Golf In The Villages
- Terminology
- Membership Enhancements
- Requesting Tee Times
- Course Etiquette
- Dress Code
- Reasonable Accommodations
- Golf Shop Credit
- Tire Policy
- Practice Facilities
- Tee Times Made Easy
Upcoming Events
Golf Terminology
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- 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.