Golf Jargon

Birdie, eagle, lip out, duff, shank, hosel. All words that most golfers will understand, but as a starting golfer, you will probably have no idea what any of these words mean. I’ve come across most of the golf jargon during tournament play and have learned a lot throughout the years. A lovely approach shot just on the apron, giving me a flop shot over a bunker, will probably leave me with a double breaking slider from left to right. This will sound like gibberish now, but let me help you a little bit with some basic jargon.

Pitch

A pitch is a golf shot where in general the ball flies further than it rolls. However, it is not only this black and white description, it’s also a different technique. Pitching and chipping is usually a very vague concept with starting golfers. Chipping is more of a putting technique whereas pitching seems more like half a swing. So in the future, when somebody talks about pitching, you know what to look for!

Shank

A word you hopefully don’t come across too often. A shank is a golf ball that has been hit by the hosel. What’s a hosel, I can hear you think? The hosel is the part where the shaft is connected with the clubhead. It’s the inside of the golf club, where if you hit the ball, the ball often shoots to the right (for right-handed golfers). A complete mishit and something that you like to avoid.

Double bogey, Bogey, par, birdie and eagle

These words you will hear very often on the golf course. These are gradings of how many strokes you’ve had on a specific hole relative to par.

Divot/pitchmark

When you’ve made a lovely swing, struck the ball well, there is a good chance you’ve taken some grass with you along the way. The grass that you’ve taken during the swing is what’s called a divot. We always try and replace divots, or on some golf clubs you get some sand to take with you, with which you can fill the divots as well. This is so the grass keeps on growing, and the course keeps looking sublime. When that well-struck ball lands on the green, it will create a pitchmark, which is basically a dent that is created within the green (where the flags are located). You will repair your pitchmark with a pitchfork, which is a specific tool used for this. So you repair the grass and don’t destroy it, so everyone can keep enjoying nice true greens.

Fore

Maybe the most important one of all. Fore is what you shout when you hit your ball toward a part of the golf course where people might be. And like really shout, so everyone in the surrounding area knows… duck! When you hear Fore being shouted, make yourself small and cover your head. There could be a ball flying toward you.