Golf dictionary and terminology Back to golf dictionary
B
back door The
rear of the hole.
back lip The
edge of the bunker that is farthest from the green.
back nine The
last 9 holes of an 18 hole course
backspin A reverse
spin placed on the ball to make in stop short on the
putting surface
backswing The
backward part of the swing starting from the ground
and going back over the head
baff An obsolete
term, Scottish in origin, meaning to hit or graze
the ground behind the ball.
baffle Previous
name given to a 5 wood.
baffy A lofted
wooden club developed from the baffling-spoon no longer
in use. Also the alternate name given to the 4 wood.
bail out To avoid
trouble, such as a water hazard, in one area by hitting
the ball well into another area.
balata A hard,
resilient sap-like substance from the South American
Balata tree that is used to make a cover for rubber-cored
golf balls.
ball The round
object which we attempt to hit into the hole. Prior
to the 17th century it was made of wood or wool in
a leather cover. After the 17th century feathers were
boiled and compressed, then sewn in a leather cover.
It continued to evolve to a solid gutta percha (or
a mixture with gutta percha other substances) in the
1850's and strip rubber wound around a core in the
1900's. Presently made of solid compressed synthetic
rubber with hundreds of surface indentations which
aid in the flight of the ball.
ball at rest
The ball has come to a complete stop on the fairway
or green
ball embedded
A techinical term for a plugged ball
ball holed A
ball is holed when it is entirely below the level
of the lip of the hole
ball in play
A ball is in play as soon as the player has made a
stroke in the tee off area. It remains in play until
it is holed out except when it is out of bounds, lost,
lifted or when another ball is substituted in accordance
with the rules.
ball marker A
token or a small coin used to spot the balls position
on the green prior to lifting it
ball retriever
A long pole with a scoop on the end which is used
to collect balls from water hazards and other areas.
ball washer A
device found on many tees for cleaning golf balls
bandit See hustler
banana ball A
slice that curves to the right in the shape of a banana.
An extreme slice.
baseball grip
Holding the club with all ten fingers on the grip.
beach A sand
hazard on the course
bend The curve
on a shot created by sidespin.
bend one To hook
or slice a shot by using sidespin.
bent grass Type
of grass seen for the most part on Northern courses.
It is of the genus Agrostis, native to North America
and Eurasia. It is a hardy and resilient type of grass
that can be cut very short.
bermuda Type
of grass seen mostly on Southern courses in North
America. Of the type Cynodon dactylon. Originally
native to southern Europe. It was introduced to warmer
areas of the world to be used on courses where bent
grass will not grow.
best ball A match
in which one player plays against the better of two
balls or the best ball of three players. Also the
better score of two partners in a four-ball or best-ball
match.
better ball A
match play or stroke play gamewhen two players on
a side each play their own ball score the better of
their two scores at each hole against the other side.
birdie One stroke
under par for a hole. Also possibly derived from the
term "It flew like a bird" to indicate a
good shot.
bird's nest A
lie in which the ball is cupped in deep grass.
bite The backspin
imparted on the ball that makes the ball stop dead,
or almost so, with little or no roll.
blade 1) The
hitting part of an iron clubhead, not including the
hosel. 2) To hit the ball with the leading edge of
the blade of an iron.
blade Putter
A type of putter with an iron head with the basic
form the same as other standard numbered irons.
blast A shot
that takes a large amount of sand with it when hitting
out of a sand trap. An explosion shot. An aggressive
shot. A powerful drive.
blind Bogey A
type of competition in which each player tries to
come the closest to a score that has been drawn out
of a hat.
blind hole If
the putting green cannot be seen by the player as
he approaches, the hole is called blind.
block To play
a shot by delaying the rotation of the wrists during
a swing. This causes the clubface not to be square
at the point of impact resulting in a sliced ball.
bogey A score
of one over par for the hole. To play a hole in one
stroke over par.
bogey competition
A form of stroke play in which players play against
a fixed score at each hole. Scored as in match play
with the winner being the most holes.
bold A firmly
played approach to a well -protected pin. Also, too
strong or long a shot.
borrow To play
to one side of the hole or the other to compensate
for the slope of the green.
boundary The
edge of the golf course that defines the area of play.
bowker This refers
to a shot that appears to be horrible and then hits
a tree, a rock, a spectator, etc. and bounces back
into play. Sample usage: "I would have bogeyed
the fourth hole but I got a bowker." Pronounced
"boughkur".
bramble A small
molded bump on some types of golf balls (gutta purcha
and rubber core). Intended to give aerodynamic properties
like the dimples on present day balls.
brassie Former
name given to a 2 wood. A wooden club with a brass
sole plate with more loft than a driver and less than
the than the spoon.
break To make
less than a specified score. Such as when you finally
broke 90.
break The way
in which the ball will roll or bounce. Also the sideways
slope on the green.
break the Wrists
To bend the wrists back during a swing.
British Ball
The type of golf ball specified by the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club of St. Andrews. Diameter is not less than
1.620 inches and the weight is not more than 1.620
ounces. Now used mainly in amateur play.
British Open
"The Open" - the first one ever held. The
National Championship put on by the Royal And Ancient
Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland.
bulge The curve
across the face of a wooden club.
bulger A wooden
club with a slightly convex face. Mainly a driver.
bull dog Former
name for a 4 or 5 wood.
bump and run A
chip shot including the run of the ball after landing.
Also known as 'chip and run'
bunker A depression
in bare ground that is usually covered with sand.
Also called a "sand trap". It is considered
a hazard under the Rules of Golf.
bunt To hit an
intentional short shot
burn The Scottish
term for a creek or stream
burried ball
A ball partially buried beneath the sand in a bunker
buzzard A score
of two strokes over par for a hole.
bye A term used
in tournaments. The player who draws a "bye"
is allowed to advance to the next round without playing
an opponent. In match play, it is the hole or holes
still left to play if the match is won before the
18th hole. |
