Descriptionary

closed stance a stance in which the left foot is placed over the line of flight with the right foot back.

clubbing a player advising another player which club to use on a particular shot.

club head the portion of the club that strikes the ball.

clubhouse collective term for lockers, restaurant, bar, and meeting rooms.

clubhouse lawyer a person who knows even the most obscure golf rules and who generally makes a pain of himself by advising everyone.

collar the edge of a sand hazard.

course rating a scale defining the playing difficulty of a particular course in comparison to other courses, expressed in strokes and fractions of a stroke.

cup hole.

cut shot a high, soft shot that stops rolling almost immediately after hitting the green.

dead imparted with so much backspin that a ball stops without rolling after hitting the green.

deuce a hole made in two strokes.

dimples the indentations on a golf ball.

divot a slice of turf hacked out by a club during a stroke.

dogleg a curve in the fairway to the right or left.

dormie a situation in which the opponent must win every remaining hole to tie a match.

double bogey scoring 2 over par at a particular hole.

double eagle a score of 3 under par. Also known as an albatross.

down the number of strokes a player is behind his opponent.

draw an intentional hook shot. drive to hit the ball from a tee.

driver No. 1 wood, used for the maximum distance shot.

dub a poor shot; a missed shot.

duck hook a severe hook hit low to the ground, sometimes causing people on the sidelines to "duck."

duffer a poor golfer. Also known as a hacker. dunk to hit a ball into a water hazard. eagle scoring two strokes under par at a hole. explode see blast.

face the hitting surface of a club's head.

fade a ball that "fades" to its left or right at the end of its flight.

fairway the manicured terrain between the tee and the putting green.

fan to swing the club and miss the ball completely. Also known as to whiff.

fat shot a shot in which the club has partially struck the ground before hitting the ball, resulting in a high, low, or weak flight.

feather hitting a long, high shot that curves slightly from left to right and then settles with little roll.

flagstick the flagpole placed in a hole to show its location from a distance.

flash trap a small sand bunker, usually shallow.

flier a ball without spin that travels farther than expected.

floater a ball that is hit high and appears to float lightly across the sky.

fore the word shouted to warn players downfield of the impending flight of a ball.

forecaddie a person whose primary responsibility is to mark the position of a player's ball on the course.

fringe see apron.

frog hair the short grass around the edge of the green.

front side on an 18-hole course, the first nine holes.

gimme a short putt easily made.

go to school to learn the lay of a green by watching the roll of a putt from another player.

grain the direction in which the grass on a putting green lies after being cut.

grasscutter a low, line-drive shot that skims the grass.

green the whole golf course. (The putting greens are where the holes are located and are frequently referred to as the "green" as well.)

greens fee the fee paid to play on a golf course.

gross a player's score before a handicap is subtracted.

hacker a poor golfer.

halfswing a swing in which the club is brought only halfway back.

halve to make a hole in the same number of strokes as the other player(s).

handicap a stroke or strokes given to a player of lesser ability than his opponent to help even out a match.

handicap player a player who usually plays above par and is thus given a handicap.

hanging lie a ball that comes to rest on a downhill slope.

hazard a bunker or water trap.

heel to hit the ball from the top of the club head near the shaft, resulting in the ball taking off at right angles to the line of play.

hole-in-one a hole made in one stroke. Also known as an ace.

hook a ball that curves to the left.

iron any club with a metal head.

lateral hazard a water hazard running alongside or parallel to the line of play.

lie the place where the ball comes to rest after a shot.

links originally a name for a seaside golf course but now describing any course.

lip the rim of the hole.

loft the height a ball reaches in the air. Also the angle a club face is set at in order to give a ball more lift or "loft."

marshal a person who keeps spectators in line and orderly in a golf tournament.

mashie No. 5 iron.

mashie iron No. 4 iron.

mashie niblick No. 7 iron.