Golf Glossary

When in school we used to learn abbreviation like what is UNESCO, etc. Singapore has loads of these in everyday life - PAP, CPF, CID, NWC, NUS, NTU, SPCA and even our roads and expressways - PIE, CTE, AYE, KPE. Do you know what is PIG? Let me lead you on to some golf glossary some of which are real and some were coined.

Albatross

An albatross is a mystical big bird that soars vast distances. It is also known as a double eagle in the US which is to play 3 under par. This means to say you have to get the ball in the hole with one stroke on a par 4 and 2 shots on a par 5. Is that possible? Yes, some lucky souls have done it. Don't you think it is a waste to call it a double eagle. Let Fleetwood Mac treat you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ombnqWR3eA & learn how to get an albatross. Life is different trying to get an albatross and being an albatross. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10u9WgZGSwk&feature=fvw

Big Dog

You can say "it's time to let the big dog out!" It means to use the driver.

Birdie

A birdie is one under par i.e. 2 on par 3, 3 on par 4 and 4 on par 5. Usually accompanied by clenching of fists and punching of the air. The very people who gave this name probably thought it is common place, so common they didn't even bother to give it a bird's name like kingfisher, magpie, mynah, robin, pigeon, swallow or sparrow. So why do you punch the air for?

Bite

Bite is when the ball hits the green and stop. This can only happen when it is hit with lots of backspin, a skilled execution. Sometimes, when the ball is in flight you can hear golfers shouting "bite, bite!" as if the ball can hear and obey.

Bo Derek

In the movie 10, the seductive Bo Derek was a screamer. She was rated a 10! In golf, when you get a 10 for any hole, you'll be crying home to mama.

Bogey

When you do a one over i.e. playing 4 on a par 3, 5 on par 4 and 6 on par 5. Colonel Bogey was an imaginary opponent whom golfers would compete for par. It's a score dreaded by better golfers by is welcome relief to many others.

Condor

The Condor is a really huge bird, a vulture of the Andes. This mighty bird is the rarest occurence in golf. It is doing a hole-in-one on a par 5. It has only happend twice in history once in 1995 where Shaun Lynch did it on a 496 yard and before that L. Brice did it in 1962 frmo 480 yards. Could it be the Condor picked the ball and drop it in the hole? Calling it a triple Eagle is also such a waste. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1DafqSakt8

COR

Coefficient of Restitution is a percentage of the ball speed off the club head divided by the speed at which it was struck. It's the club face ability to rebound the ball. The club face actually depresses when the ball is struck then rebounds with a trampoline effect. It is a measurement of that.

Double Bogey

When you play 2 over, it's a double bogey. 5 on par 3, 6 on par 4 and 7 on par 5. It is a "Hawk" and in the US is also called a "Buzzard."

Duck Hook

A duck hook is as bad if not worse than a hook because with a duck hook the ball immediately bends right to left and dips or ducks to the ground to the golfer's hook side. Quack, quack!

Eagle

An eagle is two under par. 1 on a par 3 which laterally means a hole-in-one. 2 on a par 4 and 3 on a par 5. Phil Mickelson was once the Tour leader in Eagle stats with once every 73 holes.

First Cut

First Cut refers to the areas just outside and around the green or the first area of the rough. Even Rod Stewart has a song, First Cut Is The Deepest. Formerly a grave digger, Rod Stewart went on to become a Superstar.

GIR
GIR is Green In Regulation. Your ball must be on the putting surface in relation to par which assumes that every hole includes two putts so you achieve GIR on a par 3 with the first shot, two shots na par 4 and three on a par 5.

GUR

Ground Under Repair. Exactly what is says. Usually marked with stakes and ropes around it or a simple sign GUR.

Gimmee
Give it to me. When the ball is within one putter length of the hole it is a gimme. This is to speed up play. But when you can, you should putt it in. Otherwise, when you are in a tournament one day that does not offer a gimme, you forgot how to putt.
Handicap Index
If your handicap index is 16.5 it means your potential for soring. It indicates that on your best days, you shoot somehwere around 16 or 17 strokes over par. It is not your average score but what you might achieve on your best days.

Honour

It basically determines the order of play. It is just for etiquette and no penalties when not followed in stroke play. In match play, a golfer can be made to reply a shot without penalty. The player with the best and lowest score on the previous hole gets the honour to tee off first. Simply, birdie goes before par, par before bogey and so on. If it is a tie, the order of hitting from the previous hole carries over.
Hook

A hook occurred when the ball starts flying right and then surve severely to the left. It can be tough to straighten out. They say you can talk to a slice but a hook won't ever listen.

Lone Ranger

Not the masked crusader. Those who can golf alone and to me also those who go to the range alone.

Mulligan

It is basically a shot not entered as a score and granted in social games after playing a poor shot. It was claimed that it originated from a Canadian called David Mulligan. It is like a do-over shot after a bad one. So his flight mates must have given that shot his name. So be careful what you do or you may have many things named after you. It is not an official rule but social golfers can decide on it before a round begins. It must be agreed by all at the onset whether you be allowed one mulligan per 9 or 18 holes. So a mulligan is like a second chance.

OB

Out Of Bounds. One stroke penalty after counting the shot.

Par

Par is when you play exactly as even par as stated 3 on par 3, 4 on par 4 and 5 on par 5. So easy right? Could be a term of reference by bankers or stockbrokers. The French use "par excellence".

Pin

The flag. This is where the hole is. A flagstick is stuck there to help you sight and navigate your way there from afar. These sadistic people who invented it made such a small hole and lets you whack a small ball from distance expecting you to get into it in as few strokes as possible and in between they lay all kinds of traps for you.
Quintuple Bogey

Is when you play 5 over par. 8 strokes on a par 3, 9 on par 4 or 10 on par 5. So next time when someone play 10 strokes on a par, instead of saying double par, you can say quintuple bogey and they will go "what's that?" This is the "Goose". You will be forced-fed with water and be slaughtered at the club house for "foie gras". Hey Goose, pray that you don't get that - ever!

Quadruple Bogey

This is a four over i.e. when you play 7 on par 3, 9 on par 4 and 9 on par 5. It is called a "Turkey". At every Thanksgiving, the US President pardons a turkey, so forgive yourself and move on. It is only slightly better than the Quintuple Bogey. Not a Goose but you are still a Turkey. That is the real and correct term of a Turkey (not 3 pars in a row).

Rake

You know the Chinese Classic - Journey To The West and the weapon Mr. Piggy (Zhu Ba Jie) carries with him. Yup, that's the rake. You use it to rake the bunker after you make a mess of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXHd5rf3XSQ&feature=related ok Pigsy, please rake the bunker.

Saddam
So named after Saddam Hussein. The Saddam in this case is the best golfer in the group and the other three would gang up with the best ball to challenge him. It's 3 versus 1 so to speak just like what the UN did to Saddam.
Shank

When a shot is hit almost perpedicular to your intended target line as a result of impact either with the hosel or toe of the club. When it is hit off the hosel, it flies to the right. It has been called a shank as that is the other name for this part of the club. Shanked shots are uncontrollable and usually does not even take off from the ground.

System 36

This is not your Toto gaming bet. Throughout the round, golfer accrues points based on the following formula: Double bogey or worse = no points, Bogey = one point and Par or better = two points. At the end, points earned are tallied and total is subtracted from 36 with the resulting number being the golfer's handicap. Example: You shoot 90 and you have 7 pars, 9 bogey and 2 double bogeys or worse, the calculation: 7 x 2 points = 14, 9 x 1points = 9 and 2 x 0 = 0. Total: 23. Subtracr from 36:i.e. 36 minus 23 = 13, so your handicap is 13 for the day (90-13 = 77) so your net score on system 36 is 77.

Tee

The tee is the wooden or plastic peg which you use to tee up the ball when teeing off.

Tee Box

It is not a box for you to store your tee pegs. That is the place to tee off from each hole.

Threesome

This has nothing to do with kinky sex. Instead of a foursome (4 golfers to a flight, you just have 3).

Triple Bogey

That's when you play 3 over which is a 6 on par 3, 7 on par 4 and 8 on par 5. Also known as the "Grouse" since you will grouse over it.

Wrong Green

Don't laugh. There have been times where I have witnessed people aiming at the wrong green from the tee box and the fairways.

Yips

Please see: http://gforce-guru.blogspot.com/2009/09/yips.html

There are actually many many more of these terms in golf glossary. These are just some to refresh you on.