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 | 582 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 586 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 590 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 591 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 592 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 592 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 593 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 594 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 594 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 596 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 596 |
| Breakfast ball | A redo shot from the first tee | 597 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 597 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 597 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 597 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 597 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 597 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 597 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 597 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 598 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 598 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 598 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 598 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 598 |
| Fore | Watch out | 598 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 598 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 598 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 598 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 598 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 598 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 598 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 598 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 598 |
| 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 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 600 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 600 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 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 left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 600 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 601 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 601 |
| Cup | Hole | 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 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 601 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 601 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 601 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 601 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 601 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 602 |