Carson Valley Women's Golf Club

CVWGC

Golf Term Listing

CVWGC

Below is a listing of 45 golf terms that all players should be familiar with.

A

Ace AKA : Hole in One
A Player's tee shot results in a Hole-in-One.
Albatross AKA : Double Eagle
Known as a "double eagle" in US terminology. It's a score of 3 under par on a given hole.
Away    
The player furthest from the pin is the first to play after teeing off.

B

Backspin    
When your ball lands on the green and spins backwards. The happens generally when you're hitting an approach shot with a wedge or short iron.
Ball Marker    
A trinket or flat object to mark the ball's position on the green.
Birdie    
A score of one under par on a given hole
Bogey    
A Bogey is a score of one over par on a given hole.
For Example, if a golfer scores a five on a par 4.

Other versions of this term include a double bogey (two over), triple bogey (three over), and quadruple bogey (four over). Some players might say they "play bogey golf" meaning they average about a bogey a hole (roughly a score of 90).
Bump and Run    
When you deliberately play a shot along the ground. Players will usually use this shot on links courses with hard greens or windy conditions, also from behind or under trees that don’t favor lofted shots.

C

Chunk    
Hitting the ground well behind the ball, taking a large divot. Leads to little distance on the shot.
Club Down    
"Club down" means to use a club that will yield a shorter distance than would normally be used. For example, you are on a par 3 with an elevated tee box, where the distance to the green is 100 yrs. Your 100-yard club is your 9-iron, but you know that from an elevated tee it will be too much club. So, you decide to "club down" one club and use your pitching wedge which you normally hit about 90 yards.
Club Up    
"Club up" is the opposite of "club down" in that you will use a club that will yield a greater distance than would normally be used. For example, you are 150 yds from the green and under normal circumstances you would use your 6-iron. But in this case, there is a strong headwind which will negatively impact your distance. To counter the effect of the wind you have decided to "club up" one club and use your 5-iron, which is your normal 160 yd club.
Condor    
Four under par, one of the most uncommon scores in golf. There are only four examples of this scored in recorded history. It’s also known as a “double-albatross” or “triple-eagle” in the US.
Count-back    
A method of determining a winner of a competition in the event of a tie. There are several different methods used, but typically the scores in the last nine, last six, last three and final hole are compared in turn until a winner emerges.
Course Rating    
Course rating is used when calculating your golf handicap. It’s an evaluation of how hard a specific course should play for a scratch golfer (0 handicap). You can find the course rating on the scorecard.

D

Dogleg    
A hole that bends left or right between the tee and green. Sharp doglegs can block the view of the green or punish straight drives.
Dormie    
Dormie is a term used in match play golf. It describes a situation where a player or team is ahead by the same number of holes as there are holes remaining to play. This means the leading player or team cannot lose the match, as their opponent would need to win all remaining holes to tie.
Double Bogey    
A gross score of two over par on a given hole.
Double Eagle AKA : Albatross
A gross score of 3 under par on a given hole.
Draw    
A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves to the left; often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone draw usually becomes a hook.

E

Eagle    
A gross score of two under par on a single hole.

F

Fat-Shot AKA : Chunck
A stroke in which the club makes contact with the turf long before the ball, resulting in a poor contact and significant loss of distance. Also know as a "chunk".
Flop Shot    
A flop shot in golf is a high, soft shot played from a short distance, typically around the green. It is designed to lift the ball quickly into the air by and land it softly on the green with minimal roll. This shot is particularly useful when there is little room between the ball and the hole, often due to obstacles like bunkers.

The shot can be effectively executed by opening the face of the club from a lie with grass underneath the ball, allowing the club to slide under it.
Fore    
A warning shout when a call might hit or come close to other players. Always yell "fore" if there's even the slightest chance your shot might endanger someone else.

G

Gross Score    
The number of strokes taken on a hole or round, before taking into account the handicap of the player.

H

Hook    
A shot curving sharply from right to left for right-handed players and left to right for left-handed players.

I

In the Leather    
When a putt is so close to the hole that it is considered a "gimme", meaning the player does not need to actually putt it. This distance is typically measured from the putter head to the bottom of the grip, which is about 24 inches.

This is not legal in tournament play or any game where the score is to be posted.

M

Matching Scorecards AKA : Scorecard Playoff
This is one of the two most common ways of conducting a scorecard playoff (the other being "counting back"). Matching scorecards is also called matching cards or a match of cards. If there is a tie after eighteen holes, they are going to a match of cards. Matching scorecards involves using the handicap ranking of the golf holes. Look at the handicap row on the scorecard (often designated by HCP) and find the No. 1 handicap (most difficult) hole. Now, both players check their score on that hole. Low gross wins. If still tied on the No. 1 handicap hole, then move on to the No. 2 handicap hole. And continue in that fashion until one player has a better score than the other on the given hole. That's a "matched scorecards playoff."

N

Net Score    
Scoring after accounting for player handicaps. This is accomplished by subtracting the handicap strokes from the "Gross" score. This can be done on a hole-by-hole basis by subtraction the player's "Pops" on each hole from each hole's gross score.

P

Par    
The number of strokes it should take a player to complete the hole, including putting. Most courses have holes between par-3 and par-5. Although rare, a few courses do have par-6 holes
Pop    
The visual representation of your handicap strokes that you are given for a round of golf based on your GHIN Handicap Index as it relates to the specific course handicap and the tees you are playing. Each “pop”, shown as a "dot" (•) on your score card, represents a "handicap" stroke.

R

Regulation    
The standard number of strokes allowed by par for reaching the green on a given hole (one stroke on a par 3, two strokes on a par 4, and three strokes on a par 5). Note – this means "regulation putts" are two on all holes.

S

Sand Save    
Getting the ball out of a bunker and holing the next putt—saving par from the sand.
Sandie    
A "Sandie" is awarded to a golfer who makes par or better on a hole after having hit their ball into a bunker. This simple yet engaging side bet not only adds an extra layer of excitement to each round but also celebrates the skill of successfully recovering from one of golf's trickier situations.
Scratch Golfer    
A player whose handicap equals zero or lower. This means they can consistently shoot par or better regularly.
Short Game    
The part of golf played on or near the green. A golfer's short game emphasizes accuracy over power and distance.
Slice    
For right-handed players, a shot that curves sharply to the right, taking a banana-shaped flight path. This shot usually occurs due to striking the ball using an open clubface and a swing moving in-to-out. For left-handed players, the shot curves sharply to the left.
Slope Rating    
One of the key numbers used for calculating golf handicaps. Slope measures the difficulty of a golf course for all levels of players. Slope numbers can range from 55 to 155 (155 being the most difficult).
Snowman    
Golf slang for making an 8 on a hole.

T

Thin Shot    
Usually, an unintentional, poor shot where the club-head strikes too high on the ball. When taken to an extreme but still at or below the centerline of the ball, it is known as "blading" the ball.
Tripple Bogey    
A gross score of three over par on a given hole.

U

Up And Down    
Golf slang for when you chip your ball on the green and 1 putt.

W

Waggle    
Golf term for the motion a player makes before they start their golf swing. The most typical waggle is flexing your wrist to move the clubhead.
Whiff    
Golf slang for when you swing and miss the ball. It counts as a stroke.
Worm Burner AKA : Worm Raper
A golf shot (not a putt) in which the ball never gets but a few feet off the ground.


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