Glossary

Albatross – completing the hole taking 3 strokes below par.

Approach – shot to reach the flag

Air shot – swing and miss the ball completely

Back swing – upward movement of the club before striking the ball

Birdie – completing the hole taking 1 stroke below par

Bogey – completing the hole taking 1 stroke above par

Bunker – sand traps acting a an obstacle

Caddie – person who carries the clubs

Chip Shot – short stroke made near the green

Drive – first stroke taken from the tee

Driver – name of the club used to hit the ball long distances, used from the tee

Divot – piece of grass knocked by club head when it hits the ball

Down Swing – downward movement of club in direction of the ball

Eagle – complete the hole taking 2 strokes below par

Fairway – area in the centre between the tee and the green where the grass height is usually 12mm

Finish – movement following contact with the ball

Follow through – movement of the ball after impact, in the directionof the target

Green – area where the hole is located, where the grass is thinner, more compact and cut to the level of the soil

Grip – top part of the club, position of the hands on the club Hazard – any obstacle (water or sand)

HCP – handicap – type of score that measures the golfers’ skill and is subtracted from their total number of strokes. It is used to even up two golfers of different proficiency.

Hole – the target shown by a flag.

Hole-in-one – completing the hole in one stroke

Iron – a club made of iron and used for short strokes

Match-play – a game played hole-by-hole, where the winner is the one who wins the most holes

Out-of-bounds – land considered outside the playing area. The player is obliged to repeat the shot from the same place and loses a stroke.

PAR – the number of strokes forecast for completing the hole

Pitching Wedge – a club used to approach the green

Putt – stroke made on the green to put the ball in the hole

Putter – the club used to make strokes on the green and put the ball in the hole

Rough – place where the grass is taller and it is more difficult to play, usually near tres and bushes

Sand Wedge – club used to get the ball out of bunkers

Scratch – game where handicaps do not apply

Square – directly in the line of play

Stance – player’s position at the time they play a stroke

Stroke Play – a game where the winner is the person who completes the 18 holes in the lowest number of strokes

Swing – body movement during the stroke

Tee – place where the first stroke of a hole is made. It is also the name of the small plastic or wooden cup that supports the ball for the first stroke of each hole

Wood – club made of wood used to hit the ball long distances

Yards – some golf courses show the length of the holes in yards. One yard is equal to 91.4cm.