Like most sports, golf has its own language, and we're not talking about rules or tips terminology here. No, in this article, we're referring to terms that typically get thrown about during your weekend four-ball. Some – no laughing at the back – are too rude to mention, so we’re keeping things clean(ish), here.
If golf were to have its own dictionary, it would be a thick one, so here’s our shortened version of golf slang and interesting sayings.
Perhaps there are a few you haven’t heard of, in which case you should try them out when you next play… see what kind of reaction you get from your playing partners.
A
Air mail – You’ve just played your shot, and it’s a poor one – you’ve airmailed the green. Basically, you’ve flown your ball over the putting surface (hit it too far).
Abominable snowman: A score of 9 (even worse than an 8, which is called a snowman) on one hole.
Army golf – left, right, left, right… like marching. It means you’re all over the place on the course, left, then right… etc. Also known as playing military golf.
B
Barkie – A bet won by a player making par or better on a hole after hitting a tree.
Banana ball – When the ball travels in a banana-shaped curve. Usually, it’s not intended. Slicers tend to hit a lot of banana balls.
Bandit – Players who play off dubious handicaps are often referred to as bandits (also known as sandbaggers).
Blade – A shot where the leading edge of the golf club, rather than the clubface, strikes the ball. It results in a shot that usually travels too far and doesn’t get that high off the ground. Also known as a thin or skull.
Bit – Wagers between golfers. “Are we going to play for bits?” A bit, for example, might be getting up-and-down from the sand. Also known as junk.
C
Cabbage – Thick, horrible rough. Nasty stuff, like cabbage, hence the name, we assume; or is it because of the rough/uneven surface of this particular vegetable?
Captain Kirk – Your shot went where no ball has gone before. Not good.
Cat box – A sand bunker.
Chef – A player who continually slices.
Chilli-dip – Chunking a chip. A mishit, where the clubhead hits the ground well before it hits the ball.
D
Dance floor – A player who hits an approach might say something along the lines of, “Yes, I’m on the dance floor.” In other words, they’ve found the putting surface.
Dawn patrol – Golfers who get up early to play at dawn. They frequently take the earliest tee times available.
Dead sheep – When after your putt, you’re still farthest away (Still ewe!).
Dog licence – A match result of 7&6. This term stems from the fact that, in old money, the price of a “dog licence” used to be 7 and 6.
Dog track – No one wants to hear their golf course described this way – rough, uninspiring etc. Also known as a goat track.
Don Henley – An eagle.
Duffer – “Played with Steve the other day – what a duffer.” Steve is most likely inexperienced, or just not very good. Duffers are also known as hackers, or choppers.
Dunch – A pitch or chip shot that barely moves from its original spot.
E
Elephant’s backside – A shot that is high and pretty, erm, poor.
F
Flake – An 18-hole score of 99.
Four-Jack – A term that’s bound to be heard when playing on very tough greens – it’s where a player takes four putts to get the ball in the hole.
Fried Egg – When a ball lands in the sand, often when coming down from a great height, it can plug, so that the top of it resembles the yolk in a fried egg.
G
Gimme – A short putt that you can pick up if your playing partner/opponent doesn’t ask you to finish it off.
Golf widow(er) – Your significant other after you get addicted to golf.
Greenies – A bet won by a player whose first shot is closest to the hole on a par 3.
H
Hacker – An inexperienced golfer.
Ham and egging – When two players gel and compliment each other in fourballs – they go together like ham and eggs.
Horseshoe – When a ball travels around the edge of the cup, before coming back towards you.
J
Jail – When you and your ball and in very deep trouble.
Joe Pesci – a nasty five-footer. Known in the UK as a Dennis Wise, a former professional soccer player who was rather tough in the tackle.
Jungle – The heaviest of rough. Not a place to be. It’s unlikely you’ll find your ball in here.
Junk – Golf wagers that might take place during the course of a round, such as making a par when you’ve found the sand, or getting up-and-down from off the green.
K
Knife – A thinned pitch or chip shot that flies low across the green. Also known as a blade.
L
Leather wedge – When a player uses their shoe to improve their lie. Otherwise known as cheating. Also known as a foot wedge.
Lay the sod – When you take a huge divot.
M
Mayor’s office – A long, straight drive. “Awesome drive – that’s in the Mayor’s office.”
Member's bounce – A lucky bounce of the ball.
Moped – A shot that will get you there, but you’re not very proud of it.
Mud ball – When a ball has mud on it, often a big lump, making it difficult to work out in which direction it will go when it leaves the clubface.
Mulligan – A second attempt at a shot, often played on the first tee. In a friendly match, players might agree on all being allowed to take a mulligan if/when they hit a bit bad.
N
Nassau – A bet in which a round of 18 holes is divided into three – front nine, back nine, and the full 18.
Nineteenth – The clubhouse bar.
O
Oscar Bravo – OB (out of bounds).
P
Pigeon – An opponent that you are expected to beat easily.
Popeye – A shot with lots of spin (spin, spinnage… keep up!)
R
Rainmaker – A golf shot with a very high trajectory.
S
Sharkie – If you had a sharkie, you’d have found water and made a par on the same hole.
Snowman – A score of eight (8) on one hole.
Sticks – Golf clubs. “I'm thinking about getting myself some new sticks.”
Stony – Often said when a player hits an approach very close – or stone dead. “I hit that one stony.”
Swing oil – An alcoholic beverage that’s taken close to teeing off, usually a beer. Some golfers find it helps them to produce a nice, smooth swing.
T
Texas wedge – A term for a putter when used from off the green.
Three-Jack – Where a player takes three putts to get the ball in the hole.
W
Walking sticks – An 18-hole score of 77.
Wall Street – The bailout area on a hole.
Whiff – Where a player fails to make any contact with the ball. “Was that a whiff shot?”
Worm burner – A shot (not putts) that never gets off the ground, or just a couple of feet at the most. It puts worms in great danger of getting hurt. Also known as a daisy cutter.
Y
Yips – A condition normally associated with putting (putting yips), where a player struggles with involuntary wrist spasms, which leads to missing from short range.
