Blog · Basics
Golf Terms for Beginners: A Plain-English Glossary
Golf has a lot of vocabulary. Here are the words you're most likely to meet, in alphabetical order.
Birdie. One stroke under par on a hole.
Bogey. One stroke over par on a hole.
Carry. How far the ball travels through the air before it lands. When a club shows "126 yds carry," that's the flight distance, not including any roll.
Chip. A short, low shot played from near the green.
Fairway. The short, well-kept grass between the tee and the green. It's the easiest place to hit from.
Green. The smooth area around the hole where you putt.
Hole in one. Getting the ball in the hole with your first shot.
Iron. A numbered club used for approach shots. Lower numbers go farther.
Par. The number of strokes a hole is expected to take. All scores are measured against it.
Pin. The flagstick marking the hole. "Yards to pin" is your distance to the hole.
Putt. A shot rolled along the green toward the hole.
Stroke. One swing at the ball. Your score is the total number of strokes.
Tee. The starting spot for a hole.
To par. Your score relative to par, such as −1 (a birdie), E (even) or +1 (a bogey).
Putting it to use
Reading a scorecard is much easier once these terms click. For a fuller explanation of scoring, see golf scoring explained, or learn the shots in irons, chips and putts.
The quickest way to learn is to play. Try a hole in Mashy, where you'll see most of these terms in action.