Golf seems a bit mysterious at the outset, largely because there are so many odd words flying around. If you’re a beginner, mastering the fundamentals will make you feel that much more at home on the course.
Once you understand words like ‘putter’, ‘fairway’, ‘birdie’ and ‘handicap’, then the instructions and conversations suddenly make sense. It’s honestly a relief.
There are a bunch of fun, specific terms for equipment, course attributes and shots. Collecting these takes a lot of the scare out of the rules and strategies.
This guide provides a basic vocabulary that everyone who is new to golf should know in order to understand the game.
It gives you the basics so you can start to feel comfortable or maybe even have a little fun being out there.
Knowing the right words also makes it so much easier to take advice from coaches and engage in golf small talk.
Before you know it, you’ll be spending more time thinking about your swing than figuring out what everyone is saying.
Table of Contents
Fundamental Golf Terms Every Beginner Should Know
Golf has its own set of words for parts of the course, scoring, and measuring skill. If you’re new, learning these terms makes things click faster.
Words like ‘tee’, ‘fairway’, and ‘green’ tell you where shots happen. Par and birdie show how well you’re doing. Handicap lets players of all skill levels compete together. Kind of cool, right?
Tee, Tee Box, and Teeing Ground
The tee is just a little peg that props up your ball for the first shot on each hole. It’s simple, but it really helps you get a clean hit.
The tee box (or teeing ground) is the flat area at the start of each hole. You always tee off from here, behind the markers.
Most courses offer a few tee boxes per hole, so you can pick based on how far you hit or how brave you’re feeling. Just make sure you stay behind the markers, or you’ll get a penalty; nobody wants that.
Fairway, Rough, and Green
The fairway is the nice, short grass that goes from the tee box to the green. You want your ball to end up here when you tee off because shots are easier from the short grass.
The rough is the taller, thicker grass that runs along the fairway. It is hard to hit from the rough, so most golfers try to avoid being in it if at all possible.
The green is the super-smooth, tightly mowed expanse around the hole. This is where you putt. The fairways are mowed almost too short, so the ball rolls forever and, at times, way too long, frankly.
Par, Birdie, Bogey, and Double Bogey
Par is the number of shots an expert is expected to take to finish a hole. Holes are usually par 3, par 4, or par 5, depending on the length.
If you finish a hole in one shot less than par, that’s a birdie. For example, scoring 3 on a par 4 is a birdie and always feels good.
A bogey is a shot over par. So, 5 on a par 4 is a bogey. Two over par? That’s a double bogey. These words are to help you keep track of how you’re doing compared with the course standard.
Handicap and Scoring Explained
Your handicap is really no more than a number that indicates how good you are relative to par. It bridges the gap when you play with people who are at different skill levels.
Lower handicap? You’re a better golfer. Gross score: The number of strokes made during a round, before adjusting for handicap strokes. Net score is your gross score minus your handicap, and it’s what counts in most competitions.
Essential Golf Equipment and Shot Descriptions
Golf Ball and Tees
The golf ball is small, dimpled and designed to fly a long way and roll nicely. So there are all kinds of balls, but what you need as a beginner is pretty straightforward: basically, anything that gets you a little bit of distance and control.
Tees are those tiny pegs, wood or plastic, that hoist your ball off the ground for the opening shot.
You stick the tee into the ground at the tee box, set your ball on top of it, and swing away. Tees are available in varying heights, so you can accommodate your regular clubs or swings.
Golf Clubs: Irons, Woods, Wedges, and Putter
Wood Clubs:
There are a variety of clubs, one for each job. Woods (such as the driver and fairway woods) have big heads and long shafts, designed for sending the ball far from the tee.
Iron Clubs:
Irons are numbered 3 to 9. A lower number is more of a puncher; a higher one has more control on a shorter shot. Hybrids are a blending of woods and irons, designed to make long shots seem less daunting.
Wedges:
Wedges (like the sand wedge) pop the ball up fast, which is useful around bunkers or near the green. The putter is flat-faced and for rolling the ball into the hole on the green only. You’ll use it a lot.
Drive, Putt, and Chip Shot Basics
The drive is your first shot on a hole, made with a driver in an attempt to send the ball as far down the fairway as possible.
A chip shot is a short, low-striking shot played from an area just off the green that bounces softly and rolls along the ground to the hole. You’re going to use a wedge or an iron here, depending on the circumstances.
The putt takes place on the green with a putter. It’s simply about rolling the ball smoothly and directly toward the hole. It’s really all about accuracy here, and it can cost you big if you’re off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ‘par’ mean in golf?
Par is how many shots an expert should take to finish a hole. So if it’s a par 3, you’re aiming to get it done in three shots.
How would you explain a ‘bogey’?
A bogey means you finished the hole in one shot more than par. For a par 4, a score of 5 is a bogey.
What constitutes a ‘birdie’ in golf?
A birdie is finishing a hole in one shot less than par. For example, getting a 3 on a par 4, now that’s a birdie.
What does “handicap” mean?
A handicap is a number indicating how good you are relative to par. It enables players of different abilities to play against each other on equal standing, using the scores.
What is the definition of the term ‘fairway’ in golf?
The fairway is the short grass between the tee box and the green. It’s the shortest path for your ball to reach the hole, so aim for it when you can.
