SolveYourProblem Article Series: Golf
The Fundamentals of Playing Golf

Top 10 Most Common Golf Terms - Golf Glossary

Golf is a funny game. On the fairway, you can find intelligent and sometimes famous people kicking a ball with a club and then trying to stick it in a hole, not just one hole but 18 holes. These men, actually not them but their caddies, go around these holes carrying with them some woods, irons and even a driver.

So why do these men, sane and normal as anyone can be, make a big thing out of getting a hole in one, or even just a birdie? Why do they avoid a bogey like the plague?

Strange people, these golfers are, you might say. But if you know their secret world, you would understand them better. Who knows, you might even become enamored by the game they play that you would start speaking their lingo better than anyone else. So why not familiarize yourself with these ten words commonly used by golfers?

1. Handicap - A handicap is does not mean a disability. This term refers to the number of strokes a player may deduct from his total score at the end of a game. This is used to level the playing field in golf, so that golfers who have different abilities or levels can compete on a level field. A golfer usually starts with a handicap of 36. This means he can subtract 36 from his total score at the end of a game. The ideal here is to get that handicap down to a single digit, preferably nine or less than nine.

2. Birdie and Eagle - These are pleasant terms to a golfer. A birdie means a golfer uses one stroke less than par to drive the ball into the hole while an eagle means the player uses two strokes less than par.

3. Bogey - A bogey is an infamous term for players who avoid getting it like the plague. A bogey means a golfer has scored one over the par. Imagine what a triple bogey could mean to a player. By the way, a par means the minimum number of shots in which a player is expected to drive his ball into the hole. Par is usually 3, 4 or 5, but a beginner can take as much as 15 shots before driving the ball into the hole.

4. Golf club - A golf club is different from a “golf club” or what golfers often refer to as clubhouse. The golf club or clubhouse is the place where golfers congregate before or after a game. It is a common fixture of every golf course. Golf clubs are very important tools that are used by golfers to strike the golf ball. Golfers around the world are allowed to carry as many as 14 golf clubs in their bags. However, beginners can start with a half set that may include 3 woods, 8 irons and a putter.

5. Woods - These are the tools used by a golfer for long shots. A golfer particularly uses this when he is at least 175 yards from the green. Woods are considered as the longest clubs. A driver is the terms used when a golfer plays with the longest wood. Do not be tricked into believing that woods are literally made of wood, because they are made of metal. Well, not so long ago, woods were really made of woods but at present, all woods are made of metal, perhaps because of its durability. Golfers use irons when they are not more than 200 yards from the green.

6. Obstructions refer to artificial movable or immovable objects, which hinder the flow of the game. An immovable obstruction can refer to a sprinkler while an immovable obstruction can refer to a thing that can be moved. Of course, it does not include boundary markers.

7. Hazards - The term literally refers to a difficulty that may have been encountered by a player while in the golf course. This refers to water on the course, sand traps or trees. Hazards are a part of the design of a golf course, intentionally placed by the designers to make the game more difficult and challenging. Sand traps can be found near greens and often vary in depth, consistency, size and difficulty. The sure thing is that it can intimidate even the most skilled players.

8. Match play - It is a competition where scores are based on every hole. This means that each hole in the course is a separate contest for the players. While the rule of the game makes the player with the lowest score the winner, in a match play, the player or players who won the most number of holes is the winner.

9. Stroke competition - In this competition, the player or players who has the fewest or lesser strokes to move the ball from the tee tot eh hole wins. The total number of strokes in a pre-determined number of rounds is the basis of who will win the game.

10. Rub of the game - The term means to an accident where the ball hits an outside agency such as a bird or a rake and such agency stops the ball. This can be dismissed as bad luck but gold rules allows you to play the ball as it lies and without penalty.

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