Golf Terms Used

You keep hearing golf terms used at work and at parties. The only one you recognize is the term "fore". Look out for the approaching ball!

Man-In-A-Hurry.com wanted to help you become familiar with the golf terms as a way of saying thank you for visiting with us.

You may just decide to join the millions of golf players worldwide with a little knowledge to make you feel comfortable to take the next step. The Beginner's Guide to Golf may be all you need to get started on the right track the first time.

Do make sure you check out our golf stretches for back and biomechanics of golf web pages to incorporate these two important elements into your plans to take up golf. They will help you reduce the chances of injurying yourself as well as help you improve your chances of becoming an above average player.

Golf Terms:

•Address - the position taken by the player when setting up to play a stroke.

•Albatross - three strokes under par on a hole.

•Alignment - position of the body in relation to the target.

•Approach shot - a shot played to the green.

•Apron - grass area, immediately surrounding green.

•Arc - the swing of the clubhead.

•Away - player farthest from the hole.

•Backspin - reverse spin which causes the ball to stop quickly when it lands.

•Backswing - movement of the club away from the ball to the top of the swing.

•Birdie - one stroke below par for a hole.

•Bogey - one stroke over par on a hole.

•Break - the amount a ball will deviate from a straight line on the putting green.

•Bunker - depression in the ground, usually filled with sand.

•Buzzard - two strokes over par.

•Caddie - someone who to carries a player's clubs and gives playing advice.

•Chip shot - short, low running shot played from off the green.

•Clubhead - part of the club that strikes the ball.

•Cup - hole in putting green.

•Divot - piece of turf taken out of the ground when striking the ball.

•Dogleg - a fairway that runs straight and then bends to the left or the right.

•Down - a term meaning a player is behind in a match.

•Double bogey - two strokes over par.

•Double eagle - three strokes under par.

•Downswing - movement of the club from the top of the backswing to the ball.

•Drive - a shot hit from the tee, usually on a par four or five.

•Driver - number one wood; the club with the least loft, hits the ball the furthest.

•Eagle - two strokes below par on a hole.

•Even - all even or equal in a match.

•Fairway - the mown area of the course between the tee and the green

•Flag - marks spot on green where cup is located.

•Follow-through - the final part of the swing which occurs after impact

•Fore - a warning shouted to players ahead to warn them of an approaching ball.

•Four - maximum number of players allowed to play golf in one group.

•Green - the putting surface or the closely mown area around the hole.

•Grip - the position of the hands on the club. Also known as the handle of the club.

•Handicap - the number of strokes a player receives to bring their score down to par

•Hazard - any bunker or water hazard

•Hole - a 4 1/4 inch diameter hole cut in the putting surfaces.

•Honor - the privilege of hitting first off the tee.

•Hook - shot that bends from right to left.

•Interlocking - hooking the index and little finger together on the club.

•Iron - metal-headed club

•9 Iron - iron used to hit the ball high and short

•3 Iron - iron used to hit the ball longer but is not very accurate

•Lie - the manner in which the ball is lying on the grass.

•Line - the preferred direction of the shot.

•Links - a seaside course.

•Major - a term applied to the four biggest championships in gold: the Masters, the British Open, the United States Open and the United States Professional Golfers' Association Championship.

•Out of bounds - stroke penalty and replay from same spot.

•Overlapping - grip where the little finger lays over the index finger.

•Par - the normal amount of strokes required for a good golfer to play a hole.

oPar is generally set according to length in yards. A par three is never longer than 250; par four is for holes between 251 - 475; and par five is for 476 yards or longer.

oPar is determined by adding a 2 putt to the number of hits it takes to reach the green

•Pin - another name for flagstick.

•Pitch - short, high shot to the green.

•Punch - shot which flies low to the ground.

•Putt - shot played with a putter on the green.

•Putter - a straight-faced club used on the green.

•Rough - long grass.

•Run - the distance the ball travels along the ground.

•Sand wedge - heavy, soled club used to play out of bunkers.

•Scratch - term given to someone with a handicap of zero.

•Short game - those shots played around the green.

•Slice - shot which bends drastically from left to right.

•Sole - bottom of club

•Stance - the placing of the feet when addressing the ball.

•Stymie - ball lying directly in line of putt of another.

•Swing - the entire action taken when hitting the ball.

•Tee - peg used to raise the ball above the surface of the teeing ground.

•Teeing ground - the area from which the first shot is played on a hole.

•Top shot - shot which catches only the top half of the ball.

•Trap - another expression given to a bunker.

•Up - being ahead in a match

•Waggle - movement of the clubhead prior to the swing.

•Wedge - lofted club designed for pitch shots.

•Winter rules - the privilege of improving the lie of the ball on the fairway.

•Wood - woodenheaded clubs; hits ball longest distance.

•Yips - a nervous condition of twitching in the hands and wrists. It plagues golfers particularly on putting greens.

•Ball hit in water - stroke penalty, play from 2 club lengths where the ball went in.

Basic Rules:

•No Penalty: Free Drop

1.ground under repair

2.staked trees or shrubs

3.sprinkler head used for course watering

4.casual water from rain or sprinklers

5.holes made by burrowing animals

•One Stroke Penalty

2.out-of-bounds ball - one that has gone beyond the white stakes placed on the perimeter of the golf course. Go back to the spot from which the ball was hit and drop it, or re-tee.

3.direct water hazard - water that runs across the fairway (yellow stakes mark).

4.lateral water hazard - water that runs parallel to the fairway. (red stakes mark).

5.unplayable lie - any shot you consider unplayable.

6.accidental moving of ball - occurs when a ball moves from its original position because a player accidentally touches it.

7.Whiffing - happens when you attempt to hit the ball, but no contact is made.

•Two Stroke Penalty

2. Hitting the wrong ball.

3. Hitting a ball or flag on the green.

4. Requesting Assistance. (what club to use, etc.)

•Disqualification

2.Making an error in scoring, assigning a lower score than you earned to any hole.

BASIC ETIQUETTE:

•Play honestly. (You are your own official.)

•Tee off on time

•The first player to tee off on a hole is the player with the least strokes on the previous hole

•Order of Play on Fairway

  1.golfer farthest away from hole hits first

  2.all others stay behind hitter

  3.everyone walks on toward own ball

•Order of Play on Green

  1.all on green first

  2.longest putt

•Tend the flag as a courtesy to group (ask first)

•Never step in line of partner’s putt or allow shadow to cross path of putt.

•Play without delay

•Allow a faster group to play through

•Before putting place your clubs on the side of the green closest to the next tee box to facilitate faster play and allow the group behind you to take their approach shots sooner

•Record your scores on next tee

•Yell "fore!" if your ball may be dangerous to others

•Replace all divots and lift ball marks on the greens

•Rake all bunkers / sand traps

•All golfers should be quiet while a player is hitting

•Do not take golf carts or bag of clubs on the greens

•Many golf courses have a maximum 10 hit rule per hole (after 10 hits the ball is picked up and carried to the green where the golfer may practice putt but the score for the hole will be 10)

•Many golf courses require appropriate clothing and may have their own additional course rules to follow

Now that you know the Golf Terms, Basic Rules and Basic Etiquette; it's time to do your homework to make sure you purchase the right golf equipment and don't forget the two important elements, golf stretches for back and biomechanics of golf

You will be glad you didn't forget when you realize that biomechanics principles will play an important factor in deciding what type of equipment is best suited for you.

How about playing free golf?

Get out there and make it happen. It's no telling what kind of great opportunities playing golf may create for you.