Golf terms A–Z

Understanding golf terms: why golf has its own language

Anyone visiting a golf facility for the first time hears a lot of new words: tee, fairway, birdie, handicap. That is down to the history of the game. Golf developed in Scotland and spread around the world from there, so most golf terminology is English. In German-speaking countries many of these words are used unchanged.

Some terms exist in both languages. The tee is called Abschlag in German, the green is Grün and the marker who records your score is the Zähler. Other words such as birdie, eagle or bogey are not translated at all.

Golf language also changes over time. The Rules of Golf published by The R&A and the USGA were modernised in 2019, and the current edition dates from 2023. Since then, for example, the rules speak of penalty areas instead of water hazards. Handicapping has its own new vocabulary too: since the World Handicap System was introduced, players talk about the Handicap Index and the Course Handicap. This glossary uses the current terms and mentions the old ones where that helps.

Scoring and formats: par, birdie, bogey and more

In golf every stroke counts. To make scores comparable, there are fixed terms for your score on a hole and for the way a round is played.

• Par: the number of strokes a very good player is expected to need on a hole, for example 4 on a par-4 hole.
• Birdie: one stroke under par, so 3 strokes on a par 4.
• Bogey: one stroke over par. Two over par is a double bogey.
• Eagle and albatross: two and three strokes under par.
• Hole in one: the ball goes into the hole with the first shot from the tee.
• Gross and net: gross is every stroke you played; net is your score after deducting handicap strokes.
• Stableford: a points-based format. A net par on a hole is worth 2 points.
• Stroke play and match play: in stroke play every stroke of the round counts, in match play you win individual holes.
• Scramble and foursomes: team formats in which two or more players produce one score together.

A mulligan, by the way, is not part of the official rules. It describes an informal second attempt that some recreational golfers allow each other in friendly rounds.

The course and the rules: key terms out on the course

Every hole starts on the tee and ends in the hole on the green. In between there are different areas you should know.

• Tee (teeing area): where you play the first shot of a hole. Coloured markers show different lengths.
• Fairway: the closely mown grass between tee and green, where the ball is easiest to play.
• Rough: the longer grass beside the fairway.
• Bunker: a prepared hollow filled with sand.
• Green: the very short grass around the hole where you putt.
• Penalty area: an area such as a pond or ditch from which you may take relief for one penalty stroke.
• Out of bounds: everything beyond the course boundary, usually marked with white stakes.

A few terms from the rules and etiquette also help during a round. Fore is the warning shout when a ball is heading towards other people. The player with the best score on the previous hole has the honour and tees off first. A divot is a piece of turf removed by a shot, a pitch mark is the dent a ball leaves on the green, and you should repair both. A penalty stroke is added to your score when the rules require it. When you drop a ball, you let it fall from knee height, for example after taking relief.

Handicap and course permit: terms for getting started

Two topics follow almost every beginner: the course permit and the handicap. Around them you will find words that appear again and again on entry forms, scorecards and booking pages.

• Platzreife (course permit): proof that you can play safely and within the rules on a golf course. In Germany the DGV Platzreife of the German Golf Association is the usual standard.
• Handicap: a number that describes your playing ability. The lower the number, the better you play. The maximum handicap is 54.
• World Handicap System (WHS): the worldwide handicap system, applied in Germany by the DGV since 2021.
• Course Rating and Slope Rating: two values that show how difficult a course is for very good and for average golfers.
• Course Handicap: the number of handicap strokes you receive on a specific course.
• Green fee: the fee for playing a round as a guest.
• Tee time: the booked time at which your group starts on the first tee.
• Flight: the group you play with, usually two to four people.

Once you know these terms, competition notices and result lists become much easier to follow.

Equipment, technique and practice: from driver to smash factor

Golf clubs have their own names, and the swing and practice come with plenty of technical terms too.

• Driver: the longest club, mostly used from the tee on long holes.
• Fairway woods and hybrids: clubs for long shots from the fairway or the tee.
• Irons and wedges: numbered clubs for medium and short distances. The higher the number, the more lofted the face and the shorter the shot.
• Putter: the club for the green.
• Loft: the angle of the clubface. It helps determine how high and how far the ball flies.
• Chip, pitch and putt: the shots around the green, from low runners to high approach shots.
• Slice and hook: shots that curve strongly to the side. For right-handers a slice curves right and a hook curves left.
• Carry, ball speed and smash factor: values measured by launch monitors such as TrackMan. Carry is the distance the ball travels in the air.

One simple rule helps with equipment: under the Rules of Golf you may carry no more than 14 clubs. Which clubs they are is up to you.

Golf abbreviations and English golf terms

Result lists, scorecards and golf apps are full of abbreviations. These are worth knowing:

• HCP or Hcp: handicap. HCPI stands for Handicap Index.
• CR and SR: the Course Rating and Slope Rating of a course.
• WHS: World Handicap System.
• PCC: Playing Conditions Calculation, an adjustment for unusually hard or easy conditions on a given day.
• AGS (German GBE): adjusted gross score, the score used for handicap calculation.
• OB: out of bounds.
• GIR: greens in regulation, reaching the green in the expected number of strokes.
• DGV and PGA: the German Golf Association and the professional body for golf coaches (Professional Golfers' Association).
• R&A and USGA: the two bodies that publish the Rules of Golf.

A final tip: learn golf terms where they actually appear. If you see values such as carry or loft on a screen while practising on the range, and write down your own bogey on the course, the words will stick far faster than with a vocabulary list. Use this glossary as a reference whenever you come across a new golf expression.

Frequently asked questions