Golf Terminology R to Z
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
Rabbit
An amateur golfer with little success. A touring professional who has no tournament exemptions and must compete in qualifying rounds for chances to play in tournaments.
Rake
A high-lofted iron club that is no longer in use. It was used for playing from sand and out of water.
Range
Practice area.
Rap
To firmly hit a putt.
Reading the Green
Determining the path which the ball will take on its way to the hole by analyzing the contour and texture of the green.
Recover
To play back into a satisfactory position on the fairway or onto the green from an undesirable position, such as a hazard or rough, on the course.
Regular Shaft
A shaft with normal flex.
Release
The point in the downswing where you uncock your wrists.
Reverse Overlap
For a right-handed player, a putting grip in which the index finger of the right hand overlaps the little finger of the left and the converse for a left-handed player.
Rifle
To play a shot accurately and for a great distance.
Rim
To run round the edge of the cup.
Rim Out
To run around the edge of the cup and fail to fall in.
Road Hole
The 17th hole at St. Andrews. Reputed to be the most difficult hole in the world.
Roll-on-a-Shot
Turning the wrists too much at impact.
Rough
Long grass areas adjacent to fairway, greens, tee off areas or hazards.
Round
A complete game of golf - 18 holes is one round.
Round Robin
A tournament in which every player has the opportunity to play every other player.
Rub of the Green
Any accident, not caused by a player or caddie, that moves or stops a ball in play and for which no relief is given under the rules. This is when your ball is deflected by agencies beyond your control that are not part of the match or the competitor's side in stroke play. A bit of bad luck.
Run
The distance the ball rolls on the ground or when it lands on the ground.
Running Iron
A club that is used for making short running shots.
Run-up
An approach shot that is close to the ground or on the ground.
A golfer who lies about his ability to gain an edge in the game.
Sand iron
Also called a sand wedge. A heavy, lofted club that was used for playing from bunkers. No longer in use.
Sand trap
The common name for a bunker.
Sand Wedge
An iron with a heavy flange on the bottom that is used primarily to get out of sand traps.
Sandy
Making par after being in a bunker.
Scoop
An improper swing in which the club has a digging or scooping action.
Scotch Foursome
A match that has partners alternating hitting the same ball. They also alternate driving regardless of who holed out on the previous hole.
Scramble
A team competition where players play the best ball of a team member after every stroke or drive.
Scratch
Par play. A zero handicap.
Scratch Player
A player who has no handicap.
Scruff
To misplay the ball by hitting or grazing the ground with the clubhead prior to hitting the ball.
Semi-Private Course
A course that has members but is still open to the public.
Set
A full set of golf clubs.
Set up
To position yourself for the address.
Seven Iron
An iron club used for a distance of 125-160 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a mashie-niblick.
Shaft
The part of the club joined to the head.
Shag Bag
A bag for carrying practice balls.
Shagging
Picking up golf balls from practice ranges.
Shank
A shot struck by the club's hosel. Travels to the right of the intended target.
Shiperio
Similar to a mulligan where a player is allowed a second shot without penalty but is allowed to choose which ball to play, the first one or the second one.
Short game
The part of the game that is made up of chip shots, pitching and putting.
Short irons
The highly lofted irons.
Start In tournaments when players are to start at different holes; a firing of a shotgun may be used as a signal to start play.
Shot hole
A par three hole.
Shotmaker
A player who has the ability to play a great many different shots.
Shotmaking
The ability to play a great many different shots.
Side
Can mean the first 9 holes (front side) or the last 9 (back side) of an 18 hole course. Also two or more players who are partners.
Sidehill Lie
A lie with the ball either above or below your feet.
Sink a Putt
Make a putt.
Six Iron
An iron club that gives a distance of 135-170 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a spade or spade-mashie.
Skins
A golf game that awards the money to the player with the lowest score on a hole. In case of a tie, the game continues until someone wins.
Skulling
Hitting the ball at or above its center causing the ball to be hit too hard and travel too great a distance.
Sky
To hit underneath the ball sending it much higher than intended. Like a pop fly in baseball.
Slice
A shot that curves strongly from left to right as a result of sidespin. The converse applies to a left-handed player.
Slope
Adjusts your handicap to the difficulty of the course you play. The more difficult the course, the more strokes you'll need. Under slope, golfers will no longer have a handicap. You will have an index. An average course will have a slope rating of 113. Your index is a mathematical calculation of your playing ability on an average course. Maximum index allowed is 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women. Conversion charts will be located at the first tee.
Slump
A prolonged period of bad play.
Smother
To hit down on the ball so that it travels a short distance on the ground.
Snake
A very long putt that travels over several breaks in the green.
Snake
A three-putt off any green. A game played where the last three-putts of round, occuring on any hole owes the other members of the group the pre-agreed total of all three-putts. Gets pretty exciting the last few holes with some competitors playing snake-avoidance.
Snap-Hook
To hit a shot with an acute hook.
Snipe
A ball that is hooked and drops quickly.
Sole
The bottom of the club head.
Sole plate
The metal plate on the bottom of woods.
Senior Professional Golf Association.
Spade-Mashie
Old term for a 6 iron.
Spike Mark
Mark made on the green by the cleats of a golf shoe.
Spoon
Old term for a 3 wood.
Spot Putting
A player aims at a spot on the green that will allow the ball to roll into the cup, rather than directly at the hole.
Spray
To hit the ball erratically off line.
Spring
The flexibility of the club shaft.
Square Stance
Placing your feet in a line parallel to the direction you which the ball to travel.
Stableford
A method of scoring that uses points instead of strokes.
Stance
The position of your feet when addressing the ball.
Starter
Person who determines the order of play from the first tee.
Stick
The pin in the hole.
Stimpmetre
Superintendents measure green speed with a stimpmetre. Its readings give a snapshot of the green speed at that time of day. Stimpmetre readings in the five to six range mean slow greens, seven to eight mean medium, nine to 10 fast and above 11 extremely fast - PGA Tournament speeds.
Stipulated round
The playing of all holes of a course in the correct order.
Stony
To hit a ball close to the flagstick.
Straightaway
A hole having a straight fairway.
Straight-Faced
Refers to a club with little or no loft on the face.
Strike Off
To drive from the tee.
Stroke
The forward motion of the club head made with the intent to hit the ball whether contact is made or not.
Stroke Play
A competition in which the total number of strokes for one round, or a pre-determined number of rounds, determines the winner.
Stymie
When an opponent's ball is in the line of the other player's putt. Since the ball may now be lifted, the term is used these days to refer to a tree or object in the way of a shot.
Sudden Death
When in a match or stroke competition the score is tied after completing the round, play continues until one player wins a hole.
Summer Rules
Ordinary play according the Rules of Golf.
Supination
The rotation of the wrist so that the palm of the hand faces upward.
Surlyn
Material from which most golf balls are made of.
Swale
A moderately contoured depression or dip in terrain.
Sweet Spot
The dead center of the face of the club.
Swing
The action of stroking the ball.
Swing Weight
The measure of a club's weight.
The start of the backswing.
Tap in
A very short putt.
Tee
A disposable device, normally a wooden peg, on which the ball is placed for driving. Also refers to the area from which the ball is hit on the first shot of the hole. Originally a pile of sand used to elevate the ball for driving.
Tee off
To play a tee shot.
Tee up
To begin play by placing the ball on the tee.
Tee-Shot
A shot played from a tee.
Teeing Ground
The area in which you must tee off your ball. Ball must be teed off within the markers and no more than two club lengths behind them.
Temporary Green
A green used in the winter to save the permanent green.
Texas Wedge
What the putter is called when it used from off the green. Also a shot played with a putter from outside the putting green.
Thin
The ball is hit thin when it is hit above center with the clubhead traveling on too high a line.
Thread
To direct the ball through a narrow opening.
Three Ball
Three players playing against each other with each playing their own ball.
Three-Iron
An iron club used for distances between 165-200 yards for men's clubs. Also called a mid-mashie.
Three-Putt
To take three putts on a green.
Three-Quarter Shot
Less than a full shot. A shot made with a reduced swing.
Threesome
A match in which two players play the same ball and alternate strokes and play against a single player. Also means three players playing a round together.
Three-Wood
A wood club used for distances between 210-250 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a spoon.
Tiger Tee
A slang expression for the back tee.
Tight Fairway
A narrow fairway.
Toe
The part of the club farthest from where in joins the shaft.
Toed in
A clubhead having a specialty prominent toe with a slightly turned-in face.
Top
To hit the ball above its center causing it to roll or hop rather than rise.
Topspin
The forward rotation of the ball in motion.
Accuracy, especially in putting.
Touch Shot
A very delicately hit shot.
Tour
A series of tournaments for professionals.
Tournament
A stroke or match play competition. A competition in which a number of golfers compete.
Track Iron
An obsolete club that was used primarily to hit the ball from cart tracks. A rut-iron or a niblick.
Trajectory
The flight path of the ball.
Triple Bogey
This term is used when a golfer is 3 over par on a hole.
Trouble Shot
A shot taken from a bad lie such as behind trees or in bunkers or rough.
Turn
To start the back 9 holes.
To straighten the wrists in the downswing.
Underclubbing
Using a club that does not give the needed distance.
Underspin
Same as backspin.
Unplayable Lie
A lie in which the ball is impossible to play such as in a thicket of trees.
Up
A shot reaching at least as far as the hole.
Up
A specified number of strokes you are ahead of your opponent in match play.
Up and Down
Getting out of trouble or out of a hazard and into the hole.
Upright Swing
A swing that carries the club head more directly backward and upward from the ball.
USGA
United States Golf Association.
The overlapping grip.
Movement of the club head prior to swinging. A flourishing of the club behind and over the ball.
Water Club
Obsolete club from around the 1880's to the 1930's that was designed for playing the ball from a water hazard.
Water Hole
A hole with water, such as a stream or lake, that forces the players to shoot over it.
Wedge
An iron used for short shots that has a high-loft - pitching wedge, sand wedge.
Whiff
To swing and miss the ball completely.
Whins
A British term for heavy rough. Gorse bushes.
Whipping
The material used to wrap the space where the head and shaft are joined.
Windcheater
A shot played low against the wind. It is played with strong backspin and starts low and rises only toward the end of the shot.
Whippy
A shaft more flexible than normal.
Winter Rules
Usually local golf rules that allow the player to improve the lie of the ball on the fairway.
Wood
A club, which can be made of wood or metal, that has a large head and is used for shots requiring greater distance. Usually a numbered set of 5 or more starting with the driver and proceeding to the 5 wood.
Wormburner
A ball hit with adequate distance that hugs the ground.
The rating of the difficulty in playing a hole based on yardage only.
Yip
To mishit a putt due to an attack of yips.
Yips
Shakiness or nervousness in making a shot.
That last hole was a bad one, I shot a ZILLION!
Zoomie
A drive that goes further than most drives ever hit by the golfer who smacked it.