Handicap: A handicap is a system of adjustment to the score system so that golfers of different skill levels can compete with one another without the better players dominating the game.
Hard Pan: Hard pan refers to areas of ground on the golf course that are extremely hard-packed.
Hazard: Hazards are area of the golf course (typically sand and water) which are designed to make life difficult for players.
Hole: The hole (or cup) is the ultimate target for the golf ball on each hole.
Holed Out: A player is said to ‘hole out’ when his ball enters the hole.
Honor: To be ‘given the honor’ is to be granted the privilege of playing first within your group.
Hook: A hook shot is a shot which bends to the left (for right-handed golfers).
Hosel: The hosel is the part of the clubhead which attaches it to the shaft of the club.
Impact: Impact refers to the moment at which that you hit the ball and the clubface ‘impacts’ the ball.
Impediment: An impediment is loose debris around the ball which is obstructing your shot and which can be moved away from your ball.
Interlocking Grip: This is a form of grip in which the index finger of one hand is ‘interlocked’ with the small (pinky) finger of the other hand.
Iron: An iron is a club which uses a metallic blade for the clubhead. Most golfers carry in the region of 8-10 irons which range from a number 2 iron to a sand wedge. Each club is designed to provide a different degree of loft on the ball.
Lag Putt: A lag putt is a long putt the goal of which is to have the ball stop within a short distance (typically 2 feet or less) of the hole.
Laid Off: This occurs when the club shaft is pointing to the left of the target at the top of the backswing (for right-handed golfers).
Lateral Water Hazard: A lateral water hazard is a water hazard or that portion of a water hazard which is situated so that it is impossible, or impracticable, to drop a ball behind the water hazard. All of the ground and water within the margin of a lateral water hazard are considered to be part of the lateral water hazard.
Lay Up: This term refers to a shot which is deliberately intended to fall short of the green in order to avoid getting into trouble.
Lie: The lie is the position of your ball following a shot and, in particular, refers to the condition of the ground in the area in which the ball has landed.
Line of Play: The line of play is the direction which a player wants his ball to take after playing a stroke, together with a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction. The line of play is considered to extend vertically upwards from the ground, but does not however extend beyond the hole.
Line of Putt: The line of putt is the line that a player wants his ball to take following a stroke on the putting green. The line of putt includes a reasonable distance on either side of the intended line but does not extend beyond the hole.
Lip Out: A lip out occurs when the golf ball travel right up to the hole and teeters on the edge of the cup but, instead of dropping into the hole, rolls back from the hole.
Loft: Loft can refer to the angle that the head of a golf club with the ground and to the relative height to which a particular club will hit the ball.
Loose Impediments: Loose impediments are natural objects including leaves, twigs, branches, stones, dung, worms and insects (and the casts and heaps made by them) which are not growing or fixed, solidly embedded or ahering to the ball.
Lost Ball: A ball is said to be lost if:
- It is not found (or identified as his) by the player within five minutes after the player, his partner(s) or caddies(s) have begun to search for it.
- The player has hit a provisional ball from the spot where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place.
- The player has put another ball into play under the penalty of stroke and distance.
- The player has put another ball into play because it is known or almost certain that the ball has been moved by an outside agency, is in an obstruction, is in an abnormal ground condition or is in a water hazard.
- The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball.
Marker: A marker is an individual who is appointed by the Committee to record a competitor’s score in stroke play. A marker may be a fellow competitor. The role of the marker is solely to record the competitor’s score and he is not a referee.
Matchplay: This term refers to the original manner in which golf was played, which was on a hole-to-hole basis. The player with the lowest score on the first hole is the winner of that hole and goes ‘one up’. If that player is then the winner on the second hole then he goes ‘two up’ and this scoring pattern continues for each hole thereafter. Should you lose a hole then you go ‘down one’ and if a hole is tied you then ‘halve’ the hole. The outcome of the matchplay is decided by how many holes you are either up or down by in relation to the number of holes left. For instance, if you are 4 up with only 3 holes left in the game then you are the winner of the match.
Mulligan: A mulligan is an illegal second attempt at a shot which went wrong.
Municipal Course: This is a golf course which is both owned and operated by the local authority and is also often referred to as a ‘muni’.
Nuked Shot: A nuked shot is a shot which is hit far harder and longer than you would normally hit the ball with a particular club.
Nearest Point Of Relief: The nearest point of relief is the reference point used for taking relief without a penalty from interference by an immovable obstruction, an abnormal ground condition or a wrong putting green.
Neutral Grip: This grip is one in which a right-handed golfer is able to see 2 knuckles of the left hand when looking down at the grip during address.
Neutral Stance: This stance is one in which both feet are in line and parallel to the target line.
Observer: An observer is an individual who is appointed by the Committee to assist a referee in deciding questions of fact. An observer is also responsible for reporting any breach of a Rule.
Obstruction: An obstruction is anything which is artificial (including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice) except:
- Objects defining out of bounds areas, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings.
- Any portion of an immovable artificial object which is out of bounds.
- Any construction which is declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.
An obstruction is said to be a movable obstruction if it can be moved without undue effort, without overly delaying play and without causing damage.
Open Face: The club is said to have an ‘open’ face when it is aligned to the right of the target line (for right-handed golfers).
Open Stance: This stance in one in which your body alignment points towards the left of the target when set up (for right-handed golfers).
Out-of-Bounds: This is the area which is outside of the course and which is often marked with white stakes.
Out-to-in Blow: This term is simply another way of saying ‘Coming Over The Top’ which describes the movement of the club as it travels through the downswing and into a right-to-left pathway across the ball (for right handed golfers).
Outside Agency: In match play, an outside agency is any agency other than either the player’s or opponent’s side, any caddie of either side, any ball played by either side at the hole being played or any equipment of either side. In stroke play, an outside agency is any agency other than the competitor’s side, any caddie of the side, any ball played by the side at the hole being played or any equipment of the side.
An outside agency includes a referee, a marker, an observer and a forecaddie. Wind nor water are not considered to be outside agencies.
Partner: A partner is a player who is associated with another player on the same side. In threesome, foursome, best-ball or four-ball play, where the context so admits, the word player is taken to include his partner or partners.
Penalty Stroke: A penalty stroke is one which is added to the score of a player or side as specified within the rules. When playing in a threesome or foursome, penalty strokes do not affect the order of play.
Provisional Ball: A provisional ball is a ball played for a ball which may be lost outside a water hazard or which may be out of bounds.
Putting Green: The putting green is all of the ground surrounding the hole being played which is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee. A ball is said to be on the putting green when any part of the ball touches the putting green.
Referee: A referee is an individual appointed by the Committee to accompany players in order to decide questions of fact and to apply the rules. He is obliged to act on any breach of a rule which he observes or which is reported to him. A referee ought not to attend the flagstick, stand at or otherwise mark the position of the hole, or lift a ball or mark its position.
Rub of the Green: A rub of the green is said to occur when a ball which is in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by an outside agency.
Stance: A player is said to be taking his stance when he places his feet in position for and in preparation of making a stroke.
Stipulated Round: The stipulated round consists of playing the holes of the course in their correct order (unless otherwise authorized by the Committee) and the number of holes in a stipulated round is 18 (unless a smaller number is authorized by the Committee).
Stroke: A stroke is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball. Should a player check his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball then he has not made a stroke.
Substituted Ball: A substituted ball is a ball which is put into play in place of the original ball which was in play, lost, out of bounds or lifted.
Tee: A tee is simply a device which is designed to raise the ball off the ground. A tee must not be longer than 4 inches and it must not be either designed or manufactured in a manner which would enable it to indicate the line of play or to influence the movement of the ball.
Teeing Ground: The teeing ground is the starting point for each hole. It is a rectangular area of ground two club lengths in depth the front and sides of which are defined by two tee-markers.
Through The Green: Through the green refers to the whole area of the course except for the teeing ground, the putting green of the hole being played and any hazard areas.
Water Hazard: A water hazard is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not it contains water) and anything of a similar nature on the course.
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