Q
Quail High (Stealth, Skull, Rat-High): Low. Qualifying School: A place where aspiring professional golfers try to qualify for the PGA and LPGA Tours. A punishing week of pressure golf. The ultimate grind. Quitting: Not hitting through a shot with conviction.
P
Pairings: Groups of two players. Par: The score a good player would expect to make on a hole or round. Partner: A player on your side. Penal: Difficult. Persimmon: A wood from which many wooden clubs are made. PGA: Professional Golfers’ Association. Piccolo Grip: A very loose hold on the club, especially at the top of the backswing. Pigeon: An opponent you should […]
O
O.B. (Oscar Bravo, Set it Free): Out-of-bounds. Off-Center Hit: Less than a solid strike. Offset: Club with the head set farther behind the shaft than normal. One-Putt: To take only a single putt on a green. One Up: Being one hole ahead in the match score. Open Face: Clubface aligned to the right of the target at address, or to the […]
N
Nassau: Bet in which a round of 18 holes is divided into three — front nine, back nine, and full 18. Net Score: Score for a hole or round after handicap strokes are deducted. Never Up, Never In: Annoying saying coined for a putt that finishes short of the hole. Niblick: Old term for a 9-iron. Nine: Half of a […]
M
Make: Hole a shot. Makeable: Shot with a good chance of being holed. Mallet: Putter with a wide head. Mark: To indicate the position of the ball with a small, round, flat object, such as a coin, usually on the green. Marker: Small, round object, such as a coin, placed behind the ball to indicate its position when you lift […]
L
Ladies Day: Time when course is reserved for those of the female persuasion. Lag: A long putt hit with the intent of leaving the ball close to the cup. Laid Off: When the club points to the left of the target at the top of the backswing. Lateral Hazard: Water hazard marked by red stakes and usually parallel to […]
K
Kick: Another term for bounce. Kill: To hit a long shot.
J
Jail: Slang for when you and your ball are in very deep trouble. Jigger: Old term for a 4-iron. Jungle: Slang for heavy rough, or an unprepared area of long grass
I
Impact: Moment when the club strikes the ball. Impediment: Loose debris that you can remove from around your ball as long as the ball doesn’t move. Impregnable Quadrilateral: The Grand Slam. Improve Your Lie: To move the ball to make a shot easier. This is illegal unless local rules dictate otherwise. In Play: Within the confines of the course (not […]
H
Hacker: Poor player. Half: Tied hole. Half Shot: Improvised shot with ordinarily too much club for the distance. Halve: To tie a hole. Ham and Egging: When you and partner play well on alternate holes, forming an effective team. Handicap: For example, one whose handicap is 16 is expected to shoot 88 on a par 72 course, or 16 strokes over […]
