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Golf Slang
Eagle, birdie, par, bogey? These terms might seem strange to the average person, but they are part of average golfer's vernacular. If you plan on hitting the links, we recommend browsing the list below. It includes all the basic golf terms as well as some of informal slang used on the course by those of us not quite at the PGA level.
| Slang Term | Meaning | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | Hole in one | 590 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 595 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 596 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 597 |
| Grand Slam | Four major golf tournaments | 597 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 597 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 597 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 597 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 597 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 597 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 598 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 598 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 598 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 598 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 599 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 599 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 599 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 599 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 599 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 599 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 599 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 599 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 599 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 599 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 600 |
| Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 601 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 601 |
| Sand bagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 601 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 602 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 600 |
| Fore | Watch out | 600 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 600 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 600 |
| Cup | Hole | 600 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 600 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 600 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 600 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 600 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 600 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 600 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 600 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 600 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 600 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 600 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 600 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 600 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 600 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 600 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 600 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 600 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 600 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 600 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 600 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 600 |
| Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 600 |