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Golf Glossary
Learn the language of Golf — answer-first definitions with real examples, beginner to pro.
202 terms
- Order of Play and the HonorBeginnerOn the first tee, the order is set by the draw or by agreement, such as a coin toss. After that, the player with the lowest score on the last hole tees off first; this is called having the honor. Once everyone has teed off, the ball farthest from the hole is played first.
- Out of BoundsBeginnerOut of bounds (OB) is past the course boundary, usually marked by white stakes. A ball hit there is replayed from the original spot with a one-stroke penalty.
- Overlapping Grip (Vardon Grip)BeginnerThe overlapping (Vardon) grip rests the trail pinky between the lead hand's index and middle fingers. The pinky does not interlock or wrap fully around the handle.
- Parts of a Golf Club (Clubhead Anatomy)BeginnerA golf club has three main parts: the grip, the shaft and the head. On the head, the face strikes the ball and the leading edge is its bottom front edge. The sole sits on the ground and the hosel connects the head to the shaft.
- Parts of a Golf Course (Tee Box, Fairway, Rough, Fringe and Green)BeginnerA golf hole runs from the teeing area, or tee box, to the putting green, where the hole or cup sits. The fairway is the closely mown strip between them. The rough is the longer grass around it, and the fringe or apron is the short collar around the green.
- Penalty Area (Water Hazard)BeginnerA penalty area, often a pond or stream, is marked by yellow or red stakes or lines. Relief costs one penalty stroke and is more forgiving than out of bounds.
- Pin HighBeginnerPin high means your ball finished the same distance as the flag, level with it, even if it is off to the left or right. Your distance was right, so any miss was only in direction. Golfers also call it hole high.
- Popped-Up DriveBeginnerA popped-up drive launches unusually high and short with excessive backspin. It comes from contact above center plus added dynamic loft at impact, and it is a milder, broader relative of the skied drive.
- PostureBeginnerGolf posture is the spine angle at address, bending forward from the hips with a straight back. It lets the arms hang freely and the body rotate athletically.
- Practice SwingBeginnerA practice swing is a rehearsal swing taken without a ball. It is used to feel tempo, rhythm, or a specific position before actually hitting a shot.
- Pre-Round WarmupBeginnerA pre-round warmup prepares the body and calibrates feel, building from mobility to full swings, chipping, and putting. It is not for swing changes.
- Pre-Shot RoutineBeginnerA pre-shot routine is the fixed set of steps a golfer repeats before every shot: read, visualize, aim, waggle, commit. Its goal is focus and consistency under pressure.
- Preferred Lies (Winter Rules, Lift Clean and Place)BeginnerPreferred lies, often called winter rules or lift, clean and place, is a Local Rule for wet or damaged courses. When your ball lies on closely mown grass in the general area, you may lift and clean it once. Then place it within the distance the committee sets, such as one club-length or a scorecard length, no nearer the hole.
- Preparing for Your First Golf TournamentBeginnerPrepare for your first tournament by learning the format, reading the local rules and playing a practice round if you can. On the day, arrive early, warm up and stick to your normal routine. Keep score carefully and ask the committee when unsure of a rule.
- Progress Tracking (Swing)BeginnerProgress tracking records and reviews swing metrics over time, not just one before-and-after. It shows if a change is holding, improving, or drifting back.
- Provisional BallBeginnerA provisional ball is a backup shot played immediately when the original might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. It saves the group from having to walk all the way back to the tee if the first ball genuinely can't be found.
- PuttingBeginnerPutting is rolling the ball along the ground toward the hole using a flat-faced club (putter). A round of 90 with 36 putts spends 40% of its strokes on the green, so putting adds up fast.
- Putting FundamentalsBeginnerSet up with your eyes over or just inside the ball, the ball a little forward of center and a light grip. Rock your shoulders to move the putter back and through with quiet wrists. Aim the face first, then focus most of your practice on speed.
- Putting Green EtiquetteBeginnerNo, don't walk on another player's putting line. Step over it or walk around it, since footprints can knock their putt off line. Also keep your shadow off their line, stand still and quiet out of their view, and repair your ball marks.
- Putting PracticeBeginnerPractice putting in three separate parts: start line, speed and pressure. Roll putts through a gate to train start line, putt to a zone from different distances to train speed, and finish with a short-putt game where a miss resets your count. Spend the most time on whichever part costs you the most strokes.
- Putting StrokeBeginnerThe putting stroke is the controlled pendulum motion that rolls the ball along the intended line. Good mechanics include a square face at impact, consistent tempo, and path that matches the putter's arc.
- Putts per RoundBeginnerA useful baseline is 36 putts, which is two putts on every hole. Fewer than 36 means you are saving strokes on or around the greens. But putts per round can mislead, because missing greens and chipping close lowers your putt count even when your putting is average.
- Raking BunkersBeginnerAfter playing from a bunker, smooth your footprints and the mark from your shot with the rake. Then leave the rake where the course asks. Policies differ between courses. If your ball comes to rest against a rake, remove the rake and replace the ball without penalty if it moves.
- Rangefinders and GPS Devices (Rules)BeginnerRangefinders and GPS devices are allowed under Rule 4.3 unless a Local Rule bans them. You may get distance and direction. You must not use slope or plays-like readings, wind measured at the course or a club recommendation. A first breach costs the general penalty, and a second in the same round is disqualification.
- Ready Golf (Pace of Play)Beginner"Ready golf" means whoever is ready hits next, instead of strictly waiting for the golfer farthest from the hole. It is widely encouraged in casual and recreational rounds to keep pace of play reasonable.
- RegrippingBeginnerRegripping replaces worn grips, usually every 40 to 80 rounds or yearly for regular players. It restores the traction and feel that fade as rubber hardens.
- Repairing Ball Marks and Spike MarksBeginnerYes, you may repair spike marks, ball marks and almost any other damage on the putting green, even on your putting line. That includes shoe damage, old hole plugs, turf seams, scrapes from equipment or the flagstick, and animal tracks. You may not repair natural imperfections, such as aeration holes, uneven growth or weeds, or the natural wear of the hole.
- Repeatable SwingBeginnerA repeatable swing produces similar results time after time, even with imperfect mechanics. For scoring, consistent results matter more than technical beauty.
- Replacing and Filling DivotsBeginnerOn the fairway, put your divot back in its hole and press it down with your foot if the turf comes out in one piece. If it breaks apart, or the course provides divot mix, fill the hole level with the mix and smooth it. On tees, many courses ask you to fill divots with mix rather than replace them.
- Reverse-Overlap Putting GripBeginnerThe reverse-overlap grip is the traditional putting grip. The palms face each other, the thumbs sit on the flat top of the grip and the lead index finger rests over the fingers of the trail hand. That links the hands and quiets the wrists.
- Sand WedgeBeginnerThe sand wedge, usually 54° to 58° of loft with generous bounce, is built for bunker shots and short, high greenside shots. Its wide, high-bounce sole keeps it from digging into sand.
- Sandbagger (Golf Slang)BeginnerA sandbagger is a golfer who keeps their handicap higher than their real ability to win net competitions. They may skip posting good scores or play badly on purpose in casual rounds. The World Handicap System gives handicap committees tools to review and adjust a player's index.
- ScoopingBeginnerScooping is the instinct to "help the ball up" by flipping the wrists upward at impact. It adds loft, reduces compression, and produces weak, high, short contact.
- Self-DiagnosisBeginnerSelf-diagnosis is a golfer trying to find the cause of their own swing fault without outside feedback. It is error-prone, because feel is an unreliable guide.
- Senior Golfer AdjustmentsBeginnerMany senior golfers keep their distance by making the turn easier rather than swinging harder: flare the feet, let the lead heel lift and keep grip pressure light. Lighter shafts, more loft, hybrids in place of long irons and forward tees also suit slower swing speeds.
- Setup RoutineBeginnerA setup routine builds the address position in the same order every time: clubface, then feet, posture, and grip. Alignment and ball position stay identical on every shot.
- Shamble and Chapman (Pinehurst) FormatsBeginnerA shamble is a team format where everyone tees off. The team picks the best drive, and then each player plays their own ball into the hole from that spot. Chapman, also called Pinehurst, is a pairs format where both partners tee off, swap balls for the second shot, choose one ball, and then alternate shots.
- Short GameBeginnerThe short game covers putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play, on and around the green. It usually accounts for 60–65% of strokes in an average round.
- Short PuttsBeginnerShort putts are often missed because the putter face is not square at impact or the stroke slows down through the ball. Pick a precise target, make a firm stroke that would roll the ball a little past the hole, and keep your head still until the ball is gone.
- Short-SidedBeginnerShort-sided means your ball missed the green on the same side as the flag. There is very little green between you and the hole, so the next chip is hard to stop close. Smart players aim for the side of the green with more room.
- Shotgun Start (and Tee Times)BeginnerA shotgun start means every group starts at the same time, each on a different hole. A group that starts on the 5th plays to the 18th, then plays holes 1 to 4. A tee time is the more usual system, where groups start one after another from the 1st or 10th tee at set times.
- Skied DriveBeginnerA skied drive is struck high on the driver face and flies almost straight up, traveling a fraction of the usual distance. It can leave a telltale scuff mark near the crown.
- Skins GameBeginnerIn a skins game, each hole is worth a prize, or skin. The player with the lowest score on a hole wins that skin outright. If two or more players tie for low, the skin usually carries over and the next hole is worth more.
- Skulled ShotBeginnerA skulled shot is contact with the club's leading edge on the ball's equator or upper half. It sends a low, hot, unintended screamer across the green instead of a controlled chip or pitch.
- SliceBeginnerA slice bleeds away to the right for a right-handed golfer, costing both distance and fairway. It is the most common miss in the game, and it comes from a face pointing right of the head's direction of travel.
- Slow-Motion ReviewBeginnerSlow-motion review is watching swing video at a fraction of real speed. It shows fast positions, especially near impact, that the eye misses at normal speed.
- Square StanceBeginnerA square stance lines the feet, hips, and shoulders up parallel to the target line. It is the neutral reference alignment every open or closed stance is measured against.
- StanceBeginnerYour stance is how you position your feet, weight, and body at address before the swing. It sets your balance, swing width, and low point.
- Starting Golf as an AdultBeginnerStart with a few lessons or a group class to learn grip, setup and solid contact. Practice at a range and short-game area, then play a par-3 or short course before a full 18. You do not need expensive clubs, since borrowed, used or half-set clubs are fine to begin.
- Straight Ball FlightBeginnerA straight ball flight is a shot with essentially no sideways curve. The clubface angle and swing path match closely enough at impact that the spin axis stays close to horizontal.
- Straight Lead ArmBeginnerYour lead arm (the left arm for a right-hander) should be extended but not locked in the backswing. A firm, comfortable extension keeps the swing wide and the strike repeatable. A slight bend is common, even among tour players, and forcing the arm rigid adds tension.
- Strong GripBeginnerA strong grip turns both hands more to the trail side than neutral, showing 3 or more knuckles at address. It makes the face easier to close and is a common slice fix.
- Sweet SpotBeginnerThe sweet spot is the center of percussion on the clubface. A strike there transfers the most energy to the ball, with minimal vibration and maximum distance.
- Swing ThoughtBeginnerA swing thought is one simple cue a golfer holds in mind just before or during a swing. Most coaches agree one clear thought, or none, beats several at once.
- TakeawayBeginnerThe takeaway is the first movement of the club away from the ball. Where and how the club moves in the first 18–24 inches often sets the backswing's shape.
- Tee HeightBeginnerTee height is how high the ball sits on the tee peg. For a driver, half the ball should sit above the top of the club at address to promote a positive attack angle and high launch.
- Teeing Up in Front of the MarkersBeginnerIf you tee off in front of the markers in stroke play, you get two penalty strokes and must replay from inside the teeing area. The first shot does not count. In match play there is no penalty, but your opponent may cancel the stroke and make you replay it.
- TempoBeginnerTempo is the overall timing and rhythm of your swing — the ratio of how long the backswing takes versus the downswing. A smooth, repeatable tempo is what makes contact consistent.
- Temporary Water (Casual Water)BeginnerCasual water, now called temporary water in the Rules of Golf, gives you a free drop. If a puddle outside a penalty area touches your ball or affects your stance or swing, you get relief. Drop within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole. Ground that is only wet, soft or muddy doesn't count; the water must be visible before or after your stance.
- Ten-Finger Grip (Baseball Grip)BeginnerThe ten-finger (baseball) grip places all ten fingers on the handle with no overlap or interlock. It is a common starting point for young children, beginners, and golfers with limited hand or wrist strength.
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