Golf
What is a dogleg? Basic golf course vocabulary you should know
Golf course vocabulary can either make or break your knowledge of the sport. We’re here to break it all down for you
Golf encompasses both the realm of sports and language.
Long-time enthusiasts of the game know the significance of golf slang and terminology in accurately recounting their day on the course. That’s why we present the ultimate guide to golf terminology in this article, which may even introduce seasoned golfers to new terms.
The most veteran golfers will know most of these terms and might even use a different version of them with their golfing buddies. It may seem like a lot at first, but once you start playing and watching the game, they’ll make a lot more sense. One question we get asked a lot is:
What is a dogleg?
Here’s a graphic example below of how Bryson DeChambeau takes on a hole with a sharp bend to the right. A dogleg is a hole that bends to the left or right and forces players to make a decision about how to play the hole without getting into trouble on either side of the fairway.
Essential Golf Scoring Terms:
- Par: This represents the expected number of strokes a golfer should take to complete an individual hole. Par allows for two putts on the green plus the number of shots required to reach the green. For example, a par four implies that the golfer should reach the green in two shots and then putt twice. A course also has a par number, which indicates the total number of shots expected for all holes combined (typically par 72 for most courses).
- Ace (Hole-in-One): An ace occurs when a golfer hits the ball from the tee into the hole in a single shot.
- Condor: A condor refers to achieving a score of four shots below par, equivalent to a hole-in-one on a par five.
- Albatross (Double Eagle): An albatross signifies shooting three shots below par, which equates to two shots on a par five.
- Eagle: An eagle denotes shooting two shots below par on a hole (or three shots on a par five.)
- Birdie: A birdie indicates shooting one shot below par on a hole (or four shots on a par five.)
- Bogey: A bogey represents shooting one shot over par on a hole (or six shots on a par five.)
- Double Bogey: A double bogey entails shooting two shots over par (or seven shots on a par five.)
- Triple Bogey: A triple bogey involves shooting three shots over par (or eight shots on a par five.)
- Handicap: A handicap measures a golfer’s potential number of strokes over par during a round. For instance, a golfer with a ten handicap might shoot ten shots over par when playing well. This system balances competition across varying skill levels by granting extra strokes to higher handicap golfers.
- Scratch: A scratch golfer possesses a handicap of zero, meaning they can match the course handicap on a good round.
- Green in Regulation (GIR): A green in regulation signifies hitting the green within two strokes less than par. For instance, reaching the green in three shots on a par five.
- Fairway in Regulation (FIR): A fairway in regulation indicates hitting the fairway with the first shot on a par four or five.
Golf Course Terminology:
- Course Rating: The course rating represents the number of shots a scratch golfer would expect to take in the best 50% of their rounds. A higher rating implies a more challenging course.
- Slope Rating: The slope rating, ranging from 55 to 155, indicates the level of difficulty a course presents to an average amateur golfer. Higher numbers suggest a more challenging course.
- Country Club: A country club refers to a private course that typically offers amenities beyond golf, such as a pool, gym, and tennis courts.
- Golf Club: A golf club is a private course primarily focused on the golfing experience, with fewer amenities compared to a country club.
- Links: A links course represents a type of golf course featuring minimal water hazards and trees. These courses reflect the original course design style in Scotland.
Executive Course: a shorter course with a lower par, designed specifically for beginners and juniors. - Green Fee: The green fee refers to the cost paid to play a round of golf
- Pace: Golf courses establish a designated timeframe for completing a round.
- Ninety-Degree Rule – The ninety-degree rule states that golf carts should primarily be driven on designated paths and taken at a 90-degree angle from the path to reach the golf ball. This helps minimize damage to the grass.
- Starter – A starter is an individual responsible for managing the player order from the first tee box.
- Ranger – A ranger ensures that the pace of play is maintained on the golf course and generally monitors the overall gameplay.
- The Turn- refers to the transition from the front nine to the back nine of the course, typically with the clubhouse located in between.
Golf Hole Terms
- Dogleg – A dogleg refers to a golf hole with a sharp bend to the left or right. It earned this name due to its resemblance to a dog’s back leg.
- Tee Box – The tee box serves as the starting point for a golf hole. Typically, golf courses offer multiple tee box options to allow players to choose different distances, thereby varying the difficulty level.
- Red Tees – The red tees designate a tee box primarily reserved for female golfers.
- Gold Tees – The gold tees are tee boxes commonly used by senior (older) golfers.
- Green Tees – The green tees are typically reserved for junior (younger) golfers. - Fairway – The fairway is the centrally located area of a golf hole where the grass is cut shortest. It is considered the ideal position for playing a shot.
- Rough – The rough refers to the longer grass surrounding the outer edges of a golf hole.
- First Cut – The first cut consists of medium-length grass that serves as a transitional zone between the fairway and the rough.
- Bunker (Sand Trap) – A bunker is a sunken pit filled with sand. They can be found either in the fairway (fairway bunker) or near the green (greenside bunker).
- Pot Bunker – A pot bunker is a deep bunker characterized by steep sides, making it challenging to hit out of.
- Hazard – A hazard encompasses any obstacle on the golf course, including bunkers or bodies of water. Out of Bounds – Out of bounds refers to an area on the course from which a player is unable to play a shot. In such cases, the player must re-tee or drop their golf ball back in play. Out of bounds areas are typically marked by white stakes or signs.
- Penalty Stroke – A penalty stroke is an additional stroke added to a golfer’s score when they hit a ball out of bounds, into a hazard, or violate a golf rule (such as grounding a club in a bunker).
- Relief – Relief entails moving the ball away from an obstacle, such as a sprinkler head or a cart path. This allows the player to take a shot without interference.
- Provisional – A provisional ball is a second shot played when a golfer is uncertain whether their first shot is out of bounds or in a hazard. If the first ball cannot be found, the provisional ball is played with an added penalty.
- Unplayable – A golfer can declare their ball unplayable, enabling them to drop it further from the hole and incur a stroke penalty.
- Drop Zone – A drop zone, or drop area, is a designated marked area where a golfer can drop their ball if it lands in a hazard or an unplayable part of the course. Drop zones are typically indicated by signs or white circles on the ground.
- Green – The green is the area of the golf hole with the shortest-cut grass, surrounding the golf cup (hole). It is where the putter is primarily used.
- Fringe – The fringe refers to the grass surrounding the green, with slightly longer grass compared to the green itself. Golfers can putt or chip from this area.
- Cup – The cup is the hole on the green that serves as the ultimate target for a golfer to sink the ball into.
- Pin – The pin refers to the flagstick positioned in the golf hole. A precise shot may hit the pin.
- Hole Out – Hole out refers to successfully hitting the ball into the hole from a location off the green, eliminating the need for a putt.
- Grain – The grain refers to the direction in which the grass grows. On the green, the grain can influence how the ball rolls. Putting against the grain typically slows down the ball.
- Divot – A divot is a mark left on the ground when a club cuts through the grass during a shot. It is considered good golf etiquette to either replace a divot or use provided grass seed to fill it, as offered on golf carts.
- Pitch Mark – A pitch mark is an indentation in the ground caused by a golf ball landing quickly on soft ground. Golfers should repair these marks, especially when they occur on the green. Pitch marks are sometimes referred to as divots when they appear on the green.
Golf Competition formats
Golf Competition Formats
- Stroke Play – Stroke play is the most common golf format where an individual golfer’s strokes are counted and totaled for the entire round. This format is commonly used in professional tournaments.
- Match Play – Match play is a head-to-head format where players compete hole by hole, and the player with the lowest score on each hole wins that hole. The player who wins the most holes wins the match.
- Skins – Skins is a golf format where players compete for each hole individually. The player with the lowest score on a hole wins that hole, and if there’s a tie, the skin carries over to the next hole, increasing its value. The player with the most won skins at the end of the round wins the match. In some tournaments, skins can also be awarded as cash prizes for shooting lower scores on specific holes than any other player in the field.
- Scramble – A scramble is a team format where two to four golfers tee off, and then the best shot among them is selected. All players then play their subsequent shots from that spot. This format promotes faster play and is often favored by higher handicap players.
Best Ball – Best ball is a team format for two to four golfers where each player plays their own ball throughout the round. At the end of each hole, only the lowest score among the team members is used. - Shamble – A shamble format begins like a scramble, where all players tee off and select the best shot to play their second shots from. However, after the initial shot, each player continues playing their own ball for the remainder of the hole.
- Stableford – Stableford is a scoring system used in both individual and team events. Points are awarded based on the score achieved on each hole, with higher scores earning more points. The golfer or team with the highest point total wins the event.
- Alternate Shot – In alternate shot format, teams of two players take turns hitting shots on each hole, alternating between tee shots and subsequent shots until the ball is holed.
- Shotgun Start – A shotgun start is a format where all players begin the round simultaneously, starting from different holes on the course. This is done to expedite golf events.
- Nassau – Nassau is a betting game in golf where separate wagers are placed on the best score for the front nine, back nine, and the entire round.
Basic Golf Shot Terms
- Mulligan - A mulligan refers to the opportunity for amateur golfers to retake a shot without incurring a penalty, often allowed in casual tournament formats.
- Gimme - A gimme occurs when fellow players concede a short putt, allowing the golfer to pick up the ball and save time during a friendly game.
- Draw - A draw is a shot executed by right-handed golfers that results in a slight right-to-left ball flight.
- Fade - A fade is a shot executed by right-handed golfers that results in a slight left-to-right ball flight.
- Slice - A slice is an undesirable shot that curves sharply to the right for right-handed golfers.
- Hook - A hook is an undesirable shot that curves sharply to the left for right-handed golfers.
- Shaping - Shaping refers to intentionally manipulating the flight path of the golf ball through strategic setup and swing techniques.
- Push - A push occurs when the golf ball starts right of the target and continues in that direction, missing to the right.
- Pull - A pull occurs when the golf ball starts left of the target and continues in that direction, missing to the left.
- Punch - A punch is a low shot played intentionally to avoid obstacles or to achieve greater roll after landing.
- Pitch - A pitch shot is a high-arcing shot played with a steep angle, typically near the green. These shots have spin and do not travel far after landing.
- Chip - A chip shot is a low-flying shot played near the green, which rolls more after landing.
- Flop - A flop shot is a high-trajectory shot that travels even higher than a pitch shot and stops quickly upon hitting the green.
- Fat - A fat shot occurs when the golfer strikes the ground before the ball, resulting in a short travel distance.
- Thin - A thin shot occurs when the golfer strikes the ball with the lower edge of the club, producing lower flight and inconsistent distance.
- Lay-up - A lay-up refers to intentionally hitting a short shot to avoid hazards and position oneself for the next shot.
- Pin High - Pin high indicates a shot that finishes at the same level as the hole.
- Putt - A putt is a shot played on or near the green using a putter.
- Lag Putt - A lag putt is a long putt aimed at getting the ball as close to the hole as possible, leaving an easy second putt.
- Break - The break refers to the amount of curvature on the green that affects the ball’s direction.
- Fluffy Lie - A fluffy lie describes a situation where the golf ball is sitting up in the rough, making it easier to hit.
- Buried Lie - A buried lie occurs when the golf ball is partially or fully covered by grass, making it challenging to strike cleanly.
- Tight Lie - A tight lie is when the ball sits on very short grass or hard ground, requiring precise ball contact.
- Address - Addressing the golf ball refers to the golfer’s stance and club position before initiating a shot.
- Club Up - Clubbing up involves selecting a club that provides more distance than typically needed for a shot, accounting for factors like wind or elevation.
Advanced Golf Shot Terms:
- Smash Factor - Smash factor calculates the efficiency of energy transfer by dividing the ball’s speed by the clubhead’s speed.
- Carry Distance - Carry distance measures how far the ball travels through the air before touching the ground.
- Roll Distance - Roll distance indicates the distance the ball covers along the ground after landing.
- Total Distance - Total distance represents the combined carry and roll distances, measuring the overall travel of the ball.
- Launch Angle - Launch angle refers to the vertical trajectory of the ball immediately after impact.
- Angle of Attack - The angle of attack denotes the vertical angle at which the clubhead strikes the ball.
- Dynamic Loft - Dynamic loft represents the effective loft of the clubface at impact, which may differ from the club’s intended loft due to swing mechanics.
- Forward Press - A forward press involves pushing the hands forward before the swing to facilitate a smoother takeaway.
- Knockdown Shot - A knockdown shot is a low-flying shot executed intentionally to keep the ball trajectory at a minimum height.