Golf Glossary

Sand Iron: Also called a sand wedge. A heavy, lofted club that was used for playing from bunkers. No longer in use.

Sand Save: When a player gets up and down from a greenside sand bunker, regardless of score on the hole. Sand Save percentage is a player statistic kept by the PGA Tour.

Sand Trap: Term given to a bunker filled with sand.

Sand Wedge: An iron with a heavy flange on the bottom that is used primarily to get out of sand traps.

Sandbagger: A golfer who consistently plays to a score better than his handicap indicates that he should.

Sandy: Making par after being in a bunker.

Scoop: An improper swing in which the club has a digging or scooping action.

Scorecard: Cards specifically printed to record individual shots and overall total score.

Scorecard: The card on which you write your score after each hole. If you are playing in a competition, you swap cards with your partner and write his or her score in the first column and your own score in the second column.

Scotch Foursome: A type of competition wherein partners alternate hitting the same ball.

Scramble (also called Ambrose): Term given to a type of game, played as a team, in which all players play from one position. For example, a team of 4 players all hit drives. The next shot is played, again by all 4 players, from the position of the best drive. Play continues in this manner until the ball is holed. Scramble is also a term applied to a player who often hits his ball in trouble, but typically recovers very well, with a "good" score.

Scratch: A handicap of 0, indicative of a highly skilled player.

Scruff: To misplay the ball by hitting or grazing the ground with the clubhead prior to hitting the ball.

Second Cut: Term applied to a section of rough (or higher grass) that borders the first cut (See First Cut) of rough. The second cut is farther from the fairway and is generally more severe than the first cut.

Seeding: Spacing the better players in a competition so they don’t meet until later in the competition.

Semi-Private: Type of golf club in which memberships are sold, but that allows public play during specific time periods.

Senior Golfer: Any golfer 50 years of age or older is considered to be a senior golfer.

Set Up: To position yourself for the address.

Seven Iron: An iron club used for a distance of 125-160 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a mashie-niblick.

Shaft: The part of the club joined to the head frighten.

Shag Bag: A bag to carry practice balls.

Shagging: Picking up golf balls from practice ranges.

Shank: A shot that is struck in the hosel area of the golf club. The resulting ball flight is generally straight to the right. A shank may also be called a "hoseled shot", a "pitch out" or a "lateral."

Shiperio: Similar to a mulligan where a player is allowed a second shot without penalty but is allowed to choose which ball to play, the first one or the second one.

Short Game: The part of the game that is made up of chip shots, pitching and putting.

Short Irons: The highly lofted irons.

Shot Hole: A par three hole.

Shot Pattern: Distance and direction of several shots using the same club to evaluate performance of equipment or golfer.

Shotgun Start: When competitors all begin play simultaneously from different tees around the course. The starter used a shotgun blast to announce the start. An air horn is now generally used.

Shotmaker: A player who has the ability to play a great many different shots.

Side: Can mean the first 9 holes (front side) or the last 9 (back side) of an 18 hole course. Also two or more players who are partners.

Sidehill Lie: A lie with the ball either above or below your feet.

Sink: To make a putt.

Sit: Telling the ball to drop softly, and not roll after landing.

Six Iron: An iron club that gives a distance of 135-170 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a spade or spade-mashie.

Skins: Type of match play game in which each hole is worth a given amount of points or money. Points or money is often "carried over" in the event of ties, making all subsequent holes potentially worth considerably more.

Skull: To strike the top of the ball with an upwards, glancing blow. Similar to "hitting it thin". Sometimes spelled "scull" as in the glancing motion of an oar that makes improper contact with the water.

Sky: Term give to a shot, usually with a wood, that goes much higher and shorter than desired. A "skied" shot is often hit on or near the top of the club.

Slice: A shot that tends to start to the left of the target and curve to the right of the target, most often more that the player desires (assuming a right-handed player.) A slice is the most common shot among amateur golfers.

Slope (Index): Mathematical formula used in the USA to compare the difficulty of one course to the next. It takes into account length, hazards, terrain, etc. A course with a slope rating of 150 will be far more difficult than one sloped at 100. Slope ratings allow fair matches between members from clubs of varying difficulty.

Slump: A prolonged period of bad play.

Smother: To bring the clubface down and over the ball when hitting a shot causing the ball to be poorly struck.

Snake: A long putt; one that is usually holed from a long distance.

Snap Hook: A shot that starts quickly to the left and angles sharply downwards and further to the left generally producing a very short and undesirable result.

Snipe: A ball that is hooked and drops quickly.

Snowman: An eight on a hole.

Sod: A chunk of turf from the course. Commonly referred to as a "divot. (See "Divot.")

Soft Spikes: Generic term given to the plastic type of spikes required on many courses. These softer spikes are believed to do less damage to the course, especially to the greens. (See "Spikes.")

Sole: The bottom of the club head.

Sole Plate: The metal plate on the bottom of woods.

Sole Weighting: Increased weight in the sole of a club to lower the centre of gravity to enable the golfer to get the ball up in the air more easily.

Spade-Mashie: A deep-faced iron club, no longer in use, some what more lofted than a mashie. The modern equivalent would be the number six iron.

Spike Mark: Mark made on the green by the cleats of a golf shoe.

Spikes: Metal implements on the bottom of golf shoes designed to aid in traction. Spikes are approximately ½" in length. "Spikes" may also be a slang term used for golf shoes themselves.

Spoon: Old term for a 3 wood.

Spot Putting: Aiming not directly at the hole, but a place on the green so the ball will roll into the hole.

Spray: To hit the ball erratically off line.

Spring: The flexibility of the club shaft.

Square: When the clubface is at right angles to the target line.

Square Stance: Placing your feet in a line parallel to the direction you which the ball to travel.

St. Andrews: Considered to be the "home" of golf, St. Andrews is the location of Europe's rules-making body, the R & A, as well as being the location of one of the most famous courses (St. Andrews) in all of golf.

Stableford: Type of competition in which points are awarded in relation to a fixed score on each hole. For example, a par may receive 0 points, a birdie, 2 points, and eagle 5 points, a bogey -1, and so on. Points are established for each individual competition.

Stance: Position of the feet prior to making a shot. A player placing his feet in position to make a stroke is said to have taken his stance.

Starter: A person who introduces you or sets you up with the first tee.

Static Fitting: Method used to evaluate shaft, club length and lie angle by asking relevant questions. Useful but not ideal and subject to the accuracy of the data supplied by the golfer.

Stick: The pin in the hole.

Stimp: Term given to the speed of a green after measurement with a specialized piece of equipment (Stimpmeter.) The higher the Stimp reading, the faster the green. Most courses rate at between 6 and 9 on the Stimp Scale; pro tournament venues may rate at over 12.

Stimpmeter: Apparatus used to measure the speed of a green. It is basically an angled metal piece from which a ball is rolled onto a flat area of the green. Depending upon how far the ball rolls, a "Stimp" reading is determined. The farther the ball rolls, the higher the Stimp reading and the faster the green.

Stony: To hit a ball close to the flagstick.

Straight-Faced: Refers to a club with little or no loft on the face.

Straightaway: A hole having a straight fairway.

Strike Off: To drive from the tee.

Stroke: The forward movement of the club made with the intent of hitting the ball.

Stroke And Distance: Penalty assessed for a ball hit out of bounds or for a lost ball. It involves going back to the spot of the original ball, hitting another ball from there and adding a penalty shot to the score.

Stroke Play: Type of competition, also known as medal play, in which the lowest total score (number of strokes) wins.

Stymie: A situation, commonly on a putting green, in which one player's ball is directly in the line of another's. The Rules allow for the ball in the line to be marked and moved, allowing the player farther from the hole to play without obstruction. Stymie is also the generic term given to a situation when any object is between the player and the hole, blocking the normal play toward the hole.

Sudden Death: A type of playoff among tied individuals or teams at the completion of a competition. As soon as a team or individual makes the highest score on a hole, they are eliminated from play.

Supination: A term made popular by Ben Hogan referring to the rotation and angling of the right wrist during the golf swing.

Surlyn: Material from which most golf balls are made of.

Swale: A moderately contoured depression or dip in terrain.

Sweet Spot: The dead center of the face of the club.

Sweet Swing: Term given to a player who swings at the ball in a skilled manner. A golfer who makes a smooth swing is considered to be a "sweet swinger."

Swing: The action of stroking the ball.

Swing Plane: Swing plane is mainly determined by the golfer's height. Shorter players tend to have flatter planes, while taller players tend to have more upright swing planes.

Swing Weight: Measurement of the ratio of the clubhead's weight at a fulcrum point at the grip end of the club. Often confused with deadweight (actual weight) of the club. Swingweight measurements are calibrated by letters A-G and numbers 0-9 on a swingweight scale.