Golf - golf dictionary

A face angle

An angle of a clubhead face quoted in degrees. See also: loft.

Ace

A play from a tee to a hole with the single shot

Address

Taking up a position for a shot.

Airball

Failure to strike a ball during a swing.

Airshot

A shot without striking the ball. It counts as an accomplished stroke.

Albatros

Completing a hole with three strokes under par. E.g. reaching 5 par hole with two strokes.

All square

A tied matchplay.

Angle of apporoach

Angle of the direction taken by a club moving towards the ball.

Approach

A shot towards a green or a flagstick on green. Also a putter shot towards a hole, in order to get a ball as close as possible to the hole and place it in the hole with the next shot.

Apron

An area around a green, covered with the grass mown slightly higher than on the green.

Attend the flag

Part of the golf etiquette. It means holding and then taking out a flagstick when another player is putting.

Back door

A back edge of a hole.

Back lip

An edge of the bunker which is the most distant from a green.

Back nine

The last 9 holes on the 18-hole course.

Backspin

A reverse rotation given to a ball during the shot. It prevents the ball from rolling after it hits the ground, and often it makes the ball move back.

Backswing

The first stage of a swing. A moment when a club moves away from the ball.

Baffie

An old name of the five wood club.

Bail out

A situation when the player plays aiming to bypass an obstruction e.g. plays much to the right in order to bypass an obstruction on its left side.

Balata

A resin obtained from tropical trees (now replaced by plastic), used to make covers of some golf balls.

Ball at rest

A ball that stopped moving.

Ball marker

A person registering the player's strokes. It also means a marker used for marking the location of a ball on a green (named also a ballmarker - usually a button on a golf glove, a coin or a plastic token).

Ball retriever

A device for pulling the balls out of water.

Ball washer

A device common on golf courses, usually located close to a tee, used for washing golf balls.

Banana ball

A shot causing a ball to turn sharply to the right.

Baseball

A way of gripping a golf club, with all fingers placed on its shaft.

Baseball grip

A way of gripping a golf club, with all fingers placed on its shaft.

Best ball

A game played by four players (two teams of two players each). The better score reached by one of the players in the team counts as the score of the team.

Better ball

A better ball in a game played with more than one ball.

Birdie

Completing a hole with one stroke under par. E.g. reaching 4 par hole with three strokes.

Bisque

A shot conceded to a player by another player. A player who was conceded a shot, may choose a hole for making use of the opportunity.

Bite

A situation when the ball stops soon after hitting the ground.

Blade

A thin-profile clubhead.

Blast

An aggressive play from a bunker, sending fountains of sand to the air.

Blaster

A rarely used name of a sand wedge club.

Blind shot

A shot taken without seeing the site where the ball should hit the ground.

Block

A shot causing the ball move along the straight line but to the right from a goal.

Bogey

Completing a hole with one stroke over par for that hole. E.g. reaching 4 par hole with 5 strokes. Double bogey and triple bogey mean completing it with two or three strokes over par, respectively.

Borrow

A turn of the ball trajectory, to be expected on a sloping green.

Boundary

An area outside the boundaries of a course. Usually marked with a fence, a white line or white stakes.

Brassie

An old name of a two wood club.

Break

A turn of the ball trajectory, to be expected on a sloping green.

British Open

International golf tournament organized by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. One of the tournaments in the grand slam cycle.

Bulge

The curvature of a clubhead.

Bunker

A sandpit which is an obstruction on a course.

Burried ballie

A section of a ball buried under the sand in a bunker.

Caddie

A person carrying a bag with clubs belonging to a player, and watching the ball trajectory. He/she may advise the player on the choice of a club, on the distance or the strategy of play.

Caddie master

The head of caddies.

Calamity Jane

A name given to Bobby Jones - a putter.

Carry

A distance covered by the ball in the air.

Cart

A vehicle (usually an electric one) used on a golf course by lazy players.

Casual Water

Water appearing incidentally on a course (e.g. a puddle left after the rain); a ball may be pulled out of it without penalty.

Center shafted

A putter with a shaft attached in the middle section of the clubhead.

Charting the course

Crossing the whole course in order to determine distances to the holes.

Chil-dip

A missed chip. A clubhead hits the ground before striking a ball.

Chip

A short play from a green towards a hole.

Chip and run

A play making a ball fly in the air for a relatively short time, and then roll on the ground for a long time.

Chip-in

A chip play making a ball fall down to a hole.

Choke down

To grip a club in the lower section of a shaft.

Chunk

A missed chip. A clubhead hits the ground before striking a ball.

Cleat

Spikes on the soles of golf shoes, used to improve their adherence to the grass. There are two types of spikes: soft ones made of plastic, getting ever more popular, and standard ones made of metal, but more and more often not welcome on most golf courses.

Cleek

An old name of various golf clubs.

Closed

A closed position. The line joining tips of the feet points to the right from a goal.

Closed face

A closed clubhead. During address or a shot a clubhead points to the left from a goal. It results in shots aiming to the left like e.g. a hook shot.

Club lenght

A length of a club (shaft).

Clubhouse

A golf club building.

Collar

An area around a green, covered with the grass mown slightly higher than on the green.

Compression

A degree of elasticity demonstrated by a golf ball.

Concede

To grant a putt, a hole or a match to an opponent.

Core

The inside of a golf ball.

Course

A golf course.

Course boundary

An outer boundary of a golf course.

Course rating

A difficulty level of a particular golf course. Abbreviation: CR.

Cross-handed

A grip, with the left hand placed below the right one.

Croswind

A wind blowing from the side.

Cup

A plastic container placed in a hole to keep a flagstick.

Cuppy lie

A situation when a ball lies in a tiny hollow.

Cut

A number of strokes eliminating a player from the next part of the competition.

Cut shot

A shot causing a ball to turn from the left to the right.

Dance floor

An American slang name of a green.

Dawn patrol

Golfers who start playing at dawn.

Deep

The height of a clubhead.

Dimple

A hollow on the surface of a golf ball.

Divot

A piece of grass uprooted upon striking with a club.

Dogleg

A hole with its play line turning sharply, usually in the place hit by a ball after a drive.

Dormant

Non-growing grass on a golf course.

Dormie

A player winning a match play

Double bogey

Completing a hole with two strokes under par.

Double eagle

Completing a hole with three strokes under par. E.g. reaching 5 par hole with two strokes.

Down

To lose.

Downhill lie

Placing a ball on a slope, with a right foot positioned higher than the left one.

Downswing

A stage of a shot following the backswing, from the final moment of a swing up to making a contact with a ball.

DQ'd

A disqualified player. Disqualification

Drain

To hit a putt.

Draw

A type of a shot executed when a ball turns from the right to the left.

Drive

Striking a ball from tee area.

Drive for show, putt for dough

A saying stating that a putt is more important than a long drive.

Drive the green

A drive causing a ball to hit a green.

Driver

A one wood club used for striking the longest shots.

Driving range

An area for training long- and medium-range shots

Drop

Dropping a ball from shoulder height when it is considered unplayable, after it reaches a ground under repair or falls into water hazard.

Dub

A wrong shot or a wrong player.

Duck hook

A shot causing a ball to fly several times from the left to the right.

Duffer

A lousy player.

Dying putt

A putt that hardly falls into a hole.

Eagle

Completing a hole with two strokes under par. E.g. reaching 5 par hole with three strokes.

Eclectic

A type of game with the best results reached on the holes chosen after playing several rounds.

Embedded ball

A situation when a section of the ball is buried underground.

Executive course

A set of regulations defining rules of conduct on a golf course.

Explosion shot

A shot from a bunker, sending fountains of sand to the air.

Extra holes

Additional holes played when the match is tied.

Face

A section of a golf club hitting a ball. Also a front section of a bunker.

Face insert

A metal insert located in a wood club face.

Fade

A shot making a ball turn from the left to the right.

Fairway

A path of the play. An area between tee and green, covered with short mown grass.

Fairway wood

A wood club (usually # 3, 5, 7 or 9) used for long shots played from fairway area, and sometimes also from tee area.

Fat

A dirty shot with a club hitting the ground before striking a ball.

Feather

A play with a delicate fade.

First cut

A stretch of rough at the edge of the fairway.

First off

Golfers starting their round as the first on a course.

Flagstick

A stick with a flag attached, pointing to the location of a hole.

Flange

A lower protruding section of the clubhead.

Flat swing

A swing with a club moving on a relatively flat plane.

Flex

A degree of flexibility of the club shaft.

Flier

A shot usually played from a rough, overflying a goal.

Flub

Striking a ball by one or two meters.

Fly the green

To strike a ball outside a green.

Follow-through

The final stage of a swing, starting at the moment when a club gets into contact with a ball.

Foozle

A completely missed shot.

Fore!

A cry warning other players of a ball played in their direction.

Fringe

An area around a green, covered with the grass mown slightly higher than on the green.

Front nine

The first 9 holes on the 18-hole course.

Full swing

A full swing taken with a club.

G.I.R

Greens In Regulation. A number of plays played directly towards green with a proper number of shots (e.g. 1 on 3 par, 2 on 4 par and 3 on 5 par).

Gallery

Spectators watching the tournament.

Gimmie

A short putt conceded by a co-player.

Glove

A golf glove. Worn on the left hand by right-hand players, and vice versa.

Golden Bear

Jack Nicklaus.

Golf etiquette

A set of regulations defining rules of conduct on a golf course.

Grain

A direction of the grass growing on a green.

Grand Slam

The grand golf slam. It includes four tournaments: Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship.

Graphite

A light material used ever more often for making golf club shafts.

Great White Shark

Greg Norman.

Green

An area covered by very shortly mown grass (mown daily, and reaching ca 5 mm), with a hole in it. A player putts in this area i.e. strikes a ball directly to the hole with a special club called putter.

Green fee

A charge for playing on a golf course.

Green jacket

A green jacket that is the main prize in Masters tournament.

Greens in regulation

A number of plays played directly towards a green with a proper number of shots (e.g. 1 on 3 par, 2 on 4 par and 3 on 5 par).

Greenside

Vicinity of the green.

Grip

A section of the golf club gripped during a shot. It also means a way of gripping the club.

Gross score

A gross number of strokes i.e. before deducting handicap (a number of actually accomplished strokes).

Ground the club

Placing a club right behind a ball during address, and usually touching the ground.

Ground under repair

A ground undergoing repair, marked with blue stakes or white lines. If a ball falls there after a shot, it is allowed to drop it outside this area without penalty.

Gutta percha

A name and type of a golf ball used in the 17th and 18th century.

Half

A tied matchplay.

Halve

To tie a hole.

Handicap

A number measuring golfer's playing ability. The lower the handicap, the higher the level of play. It is important by games played in stableford system and net strokeplay. Women beginning to play golf have handicap 40, men - 36. Professional golf players have handicap 0 (zero). Handicap system was introduced in order to grant equal opportunities in amateur games.

Hanging lie

A position of a ball "hanging" on the grass.

Hardpan

A very hard turf.

Hazard

An obstruction on a golf course. It may be a lake, or a bunker.

Head cover

A cover of a golf club.

Head face

A section of a club used for striking a ball.

Heel

A section of the golf clubhead.

Hickory

A type of wood previously used for making shafts.

Hide side

An area on a sloping green, situated higher than a hole.

High handicaper

A player with high handicap.

Hole

Your goal - a hole.

Hole high

Situated at the same level with a hole.

Hole in one

A play from a tee to the hole with the single shot.

Hole out

Completing to play a hole.

Home green

A green around the hole No. 18

Honour

A privilege bestowed to the player with the highest score reached on the previous hole, allowing him/her to start playing as the first.

Hooded

A shot causing a ball to fly to the left. It is caused by a tilted clubhead face.

Hook

A shot causing a ball to turn to the left, and out of control.

Horseshoe

A situation when a ball rolls around the edge of a hole and turns back.

Hosel

A lower section of a club, attached to the shaft.

Impact

A moment of striking a ball with a club.

Impediment

Loose obstructions allowed to be removed without moving a ball.

Improve your lie

A possibility to move a ball in order to facilitate a shot. It is not allowed unless permitted under local regulations.

In play

During the play.

Indirect goal

An object lying on aim line, used to facilitate taking up a proper position for aiming.

Insert

A metal insert located in a wood club face.

Inside out (in to out) swing

A plane of swing with a club moving "from the inside to the outside" of the line joining a ball and a goal.

Inside to inside (in to in) swing

A plane of swing with a club moving along the line joining a ball and a goal.

Intended line

Imagined path of a flying ball.

Interlocking

A way of gripping a golf club, with a small finger of a right hand interlocked with its index finger.

Interlocking grip

A way of gripping a golf club, with a small finger of a right hand interlocked with its index finger.

Investment cast

An iron club made by casting in a mould.

Iron

A club with a thin head, usually used to play on a fairway, from a rough or from the sand. The most commonly used type of the club. The clubs are numbered from 1 to 9 and show different length and head face angle. Irons include also pitching wedges (PW), sand wedges (SW), approach wedges (AW) and lob wedges (LW).

Jigger

An old name of a four iron club.

Kill

A very long shot.

Ladies day

A day when a course is reserved for women.

Lag

A long putt aimed at placing a ball as close to the hole as possible. See also: approach.

Laid off

A situation when at the final stage of backswing a club points to the left from a goal.

Lateral water hazard

A water hazard located along the play line of a hole, marked with red stakes.

Lay up

A safe play in front of an obstruction. Also meaning a safe game.

Leaderboard

A score table.

Leak

A ball flying to the right.

Lie

A position of a ball after hitting the ground. Also an angle between club head and shaft.

Line up

A position taken by a player standing behind a ball, and choosing a goal.

Links

A relatively flat golf course adjoining the ocean, usually devoid oft trees.

Lip

An edge of a hole or a bunker.

Lip-out

A situation when a ball turns along the edge of a hole without falling into it.

Local rules

Local regulations on the play, abiding on a particular golf course.

Loft

An angle of a clubhead deciding on distance and height reached by a ball after the shot.

Long game

A long game with the distance considered the key element.

Loose impediments

All natural objects provided they are not growing.

Lost ball

A lost ball that has not been found within regulation time of 5 minutes.

Low handicaper

A player with the low handicap.

Low side

An area located lower than a hole.

Make

To send a ball to the hole.

Mallet

A putter with a wide head.

Mark

To mark the location of a ball on the green.

Marker

A person registering the player's strokes. It also means a marker used for marking the location of a ball on the green (named also a ballmarker - usually a button on a golf glove, a coin or a plastic token).

Marshall

A person controlling the run of the play on a course.

Mashie

An old name of a five iron club.

Mashie-niblick

An old name of a seven iron club.

Masters

The first of the most important professional golf tournaments (in the calendar year), played every year in April on the Augusta National course in Georgia (USA).

Matchplay

A type of the game decided by the number of completed holes.

Medal play

Also known as strokeplay - a type of the game decided by the number of strokes accomplished on the course. The game is won by the player with the lowest score (with handicap taken into consideration).

Metal wood

A wood club made of metal.

Mid irons

Numbered iron clubs.

Miniature course

A putting course.

Misclub

The use of a club with mismatching the intended distance.

Miss the cut

Eliminating a player from the games due to too high number of strokes.

Missread

To choose a wrong putt line.

Mixed foursome

A foursome game played by two men and two women.

Model swing

A perfect swing.

Mulligan

A possibility to repeat the shot without any consequences.

Municipal course

A golf course owned by local authorities. See also: public course.

Nassau

A play with three rounds counted: the first and the second nine and complete eighteen holes.

Net score

A total number of strokes after handicap is deducted.

Niblick

A Scotch term for a nine iron club.

Nineteenth hole

The nineteenth hole – a customary term for a bar in the clubhouse.

O.B.

An area outside the boundaries of a course. Usually marked with a fence, a white line or white stakes.

Obstructions

A man-made objects, excluding the ones determining the boundaries of the course, that are the part of the course. E.g. a bench, a device for cleaning the balls, advertisements.

Off-center hit

Striking a ball out of centre.

Offset

A club with a head moved to the back with respect to its shaft.

One-putt

A play to the hole with one putt.

Open

A posture opposite to the closed one.

Open face

A situation opposite to the closed face.

Open stance

A posture opposite to the closed one.

Open up the hole

A situation when after playing from the tee the ball is sent to the location ideal for striking a shot towards a green.

Out of bounds

An area outside the boundaries of a course. Usually marked with a fence, a white line or white stakes.

Outside in (out to in) swing

A plane of the swing, with a club moving "from the outside to the inside" of the line joining a ball and a goal.

Overclub

Too long play in result of using the wrong club.

Overlapping

A way of gripping a golf club, with a small finger of a right hand overlapping its index finger.

Overlapping grip

A way of gripping a golf club, with a small finger of a right hand overlapping its index finger.

Pairings

Groups of up to two players.

Par

The standard. A number of strokes required by a very good player to complete a hole.

Partner

A player in the same team.

Penalty

The penalty impeded e.g. for breaking the rules. One or two penalty strokes or disqualification.

Penalty stroke

One or two strokes added to the player's score after placing a ball in water or out of bounds, considering a ball unplayable, or impeded due to breaking the rules of the game.

Persimmon

Type of wood used for making golf clubs.

PGA

Professional Golfers Association

Pin

A flagstick marking the location of a hole.

Pin high

Located at the same level with a flagstick.

Pin placement

A location of a hole on a green area.

Pitch and putt

A term commonly used to describe a mini golf course. Also: completing a hole with two shots from outside the green.

Pitch and run

A pitch when a ball flies in the air for a relatively short time, and then rolls on the ground for a long time.

Pitch shot

A short play towards a green from the distance of a few dozen meters, with the ball rolling for relatively short time afterwards.

Pitching-niblick

An old name of an eight iron club.

Pitchmark

A hollow in the ground left in the site where a ball hit the ground.

Pivot

A turn of the body during a swing.

Plane

An angle of a swing.

Play Off

An extra time for players to play additional holes in order to determine who is the winner.

Playing through

A situation when a group of slower players make way for a group playing behind them.

Plump-bob

Determining the putt line with one eye closed and a putter loosely held in vertical position.

Pop up

A high and short shot.

Potbunker

A deep bunker taking a small area.

Practice green

An area for training putting.

Private club

A private golf course.

Pro-Am

A tournament with professionals playing with amateurs.

Professional

A player playing or teaching golf professionally.

Proshop

A golf shop as well as a site (reception) to pay for green fee, hire golf equipment, carts, etc.

Provisional ball

A ball played when it is doubtful whether the previous ball may be found.

Public course

A public golf course accessible to any player.

Pull

A shot making the ball move along the straight line, but to the left from the goal.

Punch

A low hit of the ball, usually into the wind.

Push

A shot making the ball move along the straight line, but to the right from the goal.

Putt

Striking the ball on a green. In result of such a shot the ball rolls in the grass.

Putter

A club used for striking the ball on a green.

Putting

A play on a green with the special club (putter) in order to place a ball in the hole.

Rabbit

A beginner.

Rake

A tool for raking sand in a bunker.

Range

An area for training long- and medium-range shots.

Range ball

A training ball on a driving range.

Reading the green

Determining the line of a ball rolling on the green, in order to place it in the hole.

Recovery

A shot from a difficult position.

Regular

A term describing standard elasticity of the club shaft.

Release

A stage of a swing done with forearms and wrists, with placing a right hand over the left one. It should be accomplished exactly at the moment of striking the ball.

Relief

A situation when a player is allowed to pick up a ball and drop it in a different place in accordance with the rules of the game, without penalty.

Reverse overlap

A grip at putting, with a small finger of the right hand overlapping an index finger of the left one.

Rhytm

A speed of the swing.

Rifle a shot

A strong, straight and far-reaching shot at the ball.

Rim the cup

A situation when a ball turns along the edge of a hole without falling into it.

Ringer score

The highest scores reached on every hole of the golf course.

Road hole

The hole No. 17 on the course in St. Andrews. Assumed to be the most difficult hole in the world.

Roll

The curvature of a wood clubhead (between its lower and upper section).

Rough

An area covered with high grass, usually located along a fairway.

Round

Completing 18 holes.

Royal and Ancient Golf Club

The European golf oracle.

Rub of the green

A situation when a ball changes its direction or stops, in result of external factor. Also: luck.

Rules

Regulations.

Run

The roll of the ball after hitting the ground.

Run up

A shot taken from a hard ground.

Sand trap

A sandpit which is an obstruction on a course.

Sand wedge

An iron club for knocking a ball away from the bunker, or for short-distance plays. The club features a bent blade, usually bent at the angle of 55 degrees.

Sandbagger

A player hiding his/her actual abilities in order to gain advantage in the games.

Sandy

Reaching a par for the hole despite striking a ball from the bunker.

Scorecard

A card where the scores reached by players during the play on the course are recorded. The card includes information on the distance to the holes, their difficulty levels and their par. Scoring

Scoring

Grooves on the club face.

Scramble

The team play with every member of the team striking the ball from a tee, then the best shot is selected and again all members play from the chosen site until the hole is completed.

Scratch

Handicap equal to 0; a person playing to par of each hole. Often used to describe the professional golfer.

Scratchplay

A game played by players with handicap equal to zero.

Second cut

The second-grade rough. It is located further from a fairway and is covered with higher grass.

Semiprivat course

The club for members, open also for other non-member players.

Semirough

A rough of medium height.

Set of clubs

A set of clubs used for playing golf. A standard set includes 9 or 10 iron clubs, 3 or 4 wood clubs and a putter. The maximum number of clubs allowed to be used for playing on the course is 14.

Set-up

Taking up a position for a shot.

Shaft

The longest section of a golf club, joining its head with a grip. It may be stiff for hard-striking players, regular for majority of players or soft for lightly-striking or older players.

Shag

Collecting training balls.

Shag bag

A bag for training balls.

Shallow

A narrow club face. Also a flat angle of striking a ball.

Shank

A shot making a ball, hit with the edge of the club, flying to the right.

Shooting the lights out

A very good play.

Short cut

A type of short mown grass on a fairway or a green.

Short game

A part of the game aimed at playing a ball towards the green from a short distance, and the play on the green.

Short play

A part of the play aimed at playing a ball towards a green from a short distance, and the play on a green.

Shut

A clubhead pointing to the left during address or a shot. It makes a ball fly to the left from the goal.

Side water hazard

A water hazard located along the line of play, marked with red stakes.

Sidehill lie

A situation when a ball lies higher or lower than the feet.

Sidesaddle

A style of putting.

Single

A game played one-on-one.

Sink

Striking a ball to the hole.

Skins

A type of game played for money, with a player with the lower score on the hole scooping the pool. In case of the tied match the pool is cumulated and passed to the next holes.

Skull

Unfair striking of the ball above its centre.

Sky

Striking a ball with a tip of the club, causing the ball flying high and for a short time.

Sleeve of balls

A box with three balls.

Slice

A shot causing a ball to turn sharply to the right.

Slope rating

Measure of the relative difficulty level of playing on the particular course.

Smile

A trace (indentation) left on a ball by a wrong shot.

Smoother

A failed low shot to the left, caused by the closed clubhead.

Snake

A long putt.

Snap hook

A type of hook stroke.

Socket

A shot making a ball, hit with the edge of the club, flying to the right.

Sole

A lower edge of the golf clubhead.

Sole plate

A piece of metal attached to the bottom of a wood club.

Speed

A speed of the swing.

Spide mashie

An old name of a three wood club.

Spike mark

A trace left by a golf shoe on the green.

Spikes

Spikes on the soles of golf shoes, used to improve their adherence to the grass. There are two types of spikes: soft ones made of plastic, getting ever more popular, and standard ones made of metal, but more and more often not welcome on most golf courses.

Spin-out

A situation when during the downswing legs move too fast in relation to the upper part of the body.

Spoon

An old name of a three wood club.

Spot putting

Indirect aiming. Aiming for a point over which the ball must pass if it is to be placed in the hole.

Square

A posture with the body position parallel and clubhead position perpendicular to the line joining a ball and a goal. Also the score of the tied match.

Square face

A clubhead in the position perpendicular to the line joining a ball and a goal.

St. Andrews

A city in Scotland, homeland of golf. The seat of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

Stableford

A scoring system based on the number of strokes at each hole, in relation to par for that hole.

Stance

A position taken by a player for striking a ball.

Standard scratch score

SSS - a system for classifying golf courses, getting out of use. A score to be reached by a player with handicap 0 on the particular course.

Starter

A person whose task is to control the order of players who start playing on the first tee.

Starting time

A time due for starting the game from the first tee.

Stiff

A term describing a limited elasticity of the club shaft.

Stimpmeter

A device for measuring green speeds.

Stroke

A movement of the club aimed at striking the ball.

Stroke and distance

Stroke and distance penalty (a player has to replay a ball from the site of the last shot). It is impeded when the ball is lost or travels beyond the boundaries of the course.

Stroke index, SI

The sequence of holes on which players are conceded additional shots in stableford and matchplay systems. E.g. a player with handicap 5 is granted one stroke on holes having SI value of 1 to 5. A player with handicap 28 is granted one stroke on each hole and 10 on holes having SI value of 1 to 10. In matchplay, when the difference in handicaps of the players or teams is 4 then the player (or the team) with higher handicap is granted strokes on holes having SI value of 1 to 4.

Strokeplay

A play where only the number of strokes taken on the course counts. In net strokeplay the player's handicap is deducted, and in the gross one the total number of scores counts.

Stymie

A situation when the other player's ball lies in the shot line. Not applicable any more due to changes in the rules.

Surlyn

The material used currently for making the covers of golf balls.

Swale

A depression or a hollow on the golf course.

Sway

A backswing taken almost without twisting the upper part of the body.

Sweet spot

A place on the club blade to strike the ball with.

Swing plane

An angle at which the club moves during a swing.

Swing weight

A measure of the golf club balance. A measure of its weight in relation to its length.

Takeaway

The first stage of the swing.

Tap-in

A very short putt.

Tee

A tiny peg for placing a golf ball, and an area of the course where the players start to play the hole.

Tee up

A start of the play.

Teeing ground

An area on the course where players start to play the hole.

Temporary green

A green used in winter in order to protect the proper one.

Texas wedge

A putter when it is used to putt from off the green.

Thin

Unfair striking the ball above its centre.

Three off the tee

If a ball is lost after the first shot or shot out of bounds, the player is penalized one stroke and has to tee off again. It is his/her third shot.

Three-putt

Three shots on a green, with the last one accurate.

Tiger tee

A slang term of the tee with the most distant location in the back.

Tigh lie

Placing a ball on the naked ground or very short grass.

Tight

A narrow fairway.

Timing

Matching all elements of the swing.

Toe

A tip of the golf clubhead.

Top

Striking a ball far over its centre, leading to its rolling instead of flying.

Torque

A twist of the club shaft during a shot.

Tour

A series of tournaments for professionals (rarely for amateurs).

Trajectory

A path taken by the ball.

Trap

A bunker.

Triple bogey

Completing a hole with three strokes over par for that hole.

Twitch

A short missing putt.

Two-putt

Two shots on a green, with the second one accurate.

U.S. Open

One of the grand slam tournaments played in the United States.

Uncock

A stage of a swing done with forearms and wrists with a right hand placed over the left one. It should be accomplished exactly at the moment of striking the ball.

Underclub

Playing with a club too "short" in relation to the intended distance.

Unplayable lie

A ball lying in a place from which it is impossible or particularly difficult to play it. Then the player has the right to pick up the ball and drop it close by but not closer to a hole, upon impeding one penalty stroke. The player decides whether the ball is unplayable.

Up

Leading in a match play.

Up and down

Playing a ball to the hole with two strokes from off the green.

Uphill lie

Placing a ball on a slope, with a left foot positioned higher than the right one.

Upright

A swing with a club moving on the relatively vertical plane.

Waggle

Moving a club before a shot (usually for relaxation).

Water hazard

A water area marked with yellow or red stakes.

Water hazard

A water area marked with yellow or red stakes.

Wedge

An iron club with bent head, and an angle between its shaft and a lower edge of the head smaller than the regular one. Pitching wedge is used to play on short distances or to knock the ball away from high grass. Sand wedge club is used to hit a ball in a bunker, and a lob wedge is a club for hitting a ball very high and for a short distance.

Whiff

A shot without striking the ball. It counts as an accomplished stroke.

Whippy

A club shaft softer than the standard one.

Windcheater

A low drive.

Winter rules

The rules describing when it is possible to move a ball.

Wood

Type of clubs that used to be made of wood, and nowadays are made of steel and titanium. These clubs differ in properties and outlook from all other clubs. Their heads are full and rounded, and their shafts are longer. They are used for striking a ball on a long distance, from a tee or a fairway.

Wormburner

A failed shot at the ground.

Wrist cock

A stage of a swing done with forearms and wrists, with a right hand placed over the left one. It should be accomplished exactly at the moment of striking the ball.

Yips

A short missing putt.