Golf courses are the perfect place to come to unwind, meet new people, improve your game, and most importantly to have fun. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned golfer, there are many golfing terms that you will learn throughout the process, but here are some of the basics to understand the golf slang better.

PAR: 

The predetermined number of strokes that a proficient (scratch, or zero, handicap) golfer should require to complete a hole, a round, or a tournament. Every hole on a golf course is rated as either a par-3, a par-4, or a par-5 (par-6 holes also exist, but they are rare).

BIRDIE:

A score of one-under-par on a hole.

EAGLE:

A score of two under par.

DOUBLE EAGLE OR ALBATROSS:

A score of three under par (very rare).

BOGEY:

A score of one over par.

DOUBLE BOGEY:

A score of two over-par.

TRIPLE BOGEY:

A score of three over par.

ACE:

A hole-in-one. Hitting the ball into the hole in one stroke.

HANDICAP:

A system rating the average number of strokes above par a player scores in one round of golf.

Gameplay

FORE!:

A warning shouted when the ball is heading toward a person.

PUTT:

Any shot taken by a putter when you are on the green.

DRIVE:

Used to describe a golfer’s first stroke from the tee box on every hole.

APPROACH

The shot taken by a player from the fairway to the green.

BANK SHOT:

A shot where a steep slope is used to manipulate the direction or speed of the ball.

OVER CLUBBING:

Using a club that will hit the ball farther than necessary.

AWAY:

Refers to the ball that lies farthest from the cup when two or more golfers are playing. The player farthest away typically hits first.

BEST BALL:

A format of play typically used in tournaments, in which the team score for each hole is the “best score” of at least one of the players in a foursome.

THE TURN:

The halfway point in a round of golf.

EXPLOSION SHOT:

A technique used by a golfer to hit the ball out of a sand trap.

DUFF:

A bad shot.

MULLIGAN:

In casual play only, a “do-over” shot made to replace a poorly hit shot, taken without counting the stroke toward the score.

HACKER:

A slang term that is referring to a person who is not very good at golf.

On the course

FAIRWAY:

A long stretch involving neatly maintained grass that runs between the green and the tee box.

ROUGH:

The taller grass that borders the fairway.

GREEN:

The smooth grassy area at the end of a fairway especially prepared for putting and positioning the hole.

HAZARD:

Anything on a golf course that is designed to be hazardous to one’s score.

BUNKER:

A concave area containing sand or the like considered a hazard.

BEACH:

Slang term for a sand bunker.

CASUAL WATER:

An accumulation of water on the golf course that is not part of a water hazard. Generally, the water you encounter after heavy rains. The player is allowed to move the ball without penalty.

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