Golfing Terminology A-Z

Address - When a stance has been taken and the club has been grounded behind the ball
Albatross - Three below the par of the hole
Approach - A stroke played in towards the flag
Attending the flag - The holding of the flag. A player may have the flag attended at any time. The flag should either be removed or attended while on the green
Birdie - One below the par of the hole
Blade - Striking the ball with the leading edge, topping the shot
Block - Pushing the ball out to the right and failing to draw it back
Bogey - One over the par of the hole
Bunker - A hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground often hollowed and filled with sand
Caddie - A person who carries a player’s clubs and may offer advice to that player on how to play the course
Casual water - A temporary accumulation of water on the course from which relief can be obtained
Chip - A short shot from just off the green to the flag
Close - The toe of the club advanced at address
Cut - A shot which flies to the right, fade or slice, depending on its severity
Dip - A ducking movement on downswing
Dogleg - A hole which bends to the right or left
Dormie - When a player cannot be beaten - he is as many holes up as there are holes to play
Draw - A controlled shot which causes the ball to fly right to left
Duck hook - A shot which flies violently to the left
Eagle - Two below the par of the hole
Eclectic - The best score for each hole scored over a number of rounds
Explosion - A bunker shot that dispels sand, the clubface hitting behing the ball
Fade - A controlled shot which causes the ball to fly left to right
Fairway - The mown area of the course between tee and green
Fat - The club striking and digging into the ground before hitting the ball
Flyer - A shot that travels further than usual, normally caused by wet grass getting between the club face and the ball
Fore - A golfer’s warning that cry when someone may be struck by a ball
Fourball - Four players each playing their own ball
Foursome - A pairs game with players taking alternate shots
Fringe - Short mown grass around the putting green
Grain - The direction the grass grows on the green, the nap
Green - A prepared putting surface
Green fee - Amount of money paid to play on a golf course
Greensome - A pairs game with both playres driving off, the preferred ball is then selected and alternate shots are played to completion of the hole
Gross - The total number of strokes taken to go around the golf course, including penalty strokes
Ground under repair - Ground marker unfit for play, any material piled for removal
Half - A hole completed in the same score, a tie match
Handicap - the number of strokes a player receives and deducts from his gross score
Hanging lie - The ball on uneven ground causing an uneven stance to be adopted
Hazard - Any bunker or water hazard
Heavy - The club face digs into the ground and reduces power
Hole - The hole is 4 1/4 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep
Holed - The ball is holed when when it lies within the circumference of the hole below the lip
Honour - The right to drive off first
Hook - An often unintentional, uncontrolled shot which flies from right to left
Hosel - The insert section for the shaft to join the head 
Lag - A putt which is run close to the hole with the intention of leaving a simple tap in
Lie - Where and how the ball comes to rest
Line of play - The preferred route to the hole
Links - A golf course built on sand near to or by the sea
Lip - The edge of the hole
Lob - A high flying shot which lands softly
Local rules - Rules to cover special conditions on the course, locally formulated
Loft - The angled setting of a club face
Loose impediments - Natural objects that are not fixed or growing
Match play - A game played by the number of holes won
Medal play - Stroke play
Nett score - The score taken after the handicap has been subtracted from the gross score
Obstruction - Anything artifical placed, left or erected on the golf course
Out of bounds - Ground on which play is prohibited, normally indicated by white stakes or white lines
Outside agency - Any agency that is not part of the match
Par - The norm for a hole. The par figure for a hole is based on length
Penalty stroke - A stroke or strokes added to a score for taking relief or for a breach of the rules
Pin-high - A ball that finishes level with the flagstick
Pitch - A short and often high floating approach shot to the green
Pitch and run - A short approach shot which rolls to the hole
Play through - When a game overtakes another game
Plugged ball - A ball buried in the ground
Pull - An off target shot that flies directly left
Punch shot - A low, hard shot played predominantly with the hands
Push - An off target shot that flies directly right
Putt - A golf shot played with a putter
Release - Wrist action as the clubhead comes into the ball
Rough - Area of longer grass bordering the fairway
Rub of the green - A moving ball stopped or deflected by an outside agency. A phrase used to describe good or bad luck on the course
Sand wedge - A golf club specifically designed for use in bunkers
Scratch - A zero rated handicap
Shaft - The section of the club that connects the head to the grip
Shank - A shot hit with the neck or hosel of the club often forcing the ball to fly violently to the right
Skull - To hit the top of the ball a glancing blow with the leading edge of the club
Sky - A ball hit high into the air that travels little distance
Slice - An unintentional, uncontrolled shot which flies from left to right
Sole - The base of the clubhead
Stableford - A form of golf where players score by points, one point for one over par, two points for par, three points for one under par and so on
Stance - The position of the feet in readiness to make a stroke
Stroke play - A form of golf where a player counts the number of strokes he takes to complete the course, including penalty strokes
Stymied - Any form of obstruction between the ball and the hole
Swing - The motion of playing a stroke
Takeaway - The start of the backswing
Tee - A peg which is inserted into the ground and on which the ball rests
Teeing ground - The starting place for the hole. A rectangular area two club lengths in depth with its outside limit defined by two markers
Texas wedge - A shot played from off the green with a putter
Through the green - The whole area of the course except the teeing ground and the putting green
Top - A mis-hit shot that strikes the top half of the ball