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 | 587 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 592 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 592 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 593 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 593 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 595 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 595 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 595 |
| Grand Slam | Winning the four major golf tournaments | 595 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 596 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 596 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 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 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 598 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 598 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 598 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 599 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 599 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 599 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 599 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 599 |
| Fore | Watch out | 599 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 599 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 599 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 599 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 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 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 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 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 600 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 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 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 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 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 601 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 601 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 601 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 601 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 601 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 602 |