[Update 2021] Golf Terms Every Golfer Should Know

Golf terms include tools, technique, parts of the course, scoring, rules of the game, errors, and achievements. These are the basic words every golfer needs to know to be able to integrate into this sport. AllTimesGolf will help you get acquainted with most of them.

Why do golfers need to know the basic terms in golf?

Golf is no longer a little-known sport, only for the nobility and kings like when it was first introduced. Nowadays, golf has become more familiar to the majority of people from all walks of life. The terms in golf are mostly kept in English.

First, you need to understand the most basic terms about golf equipment, positions on the course, rules of the game, scoring, basic errors… Just understanding these terms is enough to understand 60% of the rules. basic golf. Otherwise, you will easily confuse the commands, golf techniques and it is very difficult to become a professional golfer.

Each golfer will have his own style of play but cannot be separated from the general rules in golf. The uniqueness of each golfer is not only created from personal creativity but also a process that golfers explore and learn from previous generations and world-famous golfers. Understanding golf terminology will help golfers easily access new knowledge and content and invent unique features in their own play.

Golf terms that define areas in the course 

In golf, there are many different types of courses divided by the number of holes on the course such as 18-hole, 36-hole course, or only 9-hole course. Regardless of the type of yard, it is imperative that there are 8 most basic areas. 

• Tee-box: Term indicating the starting point of the ball on the court. The tee box is where the teeing golfer makes his swing to the fairway. This is also the only area where players are allowed to use the ball support pole, also known as the tee.

• Fairway: The grass field between the tee box and the green has a straight or curvy terrain. The fairway area will have the shortest and smoothest grass to bring the ball to the green most easily.

• Green: The area around the hole, where the ball rolls down and is scored for the golfer. This area has moderately sloping terrain so that the ball can easily roll into the hole with the most well-groomed grass.

• Hole: The term for the hole in the golf course where the ball rolls down. The hole is usually marked with a small flag so that golfers can easily identify it from a distance. In which, the red flag indicates the hole in front of the green, the green flag indicates the hole in the middle and the green flag indicates the hole behind the green. The basic size of a golf hole is usually 10cm depth and 10.8cm radius.

• Rough: Term for the boundary line around the fairway. Golfers need to avoid letting the ball fly into this area because there are often obstacles or rough terrain that make it difficult to get the ball out of the rough to the green.

• Golf hazards: Term for obstacles on the course. Obstacles include sandpits, lakes, bushes, etc. For professional golfers, golf hazards are always a unique attraction of each golf course to conquer.

• Fringe: Term for the area surrounding the green and also known as the collar. This is also a type of obstacle in the contact area with the green.

• Tree: Although it is just a landscape on the golf course, it is also indispensable. In certain situations, trees also become natural obstacles that golfers need to overcome.

Golf Terms A to Z when playing the game

• Abnormal Ground Condition: Term for areas with particularly unfavorable terrain for playing football.

• Advice: Term used to refer to suggestions or in-game advice that help a golfer make a better shot.

• Angle of attack: The term for the angle at which the club moves to enter the ball.

• Backspin: Term for a stroke that causes the ball to spin and come to a sudden stop when it hits the ground.

• Backswing: The term refers to the movement of the club and hitting the ball with the driver.

• Ball Mark: The term for the indentation that a golf ball makes when it lands on the fairway. Pitch mark is also the word for this case.

• Ball Retriever: A long stick that takes the ball out of water hazards or dangerous areas on the court.

• Baseball Grip: Shows a grip with 10 fingers gripping the club.

• Banana ball: This term refers to the case where the ball goes up to form an arc like a banana, which usually occurs in right-handed golfers.

• Blast: The term refers to the case when the golfer tees off at the bunker and when the ball goes up with a large amount of sand.

• Blind hole: Blind spot where the golfer cannot see the sign of the flag on the hole when entering the green area.

• Bunker: Term for bunkers on a golf course.

• Caddy: A golfer's companion in the game, helping to give advice on rules and golf clubs.

• Chip shot: Term for a short and low-ball hit near the hole. There are three types of chip shots: overhead, normal, and spin.

• Chunk: Term for the swing with the clubhead hitting the ground before hitting the ball and causing the weeds to fly up with the stroke.

• CG: Term for the center of gravity on the inside of the clubhead. CG has the ability to increase or decrease the starting angle of the ball, greatly affecting the height of the ball.

• Club speed: Term for the linear speed of the center of gravity of the clubhead, as measured when the clubface touches the ball.

• Dogleg: The hole has a curved shape to the right or left, similar to the shape of a dog's paw.

• Draw: The term refers to the case where the golfer actively creates a spin ball from right to left, counterclockwise.

• Dunk: The term refers to the case when the ball is dropped into the water.

• Fade: The golf swing of a right-handed player, the ball curve from left to right.

• Fat shot: Term used when the clubhead hits the ground at the back of the ball, reducing the distance of the ball.

• Fried Egg: The ball is half-filled with sand in the hole.

• Gallery: Audience watching the golf game live

• Get down: The move to put the ball into the hole decisively.

• Gorilla: Slang for a golfer whose tee shot is far from the tee.

• Honor: The player who is entitled to serve first after winning the previous hole on the course.

• In: The term for the first 9 holes

• Out: The term for the following 9 holes

• Total: Term for all holes.

• Lag: Pushing the ball to close the distance to the hole.

• Lie Angle: The angle between the shaft and the ground, the standard is about 55 - 65 degrees.

• Links: Term for golf courses located on the coast.

• Loft: The opening of the clubface, indicated on the top of each club.

• Loft angle: Angle formed by the plane of the clubbed and the (imaginary) vertical face perpendicular to the ground. This is what determines the height of the ball.

• MOI: Moment of Inertia – The moment of inertia of the club to minimize swinging or twisting of the clubhead when in contact with the ball.

• Net score: The score recorded in the golf game after taking the total minus the handicap.

• Out of bound: The outside of the boundary line on the golf course.

• Over clubbing: Where a golfer uses a golf club to hit the ball too far.

• Pace of play: Allowed playing speed in a match

• Penalty stroke: When a golfer violates the rules of the game, loses the ball, or sends the ball out of the court, the net point will be added to 1 stroke.

• Plumb bob: The method of holding the club is about an arm's length away and then hanging it vertically to see how far the ball is from the mouth of the hole. This is also known as the plumb line method.

• Punch shot: A method of hitting the ball with a golf swing to get the ball to fly low and clear away from an obstacle.

• Shank: In case of hitting the ball on the right club neck, the connection between the clubface and the shaft.

• Yard: Unit of distance on the golf course.