Reference
The Golf Dictionary
Every term a serious golfer should know — defined precisely, written for clarity, and updated as the game evolves.
- Entries
- 53
- Categories
- 8
- Updated
- This season
- Format
- Editorial
PGA-Cited MethodologyUSGA Rules AlignedReviewed by Teaching ProsEditorially Independent
A
4 terms- AceScoring
- A hole-in-one — a tee shot holed in a single stroke, almost always on a par 3.
- AimPointSwing
- A green-reading method that uses the body's sensitivity to slope, read with the feet, to determine break.See also: Plumb Bob
- AlbatrossScoring
- A score of three under par on a single hole; called a 'double eagle' in the United States.Rarer than a hole-in-one in absolute terms — most albatrosses are 2s on par 5s.
- Approach ShotScoring
- A shot intended to reach or land near the green, typically the second shot on a par 4 or third on a par 5.
B
7 terms- BackspinSwing
- Reverse rotation imparted on the ball that causes it to stop quickly or check on landing.Generated by a steeper angle of attack, clean grooves, and a urethane-cover ball.
- BirdieScoring
- A score of one under par on a hole.
- BogeyScoring
- A score of one over par on a hole. Double, triple, and quadruple bogeys follow.
- BounceEquipment
- The angle between a wedge's leading edge and the lowest point of its sole; higher bounce skids through soft sand and turf without digging.See also: Grind
- BreakCourse
- The curvature a putt takes due to green slope and grain.See also: AimPoint
- Bump and RunSwing
- A low, rolling shot played from just off the green using a less-lofted club to release like a putt.
- BunkerCourse
- A hollow filled with sand, typically positioned as a strategic hazard. Often called a 'sand trap' in casual usage; the Rules of Golf call it a bunker.
C
4 terms- CarrySwing
- The distance a ball travels through the air before its first bounce.
- Chip ShotSwing
- A short, low shot played from near the green that spends most of its time rolling.See also: Pitch Shot
- CompressionEquipment
- The degree to which a golf ball deforms at impact; often overstated as a fitting variable in modern multi-layer balls.See also: Urethane
- Cut ShotSwing
- A shot that curves left-to-right for a right-handed player; a controlled fade.See also: Draw, Fade
D
5 terms- DispersionAnalytics
- The elliptical pattern in which a player's shots scatter around a target line.Tour players typically scatter ~5–6% of total distance; amateurs 8–12%.
- DivotCourse
- The strip of turf displaced by an iron strike. Replace or sand-fill it as etiquette demands.
- DoglegCourse
- A hole that bends left or right between tee and green, requiring shot shape or angle strategy.
- Double EagleScoring
- American term for an albatross — three under par on a hole.See also: Albatross
- DrawSwing
- A controlled right-to-left ball flight for a right-handed player.See also: Fade
E
1 term- EagleScoring
- A score of two under par on a hole.
F
4 terms- FadeSwing
- A controlled left-to-right ball flight for a right-handed player; safer than a cut, more controlled than a slice.
- FairwayCourse
- The closely mown corridor between tee and green where the second shot is intended to be played from.
- Fairway HitAnalytics
- A traditional statistic counting drives that finish in the short grass; largely superseded by Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.
- Flop ShotSwing
- A high, soft shot played with a wide-open clubface to clear an obstacle and stop quickly.
G
3 terms- GreenCourse
- The closely mown putting surface, the target of every approach shot.
- Greens in Regulation (GIR)Analytics
- Reaching the green in the expected number of strokes (par minus two); a useful baseline metric that misses location quality.
- GrindEquipment
- Sole shaping applied to wedges to suit specific turf conditions and shot patterns.See also: Bounce
H
4 terms- Handicap IndexRules
- A portable number under the World Handicap System representing a player's demonstrated potential; the average of the best 8 of the last 20 score differentials.
- HonorRules
- The right to tee off first, traditionally earned by the lowest score on the previous hole.
- HookSwing
- An uncontrolled right-to-left ball flight (right-handed); excessive draw.
- HybridEquipment
- A club that blends iron and fairway-wood characteristics, designed as an easier-to-hit replacement for long irons.
K
1 term- Kinematic SequenceSwing
- The proximal-to-distal order — pelvis, torso, arm, club — in which segments accelerate during the downswing.Universally observed in elite golfers regardless of swing style.
L
3 terms- Launch AngleEquipment
- The vertical angle at which the ball leaves the clubface relative to the ground.
- Lie AngleEquipment
- The angle between the club's shaft and the ground when the sole is flat at address; affects shot direction.
- LinksCourse
- A coastal course built on sandy soil with firm turf, few trees, and wind as the defining hazard. The original form of the game.
M
2 terms- Match PlayRules
- A format in which holes are won, lost, or halved; the match is decided by holes up, not total strokes.
- MulliganSlang
- A casual replay of a poor shot, not permitted under the Rules of Golf.
N
1 term- Net Double BogeyRules
- The maximum score recorded on any hole for handicap purposes under the World Handicap System.
P
4 terms- Pitch ShotSwing
- A short shot played with a wedge that spends more time in the air than rolling, used when the green is elevated or there is trouble between you and the flag.See also: Chip Shot
- Plumb BobSwing
- A green-reading technique using the putter held vertically to gauge green slope.See also: AimPoint
- Provisional BallRules
- A second ball played when the original may be lost or out of bounds, to save time should a search prove fruitless.
- PushSwing
- A straight shot that flies right of the intended line (right-handed); face open at impact, path on line.
R
2 terms- Reading the GreenCourse
- The act of evaluating slope, grain, and speed to determine the line and pace of a putt.
- ReleaseSwing
- The unhinging of the wrists through impact that delivers the clubhead to the ball; early release ('casting') is a common power leak.
S
4 terms- Slope RatingRules
- A measure of a course's relative difficulty for a bogey golfer compared with a scratch golfer; integral to Course Handicap calculation.
- SnowmanSlang
- A score of 8 on a single hole — named for the digit's shape.
- StablefordRules
- A scoring system that awards points for each hole based on net score relative to par; the higher the points total, the better.
- Strokes GainedAnalytics
- A measure of every shot's value relative to a benchmark's expected strokes from the start and end position.Decomposed into Off the Tee, Approach, Around the Green, and Putting categories.
T
1 term- Texas WedgeSlang
- Using a putter from off the green — typically on firm, links-style turf where chipping is risky.
U
2 terms- Up and DownScoring
- Holing out in two strokes from off the green: a chip or pitch followed by a single putt.
- UrethaneEquipment
- The soft cover material on premium tour balls; produces meaningfully more wedge spin than Surlyn or ionomer covers.See also: Compression
Y
1 term- YipsSwing
- Involuntary movements during short putts or chips; a documented neuromotor phenomenon, not merely psychological.
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