Explanation Of Popular Golf Words

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Quite many words in relation to golf are commonly used in most of the golf games played, however, most often it is impossible for a new comer in golf to essentially understand the same. The terminology needs to be deciphered to be comprehended. Few of the common terms are given in this article to ascertain that one knows what actually is being said when anyone is practically on the course. The following list, though not complete would still assist you to make a good start.

Back Nine

Last set of nine holes which is on the green in referred to as Back nine. It gets determined by order that course plays in. For an instance, if the game is played on Hole 1, then holes 10-18 is referred to as Back Nine. If one starts playing upon the 10th hole, holes 1-9 would be referred as Back Nine.


When any score for the specific hole is coming in a single stroke below par concerning hole which is played upon. This says if any hole being played is par-3 then the score should be 2. If the hole is a par-5 it should be score of-4.


Score coming in single point over par is referred to as Bogey. For an instance, if one is playing par-3 hole, then score of 4 will be a bogey. Furthermore, anything that was par -5 will need score of 6 for being a bogey. These are examples and are not restricted to certain pars only.


Bunker is more like a depression created in the ground, generally filled with sand. A bunker implies a greenside hazard which needs to be kept away from. Besides typically showing up in the greenside, a bunker could also show up on fairways or adjacent to fairways.


Green is the very end of the hole where the flagstick is located. Typically, this is where you would putt out the rest of the hole. Shapes however would vary. Most of them are often oval in shape or oblong.


Handicap indicates the overall ability of playing the player has. This is most often concluded checking the previous scored which has been played along with the rating of the course and slop ratings accompanying the course. In general, someone having a typical average of 10 over par would have quite a better handicap. When handicaps are considered, someone having a 2 is always better compared to someone with 3 or increasing number of handicap.


Hole is exactly the area where the flagstick resides, marking the precise location of hole upon the green. Furthermore, it is most often referred to as the precise hole on the course. For an instance, the golf course generally has 18 holes.

Over Par

The term Over Par describes any score coming over Par for the individual hole or golf course. For example, a score that was 5 on Hole that was Par-4. Such would result in Over Par. While, however, this could refer to simply a specific hole, at times, it could also make a reference to the overall course as a hole.


Par is the expected and precise number of strokes which actually takes to sink the ball. For determining the Par, one must take a minimum of 2 for putts. Strokes could then be added based upon the overall length of the green. Longer greens would need higher values. For example, an excessively long green will allow a par of 5 while a shorter one would allow not more than Par 3. The Par numbers are usually added for both the individual hole and the entire course too. Such an arrangement would permit the players to see just what they are checking at, based upon the distance, before the game is started.


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