Back Door: When the ball drops into the hole, after rolling around the rim of the cup to the far side.
Back Lip: The edge of a bunker (a hazard filled with sand) that’s farthest from the green.
Back Nine: It is the second half, or last 9 nines holes of an 18-hole course.
Backspin: Is when the ball hits the green and spins back toward the player.
Backswing: The part of the swing which the clubhead moves away from the ball, to the point where it starts back down again. Also sometimes referred to as backstroke.
Baffie: Old name for a 5-wood.
Bail Out: A shot played to the “safe” part of the course.
Balata: Is sap from a tropical tree, which was formally used for the manufacture of golf ball covers.
Ball at Rest: When the ball is not moving.
Ball Marker: Is a small, round object used to indicate the ball’s position on the green.
Ball Retriever: Are long pole with a scoop on the end, used to collect balls from water hazards and other undesirable spots.
Ball Washer: Found on many tees; a device for cleaning balls.
Banana Ball: A shot that curves hugely from left to right, similar to a banana (see slice).
Bandit: Avoid bandits at all costs. See hustler.
Baseball Grip: Is to hold the club with all ten fingers on the grip.
Best Ball: Game for four players: two teams of two. The low score on each side counts as the team score on each hole.
Birdie: Score of one under par on a hole.
Bisque: Is a handicap stroke given by one player to another. Receiver may choose which hole it is applied to.
Bite A spin that tends to make the ball stop rather than roll when it lands.
Blade: The leading edge of the club, rather than the clubface, strikes the ball, resulting in a low shot that tends to travel way too far (see thin or skull). Also a kind of putter or iron.
Blast: An aggressive shot from a bunker that displaces a lot of sand.
Blind Shot: When unable to see the spot where you want the ball to land.
Block A shot that flies straight, but to the right of the target. Also see push.
Bogey: Is a score of one stroke over par on a hole.
Borrow: The amount of curve you must allow for a putt on a sloping green. Or what you need to do if you play a hustler.
Boundary: Edge, of course; it confines the space/time continuum. Usually marked by white stakes.
Brassie: Old name for a 2-wood.
Break: A slope that causes the ball to turn away from a straight line. See borrow.
British Open: National championship run by Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews — known in Britain as “the Open” because it was the first one.
Bulge: The curve across the face of a wooden club.
Bunker: Hazard filled with sand; can be referred to as a sand trap.
Buried Ball/Lie: Part of the ball below the surface of the sand in a bunker.
