Golf Terms

The words of the game, in player words, each one a link you can send to the friend who asked. The glossary has 120 terms in seven sections, searchable, with where the word comes from when a source says so: par was a stock-market word a journalist used at Prestwick in 1870, bogey was a fictional opponent from 1890s England before it meant one over, birdie is American slang from Atlantic City. The scoring page tells those stories in date order; the slang page explains what your playing partners say and which miss each word names.

Etiquette is here too, because the Rules of Golf now contain it: Rule 1.2 on conduct, 5.6 on pace, 6.4b on ready golf, quoted as The R&A states them, then the habits in the order that matters: safety, pace, the course, the green, the people. If you are about to play your first round at a new club, that page is the one to read on the way. And if a word you hear on the course is missing, tell Morris: the glossary grows with the questions.

Where to start

1. 1
   Golf terms, in player words

   The full glossary: search a word, send the link to the term.

2. 2
   Birdie, eagle, albatross, bogey, par

   Birdie, eagle, albatross, bogey, par: what they mean and where they come from.

3. 3
   Golf etiquette: the Rules and the habits

   What the Rules ask and what partners notice, in order.

Quick answers

What is the difference between a draw and a hook?

Both curve right to left for a right-hander. A draw is gentle and on purpose; a hook is sharp and not. The same for fade and slice, the other way.

What does 'fore' mean?

A warning that a ball is heading towards someone. Shout it early and loud in the direction of the people; nobody minds a false alarm.

Is a mulligan allowed?

Among friends, if the group agrees; nowhere in the Rules. In a competition the ball is in play where it lies and every stroke counts.