Golf Terms for Beginners: Birdie to Bogey, Explained

Scores on a hole

Score	Name
4 under par	Condor (almost never happens: for example, a hole-in-one on a par 5)
3 under par	Albatross (or double eagle)
2 under par	Eagle
1 under par	Birdie
Even	Par
1 over par	Bogey
2 over par	Double bogey
3 over par	Triple bogey

• Par: the score an expert golfer is expected to make on a hole, usually 3, 4 or 5 depending on length (a few very long holes are par 6). Add up the holes for the course’s par, usually 70 to 72.
• Hole-in-one (ace): holing your tee shot.
• Gross score: the strokes you actually took. Net score: your gross score minus your handicap strokes.
• Scratch: a golfer with a handicap of zero. See what a handicap is.
• “Up and down”: getting the ball in the hole in two shots from off the green: one chip, one putt. From a bunker it’s a sandy.

The course

• Teeing area (tee box): where each hole starts, between the two tee markers. Most courses have several sets of tees, from long to short.
• Fairway: the short grass between the tee and the green.
• Rough: the longer grass on either side.
• Green (putting green): the very short grass around the hole. Fringe or apron: the strip around the green.
• Hole (cup) and flagstick (pin). “Pin high” means level with the flag.
• Bunker: a hollow filled with sand. Golfers say “sand trap”; the rules say bunker.
• Penalty area: water, or other areas marked with red or yellow stakes. It used to be called a “water hazard.” See penalty areas.
• Out of bounds (OB): off the course, usually marked with white stakes. See out of bounds.
• Dogleg: a hole that bends left or right.
• Front nine, back nine: holes 1 to 9 and 10 to 18. The turn: the break between them.

Shots and clubs

• Drive: a tee shot, usually with the driver. Approach: a shot to the green.
• Chip: a short, low shot that rolls onto the green. Pitch: a higher, softer short shot.
• Putt: a shot on the green, rolled with the putter.
• Lay up: play short on purpose, to stay out of trouble.
• Slice and hook: a ball that curves a lot (for a right-handed golfer, a slice goes right, a hook left). Gentle versions are a fade and a draw.
• Divot: the strip of turf a club takes out. Ball mark (pitch mark): the dent a ball makes landing on the green. Fix both; see golf etiquette.
• Woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putter: the families of clubs. You can carry 14 clubs at most.

Playing the game

• Honors: the player with the best score on the last hole tees off first. In a casual round, most groups play ready golf instead: whoever’s ready goes.
• Stroke play: count every stroke; lowest total wins. Match play: win holes; whoever wins the most holes wins.
• Scramble: a team format where everyone hits, the team picks the best shot, and everyone plays from there. See the scramble handicap calculator.
• Best ball (four-ball): partners each play their own ball, and the better score on each hole counts.
• Stableford: points per hole instead of strokes: more points for better scores.
• Skins: each hole is worth a prize; tie and it carries over to the next hole.
• Provisional: a second ball hit in case the first is lost or out of bounds. See the provisional ball.
• Fore!: the warning shout when a ball might hit someone.

Friendly-round words (not in the rules)

• Mulligan: a do-over shot. Not allowed under the rules, and never in a round you post for your handicap.
• Gimme: a short putt your group lets you pick up without holing. In match play, conceding a putt is allowed by the rules; in stroke play you must hole out.
• Breakfast ball: a mulligan on the first tee.
• Sandbagger: someone whose handicap is higher than their real ability.