Glossary of golf terms

Our golf dictionary covers the main terms used in golf. The first step in demystifying the game is to understand the language and terminology that golfers commonly use.

Term

Definition

back door
Refers to a ball which runs around the lip of the hole before dropping in from the back side of the hole.
back nine
Second set of nine holes on an 18 hole golf course
back spin
Reverse spin applied to a ball, which stops it bouncing forward after it has landed on the green. Also referred to as "bite" or "action".
backswing
The part of the golf swing that involves taking the golf club away from the address position and reaching the top of the swing. The backswing is followed by the downswing, when the clubhead is brought back down to strike the ball.
back tee
The teeing ground that creates the greatest length from which a hole is played. Can refer to the mens' back tees (often coloured black, sometimes gold) or womens' back tees (often coloured blue). Also called the "tips."
baffy (club)
A small headed, steeply lofted wooden golf club, which is generally no longer in use. Also known as the Baffing Spoon or approach wood. The modern equivalent is a 4-wood.
balata (ball)
Natural or synthetic compound used to make the cover for top standard golf balls. Its soft, elastic qualities produce a high spin rate and it is favoured by tournament players.
ball in play
The ball is "in play" on any hole when the player starts his or her downswing until such time as the ball is either holed out, lost or hit out of bounds.
ball marker
A small object used to mark the position of the ball on the green before the ball is picked-up.
ball washer
A device in which golf balls can be cleaned, often located alongside each teeing ground.
banana shot
A shot where the ball is hit with significant sidespin, such that it curves through the air in a banana-like manner.
bandit
A player who is thought to maintain an artificially high handicap in order to win competitions and bets. Also known as a hustler.
barkies
Also known as Woodies or Seves (after Seve Ballesteros). A type of side bet in golf, which provides a pre-determined reward to any player who makes a par on a hole having hit a tree on that hole.
baseball grip
A method of gripping the golf club, in which one hand is placed below the other, without any fingers overlapping or interlocking.
beach
Term sometimes used to describe a sand bunker.
bent grass
A type of fine-leafed grass that produces an ideal surface for putting greens, but one that is not well suited to hot, sub-tropical climates where it needs careful management.
bermuda grass
A type of relatively coarse grass well suited to hot, sub-tropical and tropical climates. Widely used on golf courses in Australia, Africa, India, South America and the southern region of the U.S. Also known as kweek grass (S. Africa), couch grass (Australia, Africa), devil's grass (India) and gramillia (Argentina). Often becomes dormant and turns brown in winters. Grows "horizontally" rather than "vertically" and regarded by many golfers as difficult to play out of.
better ball
Also known as best ball. Usually a match involving four players in teams of two, in which each player plays his/her own ball. The best net score (better ball) of the team is counted against the better ball of the players in the other team. The scoring format can be either Match Play, Strokeplay or Stableford.
Bingo Bango Bongo

This popular competition format rewards players with a point for three things on each hole played: the first player in the group onto the green (Bingo); the closest to the hole once all the balls are on the green (Bango), and the first to hole out (Bongo). At the end of the round the player with the most points wins. During the game the players' respective scores, rather than the points they win, determine who has the honour at the next hole ... this is important on the par-3s, as the golfer with the honour gets the first crack at the Bingo point. This format can be played alongside more conventional stroke play and match play formats.

birdie
A score of one under par for the hole.
blade (club)
A type of golf club (iron) favoured by some professional and low-handicap golfers. The back of the club is relatively full and smooth, rather than cavity-backed (hollowed out). Blades are usually forged, although they can be cast, and require more accurate contact with the ball to produce the distance and lower flight trajectory preferred by more skilled players. Also known as full backs or muscle backs.
blind shot
A shot in which the player cannot see the intended target for that shot (e.g. over a hill, behind a line of trees or out of a deep bunker).
bogey (format)
see "par / bogey (formats)".
bogey (golfer)
A player whose handicap (typically 16-20) is about the same as the number of holes on a course.
bogey (score)
A score of one over par for a hole
boron
A strong metal powder often added during the construction of graphite shafts to provide added strength at the hosel end
borrow
A slope or other irregularity found on a golf course. Usually used in connection with the putting green, when describing the amount a putt will deviate from a straight line due to the slope of the green.
Brabazon Trophy
Presented annually to the winner of the English Men's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, one of the top national amateur events in the country, although not as old as the English Amateur Championship (which is played on a match play basis and dates back to 1925). "The Brabazon" is organised by the English Golfing Union (EGU) and played annually since 1947, the Brabazon Trophy is open to overseas player. Past winners include: Charl Schwartzel, Peter Hanson, Ignacio Garrido, Peter McEvoy, Ronan Rafferty, Sandy Lyle, Michael Bonallack, Guy Wolstenholme, Ronnie Shade and Ronnie White.
brassie (club)
A type of wooden-headed golf club that was fitted with a brass sole plate, and which is generally no longer in use. The term also applied to various lofted wooden clubs in the 1880s and 1890s. The modern equivalent would be a 2-wood.
break
A widely used term to describe the amount a putt will deviate from a straight line due to the slope of the green. In Britain and Ireland "borrow" is also used.
buggy
A battery or petrol powered golf cart used to transport golfers and their equipment around a golf course.
bulger driver
Designed to reduce the chances of striking the ball on the heel or toe of the club, the bulger had a convex face. Popular in the late nineteenth century, now obsolete
bunker
A hollow in the ground, which occurs naturally or is designed into the course, and is usually filled with sand (or other similar material). Also possible to have grass bunkers, which usually contain grass of longer length than the cut of fairway grass.
Byron Nelson Award
Established in 1988, the Byron Nelson Award is presented annually by the PGA TOUR . The winner is the PGA TOUR player who has the lowest average score per round, over a minimum of 50 rounds. (See Tournaments section - by Tournament - US PGA Tour Byron Nelson Award). See also Vardon Trophy, a similar low average award, but made by the PGA of America for a minimum of 60 rounds.

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Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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