Golf Slang
Eagle, birdie, par, bogey? These terms might seem strange to the average person, but they are part of average golfer's vernacular. If you plan on hitting the links, we recommend browsing the list below. It includes all the basic golf terms as well as some of informal slang used on the course by those of us not quite at the PGA level.
| Slang Term | Meaning | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | Hole in one | 582 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 586 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 590 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 591 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 592 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 592 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 593 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 593 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 594 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 596 |
| Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 597 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 597 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 597 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 597 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 597 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 597 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 598 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
| Fore | Watch out | 598 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 598 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 598 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 598 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 598 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 598 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 598 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 598 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 598 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 598 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 598 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 598 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 598 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 600 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 600 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 600 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 600 |
| Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 600 |
| Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 600 |
| Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 600 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 600 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 600 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 601 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 601 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 601 |
| Cup | Hole | 601 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 601 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 601 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 601 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 601 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 601 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
| Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 601 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 601 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 602 |