Golf dictionary and terminology Back to golf dictionary
C
caddie (caddy)
Someone who carries a player's club during play and
offers him assistance in accordance with the rules.
caddie master
The golf course employee in charge of managing the
caddies.
caddie-car A
golf car or car.
Calamity Jane
The name that Bobby Jones gave to his putter. Also
putters modeled after his hickory-shafted blade putter
can In slang,
to hole a putt.
cap The top end
of a club grip and shaft
card A card used
to record scores in stroke play. Also, to make a record
of your score.
carpet A slang
term referring to the putting green or fairway.
carry The length
of travel by the ball after it is hit to the place
where it first hits the ground
cart A two-wheeled
trolley on which a golf is fitted and pulled around
the course. In some cases trolleys are battery powered.
Can also refer to a golf car.
casual water
Any temporary accumulations of water that are visible
before or after a player takes his stance and is not
a hazard or in a water hazard. A player may lift his
ball from casual water without penalty
center shafted
Putter in which the shaft is joined to the center
of the head.
charge To surge
from behind and display superior play. Also to play
or putt aggressively.
chart the course
Pace each hole so that you know how far you are from
the green.
chili-dip To
hit the ground before the ball, producing a weak lofted
shot.
chip shot A short
approach shot of low trajectory usually hit from near
the green. It is normally hit with overspin or bite.
chip-and-run
A chip shot including the run of the ball after landing.
Also known as 'bump and run'
chip in A holed
chip shot.
choke To grip
down farther on the club handle.
choke A slang
term used to indicate a collapse under pressure
chop To hit the
ball with a hacking motion
claggy As in "I've got a bit of a claggy
lie". A lie that is a bit wet and muddy - of
British origin - almost a claim for casual water but
not quite!
claim The term
used in match play to denote a protest by a player
regarding a possible breach of the rules.
cleek Any one
of many narrow-bladed iron clubs used for long shots
through the green from the rough or sand. Another
name for the # 1 iron. Also, a shallower faced lofted
wooden club. Another name for the #4 wood.
closed stance
The left foot extends over the balls line of flight
while the right foot is back
cleat The spike
on the sole of a golf shoe.
closed face When
the clubface is pointed to the left of the target
when you address the ball.
closed stance
A stance taken with the right foot pulled back, away
from the ball.
club The implement
used in golf to strike the ball. Consists of a shaft,
grip and a clubhead of wood or metal.
club head The
hitting area of the club.
clubhouse The
main building on the course.
clubhouse lawyer
A self-appointed caller or arbiter of the rules
cock To bend
the wrists backwards in the backswing.
collar The grassy
fringe surrounding the putting green.
colorball A team
game with teams of 3 or 4 players in which one player
uses a colored ball. Team score comprises the score
with the colored ball plus the best of the other 2
or 3 players. Players alternate holes playing with
the colored ball.
come back shot
The shot you make after you have overshot the hole.
committee The
collective name for those in charge of a competition
or a course.
compression The
flattening of the ball against the clubface at impact.
Also the degree of resilience of a ball.
condor A four-under
par shot. A hole-in-one on a par 5 for example. Has
occurred on a hole with a heavy dogleg, hard ground
and no trees. Might also be called "a triple
eagle".
confusion a game
in which a point is awarded to the first player of
the group to get to the green, one for the players
closest to the pin and one for the first player to
hole out. The winner is the player with the highest
number of points.
control shot
A shot that is played with less than full power
core The center
of the golf ball.
course The playing
area which is usually made up of 9 or 18 holes with
each hole having a tee off area, fairway and green
course rating
The comparison of playing one course as opposed to
another in terms of difficulty. It is expressed in
strokes or decimal fractions of strokes. The yardage
of the course and the ability of a scratch golfer
are the basis for determination
crack To allow
one's good play to suffer when under pressure.
cross-bunker
A lengthy bunker that is situated across the fairway.
cross-handed grip
A grip where your left hand is below the right.
cup The container
in the hole holds the flagstick in pace.
cuppy A deep
and enclosed lie.
cut The score
that reduces the field to a pre-determined number
and eliminates players in a tournament. Usually made
after 36 of a 72 hole tournament.
cut shot A controlled
shot that results in the ball stopping almost immediately
on the green without roll. |
