|
|
 |
|
Golf Terms |
|
I could write a book on golf terms. Today I will explain some of the more obscure terms in the game of golf that seldom get used. An Albatross is, of course, a sea faring bird. It is also the rarest of golf scores. A 1 on a par four or a 2 on a par five signify an albatross. There have been few in professional golf but when they do happen it’s a shot of a lifetime . The golf swing is actually an arc. This is the nearly circular curve around the body made by a golf swing. Most people think a golf swing is a perfect circle. While it has circular elements the reality is the swing has flat spots in it that ends up as an arc. Think of the orbiting tracks the planets take around the sun. The dreaded banana ball is a sliced shot that has a flight pattern shaped liked a banana. I wish this was a rare term heard around a golf course. I do think the use of this term has faded in recent years and some new golfers do not know they have the makings of a great banana split in their game. If you have not caught on before now I am going in alphabetical order. I have a glossary I work from on my website and is a logical way to get the information out in an orderly manner. Black numbers are those that refer to any score over par. Watch a tourney on TV and over par is in black numbers. Red numbers are the ones we like the most as they signify scores under par. The collar, fringe or apron all refer to the narrow strip of short grass between the rough and a green. One needs to know the rules on what can and cannot be done on the collar. A dormie is when the player or side having a lead in a match equal to the number of holes remaining to be played. A player is dormie-two if he or she is 2 holes ahead with 2 holes remaining to play. The fried egg is a lie in a sand bunker in which most of the ball is below the surface of the sand. Visually, the ball looks like a "fried egg", hence the term. Gorse is a very thick grass and/or shrubs from which it may be impossible to play a shot. Gorse is common on European seaside courses. The term is often applied to any area that is very tough to play from . Home and home match is a type of competition in which contestants play one round at one home course and the second at the other. Generally used in country club versus country club competition. In some places this is a popular contest for bragging rights. Knife is a slang term applied to a #1 iron due to its lack of loft. With the advent of hybrids few people hit the knife, however I still wield one in my arsenal. The Nassau is one of the most common games. A Nassau consists of a given bet for the front nine, a given bet for the back nine and a total bet for the overall game. So, a dollar Nassau is played for a dollar on the front, a dollar for the back and a dollar for the over all score. The most a player could win or loose is 3 dollars. When I had this idea I expected a short article. Please be looking for the next one as I will finish up some more golf terms.
Golf Terms Part 2 As promised here is part two of golf terms. The first term is hardpan. This term is given to an area of the golf course (not bunkers or hazards) on which no grass is growing. Shots from hardpan are among the most difficult as it requires a high level of skill to get the club under the ball from such lies. I read that definition and I do not agree with it and here is why. To get a golf ball in the air it is necessary to hit down on the ball and essentially pinch it between the face of the club and the ground. If there is nothing between the club and the ball should it not be easier to hit? I can understand a lie in the rough with the ball almost covered in grass being a very difficult shot. Hardpan is a tough shot from the mental standpoint. Seeing the ball in a different setting (no grass under or around the ball) gives an illusion of difficulty. Just hit the ball normally and smile when no divot with grass needs to be replaced. Sand the damage if sand is provided to give the next player a decent lie. Lateral is a type of water hazard, defined by red boundary stakes, that often runs parallel to the line of play on a hole. The penalty for hitting into a lateral hazard is one stroke. The term "lateral" may also describe a "Shank". (See "Shank.") Do you really want to see shank? The shank is a shot that is struck in the hosel area of the golf club. The resulting ball flight is generally straight to the right (for a right handed player) or left for a left handed player. A shank may also be called a "hoseled shot", a "pitch out" or a "lateral." There are more endearing names for this classic of golf but this is not the forum to discuss those. Slope (Index) is a mathematical formula used to compare the difficulty of one course to the next. It takes into account length, hazards, terrain, etc. A course with a slope rating of 150 will be far more difficult than one sloped at 100. Slope ratings allow fair matches between members from clubs of varying difficulty. Slope can also be used to describe the undulations of a golf course on the greens. The more slope a green has the more difficult it will be to putt. A sandbagger is a golfer who consistently plays to a score better than his handicap indicates that he should. These golfers are readily apparent and will be dealt with within the group of players they play with. Skulling a shot means to strike the top of the ball with an upwards, glancing blow, similar to "hitting it thin". Sometimes spelled "scull" as in the glancing motion of an oar that makes improper contact with the water. These shots show up at a timing of their choice and not the golfer's. The stymie is a situation, commonly found on a putting green, in which one player’s ball is directly in the line of another’s. The Rules allow for the ball in the line to be marked and moved, allowing the player farther from the hole to play without obstruction. Stymie is also the generic term given to a situation when any object is between the player and the hole, blocking the normal play toward the hole.
|
|
|
