English Vocabulary for learners
GOLF VOCABULARY - 1
from: 'irons'
to: 'woods'
The modern game of golf is said to have originated in Scotland in the 15th century.
Below is the second page of a list of words relating to golf and its rules, with their meaning.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Irons | Metal golf clubs numbered 1 to 9. |
| Lie | Position in which the ball lies on the course. "I was lucky. I had a good lie." |
| Links | A golf course beside the sea with no trees, sandy soil, tall reedy grasses and deep bunkers, typically found in the UK and Ireland. This is the oldest type of golf course. |
| Marker | Thin, flat discs of metal or plastic used to mark the position of a golf ball on the green to prevent your ball obstructing other players' shots. |
| Medal play | Another name for stroke play, a scoring system in golf which involves counting the total number of strokes played on each hole during a round of golf. |
| Mulligan | A second drive which players grant each other in a friendly game, on the first tee only, when the first shot is poor. Mulligans are not officially permitted. |
| Net score | A player's score after the handicap strokes have been deducted from the gross score. |
| Nineteenth hole | Humorous way of referring to the club house (bar/restaurant). "See you at the 19th." |
| O.B. | O.B. is an abbreviation for "out of bounds" or beyond the limits indicated by stakes or fences. |
| Par | The standard score (or number of strokes) given to each hole on a golf course. Almost all golf holes are par 3, 4 or 5. |
| Pin | Flagstick/flagpole on a green indicating the hole. |
| Pitch | Short shot to approach the green, longer and higher than a chip. |
| Putt | A shot played on the green, usually with a putter. |
| Recovery | Shot which puts the ball back into a good position from an unfavourable one. |
| Rough | Area on the golf course where the grass is longer and thicker than on the fairway. |
| Round (of golf) | A round of golf is a game of golf. "Do we have time for a round of golf?" / How about a round of golf on Saturday?" |
| Run | The distance that a ball rolls after hitting the ground. |
| Scratch | A scratch golfer is a player who has a 0 handicap. |
| Sit | Expression aimed at the ball by players to encourage it to land quickly or stop rolling. |
| Slice | A shot that curves towards the right. |
| Slope rate | A golf measurement which indicates the difficulty of a golf course. Designed to compensate for the discrepancy between strong and weak players for handicapping purposes. |
| Socket | Shot struck by the hosel of the club which causes the ball to go sharply right. Also called a shank. |
| Stableford | Stableford is a scoring system used in golf. Rather than counting the total number of strokes, as in stroke play, the player scores points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. |
| Stony | An Old English golf term which means: a shot that lands close to the flagstick. |
| Stroke/shot | Movement of the club aimed at hitting the ball. |
| Stroke play | Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a round of golf. The winner is the player who has taken the lowest number of strokes. |
| Swing | Rhythmic movement which enables a golfer to hit the ball. |
| Tee | A small peg (wooden or plastic) on which the ball is placed for the first shot of each hole. |
| Tee box | Flat area from which golfers play their first shot on each hole. |
| Tee shot | The first shot on each hole |
| Teeing off | Playing your first shot in a game of golf. |
| Tee time | Time at which a player starts a round of golf. "On some golf courses it's difficult to get a tee time." "What time are you teeing off?" |
| Trolley | A stand, with wheels, for transporting golf bags. Can be electric. |
| Wire to wire | Leading the competition from start to finish. |
| Woods | The longest clubs, which were made of wood in the past but are now usually made of metal. |
| Yips | A tendency to twitch nervously during the putting stroke and miss short or simple putts. |