Golf Terms Explained – Your Handy Cheat Sheet

Ever feel lost when someone shouts ‘fore!’ or talks about a ‘birdie’? You’re not alone. Golf has its own language, but you don’t need a dictionary to understand it. Below is a straight‑forward rundown of the words you’ll hear most on the course, plus a few scoring basics that make the game click.

Common Golf Words You’ll Hear

tee – The spot where you start each hole. It’s a little mat or a flat area on the grass. You place your ball on the tee before the first swing.

drive – A long, powerful shot taken from the tee, usually with a driver club. It’s meant to get the ball as far down the fairway as possible.

fairway – The short, well‑mowed stretch of grass between the tee and the green. Hitting the ball onto the fairway makes the next shot easier.

rough – The longer grass that lines the fairway. If your ball lands here, it’s tougher to hit cleanly, so you’ll need a bit more effort.

bunker – A sand trap, typically near the green. Getting out of a bunker takes a special swing called a bunker shot.

green – The smooth, closely mowed area around the hole where you putt. The surface is designed to let the ball roll straight.

putt – A gentle, low‑speed shot made on the green to roll the ball into the hole.

Scoring Terms That Matter

par – The number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need for a hole. Most holes are par‑3, par‑4, or par‑5.

birdie – Finishing a hole one stroke under par. If you’re on a par‑4 and make it in three strokes, that’s a birdie.

eagle – Two strokes under par. On a par‑5, an eagle would be a three‑stroke finish.

bogey – One stroke over par. A par‑4 taken in five strokes equals a bogey.

double bogey – Two strokes over par. It’s a simple way to note you took more shots than expected.

handicap – A number that represents a golfer’s skill level. A lower handicap means a stronger player, and it lets players of different abilities compete fairly.

Understanding these basics lets you follow the conversation on the course and focus on your swing instead of guessing what everyone’s saying. Next time you hear a term you don’t recognize, just think back to this cheat sheet and you’ll be right back in the game.