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Golf Slang

Golf Slang: The Ultimate List

Golf can be intimidating because of all the slang, phrases, and lingo you might come across. Here is what it all means in beginner terms!

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘A

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘A’.

Golf Slan: “Away

Definition

"You're away" is golf slang which means you are the furthest from the hole and it is your turn to play. Generally, when a golfer says "you're away", they are telling you it's your turn to play and it is not meant in a derogatory sense. That said, more experienced golfers may use this slang for trash-talking their playing partners in good fun.

Usage

Looks like you're away, feel free to hit when you're ready!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Away”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "You're Away" cover image

Away

Golf Slang: "You're Away"

"You're away" is golf slang which means you are the furthest from the hole and it is your turn to play.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘B

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘B’.

Golf Slan: “Big Ball First

Definition

Hitting the big ball first is golf slang for chunking a shot. The "big ball" is the earth (ground) while the "little ball" is your golf ball.

Usage

Oops, hit the big ball first on that one!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Big Ball First”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Hit the Big Ball First" cover image

Big Ball First

Golf Slang: "Hit the Big Ball First"

Hitting the big ball first is golf slang for chunking a shot. The "big ball" is the earth (ground) while the "little ball" is your golf ball.

Golf Slan: “Blow Up Hole

Definition

A "blow-up hole" refers to a hole where you shoot a much higher score than you want to. For pro golfers, a double or triple bogey might be considered a "blow-up hole". For beginners, a "blow-up hole" would be making an 8, 9, 10, or worse on a hole.

Usage

If it weren't for that blow-up hole I had, I would have shot a great round!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Blow Up Hole”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Blow Up Hole" cover image

Blow Up Hole

Golf Slang: "Blow Up Hole"

A "blow-up hole" refers to a hole where you shoot a much higher score than you generally would for that hole.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘C’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘D

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘D’.

Golf Slan: “Dead Hands

Definition

When someone plays a "dead hands shot", it generally refers to a short game shot where they use as little wrist action as possible. This helps them control trajectory and spin better than a normal pitch shot by reducing as many variables (i.e. wrist hinge) as possible.

Usage

Try hitting this next pitch shot with dead hands to control the trajectory and spin a little bit more.

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Dead Hands”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Dead Hands" cover image

Dead Hands

Golf Slang: "Dead Hands"

When someone plays a "dead hands shot", it generally refers to a short game shot where they use as little wrist action as possible.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘E’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘F

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘F’.

Golf Slan: “Foot Wedge

Definition

A play on words, the "foot wedge" is where a golfer who dislikes his/her lie kicks the ball to a more favorable position. This is technically not legal to do in golf, but casual golfers may use it to make the game more enjoyable. It is also common to see casual golfers use when playing during fall and winter where course conditions are not as good.

Usage

Your ball is behind a tree, you might need a little foot wedge to help you out on this one!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Foot Wedge”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: Foot Wedge cover image

Foot Wedge

Golf Slang: Foot Wedge

A play on words, the "foot wedge" is where a golfer who dislikes his/her lie kicks the ball to a more favorable position. This is not legal to do in golf.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘G

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘G’.

Golf Slan: “Go-to Shot

Definition

Golfers refer to their "go-to shot" as the type of shot they are most comfortable hitting, especially when they are a bit nervous. Typically, this is used for tee shots to get the ball in play. For example, my "go-to shot" is a fade. I'll always try to hit a fade when the pressure is on.

Usage

When you're under pressure, you'll need a go-to shot that you are comfortable with.

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Go-to Shot”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Go-to Shot" cover image

Go-to Shot

Golf Slang: "Go-to Shot"

Golfers refer to their "go-to shot" as the type of shot they are most comfortable hitting, especially when they are a bit nervous.

Golf Slan: “Grounding the club

Definition

Grounding the club is when you set up to a shot and your club touches the ground behind the ball. This is not allowed in the bunker or hazards.

Usage

When you hit that bunker shot, make sure you don't ground your club!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Grounding the club”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Grounding the club" cover image

Grounding the club

Golf Slang: "Grounding the club"

Grounding the club is when you set up to a shot and your club touches the ground behind the ball. This is not allowed in the bunker or hazards.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘H

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘H’.

Golf Slan: “Hitting Bombs

Definition

Made famous by Phil Mickelson's social media accounts, "hitting bombs" refers to hitting the driver a far distance in golf and swinging hard.

Usage

Phil Mickelson was hitting bombs off the tee during that round.

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Hitting Bombs”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Hitting Bombs" cover image

Hitting Bombs

Golf Slang: "Hitting Bombs"

Made famous by Phil Mickelson's social media accounts, "hitting bombs" refers to hitting the driver a far distance in golf and swinging hard.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘I’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘J’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘K’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘L

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘L’.

Golf Slan: “Lip Out

Definition

A lip out is when a putt rolls over the edge of the hole, almost goes in, then "lips out" and misses.

Usage

What a terrible lip out, you got robbed on that putt!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Lip Out”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Lip Out" cover image

Lip Out

Golf Slang: "Lip Out"

A lip out is when a putt rolls over the edge of the hole, almost goes in, then "lips out" and misses.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘M’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘N’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘O

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘O’.

Golf Slan: “On a Rope

Definition

You might hear, "That shot was on a rope" or "That shot was on a string". This means that the golfer has hit a perfectly straight golf shot that never left the target line. This is a compliment that describes a great golf shot!

Usage

Nice, that shot was on a rope!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “On a Rope”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "On a rope" cover image

On a Rope

Golf Slang: "On a rope"

When a golfer says, "that shot was on a rope", it means they hit it perfectly straight, like a rope.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘P

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘P’.

Golf Slan: “Play it as it lies

Definition

In a round of golf, you can get free relief and change your "lie" in some scenarios. For example, if your ball is plugged in the fairway, sitting on a cart path, or resting against a man-made structure like a water fountain. In other cases, you must "play it as it lies", which means you cannot touch the ball or change how it sits. In the majority of golf shots, you will "play it as it lies".

Usage

Be an honest golfer and play it as it lies!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Play it as it lies”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Play it as it lies" cover image

Play it as it lies

Golf Slang: "Play it as it lies"

Also known as "playing the ball down", this means the golfer must hit the ball where it comes to rest, no matter how bad the lie is.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘Q’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘R’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘S

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘S’.

Golf Slan: “Soft Hands

Definition

When someone has "soft hands", that means that they have great feel around the greens and are good at chipping and pitching. On tour, Phil Mickelson is famous for having one of the best short games (putting and chipping), so we might say, "Phil has soft hands around the greens".

Usage

Try and soften up the hands on this next chip. You're hitting it too hard.

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Soft Hands”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Slang: "Soft Hands" cover image

Soft Hands

Golf Slang: "Soft Hands"

When someone has "soft hands", that means that they have great feel around the greens and are good at chipping and pitching.

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘T’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘U’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘V’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘W’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘X’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘Y’:

Golf Slang Beginning With ‘Z’: