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 | 587 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 591 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 591 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 592 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 593 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 594 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 595 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 595 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 595 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
| Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 598 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 598 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 598 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 599 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 599 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 599 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 599 |
| Fore | Watch out | 599 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 599 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 599 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 599 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 599 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 599 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 599 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 600 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 600 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 600 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 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 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 600 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 601 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 601 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 601 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 601 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 601 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 601 |
| Cup | Hole | 601 |
| Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 601 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 601 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 601 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 601 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 601 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 602 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |