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Terms of Golf
Terms of Golf are mainly used to understand different aspects and actions of Golf

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GolfLike all the other sports in the world, the game of Golf has its own terms and vocabularies. The terms of Golf that most commonly used in India are used for indicating various events in the game and also to define different aspects of Golf.

The main terms of Golf are as follows:
* Ace: The term Ace is used to introduce a hole in one.

* Address: This term means the stance that a player takes before taking a swing shot. A player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.

* Air Shot or Whiff: If a player misses a swing at the ball, it is called as Air Shot or Whiff.

* Away: The term `Away` indicates the player has hit the ball furthest from the hole.

* Back Nine: This term is used to identify the last 9 holes of an 18-hole Golf Course.

* Birdie: Birdie is one of the most common terms of Golf. This term is used to mean one stroke under par.

* Bogey: Boggy has just the opposite meaning of Birdie. It means one stroke over par.

* Bunker: This is the name of a trap or hazard that is made of sand.

* Bail in the Play: A ball is in play as soon as the player has made a stroke on the teeing ground

* Caddie: This term indicates about a person who accompanies a player, carries their golf bag and gives advice throughout a tournament. Caddie is considered as quite an important person for any Golf player.

* Cart: Cart is actually a small vehicle that is used in transporting players and their Golf bags. This is also called as `Buggy`, in some places.

* Chip: Chip is a kind of shot that a player plays low and short to the green.

* Club Head: This is a part of the Golf Club. The players strike the ball with this part.

* Course: This term introduce the main aspect of the game of Golf, the Golf course. Course is a large area of land that is specifically designed for playing golf. `Course` is usually divided into 9 or 18 holes.

* Casual Water: Casual water is any temporary accumulation of water on the course which is visible before or after the player takes his stance and is not in water hazard. Snow and ice are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Dew is not casual water.

* Committee: The committee is in charge of the competition or, if the matter does not arise in a competition, the committee is in charge of the course.

* Competitor: A competitor is a player in a stroke competition. A "fellow competitor" is any person against whom the competitor plays. Neither is partner of the other.

* Dog Leg: This is a fairway in the Golf course that turns left or right.

* Drive: This is the very first shot that a player plays on every hole.

* Driver: This term indicates a type of Golf Club that is also known as a Wood. The players use Driver especially to drive the ball off the tee or grass down the fairway.

* Driving Range: Driving Range is the area where the players practice with mats or on grass. Some of the "Driving Ranges" remain sheltered or they have overhead protection.

* Eagles: The term Eagles, means two strokes under par.

* Fairway: This is a specific area within the Golf course that is situated between the tee and the green. This area is kept free of rough grass.

* Flag Stick: This is a flag on a pole. The Flag Stick indicates the hole on the green to the players so that they can identify the exact location of the hole from a far distance.

* Fore: If a ball is heading towards another player, then the officials warn the striker player of the ball by using this term.

* Front 9: This term is used to identify the first 9 holes on an 18-hole Golf Course.

* G.A.S.P: This is a short form of some of the most important actions in a Golf course. These actions include `Grip`, `Address`, `Stance` and `Posture`. Each Golf player should always check G.A.S.P before playing the swing shot.

* Green: Green is one of the most important parts of a Golf course. In this part of the Golf course, the grass is usually cut very short and the grass surrounds a hole.

* Green Fee: This is the amount of money that is paid as a fee in order to play a round or a game of Golf.

* Handicap: The term Handicap is used to describe a Golfer`s playing ability in a numerical way.

* Hazard: This term refers to a difficulty or obstruction on a Golf course. Hazard includes the lakes, ponds, fences or bunkers in a Golf course.

* Hole: The Hole is considered as one of the main aspects of Golf. In a Golf Match, the players always try to drop the ball into a Hole. The Hole contains a cup into which the players try to `putt` their ball. Depending on the numbers of Holes, the Golf courses can be classified in four ways like 3-Hole, 6-Hole, 9-Hole or 18-Hole. The number of Holes is determined depending upon the length of the course.

* Honour: The term Honour introduces the player having the best or lowest score on the previous hole. The player, who got the `Honour`, has the right to tee off first on the next hole.

* Hook: This term is used to indicate a special shot in Golf. A Hook shot curves the ball to the left of the target, if a right-handed player plays it. It will curve to the right if a left-handed player plays it.

* Irons: This term means the metal Golf Clubs that number 1 to 9.

* Lie: This is a position where the ball lies on the course.

* Links: `Links` is used to identify a Golf Course that is situated beside the sea. In the ancient period of this game, this type of Golf Course was commonly found in Scotland.

* Loft: This term is used to indicate the angle of the Club head. This is normally measured with respect to the shaft.

* Match Play: This is a type of competition in Golf. Here, each hole is considered as a separate contest. The player, who plays the lowest number of strokes on a given hole, wins that hole.

* Mulligan: The term Mulligan is a second Drive that the players grant each other in a friendly game. Mulligan is granted only on the first tee, if the first shot of the player is poor. However, this is not officially permitted.

* Marker: A marker is one who is appointed by the committee to record a competitor`s score in stroke play. He may be a fellow-competitor. He is not the referee.

* Move or Moved: A ball is deemed to have moved if it leaves its position and comes to rest in any other place.

* Net Score: This is a scoring process in Golf. Here the handicap of a player is deducted from his gross score.

* O.B: This is actually an abbreviation of the term "Out of Bounds". O.B means beyond the limits indicated by stakes or fences.

* Par: This term indicates the standard score or the number of strokes that is given to a player for each hole on the Golf course.

* Pitching Wedge: This is kind of an Iron that has a steep face. This is used for popping the ball up on to the green.

* Penalty Stroke: A penalty stroke is one added to the score of a player or side under certain rules. In a threesome or foursome, penalty strokes do not affect the order of play

* Putter: This is a flat-sided Club. The players use this on the green to place the ball in the cup or hole accurately.

* Rough: This term identifies an area on the Golf Course, where the grass is longer and thicker than those on the Fairway.

* Round: This term has almost the same meaning with its usage in the other sports. In Golf, a round means a game of Golf.

* Referee: A referee is one who is referring for the hole being played which is specially prepared for putting or otherwise reported to him.

* Rub of the Green: A rub of the green occurs when a ball in motion is accidentally stopped by any outsider.

* Sand Wedge: This is a type of Club that has a steep face. The players use this to hit or lift the ball properly out of a sand trap or high grass.

* Scratch: This term indicates a Golfer who has a 0 Handicap.

* Slice: Slice is a kind of Golf shot where a ball curves to the right of the target when a right-handed player hits it. If a left-handed player hits it, it will curve to the left.

* Stroke: When a player moves his Club aiming at hitting the ball, then it is called as a `Stroke`. This is also referred as a `Shot`, in some places.

* Stipulated Round: The stipulated round consists of playing the hole of the course in the correct sequence unless authorised by the committee. The number of holes in a stipulated round is 18 unless a smaller number is authorised by the committee.

* Swing: Swing is the Rhythmic movement of a player with that helps him to hit the ball with ease.

* Tee: This is a small peg where the player places the ball for the first shot of each hole. This may be made of wood or plastic.

* Tee Box: This term indicates the flat area from where the golfers play their first shot on every hole.

* Tee Shot: This is the very first shot that a player plays on each hole.

Tee-Off* Teeing Off: This term indicates that a player is playing his first shot in a game of Golf.

* Tee Time: This term indicates the time when a player starts a round of Golf.

* Trolley: Trolley is a stand that has wheels. This is mainly used to transport the golf bags of the players.

* Woods: The term Woods is used to identify the longest Clubs in Golf. These Clubs were used to be made of wood in the ancient period and hence were named as `Woods`.

Golf Ball
This is made of elastic thread wound under tension around a central core covered by a plastic coating having dimples approximately 3.302 mm deep.
The weight and diameter of the ball has been fixed to a maximum weight of 46 gm and minimum diameter of 43 mm.

The above mentioned terms of Golf are the most commonly used in the game, but, there are some differences to these terms, as well.


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