There’s an abundance of strange lingo within the golfing lexicon – it’s a colourful part of the game which never fails to brighten up gloomy rounds on miserable days.
Quite often, the slang is unique to the region, or even the golf club, but there’s a raft of golfing jargon that’s used universally.
So to avert that moment when you’re next left scratching your head because of something your playing partner’s said, we’ve come up with our favourite selection of golf lingo to get you streetwise on the fairways.
Afraid Of The Dark: A putted ball which refuses to fall in the hole. Exhibit A: Awesome Missed Putt
Army Golf: The term ‘Army Golf’ originates from the famous army marching cadence (“left-right-left”), which can be used when a player is hits the ball left, then right, and so on.
Big Dog: Another term for the driver (“time to let the big dog eat”). Exhibit B: Awesome Drive?!
Stiffing It: To ‘stiff it’ is to hit a ball to ‘gimme’ range from off of the green.
Fried Egg: When a golf ball has plugged, or buried, in a bunker, it hits the soft sand and settles down, creating a circular splash around the ball – the top half of the ball is visible, giving it the appearance of a yolk in the middle of a fried egg.
Frog Hair: Another name for the fringe – the closely mowed grass that surrounds a putting green.
Hosel Rocket: Another name for a ‘shank’ – when the point of contact between the ball and club is the club’s hosel (the part of the club head into which the shaft is fitted).
Ravi: A ‘Ravi’ is someone who’s all too familiar with the hosel rocket. Derived from the popular Indian sitar player, Ravi Shankar.
Nuked: You have ‘nuked’ the ball when you achieve maximum distance with a particular club.
Pin-seeker: Hitting a ball straight for the flagstick, like a heat-seeking missile.
Stop The Bleeding: The need to end a bad stretch of play.
Snowman: A score of ‘8’ on a hole. The connotation is for the figure’s likeness to a snowman. A card covered in snowmen is inevitably one to forget.
Wormburner: A poorly hit shot that shoots along the ground.
Yips: A term most often applied to a putting problem that afflicts most golfers at some point during their playing career. It describes a nervous tick which prevents the golfer from making short putts.