Common Golf Terms and Slang
Ace
A hole in one.Albatross
Known as a “double eagle” in US terminology, it’s a score of three under par.Birdie
A score of one-under-par.Bogey
A score of one over par on a single hole.Bump and Run
When you deliberately play a shot along the ground. Players will usually use this shot on links courses with hard greens or windy conditions, also from behind or under trees that don’t favor lofted shots.Chunk
Hitting the ground well behind the ball, taking a large divot. Leads to little distance on the shot.Club Down
"Club down" means to use a club that will yield a shorter distance than would normally be used. For example, you are on a par 3 with an elevated tee box, where the distance to the green is 100 yrs. Your 100 yard club is your 9 iron, but you know that from an elevated tee it will be to much club. So, you decide to "club down" one club and use your pitching wedge which you normaly hit about 90 yards.Club Up
"Club up" is the opposite of "club down" in that you will use a club that will yield a greater distance than would normally be used. For example, you're 150 yds from the green and under normal circumstances you would use your 6 iron. But in this case there is a stoung headwind which will negatively impact your distance. To counter the effect of the wind you have decided to "clup up" one club and use your 5 iron, which is your normal 160 yrd club.Condor
Four under par, one of the most uncommon scores in golf, There are only four examples of this scored in recorded history. It’s also known as a “double-albatross” or “triple-eagle” in the US.Count-back
A method of determining a winner of a competition in the event of a tie. There are several different methods used, but typically the scores in the last nine, last six, last three and final hole are compared in turn until a winner emerges.Double Bogey
A score of two over par on a single hole.Draw
A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves to the left; often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone draw usually becomes a hook.Eagle
A score of two under par on a single hole.Fade
A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves slightly to the right, and is often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone fade will appear similar to a slice.Fat shot
A stroke in which the club makes contact with the turf long before the ball, resulting in a poor contact and significant loss of distance. Alos know as a “chunk”.Gross score
The number of strokes within around, before taking into a count the player handicaps.Hook
A shot curving sharply from right to left for left-handed players and left to right for right-handed players.Matching Scorecards
Also Called a 'Match of Cards'This is one of the two most-common ways of conducting a scorecard playoff (the other being "counting back," which follows below). Matching scorecards is also called matching cards or a match of cards. There is a tie after eighteen holes, so they are going to a match of cards. Matching scorecards involves using the handicap ranking of the golf holes. Look at the handicap row on the scorecard (often designated by "HCP") and find the No. 1 handicap (most difficult) hole. Now, both players check their score on that hole. Low gross wins. If still tied on the No. 1 handicap hole, then move on to the No. 2 handicap hole. And continue in that fashion until one player has a better score than the other on the given hole. That's a "matched scorecards playoff."
Net score
Scoring after accounting for player handicaps. This is acomplished by subtracting the the players handicap strokes from the players "Gross" score. This can be done on a holf by hole basis by subtraction the players "Pops" on each hole from each hole's gross score.Par
The number of strokes it should take a player to complete the hole, including two putting shots. Most courses have holes between par-3 and par-5, with a few par-6 holesPops
The visual representation of your handicap strokes that you are given for a round of golf based on your GHIN Handicap Index as it relates to the specific course handicap and the tees you are playing. Each “pop”, shown as a “dots” (•) on your score card, represents a “handicap” stroke.Regulation
The standard number of strokes allowed by par for reaching the green on a given hole (one stroke on a par 3, two strokes on a par 4, and three strokes on a par 5). Note – this means “regulation putts” are two on all holes.Scratch golfer
A player whose handicap equals zero or lower. This means they can consistently shoot par or better regularly.Slice
A shot curves sharply to the right, taking a banana-shaped flight path. This shot usually occurs due to striking the ball using an open clubface and a swing moving in-to-out.Thin shot
Usually, an unintentional, poor shot where the club-head strikes too high on the ball. When taken to an extreme but still at or below the center-line of the ball, it is known "blading" the ball.Triple Bogey
A score of three over par on a single hole.'Matching Scorecards,' Also Called a 'Match of Cards' This is one of the two most-common ways of conducting a scorecard playoff (the other being "counting back," which follows below). Matching scorecards is also called matching cards or a match of cards. There is a tie after eighteen holes, so they are going to a match of cards. Matching scorecards involves using the handicap ranking of the golf holes. Look at the handicap row on the scorecard (often designated by "HCP") and find the No. 1 handicap hole. Now, both players check their score on that hole. Low gross wins. If still tied on the No. 1 handicap hole, then move on to the No. 2 handicap hole. And continue in that fashion until one player has a better score than the other on the given hole. That's a "matched scorecards playoff."