic course etiquette. |
| Dogleg | A hole that bends left or right partway down, so the tee shot has to be shaped or laid up short of the corner. |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par on a hole. |
| Driver | The longest club in the bag, the lowest lofted, built for distance off the tee. |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par on a hole, usually reaching a par 5 in two and holing the putt. |
| Fairway | The closely mown corridor between tee and green. Landing here leaves a clean lie and a predictable next shot. |
| Fore | The shout that warns anyone in the path of a struck ball. It is the one word every golfer is obliged to know. |
| Gimme | A putt short enough that playing partners concede it without making you hole out. It has no standing under the official rules. |
| Green | The area of very short grass around the hole, where putting happens. Subtle slopes make reading it a skill in itself. |
| Green in regulation (GIR) | Reaching the putting surface with at least two strokes left to reach par: one shot on a par 3, two on a par 4, three on a par 5. |
| Handicap | A number reflecting a player's standard, used to adjust scores so golfers of different abilities can compete on level terms. |
| Hazard | Any area built or left to punish a stray shot, from bunkers to water to thick vegetation. |
| Hole-in-one | Holing the tee shot in a single stroke, also called an ace. |
| Hook | A shot that curves hard right to left for a right-handed player, typically from a closed clubface at impact. |
| In good nick | British course talk meaning the layout is in fine condition, greens running true and fairways well kept. |
| Iron | A club with a flat, angled face and a shorter shaft. Low numbers go farther, high numbers go higher and shorter. |
| Lie | How the ball is sitting on the ground. A good lie sits up on grass, a bad one sits down in rough, sand or a divot. |
| Links | Originally a coastal Scottish course on sandy ground, treeless and windswept. The word now gets used loosely for any course. |
| Match play | A format scored hole by hole. Whoever wins more holes wins the match, and the match ends once the lead cannot be caught. |
| Mulligan | A casual do-over on a bad shot, agreed among friends. Not permitted under the rules of golf. |
| Out of bounds | Beyond the marked boundary of the course. The stroke counts, a penalty is added, and the shot has to be played again. |
| Par | The number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to need for a hole or a full round. |
| Pin | The flagstick standing in the hole. Shooting at the pin means aiming straight at it rather than at the safe middle of the green. |
| Putt | A stroke rolled along the green toward the hole, hit softly and aimed precisely. |
| Rough | The longer grass bordering the fairway, left unmown to punish inaccuracy and make the next shot harder to control. |
| Sand trap | The everyday American name for a bunker, the sand-filled hollow guarding greens and fairways. |
| Scramble | A team format where everyone tees off, the best ball is chosen, and all players hit again from that spot. |
| Shank | A shot struck off the hosel instead of the face, firing almost sideways. The most feared miss in the game. |
| Slice | A shot that curves hard left to right for a right-handed player, usually from an open clubface relative to the swing path. |
| Stance | How a golfer sets up to the ball: feet, hips and shoulders aligned to the target line, weight balanced. |
| Stiff it | To hit an approach shot so close to the hole that the putt is almost a formality. |
| Stroke play | The format that counts every stroke over a round or tournament. Fewest strokes wins. |
| Sweet spot | The point on the clubface that transfers energy most efficiently, giving the longest, straightest result. |
| Tee | Both the peg that lifts the ball off the ground and the marked area each hole is started from. |
| Tee time | The booked slot at which a group is due to start their round. |
| The turn | The halfway point of a round. After the front nine, players make the turn and head out on the back nine. |
| Up and down | Getting the ball from off the green into the hole in two strokes, a chip or pitch followed by a single putt. |
| Wedge | The highest lofted clubs in the bag, used for short approaches, bunker shots and anything that needs to stop quickly. |
| Whiff | Swinging and missing the ball completely. It still counts as a stroke. |
| Yips | A loss of control over short putts or chips, where the hands twitch through impact. More nerves than technique. |
#1 Albatross
A term that refers to three strokes under par on a single hole, an exceedingly rare and impressive feat in golf. It’s a dream score for any golfer, often achieved on a par 5 with a long and skilled second shot.
#2 Birdie
A score of one stroke under par for a hole, indicating a very good performance by the golfer on that particular hole. Making a birdie can provide a psychological edge and a boost on the leaderboard.
#3 Bogey
A score of one stroke over par for a hole, this term signifies a slight misstep in a golfer’s play, suggesting there’s room for improvement. Regularly shooting bogeys will have a golfer struggling to win a round.
#4 Chip
A short-range shot intended to travel through the air over a short distance and roll the rest of the way to the hole. Typically played with a higher-lofted club, the chip shot is crucial around the greens.
#5 Divot
The piece of turf that is displaced when the clubhead strikes the ground as the ball is hit. Good etiquette demands a golfer replace or fix their divots to maintain the course’s condition.
#6 Eagle
An eagle is a score of two strokes under par on any given hole. This is a highly desirable score, indicating exceptional skill in covering the hole in significantly fewer strokes than expected. For instance, achieving an eagle typically involves reaching the green in fewer shots than usual and then making a long putt.
#7 Fairway
The fairway is the well-maintained area between the tee box and the green where the grass is kept shorter than in the rough areas surrounding it. It’s the ideal landing area for drives off the tee because it provides a better and more predictable surface from which to hit subsequent shots.
#8 Green
The green is the area of finely-cut grass surrounding the hole where players aim to get the ball, and it is where the putting takes place. The grass on the green is cut very short to allow for smooth putting, and the terrain often includes subtle slopes to challenge players’ skills.
#9 Hazard
An area on a golf course that is designed to be a difficult obstacle for golfers, such as bunkers, water hazards, or dense vegetation. Golfers must navigate through or avoid hazards to maintain a good score.
#10 Hole-in-one
Also known as an “ace,” this term refers to the rare achievement of getting the golf ball into the hole with just a single stroke from the tee box. It is a dream accomplishment for many golfers.
#11 Iron
A type of golf club with a flat, angled face and a shorter shaft, designed for a variety of shots depending on the number on the iron. Lower-numbered irons are for longer shots, while higher numbers indicate shorter-distance clubs.
#12 Links
A term originally associated with coastal golf courses in Scotland, characterized by undulating terrain, natural hazards, and a lack of trees. It now generally refers to any golf course or to the sport itself.
#13 Mulligan
An informal do-over where a player is allowed to retake a poor shot, not counted in the official score. Mulligans are not allowed under official golf rules but are common in casual play.
#14 Par
The pre-established number of strokes that a skilled golfer is expected to require to complete a hole or an entire course. Each hole’s par is based on its length and difficulty.
#15 Putt
A putt is a type of golf stroke used on the green where the ball is typically hit softly and with precision to roll it into the hole. This stroke is crucial as it is usually the final shot aimed directly at getting the ball into the hole from a short distance.
#16 Rough
In golf, the “rough” refers to the areas of a golf course that border the fairways and are not as meticulously maintained. The grass in the rough is left longer and more natural than the finely mowed grass of the fairways and greens. The rough is designed to penalize inaccurate shots while adding strategic complexity to the game.
#17 Slice
A slice is a shot that curves dramatically from left to right for a right-handed golfer, often unintentionally. It happens due to sidespin when the clubface is open relative to the swing path at impact.
#18 Tee
The tee is both the act of starting a hole by hitting the ball from the designated tee area and the small peg used to elevate the ball above the ground for that initial shot. It sets the stage for each hole.
#19 Wedge
A wedge is a type of golf club designed for short distance shots, typically to get the ball onto the green, out of sand traps, or over hazards. Wedges have the highest lofts in a golfer’s bag.
#20 Backswing
The backswing is the initial part of the swing where the golfer lifts the club backward and upward away from the ball. A good backswing sets the foundation for a powerful and accurate shot.
#21 Fore
“Fore!” is shouted as a warning when it appears possible that a ball may hit other players or spectators. It’s a crucial etiquette term for safety on the golf course.
#22 Hook
A hook is a shot that curves sharply from right to left for a right-handed player, which is often the result of a closed clubface at impact. This mistake can lead to challenging situations on the course.
#23 Match play
Match play is a format of golf where players or teams compete to win individual holes. The score is determined by the number of holes won rather than the total number of strokes taken throughout the round. The game ends when one side leads by more holes than there are remaining to play.
#24 Out of Bounds
When a ball is hit outside the boundaries of the golf course, it is deemed “out of bounds,” resulting in a penalty. Players must play a new ball under penalty from where the original ball was played.
#25 Sand Trap
Also known as a bunker, a sand trap is a hollow area of the course filled with sand, usually positioned as an obstacle around the green or along the fairway. Shots from here require special technique.
#26 Stance
The stance refers to a golfer’s body position and footing before making a swing. A proper stance aligns the feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line and provides balance throughout the shot.
#27 Stroke Play
A common scoring format in golf, stroke play counts the total number of strokes taken across the entire round or tournament. The player with the fewest strokes at the end wins.
#28 Sweet Spot
The sweet spot is the optimal impact area on the clubface that creates the most efficient transfer of energy to the ball, resulting in longer and more accurate shots. Hitting this spot is a golfer’s goal.
#29 The Turn
“The turn” refers to the midway point in a round of golf after the front nine holes have been played. Golfers then “make the turn” to the back nine to complete the round.
#30 Up and Down
In golf, “up and down” refers to the situation where a player is able to hit the ball onto the green and then putt it into the hole in just two strokes, typically from off the green.
FAQ
What is the golf term for a well hit, straight, long drive?
Golfers usually call it a bomb, or say they striped it, piped it or flushed it. All four mean the same thing: the ball was struck out of the middle of the face and finished long and in the fairway.
What does “stiffed it” mean in golf?
It means the approach shot finished very close to the hole, leaving a putt that is almost impossible to miss.
What does it mean when a golf course is in good nick?
That the course is in good condition. It is British phrasing, used about greens running true, fairways well mown and bunkers properly raked.
What is the golf term for sand?
The sand-filled hollows on a course are bunkers, known in everyday American usage as sand traps. Players also just say they are in the sand or on the beach.
What do you call the person who carries a golfer’s clubs?
A caddie. Beyond carrying the bag, a caddie reads greens, judges distances and advises on club selection.
What are the yips in golf?
The yips are a sudden loss of control over short putts and chips, where the hands twitch or freeze through impact. The cause is far more mental than technical.
They group into scoring (par, birdie, bogey, eagle, albatross), the course (tee, fairway, rough, green, bunker) and the swing (backswing, slice, hook, shank). The golf glossary above lists every one of them.
What are some Golf terms for beginners?
“Birdie,” “Bogey,” “Eagle,” and “Par” are some Golf terms beginners should start with. These are fundamental scoring terms that will help understand how well one is playing.
What are some funny Golf terms?
“Mulligan” and “Sand trap” are some funny Golf terms. Mulligan brings a smile with its do-over implications, while Sand trap adds a desert twist to the course obstacles.
What is a famous Golf phrase?
“Fore!” is a famous Golf phrase, often shouted as a warning when a ball is heading toward a person or group of people, indicating they should be alert and protect themselves.
