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 | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 596 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 597 |
| Grand Slam | Four major golf tournaments | 597 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 598 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 598 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 598 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 599 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 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 |
| Fore | Watch out | 600 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 600 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 600 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 600 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 600 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 600 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 600 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 601 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 601 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 601 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 601 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 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 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 601 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 601 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 601 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 601 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 601 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 601 |
| Cup | Hole | 602 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 602 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 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 | 604 |