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 | 592 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 594 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 594 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 594 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 595 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Grand Slam | Four major golf tournaments | 597 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 597 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 598 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 598 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 598 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 599 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 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 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Fore | Watch out | 600 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 600 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 600 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 600 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 600 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 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 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 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 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 601 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 601 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 601 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 601 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 601 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 601 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 601 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 602 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 602 |
| Cup | Hole | 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 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 602 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 602 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 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 |