Golf glossary, A to Z.

Golf has one set of Rules, written jointly by the R&A and the USGA. Rule numbers below are from the 2023 Rules of Golf, in effect from 1 January 2023; the R&A says the next edition is due on 1 January 2028. A Model Local Rule applies only where the Committee running a course or competition adopts it, so check the notice board and the Terms of the Competition. Handicap terms follow the World Handicap System as revised in 2024: the R&A gives 1 January 2024 as the effective date of those revisions, while the Minnesota State Golf Association says they took effect in the United States on 16 January 2024 and Golf Canada gives 17 January 2024. Technique entries report what a named coach, body or study says; they are principles, not lessons.

Jump to: A B C D E F G H K L M N O P Q R S T U W X Y

A

Abnormal course condition

One of four conditions from which Rule 16.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf gives free relief: animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions and temporary water. The relief is not available when the ball is in a penalty area. As the Northern California Golf Association explains the Rule, the condition has to interfere with the lie of the ball, the stance or the area of intended swing; away from the putting green, interference with the line of play alone does not qualify. (Relief and dropping)

AimPoint Express

A green-reading method that coach Mark Sweeney developed as a simpler version of his earlier AimPoint system. As Golfweek described it in April 2024, the player straddles the line about halfway to the hole to feel the slope through the feet, then holds up one finger per percent of slope at arm's length to find the aim point. (Green reading)

Albatross (double eagle)

A score of three under par on a hole (GOLF.com). A hole-in-one on a par 4 is an albatross. (Scoring terms)

Amateur Championship, The

The R&A's amateur championship, which ends in a match-play final (over 36 holes in 2025). The 131st edition, in 2026 at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire, was won by Stuart Grehan of Ireland, who beat Matt Moloney of the United States by one hole. In 2025 Ethan Fang became the first American winner since 2007. (Amateur golf)

Anchoring

Holding the club, or a gripping hand, against the body during a stroke, or holding a forearm against the body so that a gripping hand becomes a fixed point for the other hand to swing around. Rule 10.1b of the 2023 Rules of Golf forbids it with any club, under the general penalty; simply touching the body or clothing is not a breach. According to Aussie Golfer, the R&A and the USGA proposed the ban in November 2012 and it took effect on 1 January 2016, and long and belly putters stayed conforming provided they are not anchored. Rules 25.3b and 25.4h modify the restriction for some players with disabilities. (Putters)

Attack angle

TrackMan defines it as the vertical direction in which the clubhead's geometric centre is moving at maximum compression of the ball, measured against the horizon. TrackMan lists driver averages of minus 0.9 degrees on the PGA Tour and plus 2.8 degrees on the LPGA Tour, without giving the collection period (a 2019 GOLF.com report, also citing TrackMan, gave minus 1.3 and plus 3, from a different period), and says maximising driver distance needs an upward attack angle with loft matched to it. (Driving)

B

Back-on-the-line relief

A relief option costing one penalty stroke. Under Rule 17.1d(2) of the 2023 Rules of Golf, for a ball in a penalty area, the player drops outside the area so that the point where the ball last crossed its edge stays between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped, with no limit on how far back; the ball must come to rest within one club-length of where it first touched the ground. Rule 19.2 offers a back-on-the-line option for an unplayable ball too. The 2023 edition simplified the procedure. (Penalty areas; Unplayable ball)

Ball flight (start direction)

According to TrackMan data presented by Nextgengolf in 2013, the clubface has about 85 percent of the influence on where the ball starts with a driver and about 75 percent with an iron, so the ball starts closer to where the face points than to the swing path. The article calls the older belief that the ball starts on the path a myth. (The full swing)

Best-Ball

A match-play variation in which one player competes against a side of two or three partners, each playing their own ball; it sits alongside Four-Ball in Rule 23 of the 2023 Rules of Golf. (Formats of play)

Birdie

A score of one under par on a hole (GOLF.com). (Scoring terms)

Blade and mallet putters

Two of the three putter head families GolfMagic describes. A blade is thin and traditional; a mallet is the largest and most forgiving, with a low, deep centre of gravity and often alignment aids. Between them sit peripheral-weighted heads, weighted in the heel and toe for forgiveness. (Putters)

Bogey

A score of one over par on a hole; a double bogey is two over (GOLF.com) and, according to Wikipedia, a triple bogey is three over. In handicapping, the "bogey golfer" is the reference player for the Slope Rating. (Scoring terms)

Bounce

The feature of a wedge's sole that stops the club digging in. GolfMagic measures it by how far the leading edge sits off the ground with the wedge soled, and describes low bounce (0 to 10 degrees) for tight lies, firm courses and shallow swings, standard bounce (10 to 16 degrees) for softer turf and steeper swings, and sand wedges usually above 16 degrees with a wider flange. Sole grinds change the effective bounce. (Wedges)

Bunker

One of the four specific areas of the course: a specially prepared area meant to test a player's ability to play from sand (Rule 12 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). Under Rule 12.1 a ball is in a bunker when any part of it touches sand inside the bunker's edge, or lies inside the edge where sand normally is; a ball inside the edge resting on soil or grass without touching sand is not in the bunker. Before the stroke the player must not deliberately touch the sand to test it, touch it with the club right in front of or behind the ball, or touch it in a practice swing or the backswing; the penalty is the general penalty (Rule 12.2). (Bunkers; Bunker play)

C

Caddie

The person who carries the player's clubs and may give advice and other help within limits (Rule 10.3 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). A player may have only one caddie at a time and is penalised for the caddie's breaches. Someone who carries only items such as a rain suit, an umbrella or food is not a caddie unless named as one or unless they also carry or handle the clubs. A caddie may drive a cart or pull a trolley for the player (Rule 10.3b(1)). (Bags, carts and trolleys)

Career Grand Slam

Winning all four of the modern men's majors (the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open) over a career. Golf Compendium lists six players and the year each completed it: Gene Sarazen (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1965), Jack Nicklaus (1966), Tiger Woods (2000) and Rory McIlroy (2025, at the Masters). Bobby Jones's 1930 Grand Slam was a different set: the British Amateur, The Open, the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur in one year (ESPN). The "Tiger Slam" was Woods holding all four professional majors at once after the 2001 Masters (Boston Globe). (The majors; Notable players)

Characteristic time (CT)

The measure of a clubhead's spring-like effect, taken with the pendulum test on file with the R&A and the USGA, which GOLF.com describes as timing the contact between a steel weight and the face. Part 2 of the Equipment Rules says the limit does not apply to putters. GOLF.com gives the limit as 239 microseconds with an 18-microsecond tolerance, and the R&A's Equipment Rules treat a used driver measuring above 257 microseconds in a field test as non-conforming. ESPN explains that faces can "creep" with use and gain spring; in December 2023 the governing bodies said driver testing would change to catch such models earlier. (Drivers)

Chip

As GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall defines it (GOLF.com, July 2024), a low shot from around the edges of the green that rolls most of the way, played with the ball back and the shaft leaning forward. Coaches disagree on the set-up: Phil Mickelson keeps the weight forward, while coach Jonathan Yarwood argues the "ball back, hands forward" habit over-steepens the strike and plays the ball centred with the weight even. (Chipping and pitching)

Claret Jug

The trophy of The Open. Young Tom Morris won the original prize, the Challenge Belt, outright in 1870, and in 1872 Prestwick, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and the R&A agreed to provide a silver claret jug instead. Young Tom's name is the first engraved on it; Tom Kidd, the 1873 champion, was the first to receive it. Since 1927 the original has stayed on display and each champion receives a replica (The Open). (The Open; The Open's history)

Clock system

Dave Pelz's method of controlling wedge distance by backswing length, described as clock positions (9 o'clock, for example, with the lead arm parallel to the ground); the golfer records how far each length sends the ball with each wedge. Pelz, a short-game instructor and former NASA scientist, died in March 2025 (Australian Golf Digest). (Chipping and pitching)

Club-length

The length of the longest club the player has during the round, other than a putter, as defined when the modernised Rules took effect in 2019 (USGA summary of the changes). Relief areas in the 2023 Rules of Golf are measured in one or two club-lengths, or four for lateral relief by a player using a wheeled mobility device (Rule 25.4m). (Relief and dropping)

Club limit (14 clubs)

Under Rule 4.1b of the 2023 Rules of Golf a player must not start a round with, or have during it, more than 14 clubs; a player who starts with fewer may add clubs up to the limit. In stroke play the penalty is two strokes for each hole where the breach happened, up to four in the round; in match play one hole is deducted for each such hole, up to two. LINKS Magazine says the USGA and R&A announced the limit at the end of 1936 and it took effect in 1938; Golf Compendium gives 1 January 1938 for the USGA and 1 May 1939 for the R&A. (Clubs explained; Equipment history)

Concession

In match play a player may concede the opponent's next stroke, a hole or the whole match. Under Rule 3.2b of the 2023 Rules of Golf a concession must be clearly communicated, is final, and cannot be declined or withdrawn. (Formats of play)

Conforming lists

The List of Conforming Golf Balls and the List of Conforming Driver Heads. The R&A's ball list holds models submitted in the last 12 months and ruled to conform, and is updated on the first Wednesday of each month; the driver list is updated weekly. A Committee can require listed balls (Model Local Rule G-3) or listed driver heads (G-1), but only where it adopts those Local Rules, which are recommended mainly for professional and top amateur play. A ball missing from the list may simply never have been submitted. Check the current lists for any model. (Conforming equipment)

Course Handicap

A player's Handicap Index adjusted for the course and tees being played (R&A). The Emirates Golf Federation's published rules give it as Handicap Index times Slope Rating divided by 113, plus Course Rating minus par. USGA Rule 6.1 of the Rules of Handicapping rounds the result to the nearest whole number as the final step, with .5 rounded up; for 9 holes the Handicap Index is first halved and rounded to the nearest tenth (Rule 6.1b). (Handicaps; Course handicap calculator)

Course Rating

An estimate, in strokes, of how difficult a set of tees is for a scratch golfer, expressed as the average of a scratch golfer's better half of rounds there (Golf Pad's explanation). The 2024 revisions to the World Handicap System allow tees to be rated at as little as 1,500 yards for 18 holes and 750 yards for 9, bringing thousands of shorter and par-3 courses into handicapping (R&A). (Handicaps)

Curtis Cup

The amateur women's match between the United States and Great Britain and Ireland. National Club Golfer traces it to informal internationals in 1905, after which Margaret and Harriot Curtis offered a cup; they donated the trophy in 1927 and the first match was played at Wentworth in 1932. In June 2026 the United States won the 44th match 13 to 7 at Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles, regaining the Cup. (Team cups)

Cut

The point after 36 holes of a stroke-play event at which only the leading players continue. The Masters keeps the top 50 and ties (since 2020, when it dropped the rule that also admitted anyone within 10 shots of the lead), the 2026 U.S. Open kept the top 60 and ties, and The Open keeps the top 70 and ties. Olympic golf (at Paris 2024) and LIV Golf's 2026 events had no cut. (The majors)

D

DECADE

A course-management system built by former touring professional Scott Fawcett from ShotLink data and Google Earth images of hundreds of courses, to estimate where shots finish by club and yardage (GOLF.com, November 2020). Its broad guidance is to be aggressive off the tee and conservative into greens, aiming at the middle or the fat side rather than at tucked pins. (Course management)

Dimples

According to Wikipedia, most modern balls have about 300 to 500 dimples, which cut drag by creating a turbulent boundary layer and a narrower wake and add lift from backspin; there is no limit on their number. Smithsonian Magazine says a ball called "The Dimple", one of the first with aerodynamic dimples, was patented in 1905. (Golf balls)

Distance-measuring device (DMD)

A laser rangefinder, handheld or watch-style GPS unit, or a phone or tablet used for distance, as the USGA's 2023 guide lists them. Rule 4.3a of the 2023 Rules of Golf lets a player get distance and direction information, but not measure elevation changes or use equipment that interprets it (recommending a club or line, for example). DMDs have been allowed since 1 January 2019 unless a Local Rule bans them; Model Local Rule G-5 lets a Committee prohibit them, only where it adopts it. The USGA guide lists slope-adjusted "plays-like" distances as information a player may not access. (Distance-measuring devices)

Divot

Rule 1.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf lists replacing divots as part of taking care of the course. GOLF Top 100 Teacher Andrew Rice reads them as feedback (GOLF.com, 2023): a divot that starts in front of where the ball sat shows proper turf contact, one that starts behind it is a common amateur fault, and the ideal is a "bacon strip" of even depth. (Iron play; Etiquette)

DP World Tour

The men's professional tour founded as the European Tour, whose first season was 1972 under founding father John Jacobs; its first official event, the Open de Espana in April 1972, was won by Antonio Garrido. It took the DP World Tour name from the 2022 season, its 50th anniversary. Its season-long ranking is the Race to Dubai. (DP World Tour)

Driver

Part 2 of the Equipment Rules limits a wood's head, the driver included, to 460 cubic centimetres plus a 10 cubic centimetre tolerance, caps its moment of inertia, and limits the spring-like effect of its face (see Characteristic time). Clubs other than putters may be no longer than 48 inches; Model Local Rule G-10, meant for professional and elite amateur competitions and in force only where a Committee adopts it, lowers that to 46 inches. (Drivers)

Drop

How a ball is put back in play when taking relief. Under Rule 14.3 of the 2023 Rules of Golf, as the Northern California Golf Association summarises it, only the player (or a partner in a partner format) drops the ball, straight down from knee height, and it must come to rest in the relief area. If a correctly dropped ball rolls out twice, the player places it where it first touched the ground on the second drop. The knee-height drop replaced the shoulder-height drop in 2019. (Relief and dropping)

E

Eagle

A score of two under par on a hole (GOLF.com). A hole-in-one on a par 3 is also an eagle. (Scoring terms)

Embedded ball

A ball sitting in its own pitch-mark. Under Rule 16.3 of the 2023 Rules of Golf, a ball embedded in the general area gets free relief: the player drops within one club-length of the spot right behind the ball. There is no such relief in a bunker or a penalty area. A new option for 2026, Model Local Rule F-2, gives relief when a referee finds the ball embedded in another player's unrepaired pitch-mark; it is meant for televised competitions with referees and applies only where a Committee adopts it. (Relief and dropping)

Equipment Rules

The R&A and USGA rule book, separate from the Rules of Golf, that sets the standards for clubs, balls and other equipment. It has eight Parts, covering club and ball playing rules and conformance, other equipment and devices, modified rules for players with disabilities and Committee requirements, plus three Supplementary Papers. Rules 4.1 and 4.2 of the 2023 Rules of Golf require strokes to be made with conforming clubs and balls. (Conforming equipment)

External focus

Attention on the effect of a movement (the club, say) rather than on the body's movements, which is an internal focus. Gabriele Wulf and Jiang Su (2007) found novices practising pitch shots with an external focus scored clearly higher on a retention test a day later, and expert golfers were more accurate under club-focused instructions. Perkins-Ceccato and colleagues (2003) found low-skilled golfers did better with an internal focus, a result Wulf and Su argue was confounded. (Practice)

F

Face-balanced and toe-hang

Two putter balance types GolfMagic describes. Balanced on a finger by the shaft, a face-balanced putter's face points to the sky and the head rotates less, which GolfMagic pairs with a straight-back, straight-through stroke; a toe-hang putter's toe points down and rotates more, paired with an arcing stroke. The Golf News Net stresses fitting from measured stroke data instead of a stroke label. (Putters)

Fairway

For Model Local Rule E-5 (which applies only where a Committee adopts it), any grass in the general area cut to fairway height or less. Under Rule 2.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf, fairway, rough and trees are all part of the general area, and the Rules make no distinction between fairway and rough when dropping there (Northern California Golf Association). (The course)

FedEx Cup

The PGA Tour's season-long points competition, introduced in 2007 according to Wikipedia. Its Playoffs take the top 70 to the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the top 50 to the BMW Championship and the top 30 to the Tour Championship. In 2024 the Tour Championship used "starting strokes", giving the top seed a head start; in 2026 the title went to the lowest actual 72-hole score. Scottie Scheffler won the 2026 FedEx Cup on 30 August 2026, his second. The FedEx Cup Fall, which settles eligibility for 2027, is in progress as of October 2026 and runs to the RSM Classic (16 to 22 November). (PGA Tour)

First Tee

A youth golf programme launched on 13 November 1997 in New York by Augusta National, the LPGA, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR and the USGA. In its February 2022 25th-anniversary release First Tee reported nearly 150 chapters and more than 2.2 million young people reached in 2021; Wikipedia's uncited figure of more than 3.6 million a year differs. Wikipedia also says it serves children aged 5 to 18. (Juniors)

Flagstick

Before each stroke the player chooses to leave the flagstick in the hole, have it removed or have it attended, and there is no penalty if a ball hits a flagstick left in the hole (Rule 13.2 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). A ball resting against the flagstick counts as holed if any part of it is in the hole below the surface of the putting green (Rule 13.2c). (The putting green)

Flex and kick point

Wikipedia lists the common shaft flex labels as L (ladies), A or senior, R (regular), S (stiff) and X (extra stiff), and describes the kick point as the shaft's point of greatest flexibility: a low kick point tends to launch higher, a high one gives a firmer feel and lower flight. Swing-speed bands for each flex differ between sources: Wikipedia puts regular at about 80 to 94 mph of driver swing speed, the retailer TGW at 85 to 95 mph. (Shafts)

Fore

The traditional warning shout. Rule 1.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf says a player whose stroke may endanger someone should immediately shout a warning such as "fore". (Etiquette)

Four-Ball

A partner format in which two partners each play their own ball and the side's score on a hole is the lower of the two (Rule 23.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). Partners may play in whatever order they like (Rule 23.6), and in stroke play each score on the card must be identified with the partner who made it, or the side is disqualified (Rule 23.2). (Formats of play)

Foursomes (alternate shot)

A partner format in which two partners form a side and play one ball, taking turns (Rule 22.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). They alternate in teeing off at each hole and then alternate strokes for the rest of the hole; penalty strokes do not change the order (Rule 22.3). Partners may share clubs if they have no more than 14 between them (Rule 22.5). (Formats of play)

G

Gap wedge

A wedge between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. GolfMagic reports wedge designer Bob Vokey's explanation: pitching wedges were once about 51 degrees but are now about 45 to 47, while the sand wedge has stayed near 56, which left a gap. Sources disagree on its usual loft: GolfMagic gives 50 to 55 degrees, a golfballs.com guide 50 to 52. (Wedges)

General area

The whole course except the four specific areas (Rule 2.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf). It includes every kind of ground and growing or attached object there, such as fairway, rough and trees, and is where a ball is most often played until it reaches the putting green. A ball lying partly in the general area and partly in a specific area is treated as being in the specific area (Rule 2.2c). (The course)

General penalty

Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play (Rule 1.3c(2) of the 2023 Rules of Golf). It is one of three penalty levels, with the one-stroke penalty and disqualification, and penalties may not be varied by players or the Committee. (How golf works)

Glove

Part 6 of the Equipment Rules allows only "plain" gloves: a fitted covering with a separate sheath or opening for each digit and smooth material over the palm and gripping surfaces, with no padding beyond a small thickness, no straps to the club and no material that sticks to the grip. The retailer American Golf says a glove is usually worn on the lead hand, the left for a right-handed player. (Shoes and gloves)

Golf cart

Rule 4.3 of the 2023 Rules of Golf lets a Committee restrict motorised transport by Local Rule. Model Local Rule G-6, only where a Committee adopts it, prohibits riding during a round unless authorised, with the general penalty for each hole where the breach happened; since 1 January 2026 it lets the Committee approve a ride a player accepted by mistake but reasonably. The US National Weather Service states that golf carts are not lightning-safe. (Bags, carts and trolleys)

Grip

Both the handle of the club and how the hands hold it. Under Part 2 of the Equipment Rules the handle must be at least 7 inches long, no more than 1.75 inches across in any direction, and circular in cross-section on woods and irons apart from a slight reminder rib. On the hold, Padraig Harrington (GOLF.com, 2023) says its first job is mobility and the club should sit in the fingers, while Bill Hulbert, PGA, notes that successful players use very different grips, from strong to weak. (Grip and setup)

Grooves (2010 groove rule)

Part 2 of the Equipment Rules tightened groove and punch-mark specifications for new club models made on or after 1 January 2010, limiting width, spacing, depth, edge radius and cross-sectional area. Model Local Rule G-2, recommended only for competitions of highly skilled players and in force only where a Committee adopts it, requires clubs to meet them. In January 2024 the R&A said the 2010 specifications would stay in effect only through G-2, and any decision to apply them to all golfers would take effect at least four years after it is announced. (Wedges; Conforming equipment)

Gross and net score

A scratch competition uses gross scores, with no handicap; a handicap competition uses net scores, after handicap strokes are deducted (Rule 3.1c of the 2023 Rules of Golf). Since 2023 a stroke-play player no longer has to put a handicap on the scorecard; the Committee works out handicap strokes and the net score. (Formats of play)

Gutty (gutta-percha ball)

The ball that replaced the featherie (a leather case stuffed with goose feathers, used from the early 1600s, according to Smithsonian Magazine). Smithsonian says Scottish divinity student Robert Paterson made a ball from gutta-percha, a dried tree gum, in the 1840s; sources disagree on the year: Wikipedia gives 1848, a Queensland golf-history newsletter 1849, and the Golf Historical Society of Canada starts its gutty period in 1850. The wound Haskell ball followed: LINKS Magazine says Coburn Haskell developed it with Bertram Work of B.F. Goodrich in 1898, and the patent was issued in April 1899. (Equipment history)

H

Halved

Tied, in match play: a hole is halved when both sides take the same number of strokes, or when they agree to tie it after at least one has made a stroke (Rule 3.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf). In a Ryder Cup or similar match, a halved match is worth half a point to each side. (Formats of play)

Handicap Index

Under the World Handicap System, the R&A describes it as the average of the best 8 of a player's last 20 scores, with a maximum of 54.0 for every player regardless of gender, and a default of 54 holes of scores (from 18-hole and 9-hole rounds) to obtain one. National associations can vary that minimum: the Emirates Golf Federation's version asks for three 18-hole scores. (Handicaps)

Hard cap and soft cap

Limits on how fast a Handicap Index can rise. In the Emirates Golf Federation's published rules (Rule 5.8), the soft cap halves any increase beyond 3.0 strokes above the player's Low Handicap Index (the lowest index in the previous 12 months), and the hard cap stops the index rising more than 5.0 above it; both apply once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores. (Handicaps)

Hole-in-one (ace)

A score of one on a hole (GOLF.com). On a par 3 it is also an eagle, and on a par 4 an albatross. The Open says Young Tom Morris made the first hole-in-one in Open history, at the eighth in 1869. (Scoring terms)

Honour

A player's right to play first from the teeing area (Definitions of the 2023 Rules of Golf; see Rule 6.4). (Etiquette)

K

Kinematic sequence

The order in which body segments reach their peak rotational speed in the swing. As cited by Liu and colleagues (PLoS One, 2025), many studies report peaks running from the centre outward: pelvis, torso, lead arm, then club. In their own test of ten low-handicap male college golfers, the driver's chain peaked later than a 7-iron's. (The full swing)

Kolf (colf)

A Dutch club-and-ball game, one of several rival claims to golf's origins. Wikipedia dates its earliest known Dutch mention to about 1261, and says Hendrick Avercamp painted Kolf Players on Ice in 1625. The National Library of Scotland dates the earliest known Scottish written mention of golf to James II's Act of 6 March 1457. (Origins)

L

Lateral relief

A relief option costing one penalty stroke. For a red penalty area only, Rule 17.1d(3) of the 2023 Rules of Golf lets the player drop within two club-lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the edge, not nearer the hole and outside that penalty area. Rule 19.2 offers lateral relief within two club-lengths of an unplayable ball, measured from the spot directly below it if it is up a tree. A player using a wheeled mobility device gets four club-lengths (Rule 25.4m). (Penalty areas; Unplayable ball)

Launch monitor

A device that measures club and ball data. GOLF.com (April 2025) explains that Doppler radar units sit behind the golfer and track the full flight, while high-speed camera units sit beside the golfer, record impact and the first few feet of flight, and calculate the rest; it concludes neither is better. During a round, Rule 4.3a of the 2023 Rules of Golf forbids using data from the current round or equipment that analyses the swing. (Club fitting)

LET (Ladies European Tour)

The women's professional tour that, according to the LET, became official on 1 November 1978 as the WPGA, with a first tournament at Tyrrells Wood on 26 April 1979. Wikipedia says it entered a joint venture with the LPGA in January 2020. Its season-long Order of Merit, branded the Race to Costa del Sol, is in progress as of October 2026, with no champion yet; it ends at the Open de Espana at La Cala Resort, Mijas, in late November. (LPGA and LET)

Lightning

Rule 5.7a of the 2023 Rules of Golf lets a player stop play on reasonably believing there is danger from lightning, but the player must report to the Committee as soon as possible. In an immediate suspension called by the Committee, no one may make another stroke until play resumes (Rule 5.7b). The US National Weather Service's golf toolkit says golf carts and partially enclosed shelters are not lightning-safe. Facilities and Committees set the actual procedures. (Weather gear)

LIV Golf

A professional league whose first event, a 54-hole tournament at the Centurion Club near London, ended on 11 June 2022 with a win for Charl Schwartzel (AP). From 2026 its events moved to 72 holes with no cut. It runs individual and four-player team competitions. Its 2026 season is complete: Jon Rahm won a third straight Individual Championship and Legion XIII won the team title. (LIV Golf)

Local Rule

A rule a Committee adopts for its course or competition. Under Rule 1.3a of the 2023 Rules of Golf, "the Rules" include Rules 1 to 25, the Definitions and any Local Rules the Committee adopts. A Pace of Play Policy and a Code of Conduct are examples, and the R&A and USGA publish Model Local Rules as templates. (Model Local Rules)

Loft

The angle figure each club carries; PING's G440 specifications, for example, list a 7-iron at 29 degrees, with alternative "Power Spec" and "Retro Spec" versions at 27.5 and 31. The Equipment Rules set no limit on loft and the governing bodies define no standard lofts. (Clubs explained)

Lost ball

A ball not found within three minutes after the player or caddie begins searching for it (Rule 18.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf), down from five minutes before 2019. For a lost ball the player must take stroke-and-distance relief unless it is known or virtually certain the ball is in a penalty area, in an abnormal course condition, or was moved by an outside influence (Rule 18.2b). (Lost ball and out of bounds)

LPGA

The women's professional tour founded in 1950 by 13 players: Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias, with Berg as first president. The 2026 LPGA season is in progress as of October 2026, with no season champion; the CME Group Tour Championship is scheduled for 19 to 22 November 2026. (LPGA and LET; Women's golf history)

M

Major championships

The four men's majors are the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open; in 2026 they were won by Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, Wyndham Clark and Ryan Fox. The LPGA recognises five women's majors: the Chevron Championship, the U.S. Women's Open, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the Amundi Evian Championship and the AIG Women's Open. In 2026 Nelly Korda and Haeran Ryu each won two and Shiho Kuwaki one. (The majors; Women's majors)

Marker

In stroke play, the person chosen or approved by the Committee who confirms and records the player's gross score after each hole and certifies the scorecard (Rule 3.3b of the 2023 Rules of Golf). The player must check the hole scores and certify and return the card; returning a hole score lower than the actual one means disqualification (unless the shortfall came from penalty strokes the player did not know about), while a higher one stands. (How golf works)

Masters, The

The men's major played every April at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. It began in 1934 as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, won by Horton Smith, and was officially renamed the Masters in 1939 (CBS). Jack Nicklaus holds the record of six wins. In 2026 Rory McIlroy won again, the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters after Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. (The Masters)

Match play

One of the two forms of play in Rule 3.1a of the 2023 Rules of Golf: a player against an opponent, hole by hole, each hole won, lost or tied. A match is won when a player leads by more holes than remain, or the opponent concedes or is disqualified; a tied match goes on one hole at a time unless the Terms of the Competition say it ends tied (Rule 3.2a). (Formats of play)

Maximum Score

A form of stroke play, introduced in 2019, in which a player's score on each hole is capped at a figure the Committee sets, such as twice par, a fixed number or net double bogey; a player who does not hole out gets the maximum (Rule 21.2 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). (Formats of play)

Model Local Rule

A template Local Rule published by the R&A and the USGA. It is not a Rule of Golf and applies only where a Committee adopts it. New and amended Model Local Rules became available from 1 January 2026, including an option on internal out of bounds (A-4) and limits on replacing damaged clubs (G-9). Model Local Rule E-5, intended for general play rather than elite events, offers a two-stroke alternative to stroke and distance. (Model Local Rules)

Modified Rules for players with disabilities (Rule 25)

Since the 2023 edition these are part of the Rules of Golf, so no Local Rule is needed to use them. Rule 25 covers four groups: players who are blind, amputees, players who use assistive mobility devices and players with intellectual disabilities. It allows, for example, an aide for a player who is blind, and four club-lengths for lateral relief with a wheeled mobility device. (Players with disabilities)

Moment of inertia (MOI)

Part 2 of the Equipment Rules caps a wood's moment of inertia at 5,900 g cm squared about the vertical axis through the centre of gravity, with a test tolerance of 100. In June 2022 the R&A said it was researching a lower driver MOI limit, to reward central strikes, at values as low as 2,000. (Drivers)

N

Net double bogey

The maximum hole score counted for handicap purposes under the World Handicap System (R&A). The Emirates Golf Federation's rules (Rule 3.1) set it at par plus 2 plus any handicap strokes received on the hole, so 6 on a par 4 with no strokes and 7 with one. (Handicaps)

No play zone

A defined part of an abnormal course condition or a penalty area where play is not allowed. The player must take relief when the ball is in one, or when one interferes with the intended stance or swing (Rule 2.4 of the 2023 Rules of Golf); in a penalty area that means penalty relief (Rule 17.1e). (The course)

O

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR)

The men's world ranking, which, according to Wikipedia, grew from a ranking the R&A founded in 1986. Explainers from Golf Today and GolfWRX describe it as recalculated weekly from finishes over a rolling period of about two years, with an event's points depending on the strength of its field and a player's ranking an average of points per event, with a minimum divisor of 40 events. OWGR called Scottie Scheffler the "undisputed" No. 1 on 31 August 2026, and Wikipedia lists him at No. 1 as of 18 October 2026. (World rankings)

Olympic Golf Ranking

The ranking that decides the Olympic fields. For the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the IGF says 60 men and 60 women qualify through it: players in the top 15 qualify up to four per country, then up to two per country, with each continent guaranteed a place if needed. Points count from 8 June 2026 for women and 22 June 2026 for men. LA28 at Riviera adds a 16-team mixed event. (Olympic golf)

Open, The

The R&A's championship, first played at Prestwick on 17 October 1860 and won by Willie Park Snr. Harry Vardon holds the record of six wins. The 2026 Open, at Royal Birkdale, was won by Ryan Fox of New Zealand at 10 under par. (The Open; The Open's history)

Out of bounds

Everything outside the course boundaries the Committee sets (Rule 2.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). A ball is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the boundary edge, and a player may stand out of bounds to play a ball on the course (Rule 18.2a). For a ball out of bounds the player must take stroke-and-distance relief, unless the Committee has adopted Model Local Rule E-5. (Lost ball and out of bounds)

Outside influence

One of the four causes of a ball moving that Rule 9.2b of the 2023 Rules of Golf recognises, along with natural forces, the player and, in match play, the opponent; it includes any other player in stroke play. If an outside influence moves the ball there is no penalty and the ball is replaced (Rule 9.6). The Rules treat a ball as moved only if that is known or virtually certain (Rule 9.2a). (Ball at rest moved)

Overall Distance Standard (ODS)

The limit on how far a conforming ball may carry and roll in the governing bodies' test (Part 4 of the Equipment Rules), introduced in 1976. The distance limit is 317 yards with a 3-yard tolerance. In December 2023 the R&A and USGA announced faster test conditions (125 mph clubhead speed instead of 120). Their Notice to Manufacturers of 17 June 2026 says there will be no change to the ODS until January 2030 and that alternatives are under review; reports differ on whether that is a firm single date (ESPN) or a pause (Golf Today). (Ball testing change)

P

Pace of play

Rule 5.6b of the 2023 Rules of Golf asks players to play at a prompt pace and recommends making each stroke in no more than 40 seconds after being able to play, and usually quicker, a recommendation that was new in 2019. Unreasonable delay costs one stroke for a first breach, the general penalty for a second and disqualification for a third (Rule 5.6a). Committees should adopt a Pace of Play Policy as a Local Rule. (Pace of play)

Par

The number of strokes a player is expected to need for a hole, according to GOLF.com; nearly every hole is a par 3, 4 or 5 and an 18-hole course usually totals about 69 to 72. Wikipedia describes it as the score a scratch golfer is expected to make. (Scoring terms)

Par/Bogey

A form of stroke play using match-play scoring against a fixed score on each hole; the winner has the best total of holes won minus holes lost (Rule 21.3 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). (Formats of play)

Penalty area

A body of water or other area defined by the Committee where a ball is often lost or unplayable, marked red or yellow (Rule 17 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). A ball is in a penalty area when any part of it touches the ground or anything inside the edge, or is above the area. It may be played as it lies without penalty, or the player may take relief for one stroke: a yellow area offers two options (stroke and distance, back-on-the-line) and a red area adds lateral relief. "Water hazards" became penalty areas in 2019. (Penalty areas)

PGA of America

The association of club professionals and teachers founded on 10 April 1916 with 35 charter members, after a lunch Rodman Wanamaker hosted in New York on 17 January 1916 (History.com). It runs the PGA Championship, whose winner receives the Wanamaker Trophy, and is now based in Frisco, Texas (The Golf News Net, 2026). (Governing bodies; PGA Championship)

PGA Tour

The men's tour that touring professionals formed after splitting from the PGA of America as the Tournament Players Division. Sources differ on dates: Wikipedia puts the split in late 1968 and The Golf News Net in 1969, and The Golf News Net dates the PGA Tour name to 1974 while Wikipedia gives 1975. The Golf News Net says Deane Beman moved its headquarters to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in 1974. It runs the FedEx Cup. (PGA Tour)

Pitch

As Jon Tattersall defines it (GOLF.com, July 2024), a slightly longer, higher shot than a chip that uses more full-swing fundamentals, with the ball near the centre and slightly more weight on the lead leg. Tattersall prefers students to pitch most of the time, because the technique carries over to the full swing. (Chipping and pitching)

Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC)

The World Handicap System's daily adjustment for abnormal course or weather conditions. An explainer published by GAP (gapgolf.org) says it moves Score Differentials by a whole number from minus 1 to plus 3 and applies to every player's score that day. The 2024 revisions made an adjustment more likely (R&A). (Handicaps)

Playing Handicap

The figure produced by applying a format's handicap allowance to the Course Handicap. The R&A's Interpretation 6.2a/1 says the allowance should be applied to the unrounded Course Handicap to avoid rounding twice, and the USGA's Rules of Handicapping then round the Playing Handicap to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounded up. (Handicaps)

Playoff

Extra holes to settle a tie. The U.S. Open uses a two-hole aggregate playoff and then sudden death (The Golf News Net, 2026); it once used 18 holes. The Open has used a four-hole aggregate playoff and then sudden death (The Golf News Net, 2022). Under Rule 5.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf, a stroke-play playoff is a new round. (The majors)

Presidents Cup

The match between the United States and an International team. In September 2026 at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, the United States won 17 to 13 after trailing going into Sunday, its 11th straight Presidents Cup (Golf Channel; PGA Tour). (Team cups)

Provisional ball

A second ball played to save time when the first might be lost outside a penalty area or might be out of bounds (Rule 18.3 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). The player must announce it before the stroke, using the word "provisional" or otherwise making it clear; "another ball" is not enough. It becomes the ball in play if the original is lost or out of bounds, or once it is played from nearer the hole than where the original is thought to be; if the original is found on the course outside a penalty area within three minutes, the provisional must be abandoned. (Lost ball and out of bounds)

Putting green

One of the four specific areas: the green of the hole being played (Rule 2.2b of the 2023 Rules of Golf). A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the green (Rule 13.1a). There it may be marked, lifted and cleaned, and most damage, including ball-marks, shoe damage and old hole plugs, may be repaired; aeration holes and natural imperfections may not (Rule 13.1c). (The putting green)

Q

Quiet eye

The steady final fixation on the ball before and during the stroke. Joan Vickers (1992) first found expert putters held a fixation on the back of the ball for about two seconds before the backswing and later named it the quiet eye. Samuel Vine, Lee Moore and Mark Wilson (2011) randomly assigned 22 elite golfers to quiet-eye training or a control group; the trained group took 1.92 fewer putts per round afterwards, while the control group showed no significant change. (Putting)

R

R&A, The

The body that, according to Wikipedia, governs golf everywhere except the United States and Mexico, and writes the Rules of Golf jointly with the USGA. Wikipedia says it was formed in 2004, when the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews passed its governing and championship roles to a new group of companies; the club itself dates its founding to 14 May 1754, as the Society of St Andrews Golfers. The R&A runs The Open. (Governing bodies; St Andrews and the R&A)

Race to Dubai

The DP World Tour's season-long ranking, whose winner receives the Harry Vardon Trophy as the Tour's Number One. It replaced the Order of Merit from the 2009 season and runs through Global Swings, the "Back 9" of historic events and national opens, and two Play-Offs events. Rory McIlroy won in 2025, his seventh title. The 2026 race is in progress as of October 2026, with no champion; the Play-Offs run from 5 to 15 November. (DP World Tour)

Race to the CME Globe

The LPGA's season-long race. According to LPGA schedule listings, the season ends with the CME Group Tour Championship, whose winner also takes the Race to the CME Globe. Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand won it in 2025. The 2026 race is in progress as of October 2026, with no champion. (LPGA and LET)

Ready golf

Playing out of turn in a safe and responsible way to save time, which Rule 5.6b of the 2023 Rules of Golf allows in stroke play; in match play, players may agree that one plays out of turn. (Pace of play)

Relief area

The area in which a ball must be dropped, and come to rest, when taking relief. The 2019 Rules introduced it, measured as one or two club-lengths from a reference point (USGA summary of the changes), and the 2023 Rules keep it: for free relief in the general area, for example, the player drops within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, not nearer the hole (Northern California Golf Association). (Relief and dropping)

Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings

The women's world ranking. Nelly Korda regained No. 1 from Jeeno Thitikul by winning the Chevron Championship in April 2026 (Front Office Sports), and the LPGA still described her as No. 1 on 31 July 2026; we could not confirm the October 2026 table. (World rankings)

Round

18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee (Rule 5.1 and the Definitions of the 2023 Rules of Golf). Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green (Rule 1.1). (How golf works)

Rules of Golf

The single code of playing rules written jointly by the R&A and the USGA, who according to Wikipedia have issued them together since 1952. The current edition took effect on 1 January 2023, a regular update of the modernised Rules of 1 January 2019; the R&A says the next edition is due on 1 January 2028. Clarifications are updated quarterly. (Rules of Golf editions)

Ryder Cup

The men's professional match between Europe and the United States: 12 players a side, 28 matches of foursomes, four-ball and singles, with 14.5 points needed to win outright (Golf Compendium). According to Wikipedia, the first official match was played in June 1927 at Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts. Continental European players joined the Great Britain and Ireland side in 1979 (DP World Tour). Europe won the 2025 match 15 to 13 at Bethpage Black, and the 2027 match is at Adare Manor, Ireland. (Ryder Cup)

S

Sand wedge

A wedge usually lofted at 54 to 58 degrees (GolfMagic and a golfballs.com guide agree on that range) and, GolfMagic says, usually more than 16 degrees of bounce with a wider flange. According to Wikipedia, Gene Sarazen claimed to have invented the modern flanged sand wedge and debuted it at the 1932 Open, which he won, although earlier lofted sand clubs existed. (Wedges)

Score Differential

The handicap value of a single round. The Emirates Golf Federation's rules (Rule 5.1) give it as 113 divided by the Slope Rating, times the adjusted gross score minus the Course Rating; Wikipedia adds the Playing Conditions Calculation adjustment to that subtraction. A Handicap Index is the average of the best 8 of the last 20. We could not confirm the official rounding of a Score Differential. (Handicaps)

Scramble

A team format that Rule 21.5 of the 2023 Rules of Golf names among the many other forms of play the Rules can be adapted for. Golf sites commonly describe every player teeing off and the team playing on from the best shot, but we could not confirm the format from a governing-body source, and organisers set their own terms. Under the Emirates Golf Federation's version of the Rules of Handicapping, scramble scores are not acceptable for handicap purposes. (Formats of play)

Scratch

A scratch competition is played on gross scores with no handicap (Rule 3.1c of the 2023 Rules of Golf). A scratch golfer is one with a zero handicap, the player the Course Rating is set for (Wikipedia; Golf Pad). (Handicaps)

Slope Rating

A measure of how much harder a set of tees plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, on a scale from 55 to 155 with 113 as standard difficulty (Golf Pad; Wikipedia). Wikipedia describes a bogey golfer as having a handicap of about 20 to 24. Slope Rating appears in both the Course Handicap and Score Differential formulas. (Handicaps)

Solheim Cup

The women's professional match between Europe and the United States, named, according to Wikipedia, for Karsten and Louise Solheim, the founders of Ping. The first match, in 1990 at Lake Nona, Florida, was won by the United States 11.5 to 4.5 (The Golf News Net). In September 2026 Europe won 15 to 13 at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands (several reports; Wikipedia). (Team cups)

Spikes

Part 6 of the Equipment Rules allows shoes that help a player get a firm stance and allows spikes subject to the conditions of competition, but shoes may not have features that help build a stance or aid alignment. Model Local Rule G-7 lets a Committee prohibit traditional or metal spikes, only where it adopts it. (Shoes and gloves)

Spin loft

The difference between the attack angle and the dynamic loft at impact; according to a Nextgengolf article drawing on TrackMan data, more spin loft creates more spin. (Driving)

Spirit of the game

Rule 1.2a of the 2023 Rules of Golf expects every player to act with integrity, show consideration to others (including playing at a prompt pace and watching out for others' safety) and take good care of the course. There is no penalty for falling short except that the Committee may disqualify a player for serious misconduct; under Rule 1.2b a Committee may also adopt its own Code of Conduct, with lesser penalties, as a Local Rule. (Etiquette)

Stableford

A form of stroke play in which points are awarded on each hole by comparing the player's score with a fixed score, par unless the Committee sets another; the most points wins (Rule 21.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). According to Wikipedia, the standard scale is 0 points for two or more over the fixed score, 1 for one over, 2 for level, 3 for one under, 4 for two under, 5 for three under and 6 for four under. Not holing out scores zero for the hole. (Formats of play)

Stroke

Under Rule 10.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf, a stroke is made by fairly striking at the ball with the head of the club, swinging the club freely without anchoring it. Golfers apply their own penalties, and the Rules count every stroke, including penalty strokes, in stroke play. (How golf works)

Stroke and distance

Relief that a player may take at any time: add one penalty stroke and play again from where the previous stroke was made (Rule 18.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). It is the required relief for a lost or out-of-bounds ball, unless the Committee has adopted Model Local Rule E-5, which offers a two-stroke alternative and is not meant for elite competitions. (Lost ball and out of bounds)

Stroke play

The form of play in which all players are ranked by total strokes, penalty strokes included (Rule 3.1a of the 2023 Rules of Golf); the fewest total, or fewest net strokes in a handicap event, wins. A player must hole out on every hole (Rule 3.3c), except in Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey. (Formats of play)

Strokes gained

A method set out by Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie in his 2014 book "Every Shot Counts", which scores each shot against a consistent standard; his publisher says it drew on PGA Tour ShotLink data from 2003. (Course management)

T

Tee

A device used to raise the ball in the teeing area. Under the Definitions of the 2023 Rules of Golf and Part 6 of the Equipment Rules it must be no longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm) and must not indicate the line of play or unduly influence how the ball moves. (The course)

TEE IT FORWARD

A 2011 PGA of America and USGA initiative encouraging golfers to play from tees that suit their driving distance. Its guideline chart matches, for example, a 250-yard average drive to an 18-hole course of 6,200 to 6,400 yards, and a 200-yard drive to 5,200 to 5,400 yards. (Juniors and seniors)

Teeing area

The area from which the player must start the hole being played, one of the four specific areas (Rule 2.2b of the 2023 Rules of Golf). As R&A Assistant Rules Director Shona McRae described it in 2019, its front edge is the line between the forward-most points of the two tee-markers, its sides run back from their outside points, and it is two club-lengths deep. (The course)

Terms of the Competition

The conditions a Committee sets for a competition, which players must follow alongside the Rules: entry rules, the form and dates of play, the number of rounds, and the number and order of holes (Rule 1.3a of the 2023 Rules of Golf). They also decide how ties are settled in stroke play (Rule 3.3a). (How golf works)

Threesomes and Three-Ball

In Threesomes, one player plays a match against a side of two partners playing alternate shot (Rule 22.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). In Three-Ball match play, each of three players plays a separate match against each of the other two, one ball counting in both (Rule 21.4). (Formats of play)

Two-, three- and four-piece balls

Wikipedia classes modern balls by their number of layers and says most non-professionals use solid-core two-piece balls. The maker Lynx Golf describes a two-piece ball as a large core under a cover, a three-piece as adding a mantle layer, and a four-piece as adding a second mantle to separate low driver spin from high wedge spin; those are a manufacturer's descriptions. According to Wikipedia, compression depends mainly on core hardness. (Golf balls)

U

Unplayable ball

Only the player may decide to treat a ball as unplayable, and may do so anywhere except in a penalty area (Rule 19.1 of the 2023 Rules of Golf). Each relief option costs one penalty stroke: stroke and distance, back-on-the-line, or lateral relief within two club-lengths (Rule 19.2). In a bunker the same options apply but the drop must stay in the bunker, unless the player takes back-on-the-line relief outside it for two penalty strokes in total (Rule 19.3). (Unplayable ball)

Urethane and ionomer covers

According to Wikipedia, Surlyn, an ionomer resin introduced by DuPont in the mid-1960s, and urethane blends replaced balata because they were more durable. The maker Lynx Golf claims urethane grips the grooves more and feels softer, while ionomer lasts longer and usually spins less. (Golf balls)

USGA

The United States Golf Association, formed in New York on 22 December 1894 as the Amateur Golf Association of the United States by five clubs: Newport, St Andrew's, Chicago, Shinnecock Hills and The Country Club (History.com). According to Wikipedia it governs the game in the United States and Mexico, writes the Rules of Golf with the R&A and tests clubs and balls for conformance. (Governing bodies)

U.S. Amateur

The USGA's amateur championship, first played at Newport in 1895 according to Wikipedia and USGA records (History.com places it in 1894). The Golf News Net (2025) describes a field of 312 playing 36 holes of stroke play, with the top 64 going on to match play and a 36-hole final; the champion holds the Havemeyer Trophy, named, according to Wikipedia, for the first USGA president, Theodore Havemeyer. Jack Whaley of England won the 2026 title at Merion. (Amateur golf)

U.S. Open

The USGA's national open championship, first played at Newport Golf Club and won by Horace Rawlins, in 1895 according to NBC Sports (History.com places the first national championships in 1894). The 2026 U.S. Open, at Shinnecock Hills, was won by Wyndham Clark at 4 under par, his second after 2023. (U.S. Open)

W

Walker Cup

The amateur men's match between the United States and Great Britain and Ireland. The United States won the 2025 match at Cypress Point 17 to 9, its fifth straight win (Walker Cup; PGA Tour). (Team cups)

Wedge

The highest-lofted clubs in the bag. GolfMagic lists pitching wedges at 45 to 48 degrees, gap wedges 50 to 55, sand wedges 54 to 58 and lob wedges 60 to 64, and says most instructors recommend about 4 degrees between wedges; other guides give narrower ranges. Dave Pelz suggested swapping 2- and 3-irons for extra wedges. (Wedges)

Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT)

The heat measure behind the International Golf Federation's colour-coded risk scale in its Extreme Heat Guidelines (Version 4.0, 2026), which are advisory: each organiser decides what to do under local conditions and law. The IGF notes a round means four to five hours of exposure. (Weather gear)

World Handicap System (WHS)

The single handicap system the R&A and USGA developed with existing handicapping authorities and launched in January 2020; the Minnesota State Golf Association says it combined six systems into one set of Rules of Handicapping. The first revisions, announced on 8 November 2023, are the 2024 revisions (see the effective-date note at the top of this page). (Handicaps)

Wrong green

The putting green as a specific area means only the green of the hole being played (Rule 2.2b of the 2023 Rules of Golf), and relief from any other, a wrong green, is compulsory: the player drops within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief (Rule 13.1f). (The putting green)

X

X-factor

Shoulder turn minus hip turn at the top of the backswing, as Phil Cheetham of the Titleist Performance Institute defines it (2011): 90 degrees of shoulder turn and 50 of hip turn give 40. X-factor stretch, Cheetham's term, is the increase in that separation early in the downswing. Cheetham and colleagues (2001) found the stretch, not the top-of-swing figure, was significantly greater in highly skilled golfers. (The full swing)

Y

Yips

A problem with the stroke. Aynsley Smith and Mayo Clinic colleagues (2003) surveyed 72 golfers with the yips: 55 percent described physical symptoms such as jerking and 22 percent psychological ones, which the authors placed on a continuum between performance anxiety and focal dystonia. Charles Adler and colleagues (2018) found a neurological cause (dystonia) in 5 of 27 golfers tested. Questions about symptoms belong with a doctor. (Putting)