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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 | 587 |
| Mulligan | Redo | 594 |
| Texas wedge | Putt from off the green | 596 |
| Honors | Hit first from the tee in golf | 596 |
| On the screws | Hard hit | 597 |
| Albatross | Three strokes under par | 597 |
| Victory lap | Golf ball that spins around the hole then falls in | 597 |
| Grand Slam | Four major golf tournaments | 597 |
| Squirrel | Tee shot into the rough | 598 |
| Drop | A ball dropped from a golfer's outstretched arm | 598 |
| Snowman | Golf score of 8 | 598 |
| Scratch golfer | A golfer with a handicap of zero | 598 |
| Rainmaker | High trajectory golf shot | 598 |
| Hangman | Golf score of 9 | 598 |
| Gimme | Easy golf putt | 599 |
| Saddam Hussein | Golf shot from one bunker into another bunker | 599 |
| Danny DeVito | Five foot putt | 599 |
| Inward nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 599 |
| Back-door putt | Putt that spins around a hole and drops in | 599 |
| Die in the hole | Golf shot that makes it to the hole and falls in | 599 |
| Pin-seeker | Golf shot hit straight at the flagstick | 599 |
| Worm burner | Very low golf shot | 599 |
| Nip it | Hit a golf ball cleanly | 600 |
| Double eagle | Three strokes under par | 600 |
| Birdie | One stroke under par | 600 |
| Fore | Watch out | 600 |
| Nineteenth hole | Golf clubhouse bar | 600 |
| Front nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Outward nine | First nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 600 |
| Eagle | Two strokes under par | 600 |
| Par | Number of strokes to complete a golf course hole | 600 |
| Reload | To take another shot after a bad shot | 600 |
| Nuked | Hit a golf ball a great distance | 600 |
| Ready golf | Golfers hit when ready | 600 |
| Chunk | A golf shot that makes a divot | 601 |
| Abominable snowman | Golf score of 9 | 601 |
| Bogey golf | Level of golf play that equals 1 shot over par | 601 |
| Fat shot | A golf shot that takes a chunk out of the ground | 601 |
| Dogleg left | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the left | 601 |
| Back nine | Last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course | 601 |
| Handicap | Numerical score that represents a golfer's ability | 601 |
| Tight lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 601 |
| Bare lie | A golf ball laying directly on the ground | 601 |
| Shank | To hit the ball poorly | 601 |
| Dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that bends | 601 |
| Joe Pesci | A difficult five foot putt | 601 |
| Quail high | Very low golf shot | 601 |
| Botox | Putt that lips out of the hole | 601 |
| OB | Out-of-bounds | 601 |
| Shotgun start | Golfers are sent to each hole to start at the same time | 602 |
| The turn | Halfway point of a round of golf | 602 |
| Double dogleg | A golf hole with a fairway that has two bends | 602 |
| Sunday ball | A do-over golf shot | 602 |
| Cup | Hole | 602 |
| Divot | Chunk of grass and soil | 602 |
| Velcro | Slow green | 602 |
| Tester | A putt that tests a golfer's skill | 602 |
| Afraid of the dark | Putt that doesn't go in the hole | 602 |
| Amelia Earhart | Golf shot that looks good but you can't find | 602 |
| Alec Guinness | Out-of-bounds | 602 |
| Double bogey | Two strokes over par | 602 |
| Bogey | One stroke over par | 602 |
| Sandbagger | A golfer who plays better than he claims | 603 |
| Triple bogey | Three strokes over par | 603 |
| Dogleg right | A golf hole with a fairway that has a bend to the right | 603 |
| Mickelson | To hit a golf ball while it is still moving | 603 |
| James Joyce | Putt that is hard to read | 604 |