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 | 583 |
Mulligan | Redo | 588 |
Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 592 |
Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 592 |
Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 593 |
Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 594 |
Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 595 |
Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 595 |
On the screws | Hard hit | 596 |
Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 596 |
Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
Gimme | Easy golf putt | 598 |
Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 598 |
OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 599 |
Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
Birdie | One stroke under par | 599 |
Fore | Watch out | 599 |
Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 599 |
Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 599 |
Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 599 |
Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 599 |
Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 599 |
Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 599 |
Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 599 |
Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 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 |
Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 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 |
Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 600 |
Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 600 |
Quail high | Very low golf shot | 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 |
Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 600 |
Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 600 |
Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
Cup | Hole | 601 |
Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 601 |
Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 601 |
Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 601 |
Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 601 |
Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 601 |
Bogey | One stroke over par | 601 |
Velcro | Slow green | 601 |
Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 601 |
Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 601 |
Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 601 |
Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 601 |
Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 602 |