To any beginner, golf may seem too complicated to even try to learn. The lingo used on and off the course doesn’t make it seem any easier. However, learning golf terminology helps you pick up the sport even faster. Rams Hill has compiled a list of the most commonly used golfing slang to use as a future cheat sheet the next time you play a round or watch a tournament:

A
Abominable Snowman A score of 9 in a hole
Ace Getting the ball into the hole with a single swing
Afraid of the Dark When the putted ball never makes it into the hole
Air Mail Hitting the ball much farther than you intended
Albatross When someone manages to score 3 strokes under Par
All Square A tied match play
B
Back-Door Putt When instead of going into the hole, the ball spins around it and falls into the cup off the back edge
Banana Ball The shape the ball travels also known as a slice
Barkies Landing a decent score despite hitting the ball into trees
Birdie Scoring one less than Par
Bite If you hit a ball with backspin, it can stay put or roll backward
Bo Derek Scoring 10 on a hole
Bogey One over Par
C
Cabbage The rough is grassy and thick
Captain Kirk Your shot went where no ball has ever gone before
Casual Water Puddles of water on the course from storming
Chicken Run An afternoon golf tournament typically played after work
Chunk A shot that went too wide or “fat”
D
Dance Floor The putting green
Danny DeVito A challenging 5-footer
Dawn Patrol The first golfers on the course who typically play as early as possible such as at sunrise
Deepage An incredibly long or “deep” drive
Dog Track When the golf course is in bad condition
Duck Hook An off target shot that curves right to left
Duffer A new and inexperienced golfer
E
Eagle A score of two under par
F
Fade When a shot moves from left to right
Flyer A ball that travels a lot further than intended
Flub A shot so bad that it caused you to lose
Fore When the ball is heading toward a crowd of people, usually shouted
Four-Jack Where it takes exactly four putts to get the ball in the hole
Fried Egg When the ball is half burried in a sand trap while only its top half is visible
G
Gimme When everyone agrees your shot that’s so close to the hole counts without actually have to play it
Get Up When the ball looks like it’s not going to make it to the hole, typically shouted
H
Hacker A novice or inexperienced golfer
Handicap A numerical representation that describes a player’s golfing ability
Honors The right to play first due to having the best score on the most recent hole or being furthest from it
Hook When the ball curves right to left because the golfer is right-handed
I
In the Leather A ball that falls so close to the hole that everyone agrees it counts
J
Jungle When a ball lands in the deepest rough of the course
K
Kick Someone with the hopes for the ball to bounce into a decent position
L
Lie The position or location of the ball while in play
Loft The face of the club’s angle
M
Match Play A different type of game where players win single holes instead of adding the total holes altogether
Mickey Mouse Course A poorly maintained golf course with a lot of short holes
Middle or Mid-Irons The 5-7 irons
Modified Scramble A type of game where the best shot off the tee is selected then all balls are moved to that area and for the rest of the hole, people play individual stroke play
Mulligan After a bad first shot, a second shot from the tee
N
Nassau The most popular form of a betting game. Points are awarded for winning the front nine, back nine, and overall 18.
Nineteenth Hole The bar/restaurant area
Nip A hit with less backspin
O
Open Grip The hands are turned oppposite or counter clockwise on the club
Open Stance When the lead foot is further from the target than the rear foot
Overclub To shoot the ball over the green due to picking the wrong club
P
Par What a good player is expected to score on a hole; a three, four or five
Pendulum Stroke A putt that moves the club back and forth similar to a pendulum
Pin The flagstick
Plugged Lie When a shot results in the ball half burried in sand or rough making it incredibly difficult to make a successful shot without hacking at the ground
Playing Through When a group passes another group playing more slowly
Q
Quick Rushing or hitting the ball too hard
R
Rap Putting the ball with a short stroke
Reading the Green The process of judging and understanding the putt along with the break
Rainmaker A shot that went very high
Round Robin A type of tournament where a team plays a variety of other teams and those who accumulate the most points win
S
Scramble A type of game where members pick any spot and play from there
Scratch A seasoned golfer who can play to a course handicap of zero
Shank When the ball is struck on the hosel of the club shooting it off typically to the right
Sky Hitting the underside of the ball causing it to go very high
Skull Hitting the middle of the ball resulting in a line-drive or making the ball travel mostly stright, close to being parallel to the ground
Sticks Plural of golf clubs
Stroke Play A type of game where the objective is to complete the game with the fewest shots
T
Takeaway The usually small and slow movement taken before a golf swing
Tap In A short putt
Tee Box Part of the green where players tee off to start a hole
Tester When a putt is too far away for a gimmie but close enough for the actual putt
Texas Wedge When players prefer to take a shot with a putter far off the green instead of chipping the ball
The Tips The teeing ground that’s furthest from the green typically identified by gold, black, or blue tee markers
Three-Quarter Shot A shot that has decreased arm speed and shortened back swing
#toursauce A phrase coined by the Twitter account @NoLayingUp referring to amateurs immitating golf pros now used to describe any fancy mannerisms golf pros do such as club twirls
U
Up and Down Describing two strokes taken when the ball is in the green to get it into the hole
U Turn When a putt rolls around the hole in the shape of a U before coming out instead of going in
V
Victory Lap When the ball circles the edge of the hole before falling in
W
Waggle A motion golfers maker before their swing to prepare for the swing and keep them calm
Watery Grave When the ball lands into a water hazard thus deemed as its final resting place
Whiff A total miss
Y
Yips When a golfer is so nervous he or she cannot make even the simplest putts; sometimes due to shakiness
Yank When a putt makes a sharp left
Z
Zone When the game is going your way