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 | 585 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 590 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 593 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 594 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 594 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 595 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 596 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 597 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 597 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 597 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 598 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 598 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 599 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
| Fore | Watch out | 599 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 600 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 600 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 600 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 600 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 600 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 600 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 600 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 600 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 600 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 600 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 600 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 601 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 601 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 601 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 601 |
| Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 601 |
| Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 601 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 601 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 601 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 601 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 601 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 601 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 601 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 601 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 602 |
| Cup | Hole | 602 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 602 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 602 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 602 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 602 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 602 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 602 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 602 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 603 |
| Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 603 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 603 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 603 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 603 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 604 |