Golf Terminology

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  • back door - Rear of hole.
  • back lip - The edge of a bunker (a hazard filled with sand) that’s farthest from the green.
  • back nine - The second half of your round of golf; the first half is the front nine holes.
  • backspin - When the ball hits the green and spins back toward the player. Galleries, or spectators, love backspins.
  • backswing - The part of the swing from the point where the clubhead moves away from the ball to the point where it starts back down again. I hope that your backswing is smooth and in balance.
  • baffie - Old name for a 5-wood.
  • bail out (hang ’em high) - You hit the shot, for example, well to the right to avoid trouble on the left.
  • balata - Sap from a tropical tree, used to make covers for balls.
  • ball at rest - The ball isn’t moving. A study in still life.
  • ball marker - Small, round object, such as a coin, used to indicate the ball’s position on the green.
  • ball retriever - Long pole with a scoop on the end used to collect balls from water hazards and other undesirable spots. If the grip on your ball retriever is worn out, get some lessons immediately.
  • ball washer - Found on many tees; a device for cleaning balls.
  • banana ball - Shot that curves hugely from left to right (see slice).
  • bandit - See hustler. Avoid bandits at all costs.
  • baseball grip - To hold the club with all ten fingers on the grip.
  • best ball - Game for four players; two teams of two. The low score on each side counts as the team score on each hole.
  • birdie - Score of one under par on a hole.
  • bisque - Handicap stroke given by one player to another. Receiver may choose which hole it is applied to.
  • bite - A spin that makes the ball tend to stop rather than roll when it lands.
  • blade - Not pretty. The leading edge of the club, rather than the clubface, strikes the ball, resulting in a low shot that tends to travel way too far (see thin or skull). Also a kind of putter or iron.
  • blast - Aggressive shot from a bunker that displaces a lot of sand.
  • blind shot - You can’t see the spot where you want the ball to land.
  • block Shot that flies straight but to the right of the target (see push). -
  • bogey - Score of one stroke over par on a hole.
  • borrow - The amount of curve you must allow for a putt on a sloping green. Or what you need to do if you play a hustler.
  • boundary - Edge, of course; it confines the space/time continuum. Usually marked by white stakes.
  • brassie - Old name for a 2-wood.
  • break - See borrow.
  • British Open - National championship run by Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews — known in Britain as "the Open" because it was the first one.
  • bulge - The curve across the face of a wooden club.
  • bunker - Hazard filled with sand; can be referred to as a sand trap.
  • buried ball/lie - Part of the ball below the surface of the sand in a bunker.


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