U
Uncock: See Release. Underclub: To take at least one club less than needed for distance. Unplayable Lie: You can’t hit the ball. One stroke penalty is your reward. Up: Ahead in the match. Or the person next to play. Or reaching the hole with a putt. Up and Down: To get the ball into the hole in two strokes from somewhere […]
T
Takeaway: Early part of the backswing. Tap-In: Very short putt. Tee: Wooden peg on which the ball is set for the first shot on a hole. Also, the area from which that initial shot is hit. Teeing Ground: Area in which you must tee your ball, between the tee markers and neither in front of them nor more than […]
S
Sandbagger: A golfer who lies about his or her ability/handicap to gain an advantage. Sand Trap: A bunker. Sandy: Making par after being in a bunker. Scorecard: Where the length, par, and rating of each hole is recorded. Also, your score. Scoring: The grooves on the clubface. Scramble: To play erratic golf but still score well. Or a game where a […]
R
Rabbit: A beginning player. Rake: Device used to smooth the sand after you leave a bunker. Range: Practice area. Range Ball: Generally a low-quality ball used on a driving range. Rap: To hit a putt firmly. Read the Green: To assess the path on which a putt must travel to the hole. Regular: A shaft with normal flex. Regulation: Par figures. Release: The point […]
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 […]
