[1] Most courses contain 18 holes; some share fairways or greens, and a subset has nine holes, played twice per round. Also called an Albatross. In Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in arid regions, golf courses have been constructed on nothing more than oil-covered sand. Players carry a small piece of astroturf from which they tee the ball. The book Rules of Golf reads "The Game of Golf consists in playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules." Here's what you need to know about the most famous corner in golf. The first recorded game of golf was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in A.D. 1456, and until recently most historians believed the game originated in Scotland in the 11th century. Downswing The motion of swinging a club from the top of the swing to the point of impact. They may be constructed to provide a core or supplementary attraction for visitors to a hotel or commercial resort, as the centrepiece to a real estate development, as an exclusive Country Club, or as a "Pay and Play" course open to the general public. All this has led to a ten-percent increase in the acreage required to build a typical course. In casual play, the tee a player hits from is usually their prerogative (there is no rule prohibiting a man from hitting off the closest tee box, nor any prohibiting a woman from using the tournament tee), but players will generally gravitate toward the traditional tee for their gender and/or age, as this will provide the best results given a player's nominal drive distance. If you need help with any specific puzzle leave your comment below. ", Environmental concerns, along concerns with cost and human health, have led to research into more environmentally sound practices and turf grasses. Holes often include hazards, which are special areas that have additional rules for play, and are generally of two types: (1) water hazards, such as ponds, lakes, and rivers; and (2) bunkers, or sand traps. [W] Wedge A type of golf club; a subset of iron designed for short range strokes. [citation needed], The layout of a course follows certain traditional principles, such as the number of holes (nine and 18 being most common), their par values, and the number of holes of each par value per course. When playing on an 18-hole course, each hole is played once; whereas, on a nine-hole course each hole can be played twice to complete a round. It is increasingly common for the management of municipal courses to be contracted out to commercial or other organisations or the course to be sold or shut down completely.[15]. Divot (i) The chunk of grass and earth displaced during a stroke. Early in 2003 I received an email from a reader who took exception to the fact that I did not include what he felt was the most basic definition of the word "turn" in my golf glossary here at PGAProfessional.com: as in, whose turn is it to play?I wrote back that I felt that I had covered that with the terms "honor" and "away," and their definitions.. More recent courses (and especially inland courses) tend to be designed with the front 9 and the back 9 each constituting a separate loop beginning and ending at the clubhouse. The links were often treated as common land by the residents of the nearby towns and were used by them for recreation, animal grazing and other activities such as laundering clothes. So-named because an eight (8) looks similar to the body of a snowman. Basic Golf Terms For Dummies: Scoring 101 Ace – Hole in One. (ii) The indentation on the green caused by the ball on an approach shot; more properly called a pitch mark or ball mark. In some parts of the world, attempts to build courses and resorts have led to protests, vandalism, and violence. By the end of this post, you will talk like a seasoned golfer in no time. Topped An errant shot where the clubhead strikes on top of the ball, causing the ball to roll or bounce rather than fly. Rangefinder – A device that measure the distance to the hole using lasers. The short course, called 12North, offers holes ranging from 50 to 120 yds with the ability to … In tournaments, golfers generally tee off from the box one level further from the "normal" box for their class (men use the tournament tee, ladies use the senior or men's tee, and juniors use the ladies' tee). [F] Fade A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves slightly to the right, and is often played intentionally by skilled golfers. Bunker A depression in bare ground that is usually covered with sand. Silver and gold may be used to denote senior ladies' and men's tees, with the regular men's tee being white and the tournament tee being blue. Snowman To score an eight on a hole. Short game Shots that take place on or near the green. This is increasingly the case as new courses are more likely to be sited on less optimal land. Whiff An attempt to strike the ball where the player fails to make contact with the ball. An additional smaller flag, or other marker, is sometimes positioned on the flagstick to indicate the location of the hole (front, middle, or back) on the green. Bent grass does not have grain, which makes it superior as a putting surface. [P] Par Apocryphally an abbreviation for “professional average result”, standard score for a hole (defined by its length) or a course (sum of all the holes’ pars). Also called a hole in one. The shallow top soil and sandy subsoil made links land unsuitable for the cultivation of crops or for urban development and was of low economic value. A very good golfer — or a very lucky golfer — might complete a hole in fewer strokes than the par (called "under par"). The teeing area spans the distance between the markers, and extends two-club lengths behind the markers. Some environmentalists and other activists continue to lobby against the building of new golf courses, claiming they may impede corridors for migrating animals and damage sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife, though some courses have become havens for native and non-native creatures. Albatross A hole played three strokes under par, also called a Double Eagle. When you finish a hole with a score of 1 over par, this score is called … Fore A warning shout given when there is a chance that the ball may hit other players or spectators. Similar to a chip shot, but played from a greater distance. A combo consists of playing some holes from one color of tee box and the remainder from one tee box ahead (or back). Wikipedia: “In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a scratch (or 0 handicap) golfer should require to complete a hole …The term is also used in golf-like sports such as disc golf… Pro A professional is a golfer or person who plays or teaches golf for financial reward, may work as a touring pro in professional competitions, or as a teaching pro (also called a club pro). The equivalent of a double eagle, or three strokes below par, is called an albatross. Bunkers are small to medium areas, usually lower than the fairway but of varying topography, that are filled with sand and generally incorporate a raised lip or barrier. In simplified terms, a handicap number, based on the slope of a course, is subtracted from the player’s gross score and gives him a net score of par or better half the time. [R] Rough The grass that borders the fairway, usually taller and coarser than the fairway. As in putting-green grass types, not every grass type works equally well in all climate types. Scratch golfer A player’s whose handicap equals zero. Striking the ball with the center of the clubface maximizes distance and accuracy. Bogey. Go back to Cheese Lovers (3665 votes, average: 2,60 out of 5) A municipal course is owned and managed by a local government body for the benefit of residents and visitors. In-between is the fairway, and outside these areas is the rough. A glory hole (also spelled gloryhole and glory-hole) is a hole in a wall or partition, often between public lavatory cubicles or adult video arcade booths and lounges, for people to engage in sexual activity or observe the person in the next cubicle while one or both parties masturbate. It is also common for separate tee-off points to be positioned for men, women, and amateurs, each one respectively lying closer to the green. Albatross A hole played three strokes under par, also called a Double Eagle. Players typically gather in the 19th Hole after their round to tally scores, settle bets and enjoy some beverages. A new hole will be cut by a device that removes a plug of the turf from the ground, and the reinforced cup is then moved, before the old hole is filled in with the plug cut from the new hole and levelled. Back-swing The first part of the golf-swing. Most putts are not struck directly at the hole, instead they must be struck to take into account the characteristics of the green to arrive at the hole at the proper angle and speed. Each combo tee configuration normally has its own course and slope rating. The Flags in Golf. [citation needed], A successful design is as visually pleasing as it is playable. Ball-washer A device found on many tee boxes for cleaning golf balls. This deviation may be a result of a number of factors or combination of factors including uneven surface, grain of the grass, how firmly the putt is struck or, in extreme circumstances, wind. Plus, we will help you level up your golf vocabulary by learning common golf slang as well. Playing the ball off a tee can only be used on the first shot of every hole although it is not required to use a tee on the first shot. says: Pitch mark Another term for a divot on the green caused when a ball lands. [citation needed]. The invention relates to a mechanized device for cutting holes in golf course greens. It frequently is one of the more friendly scoring holes at the Masters, thanks to a relatively short distance for a par-5. The first documented mention of the word 'golf' is in Edinburgh on 6th March 1457, when King James II banned ‘ye golf’, in an attempt to encourage archery practice, which was being neglected.Before the creation of dictionaries, there was no standardised spelling of any given word. A "9-hole course", typically the type referred to as an "executive course", has only 9 holes instead of 18, but with the otherwise normal mix of par-3, par-4 and par-5 holes (typically producing a par score of between 34 and 36), and the course can be played through once for a short game, or twice for a full round. [citation needed] Many other golf courses subsequently made the decision to change from Bermuda to bent grass when they observed increased business at courses that had already changed over.[8]. A ball hit from a tee following a lost ball, out-of-bounds, or water hazard is not a hole-in-one. Fairways on prestigious tours, like the PGA Tour, are cut low. However, bent grass may become infested with poa annua, a costly and time-consuming weed. Back Nine: As the name suggests, these are last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course.‘Back Side is another name for ‘Back Nine’. Scrambling percentage is one of many statistics kept by the PGA Tour. ... “The” Turn- space between hole 9 and hole 10 on a typical 18 hole course Birdie bag- another term for whalesac. If you have any questions regarding our glossary, reach out to us. [T] Tap-in A ball that has come to rest very close to the hole, leaving only a very short putt to be played. For example, if player A has a 5, player B has a 6, player C has a 4, and player D has a 5, the “best ball” and team score is a 4. Nip it: The Golf Slang term " Nip It " means to hit an iron shot without taking a divot. The game of golf is played in what is called a "round". A green is generally established from sod which has had the soil washed off of it (to avoid soil compatibility problems) and which is then laid tightly over the green, then rolled and topdressed with fine sand. Bump and run A low-trajectory shot that is intended to get the ball rolling along the fairway and up onto the green. Many private courses are found at country clubs. For example, the grass heights at U.S. Open events are alternated from one hole to the next in order to make the course more difficult. The closely grazed turf and naturally good drainage of the links was ideal for golf, and areas of longer grass, heather, low growing bushes and exposed sand provided the hazards that are familiar on modern courses. This is called a "dogleg", in reference to the similarity to a dog's ankle. There's is a small hole in the green called a cup in which a pin stands with a flag flying on it. They’re called parkland courses because they look and feel like you are playing golf in a park. This is where golfers can talk about the one that " Got Away "! The game of golf is played in what is called a "round". Combined with the need to package all the fairways within what is frequently a compact square or rectangular plot of land, the fairways of a course tend to form an oppositional tiling pattern. Players typically gather in the 19th Hole after their round to tally scores, settle bets and enjoy some beverages. The term ‘fourball’ is often used informally to describe any group of 4 players on the course. The hole is called a "dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards and "dogleg right" if it bends right. Where a 7,000-yard course used to be a great rarity, courses measuring 7,500-yards are now not uncommon, and courses of 8,000-yards are being contemplated. Golfers describe a green as fast if a light stroke on the ball makes it roll a long distance; conversely, on a slow green a stronger stroke is necessary to roll the ball the same distance. Golf is a game played in an open field where the golfer plays his golf ball into a hole by using different types of clubs (golf instruments). In arid areas, dry creek beds can be marked as "water hazards", but the importation of non-native grasses and other plant life can have a detrimental effect on native landscapes, often requiring non-native soil and large quantities of water and fertilizer to maintain the course. Players must repair their pitch marks, usually with a tee or a divot tool. Some golf course architects become celebrities in their own right, such as Robert Trent Jones, Jr.; others are professional golfers of high standing and demonstrated appreciation for golf course composition, such as Jack Nicklaus. Scramble When a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better on a hole. Eighteen-hole courses are traditionally broken down into a "front 9" (holes 1–9) and a "back 9" (holes 10–18). Tees are colored, but there is no standard for colors. Golfers use a method known as "reading" the green to enhance their chances of making a putt. We consider golf as a helpful tool that will help us in our cause of encouraging others to grow and take action. ... What is it called when you putt with the same driver you teed off with (when you are parked)? Welcome to English Turn An unmatched example of a luxurious environment to enjoy a round of golf, celebrate a special event or just unwind with friends A Piece of New Orleans History. The most common types of greens for cold winter, but warmer summer regions (i.e., not extremely warm, as in the Southern and Southwestern United States) are bent grass greens. Pack: Cheese Lovers. The first section of every hole consists of the teeing ground, or tee-box. A golf course is the grounds where the game of golf is played. English Turn is named for one of the least likely things to happen in North America. Even Having a score equal to that of par. When playing on an 18-hole course, each hole is played once; whereas, on a nine-hole course each hole can be played twice to complete a round. Then a long fairway with short grass leads to a small area of very short grass called a green. Wood A type of club where the head is generally bulbous in shape except for the flatter clubface. There is typically more than one available box where a player places his ball, each one a different distance from the hole (and possibly with a different angle of approach to the green or fairway) to provide differing difficulty. One example of this is the infamous roughs at U.S. It is also preferable to arrange greens to be close to the tee box of the next playable hole, to minimize travel distance while playing a round, and to vary the mix of shorter and longer holes. [#] 19th Hole The clubhouse bar. In a tournament of 72 holes, Amen Corner makes up 12 holes of a golfer's final score. Approach shot A shot intended to land the ball on the green. Teeing Group The area from which you hit your drive or tee shot. The Open Championship, the oldest of golf’s major championships, is always played on a links course. Named because the head was originally made of wood, although almost all are now metal. The Ananti CC and the Satsuki golf course in Sano, Japan, are the only courses with par-7 holes. Tournament players will usually play from a longer-distance tee box (the Championship or Tournament tee) that is behind the standard men's tee, which increases the typical distance of each par; a par-3 hole can be up to 290 yards (270 m), and longer par-4 holes can measure up to 520 yards (480 m), which can also be accomplished by converting a par-5 hole into a long par-4 hole for tournament players. (iii) The entirety of a golf facility, including course, club-house, pro-shop, practice areas etc. It comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick ("pin") and hole ("cup"). Every hole has an individual personality including numerous bunkers, large waste bunkers, plentiful grass depressions and mounds which line the sculpted fairways. “The hole” refers both to the physical hole marked by a flag into which the ball must be sunk and also the entire area from the tee to the green. The best players will read the green by walking around the green and studying the characteristics of the green before addressing the ball. Foursomes In matchplay, a contest between two sides each consisting of a pair of players, where the 2 partners hit alternate shots on one ball. The first stroke, usually a pitch, a bunker shot or a chip, gets the ball ‘up’ onto the green, and the subsequent putt gets the ball ‘down’ into the hole. Many golf courses are now irrigated with non-potable water and rainwater. Tees are a small wooden or plastic peg used to hold the ball up, so that when hit by the club the ball travels as far as possible. Albatross A hole played three strokes under par, also called a Double Eagle. [I] Iron A club with a flat-faced solid metal head generally numbered from 1 to 9 indicating increasing loft. Residents of Great Guana Cay and Bimini, for example, are engaged in legal and political opposition to golf developments on their islands, for fear the golf courses will destroy the nutrient-poor balance on which their coral reef and mangrove systems depend. This has affected the speed and playing of Augusta National. 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