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Golf ABCs
Much has been written about golf. Some serious, some less so. One definition states:
“Golf is a sport in which one attempts to play a much too small ball on 18 much too long playing areas into a tiny hole using tools that are completely unsuitable for the job!”
The following is a short explanation of terms that may help shed light on the language of golf:
A
Albatross: Three strokes under par for a given hole. (see also par)
For scores under par, terms from the world of birds are used – see also Eagle and Birdie. An Albatross usually only seldomly occurs.
Addressing the ball: The process the player goes through in positioning his body and the club for the stroke. From a rules standpoint, it is when the player has taken his stance and grounded the club, or if in a hazard, when he has taken his stance.
Many times, the ball is also addressed verbally. A command is given to the ball before the tee-off, or during the ball’s flight - a reminder that one did not mention the turn to the right. Sometimes soft persuasion also helps.
Attire: In the meantime, golf attire has become a fashion of its own – from shoes to golf caps.
There is no bad weather in golf – only improper attire!
B
Ball: Like every ball sport, balls in golf are used that can be identified by their surface indentations.
Golf balls unfortunately have the bad habit of, against the will of the golfer, changing their flight direction and length seemingly at will. They also tend to disappear whenever possible, e.g. in tall grass, in various waters, etc.
Birdie: One under par for the hole.
Causes unexpected dances of glee in amateur golfers; for pro golfers they are a MUST, to be able to qualify for tournaments in the top league.
Bogey: One over par for the hole.
A pretty frequent result for amateur golfers. Very popular are the double-bogeys (2 over par).
Bunker: A hazard filled by sand or grass that is placed where a fairway shot may end (by a green or driving distance from the tee).
Balls have an inexplicable magical attraction to bunkers, which are to be found quite often and in large numbers by the green.
C
Carry: The distance that the ball travels in the air after being struck, excluding the distance the ball continues to roll on the ground.
Often, the complicated calculation of the necessary flying range is abrubtly interrupted by the magical force of attraction of various hazards, such as ponds, biotopes, bunkers, etc.
Chip: Hitting the ball into the air with enough flight to land on the green and roll across the green towards the hole.
An important putt that must be learnt and practiced regularly.
D
Divot: A piece of turf lifted when ball is struck.
In Austria sometimes also called "Schnitzel", which occasionally flies further than the ball itself.
Dog-leg: (right or left). A hole where the fairway hooks to the left or right thus obscuring the green from the tee. (partly up to 90°). One speaks of e.g. a "Dog-leg right".
Here one is challenged to demonstrate one’s entire golf skills and to play the direct line (Tiger Line) to the green. Unfair as it is, immediately after the putt has been made in that direction, trees and other obstacles suddenly appear out of the blue!
E
Eagle: To score two under par for a hole.
Happens all the time at the big pro-tournaments.
Etiquette: A set of guidelines to promote proper behaviour on the course. First and foremost, it is about the safety, priviledge and considerate treatment of the golf course. Etiquette is to be mastered just as the golf rules are.
F
Fade: To induce backspin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing.
...see also "Ball" and the independent will of said ball.
Fairway: The playing area between the tee and the green, does not include hazards.
Flight: A ball is in flight when travelling through the air. Also, the group with which one is playing a round of golf.
e.g. 2-er Flight, 4-er Flight, etc. – a Flight consists of maximum 4 persons.
Fore: To cry "Fore" is to warn other players that your ball may hit them.
Upon hearing the warning, the best thing is to make oneself as small as possible and cover one’s head with one’s hands – unfortunately an astounded and questioning look about can be registered in others’ reactions.
G
Greenfee: The charge levied to play the course that must be paid at the clubhouse before start of play.
Green: The area of short grass surrounding the hole where the ball is hit using a putter.
Also the area that, despite numerous attempts, one only reaches with difficulty – see also Bunker. Once one has at long last made it, then there is still the difficult task of getting the ball into the hole!
Ground under repair: Any part of the course being repaired is ground under repair (marked by poles or lines). A ball that lands in such an area can be moved without penalty (but not nearer to the pin!).
H
Handicap: The number of strokes a player is given to adjust his score to that of standard scratch. It allows golfers of different abilities to compete on equal terms. A player with Handicap 36 may play an area with Handicap 72 with a total of 108 strokes, to reach his Handicap. One reaches or improves ones’s Handicap e.g at so-called "handicap adjustment tournaments". The playing areas are designated (with Handicap) according to their level of difficulty. The hole with Handicap 1 is the most difficult, the hole with Handicap 18 is the easiest.
Oftentimes, answers to the question of “What is your Handicap?” are given as “My game, the playing area, the putter, etc.”
Hazard: Permanent features on the golf course designed to obstruct play (Bunkers, water hazards such as river, pond, etc.)
It is unbelievable how hazards seem to increase during a round of golf...and for some, the entire golf course is just one big hazard.
Hole: The playing area is termed “Hole”, but so, of course, is the “Hole” itself in which the ball should roll into. It has to have a diameter of 10,8 cm and must be at least 10 cm deep.
... as mentioned earlier, much too small for the golf ball!!
Hole-in-One: The ball goes straight into the hole from your tee shot.
The dream and nightmare of every golfer. On the one hand, it would get you on the list of the Chosen, on the other hand, tradition has it that you have to buy a round of drinks for all the golfers present at the clubhouse. It can get pretty expensive at a tournament with a high number of participants – and ALL have to be invited, sometimes up to 120. Nowadays, one can get insured against such event.
Honour: The honour goes to the last player to win a hole or take the least number of shots. The player with the honour tees off first.
L
Links-Courses: A term for golf courses that originated in Scotland; there, the typically seaside courses with their dunes are called links.
M
Mulligan: When a player is allowed to repeat any one shot per hole. The Mulligan only exists inofficially – and does not exist at tournaments and in rules handbooks.
Usually, before play begin, one agrees on one Mulligan per player, for example.
N
Nearest-to-the-pin: An additional challenge at a golf tournament. The golfer whose ball lies nearest to the hole – but on the green - after the tee-off, wins.
Usually this shot is played on a Par-3 hole. The player marks the spot with a plate, on which he writes his name. If a successional player’s shot is nearer, then the latter places his marker into the new position. The winner receives a special prize.
Net: The net score is the final score after the player subtracts his handicap. If a player with Handicap -28 plays a round on a par 72 golf course with 100 shots(= brutto), then he has a net of 72 shots in the final score (100 minus 28).
O
Out of Bounds: The area on or adjacent to the course where the ball may not be played from. Normally marked by white posts, lines, or fences, etc.
These, too, seem to magically attract the ball on its explorative expedition.
P
Par: The number of shots a low handicapper should take for a hole or round. The golf course normally consists of Par-3, Par-4 and Par-5 holes. The hole par is measured by the number of shots needed to reach the green plus two for the putting. A Par is achieved when a hole is played with the given number, e.g. Par-4 with 4 shots.
Pitch: A short and high shot into the air to bring the ball closer to the green.
...at least in theory!
Pro: short for professional. Golfer, who receives monetary remuneration for playing golf. There are "Teaching Pros" and "Playing Pros". Pros do not have a Handicap.
Provisional Ball: The playing of a second ball from the same place as the first because the player is unsure of what may have happened to the first ball (i.e. it may be lost, out of bounds, etc.). If the first ball is not found anymore – or is out of bounds – then the provisional ball becomes the “ Play Ball”.
The provisional ball is oftentimes a perfect shot, however connected with penalty shots. Thus, one should play every ball as if it were the provisional one.
R
Rabbit: A novice player.
weren’t we all at some point...
Red markers : These mark a water hazard that lies to the side of the playing grounds (see also yellow markers).
S
Score Keeper: Is someone designated to write down the number of shots of the player. The score keeper can also be a player in the Flight at the same time.
During a tournament, a player is always also score keeper of another player in the flight.
Slice: To induce too much backspin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing.
Another proof that the ball has a will of its own and example of the helplessness that the despairing golfer is subject to...
Socket: Missed shot, whereby the tip of the putter hits the ball in such a way that it swings to the right.
A shot that happens all the time – therefore Flight-partners should always stand diagonally behind the player...
T
Tee: A small peg stuck into the ground on which a golf ball is placed.
Tee: Also area where golfers play first stroke of any given hole. The tee field is rectangular. The men’s and women’s tee fields differentiate from each other as well as Championship tee fields for men and women.
For many golfers the first tee (= start of 1st hole) is the most difficult. Especially at tournaments one is hopelessly left at the mercy of the others’ stares.
Tiger Line: Direct line to the hole, that usually leads through hazards.
see also "Dog-leg"
U
Unplayable lie: When ball ends up in a position from which it cannot be played, for example a bush – except if the ball lands in or touches a water hazard, in which case the player receives a penalty shot. The golf rules precisely set out where the player is allowed to drop and continue to play the ball.
W
Water Hazard: Ponds, lakes, rivers or ditches (with or without water) on the course, always marked by yellow or red posts.
Water hazards are very popular among golf balls, which feel right at home there. Time and again anglers can be observed attempting to retrieve the balls from their chosen resting spot.
Y
Yellow markers: These mark a “frontal water hazard” (stream, river, lake, biotope) – that lies transverse to the playing ground. Usually, the bank area is within the hazard, which is also subject to special regulations.
see also “Water hazard”
“Golf is a sport in which one attempts to play a much too small ball on 18 much too long playing areas into a tiny hole using tools that are completely unsuitable for the job!”
The following is a short explanation of terms that may help shed light on the language of golf:
A
Albatross: Three strokes under par for a given hole. (see also par)
For scores under par, terms from the world of birds are used – see also Eagle and Birdie. An Albatross usually only seldomly occurs.
Addressing the ball: The process the player goes through in positioning his body and the club for the stroke. From a rules standpoint, it is when the player has taken his stance and grounded the club, or if in a hazard, when he has taken his stance.
Many times, the ball is also addressed verbally. A command is given to the ball before the tee-off, or during the ball’s flight - a reminder that one did not mention the turn to the right. Sometimes soft persuasion also helps.
Attire: In the meantime, golf attire has become a fashion of its own – from shoes to golf caps.
There is no bad weather in golf – only improper attire!
B
Ball: Like every ball sport, balls in golf are used that can be identified by their surface indentations.
Golf balls unfortunately have the bad habit of, against the will of the golfer, changing their flight direction and length seemingly at will. They also tend to disappear whenever possible, e.g. in tall grass, in various waters, etc.
Birdie: One under par for the hole.
Causes unexpected dances of glee in amateur golfers; for pro golfers they are a MUST, to be able to qualify for tournaments in the top league.
Bogey: One over par for the hole.
A pretty frequent result for amateur golfers. Very popular are the double-bogeys (2 over par).
Bunker: A hazard filled by sand or grass that is placed where a fairway shot may end (by a green or driving distance from the tee).
Balls have an inexplicable magical attraction to bunkers, which are to be found quite often and in large numbers by the green.
C
Carry: The distance that the ball travels in the air after being struck, excluding the distance the ball continues to roll on the ground.
Often, the complicated calculation of the necessary flying range is abrubtly interrupted by the magical force of attraction of various hazards, such as ponds, biotopes, bunkers, etc.
Chip: Hitting the ball into the air with enough flight to land on the green and roll across the green towards the hole.
An important putt that must be learnt and practiced regularly.
D
Divot: A piece of turf lifted when ball is struck.
In Austria sometimes also called "Schnitzel", which occasionally flies further than the ball itself.
Dog-leg: (right or left). A hole where the fairway hooks to the left or right thus obscuring the green from the tee. (partly up to 90°). One speaks of e.g. a "Dog-leg right".
Here one is challenged to demonstrate one’s entire golf skills and to play the direct line (Tiger Line) to the green. Unfair as it is, immediately after the putt has been made in that direction, trees and other obstacles suddenly appear out of the blue!
E
Eagle: To score two under par for a hole.
Happens all the time at the big pro-tournaments.
Etiquette: A set of guidelines to promote proper behaviour on the course. First and foremost, it is about the safety, priviledge and considerate treatment of the golf course. Etiquette is to be mastered just as the golf rules are.
F
Fade: To induce backspin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing.
...see also "Ball" and the independent will of said ball.
Fairway: The playing area between the tee and the green, does not include hazards.
Flight: A ball is in flight when travelling through the air. Also, the group with which one is playing a round of golf.
e.g. 2-er Flight, 4-er Flight, etc. – a Flight consists of maximum 4 persons.
Fore: To cry "Fore" is to warn other players that your ball may hit them.
Upon hearing the warning, the best thing is to make oneself as small as possible and cover one’s head with one’s hands – unfortunately an astounded and questioning look about can be registered in others’ reactions.
G
Greenfee: The charge levied to play the course that must be paid at the clubhouse before start of play.
Green: The area of short grass surrounding the hole where the ball is hit using a putter.
Also the area that, despite numerous attempts, one only reaches with difficulty – see also Bunker. Once one has at long last made it, then there is still the difficult task of getting the ball into the hole!
Ground under repair: Any part of the course being repaired is ground under repair (marked by poles or lines). A ball that lands in such an area can be moved without penalty (but not nearer to the pin!).
H
Handicap: The number of strokes a player is given to adjust his score to that of standard scratch. It allows golfers of different abilities to compete on equal terms. A player with Handicap 36 may play an area with Handicap 72 with a total of 108 strokes, to reach his Handicap. One reaches or improves ones’s Handicap e.g at so-called "handicap adjustment tournaments". The playing areas are designated (with Handicap) according to their level of difficulty. The hole with Handicap 1 is the most difficult, the hole with Handicap 18 is the easiest.
Oftentimes, answers to the question of “What is your Handicap?” are given as “My game, the playing area, the putter, etc.”
Hazard: Permanent features on the golf course designed to obstruct play (Bunkers, water hazards such as river, pond, etc.)
It is unbelievable how hazards seem to increase during a round of golf...and for some, the entire golf course is just one big hazard.
Hole: The playing area is termed “Hole”, but so, of course, is the “Hole” itself in which the ball should roll into. It has to have a diameter of 10,8 cm and must be at least 10 cm deep.
... as mentioned earlier, much too small for the golf ball!!
Hole-in-One: The ball goes straight into the hole from your tee shot.
The dream and nightmare of every golfer. On the one hand, it would get you on the list of the Chosen, on the other hand, tradition has it that you have to buy a round of drinks for all the golfers present at the clubhouse. It can get pretty expensive at a tournament with a high number of participants – and ALL have to be invited, sometimes up to 120. Nowadays, one can get insured against such event.
Honour: The honour goes to the last player to win a hole or take the least number of shots. The player with the honour tees off first.
L
Links-Courses: A term for golf courses that originated in Scotland; there, the typically seaside courses with their dunes are called links.
M
Mulligan: When a player is allowed to repeat any one shot per hole. The Mulligan only exists inofficially – and does not exist at tournaments and in rules handbooks.
Usually, before play begin, one agrees on one Mulligan per player, for example.
N
Nearest-to-the-pin: An additional challenge at a golf tournament. The golfer whose ball lies nearest to the hole – but on the green - after the tee-off, wins.
Usually this shot is played on a Par-3 hole. The player marks the spot with a plate, on which he writes his name. If a successional player’s shot is nearer, then the latter places his marker into the new position. The winner receives a special prize.
Net: The net score is the final score after the player subtracts his handicap. If a player with Handicap -28 plays a round on a par 72 golf course with 100 shots(= brutto), then he has a net of 72 shots in the final score (100 minus 28).
O
Out of Bounds: The area on or adjacent to the course where the ball may not be played from. Normally marked by white posts, lines, or fences, etc.
These, too, seem to magically attract the ball on its explorative expedition.
P
Par: The number of shots a low handicapper should take for a hole or round. The golf course normally consists of Par-3, Par-4 and Par-5 holes. The hole par is measured by the number of shots needed to reach the green plus two for the putting. A Par is achieved when a hole is played with the given number, e.g. Par-4 with 4 shots.
Pitch: A short and high shot into the air to bring the ball closer to the green.
...at least in theory!
Pro: short for professional. Golfer, who receives monetary remuneration for playing golf. There are "Teaching Pros" and "Playing Pros". Pros do not have a Handicap.
Provisional Ball: The playing of a second ball from the same place as the first because the player is unsure of what may have happened to the first ball (i.e. it may be lost, out of bounds, etc.). If the first ball is not found anymore – or is out of bounds – then the provisional ball becomes the “ Play Ball”.
The provisional ball is oftentimes a perfect shot, however connected with penalty shots. Thus, one should play every ball as if it were the provisional one.
R
Rabbit: A novice player.
weren’t we all at some point...
Red markers : These mark a water hazard that lies to the side of the playing grounds (see also yellow markers).
S
Score Keeper: Is someone designated to write down the number of shots of the player. The score keeper can also be a player in the Flight at the same time.
During a tournament, a player is always also score keeper of another player in the flight.
Slice: To induce too much backspin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing.
Another proof that the ball has a will of its own and example of the helplessness that the despairing golfer is subject to...
Socket: Missed shot, whereby the tip of the putter hits the ball in such a way that it swings to the right.
A shot that happens all the time – therefore Flight-partners should always stand diagonally behind the player...
T
Tee: A small peg stuck into the ground on which a golf ball is placed.
Tee: Also area where golfers play first stroke of any given hole. The tee field is rectangular. The men’s and women’s tee fields differentiate from each other as well as Championship tee fields for men and women.
For many golfers the first tee (= start of 1st hole) is the most difficult. Especially at tournaments one is hopelessly left at the mercy of the others’ stares.
Tiger Line: Direct line to the hole, that usually leads through hazards.
see also "Dog-leg"
U
Unplayable lie: When ball ends up in a position from which it cannot be played, for example a bush – except if the ball lands in or touches a water hazard, in which case the player receives a penalty shot. The golf rules precisely set out where the player is allowed to drop and continue to play the ball.
W
Water Hazard: Ponds, lakes, rivers or ditches (with or without water) on the course, always marked by yellow or red posts.
Water hazards are very popular among golf balls, which feel right at home there. Time and again anglers can be observed attempting to retrieve the balls from their chosen resting spot.
Y
Yellow markers: These mark a “frontal water hazard” (stream, river, lake, biotope) – that lies transverse to the playing ground. Usually, the bank area is within the hazard, which is also subject to special regulations.
see also “Water hazard”
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