GOLFSelect - Golf Glossary

Half: To finish equal. You can have a half if you shoot the same score on a hole or for a complete round. If you and your partner finish with the same score on a hole, you can say: 'We halved the hole.'

Half Shot: A shot played with a less than full swing.

Halved: When a match is played without a decision. A hole is "halved" when both sides play it in the same number of strokes.

Handicap: System of scoring that allows good players and not-so-good players to compete on equal terms. Your first handicap will probably be 36. This means that when you finish playing you deduct 36 strokes from your score. As you get better your handicap becomes smaller. Some players become so good that they actually have to add strokes to their score, rather than taking them off.

Handicap Differential: This is the difference between a player's adjusted gross score and the Course Rating of the course on which the score was made. Then multiply that number by 113, divided it by the Slope Rating from the tees played and round it to the nearest tenth.

Handicap Index: Indicates a player's potential scoring ability on a course of standard playing difficulty. It is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place, and is used for conversion to a Course Handicap.

Hanging Lie: A ball resting on a uphill slope.

Hardpan: Term 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.

Hazard: Any obstruction on a golf course such as lakes, ponds, fences or bunkers.

Head: The part of the club that makes contact with the ball. Usually made of wood, iron or some substitute material.

Headcover: Cover used to protect clubs and putter when not in use.

Heel: The part of the clubhead nearest the golfer prior to his shot. Also, where the shaft enters.

Heel: The part of the club head closest to the hosel. If a shot is struck there, it is said to be "heeled."

Heel & Toe Weighting: Refers mainly to iron clubs that have beend designed with extra weighting in the heel and toe. Purpose being to be more forgiving on off centre shots.

Hickory: Wood from a native North American tree used at the beginning of the 19th century to make club shafts. Use continued until the 1920's.

Hit: To play a shot or stroke

Hitting Across: Movement of the clubhead from out to in at impact. One cause of a slice.

Hitting Early: Using hand action in your downswing too early.

Hitting Late: Using hand action to late in your downswing. Your hands would be ahead of your clubhead at this point of impact.

Hog's Back: A ridge of ground or a hole having a ridge on a fairway.

Hold: To hit the ground and stay in place with little roll or bounce.

Hole: A small cylinder cut into the ground, measuring 4 ¼ inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep. It is where you want your ball to eventually end up.

Hole High: A ball that is even with the hole but off to one side.

Hole Out: To complete the play for one hole by hitting the ball into the cup.

Hole-In-One: Getting the ball from the tee and into the hole with one shot. Also called an ace.

Home and Home Match: A match made up of rounds played on the home course of each participant or group.

Home Green: The 18th green, or any other designated as the last to be played.

Honor: The player who hits first on a hole is said to have the "Honor". The honor is gained by having the lowest score on the most recently played hole.

Hook: Type of shot, for a right-handed golfer, that often starts to the right of the target and curves dramatically to the left, usually ending much more left of target than desired. A hook is normally considered to be a non-desirable shot.

Hook: Ball flight with a right to left curve for RH golfers and a left to right curve for left-hand golfers.

Hoseled Shot: A shanked shot (see "Shank" and "Pitch Out") that results in a ball flight directly to the right as a result of the ball being struck on the hosel.

Hustler: Someone who plays better than they claim to.

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