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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 | 588 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 596 |
| Grand Slam | Four major golf tournaments | 596 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 596 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 596 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 597 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 597 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 597 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 597 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 597 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 597 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 598 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 598 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 598 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 598 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 598 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 598 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 598 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 598 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 599 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 599 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 599 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 599 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 599 |
| Fore | Watch out | 599 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 599 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 599 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 599 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 599 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 600 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 600 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 600 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 600 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 600 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 600 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 600 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 600 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 600 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 601 |
| Cup | Hole | 601 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 601 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 601 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 601 |
| Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 601 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 601 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 601 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 601 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 601 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 601 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 601 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 601 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 601 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 601 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 601 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 601 |
| Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 601 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 602 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 602 |
| Sand bagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 602 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 603 |