THE GOLFER’S LEXICON: Speak the Game essential terminology and keywords you’ll use to understand and discuss the game with confidence. General Golf Terms • Course: The entire area where golf is played, including fairways, greens, hazards, and rough. • Hole: The physical cup in the ground where the ball is aimed, and also refers to the entire section of the course from tee to green. • Tee Box (or Teeing Ground): The designated area where you start each hole. Whether you’re new to the greens or a seasoned player, mastering golf’s language is key. This guide introduces • Fairway: The mown, well-maintained area of grass between the tee box and the green, designed for good ball lies. • Rough: The longer, less manicured grass bordering the fairways and greens, making shots more challenging. • Green: The area of very short, finely cut grass surrounding the hole, where putting takes place. • Hazard: An area on the course designed to be difficult, such as a bunker (sand trap) or a water hazard. • Par: The number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to take to complete a hole or an entire course. • Albatross (or Double Eagle): Three strokes under par on a hole (very rare, usually a hole-in-one on a par 4, or a two on a par 5). • Bogey: One stroke over par on a hole. • Double Bogey: Two strokes over par on a hole. • Triple Bogey: Three strokes over par on a hole. • Holing Out: The act of getting the ball into the hole, completing the play of that hole. • Fore!: A warning shouted loudly to alert others that a golf ball is heading in their direction. • Divot: A piece of turf removed from the ground by the club during a swing. • Mulligan: (Informal) A “do-over” shot, usually taken after a poor shot, without counting the stroke. Not allowed in official play. • Handicap: A numerical measure of a golfer’s ability, used to allow players of different skill levels to compete fairly. • Swing: The entire motion a golfer makes to hit the ball. • Birdie: One stroke under par on a hole. • Eagle : Two strokes under par on a hole.
• Club: The equipment used to hit the golf ball. Different clubs are used for different types of shots and distances. • Loft: The angle of a club’s face, which determines how high and far the ball will fly. Terms from the Ladies Club Manual Chapters Putting Terms (from “Putting 101”) • Putter: The specific club used to roll the ball on the green. • Fringe: The short grass immediately surrounding the green. • Reading the Green: The process of analyzing the slopes, contours, and grain of the green to predict how the ball will roll towards the hole. • Break: The amount a putt will curve due to the slope of the green. • Lag Putt: A long putt designed to get the ball close to the hole, rather than necessarily sinking it. • Two-Putt: Finishing a hole by taking only two putts on the green. • Touch: The feel or sensitivity a golfer has for controlling the distance of a putt. • Aim: The ability to consistently align the putter face and body towards the intended target line. • Stroke: The motion of the putter during putting. • Uphill Putt: A putt where the hole is at a higher elevation than the ball. • Downhill Putt: A putt where the hole is at a lower elevation than the ball. • Railway Drill: A practice drill using two parallel clubs to help maintain a straight putting stroke.
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