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 | 586 |
| 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 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 595 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 595 |
| 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 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 599 |
| Fore | Watch out | 599 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 600 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 600 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 600 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 600 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 600 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 600 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 600 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 600 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 600 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 600 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 600 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 601 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 601 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 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 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 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 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 602 |
| Cup | Hole | 602 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 602 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 602 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 602 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 602 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 602 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 602 |
| Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 602 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 602 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 602 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 602 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 603 |