
The term "hole" has several meanings in a golf context. It can refer to the hole in the ground on the putting green; to the whole hole, from tee to green; or, used as a verb, "hole" or "to hole" means to get the golf ball into the hole on the green. That's the object of the game.
What does hole in one mean in golf?
A “Hole-in-one”, also known as an “Ace”, is when a player gets the ball into the hole with their first shot from the tee. They put a “1” on the scorecard for that hole and have to buy the other members of their group drinks at the 19th hole.
What are odds of getting a hole in one?
The odds of that are very rare. According to the statistics, two golfers making a hole-in-one on the same hole, in the same tournament, are 1 in 32,000. The odds are even worse for a golfer making two hole-in-ones on two Par 3′s in a row.
What do you call a hole in 1 in golf?
A "hole in one" occurs when the golfer gets his golf ball into the cup on the green with just one stroke. That means hitting the ball directly from the teeing ground into the hole. His or her score for the hole is 1. And yes, that means a hole in one is one of the most exciting things that can happen to a golfer during a round of golf.
What is 'a hole in one' called in golf?
In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one (also known as an ace, mostly in American English) occurs when a ball hit from a tee to start a hole finishes in the cup. A ball hit from a tee following a lost ball, out-of-bounds, or water hazard is not a hole-in-one due to the application of a stroke penalty. Holes-in-one commonly occur on par 3 holes ...

What is a hole in one in golf?
A "hole in one" occurs when the golfer gets his golf ball into the cup on the green with just one stroke. That means hitting the ball directly from the teeing ground into the hole.
Is it hard to make a hole in one?
It's very hard. But your chances of making a hole in one improve the better you are as a golfer, and the shorter the hole you are playing. After all, the first step in making an ace is reaching the green with your tee shot. So holes-in-one are far, far more likely to occur on par-3 holes.
Do holes in one happen in golf?
Holes-in-one are scarce; they are not a common sight in golf, but they do happen for golfers of all skill levels. Luck plays a very big part in scoring an ace, too, and there are many stories of golfers who make holes-in-one right after learning how to swing a club.
What does hole high mean on a golf ball?
Hole High Doesn't Indicate the Specific Depth of a Shot. If you hit the green, the terms pin high and hole high by themselves don't tell you anything about where on the green—front, middle or back—your ball is sitting, or even whether it is left or right of the hole. The terms only indicate that your ball is sitting level with the flagstick.
What does "pin high" mean in golf?
Pin high is often used as a kind of consolation when a golfer's direction is off. For example, your ball winds up well right or well left of the flag, but "at least you're pin high.". The ball could be pin high but in a greenside bunker—not a good place to be.
What does it mean when your golf ball is pin high?
Picture the putting surface from front to back; pin high or hole high means your ball comes to rest even with the pin, or flagstick. You didn't leave the ball short and you didn't hit it long—your shot was pin high.
What is the flagstick called in golf?
Technically, the pole with the flag that indicates the location of the hole is called the "flagstick," although golfers commonly refer to it as the "pin," a term not found in the official rules of golf.
What is a handicap in golf?
Handicap: A handicap is a measurement of the average number of strokes over par a particular golfer makes during a round on an average golf course. So, a person with a handicap of 15 is expected to shoot a score of 87 on a par-72 golf course of average difficulty. A 5-handicapper is expected to shoot a 77 on the same course.
What is a bogey in golf?
A bogey? Let’s start simply with the golf terms “par”, “birdie” and “bogey”. All three of these golf terms refer to scoring. “Par” represents the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to make on the hole or course. Every golf hole has a “par” assigned to it. Most holes are either a par 3, par 4, or par 5.
What is even par in golf?
If a golfer makes two pars to start a round, he is “even par” for the round. If a player opens with two birdies, he is “two under” for the round. If a player makes two bogeys to start a round, he is “two over.”. Similarly, if a player makes a birdie on the 1st hole and follows it with a bogey on No. 2, he is “even par.”.
What is scratch golf?
Scratch: A “scratch” golfer is a golfer with a handicap of 0. These expert golfers are expected to shoot even par or better on most golf courses. Yips: A condition in which a muscle spasm or mental block prevents you from performing a simple golf task. Most often it’s associated with putting.
What is a mulligan in golf?
A mulligan is a golf term that only applies to recreational golfers. Sometimes (and sometimes often) amateur players will hit a poor drive on the 1st hole, whether it is due to nerves or failing to warm up properly.
What is a forecaddie in golf?
Some think it comes from the golf term “forecaddie”, which is a person that stands in a forward position on each golf hole to pinpoint where the players’ balls go. “Forecaddies” are often in the line of fire and need to be warned when a ball is flying toward them.
What is a Shank shot?
Attempts to cure the yips are often fruitless. Shank: A “shank” is a severely mishit shot, when instead of making pure contact with the golf ball, you hit the ball off the neck, toe, or heel of the club resulting in a wild, short and often embarrassing shot.
What is a hole out in golf?
Hole-out as a noun refers to any shot that results in the ball winding up in the hole. As such, every final stroke on a given golf hole is a hole-out, since your play of a hole isn't over until the ball rests in the cup. But the way hole-out is most often used as a noun is to refer to shots that unexpectedly result in the ball finding the cup.
What does "hole out" mean in the past?
To "hole out" is to get your ball into the cup, thereby completing your play of the hole. The past tense is "holed out.". Usage examples: "Annika holed out with a putt of 20 feet.". "Spieth needs to hole out here to save par.".
What does it mean when a golfer jarred the ball?
When a golfer holes out by flying the ball directly into the hole (as opposed to the ball landing on the green and rolling into the hole), he "jarred it" or "dunked it" or "canned it."
How many yards did Jason Sarazen hit on the 15th hole?
Sarazen trailed by three with four holes to play when he struck a 4-wood from 235 yards on the par-5 15th hole at Augusta National Golf Club. And holed out for a double-eagle. With one swing, Sarazen tied the score. He went on to win in a playoff.
What is the most difficult hole in golf?
Each hole is assigned a level of difficulty from one to 18, so the most difficult hole is the No. 1 handicap hole, the second most difficult is No. 2 and so on up to 18. When playing a match, the golfer with the higher handicap receives handicap strokes equal to the difference between his handicap and that of his opponent.
What is the USGA's use of handicap?
Equitable Handicap Use. The USGA recommends that the handicap committee review the course to determine where handicap strokes should be allocated for men and women. The USGA encourages the committee to use common sense in an effort to equalize the allocation of strokes to make them most available where a higher handicap player would need ...
Can you have multiple strokes on a handicap hole?
It is possible for a player to be awarded multiple strokes on a handicap hole. For example, if a player with a handicap of six is paired with a player with a handicap of 25, the difference is 19 strokes.
Why do you need to do a hole in golf?
Purpose. Conceding a hole in golf helps speed up the game. Once a player realizes he has little or no chance of winning a hole in match or "skins" play, he has the opportunity to stop play and acknowledge as much. For instance, if one player is on the green in three shots, while another has hit four shots but is in the woods, ...
What does "conceded a hole" mean?
By Clint Hale. Conceding a hole is sometimes a part of match play, as seen here during Solheim Cup Play. To concede can mean multiple things. In golf, it typically means only one thing, particularly as it pertains to match and "skins" play.
What is the meaning of "skins" in golf?
In "skins" play, meanwhile, a group of players (typically four) squares off in the hopes of winning holes , or "skins," with the victor recording the most skins. In both forms of play, once a player realizes he or she has no shot of winning a hole, rather than play it out, they concede the hole in order to expedite play.
What is a hole concession?
Hole concessions are most typically found in match or "skins" play. The former features players competing against one another, attempting to win more holes over the course of 18 holes than their opponents.
What is a concession in golf?
Conceding Putts. Another common concession in golf is to concede short putts. In casual foursomes, short putts are often conceded out of courtesy and to expedite play, whether the outcome of a match could be affected or not. But short putts are often conceded in professional play, too.
What is a big dog in golf?
Big Dog – A Driver. Bite – A term used by golfers for a golf ball to stop rolling. Bladed Shot – A chip shot from just off the green purposely hit with the bottom of the club. Played often from when the ball rests against the collar of the green. Runs like a putt.
What is a fat shot in golf?
The specifics and colors can vary from course to course. Fat – A fat shot is when the club strikes the ground before the ball.
What is a baseball grip?
Baseball Grip – A type of grip that resembles a baseball bat grip. Others might call it a 10-finger grip. Below the Hole – A term that refers to a putt where the hole is at a higher elevation than the ball. Big Dog – A Driver. Bite – A term used by golfers for a golf ball to stop rolling.
Why is backspin important in golf?
It is important for distance and accuracy. Backspin – Spin is very important in most aspects golf and you will often come across the term when comparing clubs or in golfing instructions. Simply put, more backspin will give you a high ball with a fair amount of control.
What is an ace in golf?
Ace – Otherwise known as a hole in one an ace is when the ball finds the hole from the tee in a single stoke. It is the dream of many golfers.
What is a local rule in golf?
Local Rule – Specific rule or rules that are not mainstream and only for that particular golf course. Long – A term for a golfer who hits the ball far (Dustin Johnson). Long Game – Refers to hitting long irons, woods, hybrids, and driver. Lob Wedge – A type of wedge that is usually in the 60 to 64-degree range.
What is the back nine of a golf course?
Back Nine – This refers to the last 9 holes of a typical 18 hole course, also known as heading in. Backswing – As the term suggests, this is simply the action taking when swinging back before striking the golf ball. It is important for distance and accuracy.
