The game of golf is a winding, challenging ordeal, which ultimately becomes a game of wit and discipline, more than any impressive physical feat of performance.
While easy to begin, golfers face an unending struggle to tame a game that so desperately defies the pursuit of excellence. This unforgiving nature, propels golfers to seek out any information that might lessen their load and bring their nearly intangible aspirations to reality. Unfortunately, this article will not provide any information like that nor assist your plight. It will however teach you 15 golf terms you may or may not be familiar with. To make them easier to understand Iâll also provide real world examples of sentences Iâve encountered for each one. Honestly, if you ask me, what more could you really expect from an online article you incidentally found yourself reading one day.
1.) Ace
Alright this is an easy one. It is simply a âhole-in-oneâ. This is completing a hole in a single shot. Why donât golfers just always say a âhole in oneâ you ask? Well I donât know. It probably just sounds cooler.Â
Sentence: âTaylor, I honestly wouldnât go out with you even if you shoot an ace on this next holeâ
2.) Albatross
This one is sorta similar to the previous question. It is defined as when a golfer shoots three under par on a single hole. In order to be used, it must be completed on a par-5 hole which means this achievement is undoubtedly more rare than even a hole-in-one.
Sentence: âAlright, Iâm impressed Taylor, but like I said I still wonât go out with you and no, not even an Albatross on hole #8 will change my mindâÂ
3.) Birdie
This one is pretty common. It is when a golfer shoots one under par on a single hole. While unfortunately not as common for me as a triple bogey, it is a nice little achievement especially for beginner golfers.
Sentence: âNo Taylor, shooting a birdie on #8 does not count âmore or less the sameâ as an Albatrossâ
4.) Condor
At this point youâre probably like âHey there sure are a lot of bird terms. I wonder if this nice gentleman is gonna tell me why that is?â. In response, Iâd first like to thank you for calling me handsome, it means a lot, and secondly, to answer your question, I donât know. You should google it or something, but not after you finish reading this article. This term is when a player shoots a hole-in-one or an âaceâ on a par-5.Â
Sentence: âIâm going to be honest Taylor, Iâm fairly confident you did not get a Condor on #11 considering itâs a par-3â
5.) Dogleg
Golf isnât all about bird terms. Sometimes we mix some other animals in there. In this example, it refers to when a fairway bends and is crooked. Itâs named after the crooked part of a dogâs hind legs. For most golfers, these holes pose a significant challenge. Luckily for me, my shots always sharply curve even when Iâm playing straight fairways.
Sentence: âPracticing for a dogleg fairway isnât a believable excuse for that last shotâ
6.) Eagle
Yeah it’s another bird term. I donât know what to tell you. This time, it means 2 strokes under par on any individual hole. Normally this occurs on a par-4 or par-5. It is the more impressive sibling of the âBirdieâ.
Sentence: âI swear, I was just three strokes away from my very first Eagleâ
7.) Foursome
I know what youâre thinking. Isnât a foursome just two twosomes together? Itâs actually a playing format in which two pairs of two alternate shooting until each hole is completed. This format is often called âAlternate Shotâ.
Sentence: âIâve never played in a foursome cause it requires having three friendsâ
8.) Gilligan
You know when you hit that 1 in 1,000 shot and you know thereâs no way you could replicate it? That’s where this term comes into play. If agreed upon before the match, your playing buddies can request you redo any impressive shot you make.
Sentence: âI am immune to Gilligans, because it requires having a good shot to startâ
9.) Hosel Rocket
First for those who donât know, the hosel is the part of a golf club that connects the shaft to the club head. As you can imagine, a hosel rocket is when the ball is mishit and the ball flies wildly off of the hosel.
Sentence: âIf the club face was located on the hosel, I predict you, Taylor, would be the greatest golfer of all timeâ
10.) Mulligan
This term is the nicer sibling of a Gilligan. It refers to when you are allowed to redo a particularly bad or costly shot. While not officially allowed in tournaments, it can be nice to implement if you’re just enjoying some golf with some buddies.
Sentence: âNothing hurts more than being offered a Mulligan on your best opening drive of the yearâ
11.) Play Through
This is a good term to know. It is when a slower group allows a faster group to pass them on the course and âplay throughâ. You never want to be that group that holds up everyone else.
Sentence: âIâll admit Taylor, you rarely have to let groups play through, but that’s usually because you pick up after the second shotâ
12.) Shank
These next four words I am personally very familiar with. A shank is when you hit the ball on the innermost portion of the clubface. This is similar to a hosel rocket but usually slightly more on the clubface. The ball still typically darts off in an unintended direction.
Sentence: âFor how little prisoners golf, Iâm surprised how much they discuss shanksâÂ
13.) Slice
For a right handed golfer, this term means when the ball sharply curves from left to right while in the air. For left handed golfers the directions are reversed. This is a fairly common occurrence for a lot of golfers and is despised.Â
Sentence: âAt this point, I just expect to slice the ball and aim accordinglyâ
14.) Whiff
This is best described as an unintended practice swing. It occurs when you attempt to hit the play and miss entirely. Unfortunately, in the game of golf, this counts as a stroke.
Sentence: âNothing like a solid whiff every once in a while, to remind yourself youâre still fallibleâ
15.) Yips
Once again most golfers have experienced this one. It is usually regarded as a mental spasm or nervousness that impairs your golf game and primarily your short game. This is the dreaded challenge that every golfer faces on the eighteenth hole at the end of a great round of golf.
Sentence: âIf dating was golf, Iâd certainly have the yips cause I got no gameâ
