word
example sentence
meaning
albatross
Many people play golf all their lives and
never hit an albatross.
score of three strokes under par
birdie (n)
After his birdie on the 17th hole, Jack
went on to win the match.
score of one stroke under par
birdie (v)
Jack birdied the 17th hole, and then
went on to win the match.
to shoot one stroke under par
bogey (n)
If Annika gets a bogey on the 18th hole,
she'll lose the match.
score of one stroke over par
bogey (v)
Annika will lose the match if she bogeys
the 18th hole.
to shoot one stroke over par
break
Professionals read the greens and then
allow for the break when putting.
the amount a putt curves because of
the slope and grain of the green
bunker
He hit a beautiful shot out of the bunker
and it rolled into the hole.
hollow obstruction or hazard, often
containing sand
caddie
A good caddie always studies a golf
course before working on it.
person who carries a player's golf
bag and gives advice
chip (n)
John spends an hour every day
practising chip shots onto the green.
short, low shot to the green
chip (v)
His ball was only twenty feet from the
green, so he chipped it on with his five
iron.
to hit a chip shot
word
example sentence
meaning
course (also
golf course)
Some people think golf courses are a
waste of important resources like land
and water.
large area of land designed for
playing golf
divot
Players should replace their divots to
help keep the course in good condition.
piece of earth and grass that a golf
shot cuts from the ground
dog leg
On many dog legs you can't see the
green when you tee off.
fairway that turns left or right
double bogey
I got a double bogey when I took 5 shots
on a par-3 hole.
a score of two over par on a hole
drive
Tiger hit a beautiful drive nearly 300
yards down the middle of the fairway.
shot played using the number one
wood, often the first shot on a long
hole
driver
One of the hardest clubs to use well is
the driver.
number one wood and the longest
hitting club
eagle
I'm one shot behind, so I'll need an
eagle on the last hole to win the match
outright.
two strokes under par
fade
He hit a long fade and it followed the
curve of the fairway to the right.
a right-handed player's shot that
moves slightly from left to right
fairway
Peter's drives aren't long, but he nearly
always gets them on the fairway.
longest part of a hole, from the tee
to the green
flag stick
A caddie took the flag stick out of the
hole before the players putted.
stick with a flag on it that stands in
the cup on a green
word
example sentence
meaning
green
On each day of the tournament, the
cups are put in different positions on
the greens.
area of very short grass at the end of
each hole, on which balls are putted
into a cup
grip
The most common grip is with the right
hand positioned just below the left
hand.
the positioning of the hands on the
shaft of a club
hazard
A well-designed course has enough
hazards to make it challenging, but not
so many that it becomes unfair.
places on a golf course such as lakes,
creeks, and bunkers that are difficult
or impossible to play from
hole
The first nine holes are called the 'front
nine' and the second nine are called the
'back nine'.
one of many playing areas on a golf
course, including a tee, a fairway and
a green
hook (n)
I tried to hit a long drive, but I hit a hook
and the ball went into a water hazard on
the left of the fairway.
a right-handed player's shot that
moves from right to left in the air
hook (v)
I hooked my drive into the lake to the
left of the fairway.
to hit a hook
irons
A one iron is for long, low shots, and a
nine iron is for shorter, higher shots.
metal golf clubs with blade-shaped
club heads
lie
Her shot missed the fairway and went
into the rough, but luckily she got a
good lie.
the position of the ball when it has
come to rest
par
Most par-72 courses have four parthree holes, ten par-fours and four parfives.
number of strokes a good player
should take on a hole or a round
word
example sentence
meaning
putt (n)
After hitting an excellent approach shot,
she was left with an easy three-foot
putt.
a shot played along the ground on
the green
putt (v)
After reading the green and allowing for
a slight break, she putted straight into
the cup.
to hit a putt
putter
Putters come in many shapes and sizes,
with shafts of various lengths and heads
of various shapes.
club used to putt the ball on the
green
rough
On some courses the rough is very thick
and nearly impossible to play from.
area on a golf course where the grass
is longer and thicker than on the
fairway
round
In major tournaments, four eighteenhole rounds are played over four days.
the completion of nine or eighteen
holes on a golf course
shoot
The winner shot a 4-under par 68 on the
last round.
to make a score
slice (n)
She tried to hit an iron shot onto the
green, but she hit a slice and it went
right of the green.
a right-handed player's shot that
moves sharply from left to right in
the air
slice (v)
She sliced her shot and it went to the
right of the green.
to hit a slice
stroke orshot
She had seventy strokes on her first
round, which was two shots under par.
strike on a golf ball with a golf club
word
example sentence
meaning
tee (1)
Players can only put the ball on a tee
when they're hitting their first shot on a
hole.
small peg (wooden or plastic) on
which the ball is placed for the first
shot of each hole
tee (2)or tee
box
Many courses have tees for women
which are closer to the green than the
men's tees.
small area from which golfers play
their first shot on each hole