Golf terms
A plain-language guide to the words used on and off the course.
13 terms
Birdie
A hole completed in one stroke fewer than par.
Bogey
A hole completed in one stroke more than par.
Carry
The distance a shot travels in flight before it reaches the ground.
Course Rating
The rated difficulty of a set of tees for a scratch player under normal conditions.
Green fee
The charge for playing a golf course.
Handicap Index
A measure of demonstrated playing ability used by the World Handicap System.
Loft
The angle of a clubface from vertical, measured in degrees.
Match play
Players or sides compete to win individual holes.
Par
The reference number of strokes assigned to a hole.
Shaft flex
The manufacturer’s designation for how much a shaft bends.
Slope Rating
A measure of relative difficulty for players who are not scratch golfers, compared with scratch golfers.
Stroke play
Players or sides compete using their total strokes, including penalties.
Tee time
The reserved time when your round starts.
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