A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
ace - a score of 1 on a hole
address - the golfer’s position when preparing to hit the golf ball
alignment - the direction that the body and golf club are "lined up" in the address position
all square - in Match Play, all players are even in the match
approach shot - a shot intended to reach the green
B
back nine - the last 9 holes (10-18) of an 18 hole golf course
backswing - the first part of the swing, when the clubs comes away from the ball to the back of the shoulder
best-ball - a match where an individual plays against the better ball of two, or the best ball of three, players
birdie - a score of 1 under par on a hole
bogey -a score of one over (more than) par for a hole
bunker -a depression in the ground usually (but not always) filled with sand
C
caddy - someone who carries a player’s golf bag and may advise the golfer on the course
capillary action - A process by which liquids are drawn through the fabric and into pores found between fibers and yarns. The same effect is what causes porous materials such as sponges to soak up liquids.
card – the scorecard for recording scores
carry - the distance a golf ball travels through the air
casual water - a temporary accumulation of water (not a water hazard)
center of gravity - In physics, center of gravity (CG) is defined as a point at which the entire mass of an object may be considered to be located. In golf club making, it is the spot within the golf club head that is perfectly balanced. The position of the center of gravity within a clubhead can affect the trajectory of shots.
chip - a shot played from around the green
club face – the surface of the club that makes contact with the ball
coated fabrics - Fabrics that have been coated with a lacquer, varnish, rubber, plastic resin of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, or other substance to make them longer lasting or impervious to water or other liquids.
composite materials - A magic element has changed the golf world forever — the Periodic Table of Elements' 22nd element — Ti. Titanium has become golf's most precious metal. But why? Very strong and very light, titanium allows manufacturers to produce oversized golf club heads without changing the traditional weight of the head. And since bigger clubheads offer more forgiveness on off-center hits, the average golfer can achieve more distance. So it's not just the material itself that makes the golf ball go farther, it's the bigger golf club head that makes your miss-hits go farther. And with the use of composite materials golf equipment manufacturers are able to easily shift the weight around the clubhead. The biggest advantage is a lower center of gravity. This gives the average golfer more carry and therefore more distance.
C.O.R. or Coefficient of Restitution - the degree of the spring-like or trampoline effect when the ball strikes the clubface. The higher the C.O.R., the faster the golf ball will be propelled by the clubhead for a given impact speed. Surprisingly enough, this concept of momentum has become very important to the game of golf. So what's all the fuss about? The faster the golf ball speed, the more yards you get off your drive. But that's not all. The United States Golf Association (USGA) has put restrictions on how high the C.O.R. can be on any given clubface - 0.830 to be exact - and it's because the USGA is trying its best to limit the influence of today's ever-evolving technology. The theory being that golf should challenge the skill and savvy of the golfer rather than the technology in their golf bag. And since none of us hit the sweet spot on every swing, all of us benefit from a driver with an expanded C.O.R.
D
dead weight -the total weight of a golf club
deuce - a score of 2 on a hole
dimples - the indentations on the surface of a golf ball which increase friction and lift
divot - a portion of turf that is ripped out of the ground
double eagle - a score of 3 under par for a hole
driver - the number 1 wood
E
eagle - a score of 2 under par for a hole
embedded ball - a golf ball stuck in the ground as a result of its impact
etiquette - rules of behavior, propriety, decorum, manners
even par – when one’s score is equal to par, during or at the end of a round of golf
explosion shot - a golf shot that removes a large amount of sand or earth in addition to the ball
F
fade - a gently curving golf shot from left to right
fairway - the cut grass between the tee and green
flag – the marker that shows the position on the green
fleece fabric - A lightweight fabric with a thick, heavy fleece-like surface. It may be a pile or napped fabric, or either woven or knit construction. End uses include coats, jackets, blankets, etc. Fleece fabrics are available in a variety of constructions: 1) Polarfleece® is the original fleece fabric, developed in 1979, by Malden Mills. It is typically used for non-technical garments, and it is only available at Malden Mills®; 2) Polartec®, also developed by Malden Mills, and was created for today's high-performance technical garments, which provides enhanced durability warmth, wind resistance, Breathability and weather protection.
follow-through – the part of the golf swing beyond impact with the ball
fore –the word shouted by golfers to warn others on the course that they are in danger of being hit by a ball
free drop -dropping the golf ball without penalty
front nine - the first 9 holes of an 18 hole golf course
G
GHIN
(Golf Handicap & Information Network) handicap service begun in 1981 maintained by the USGA
gimme - a putt that is short enough in length to be certain to be holed with the next stroke
grand slam - the four major championships in golf are considered the "Grand Slam" events (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA)
green – the closely mown and manicured target area in which the hole is cut
grip - the position of the hands on the club
H
Handicap- rating of a player’s skill relative to par for the course
Hazard- any permanent obstacle on a course (bunker or ditch)
K
kick - bounce of the ball upon landing
knit fabric - fabrics made from only one set of yarns, all running in the same direction. Some knits have their yarns running along the length of the fabric, while others have their yarns running across the width of the fabric. Knit fabrics are held together by looping the yarns around each other. Knitting creates ridges in the resulting fabric. Wales are the ridges that run lengthwise in the fabric; courses run crosswise.
L
laminated fabric - A term used to describe fabrics which have been joined together through the use of a high-strength reinforcing scrim or base fabrics between two plies of flexible thermoplastic film. It can a bonded utilizing either foam itself, or some other material, such as adhesives, heat, or chemical bonding agents.
laminated fabric - A term used to describe fabrics which have been joined together through the use of a high-strength reinforcing scrim or base fabrics between two plies of flexible thermoplastic film. It can a bonded utilizing either foam itself, or some other material, such as adhesives, heat, or chemical bonding agents.
launch angle - When it comes to drivers for the average golfer, a higher launch angle will result in more distance. But let's define launch angle first. Launch angle is the initial angle at which the golf shot leaves the golf club face. The Golf club head speed, loft of the clubhead and ball spin all affect the launch angle. Yet, loft is the easiest way to affect your launch angle. Unless you're a pro, a basic rule of thumb is to choose a driver with at least 10 degrees of loft. The higher the loft, the easier it is to get the golf ball airborne. And that gives you more distance.
lie – the position a ball comes to rest
links – a seaside golf course
loft – the angle on the club head to produce more or less height
long game – the golf shots where distance is important
lost ball - any golf ball that cannot be found within five minutes
LPGA - Ladies Professional Golf Association
M
Major - four annual golf tournaments (The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA)
mark – a small object to identify the spot where a ball was removed temporarily
match play - scoring by holes rather than strokes
microfibers / microdeniers - The name given to ultra-fine manufactured fibers and the name given to the technology of developing these fibers. Fibers made using microfiber technology produce fibers which weigh less than 1.0 denier. The fabrics made from these extra-fine fibers provide a superior hand, a gentle drape, and incredible softness. Comparatively, microfibers are two times finer than silk, three times finer than cotton, eight times finer than wool, and one hundred times finer than a human hair. Currently, there are four types of microfibers being produced. These include acrylic microfibers, nylon microfibers, polyester microfibers, and rayon microfibers.
MOI (moment of inertia) - the current “buzz” word these days. The golf marketing folks have simplified the definition of MOI to represent a clubhead’s resistance to twisting when contact is made at a point outside of the clubheads center of gravity (apologies to physicist everywhere!) What this means to the golfer is that off center shots lose less ball speed and will generate less sidespin with clubheads with higher MOI. In other words, your bad shots are longer and straighter. Like COR, MOI has been limited by the rules of golf.
Moisture Transport: the movement of water from one side of a fabric to the other caused by capillary action, wicking, chemical or electrostatic action.
Moisture Wicking – Moisture wicking fabrics draw moisture away from the skin. This is a great feature to look for in a sports bra.
Mulligan - taking a second attempt at a golf shot when one doesn't like the result of the first attempt
N
nassau - a type of wager in which the first nine holes, the last nine holes and the total for 18 holes are three separate bets
neck - the part of the club into which the shaft is inserted
nineteenth hole - the bar or lounge after a round of golf
O
one-putt - when only one putt is taken on a green to hole the ball
open - a golf tournament in which any eligible competitor can play, if they qualify
out of bounds - area that is not part of the golf course, on which play is not permitted
P
par - the number of shots in which a scratch golfer would be expected to complete a hole or course
par in - to score a par on each remaining hole
penalty stroke - a stroke that must be added to the score
performance fabrics - fabrics made for a variety of end-use applications, which provide functional qualities, such as moisture management, UV protection, anti-microbial, thermo-regulation, and wind/water resistance.
permeability - A textile characteristic which allows air, water, and water vapor to penetrate and pass through it.
perspiration resistant - A treatment on a fabric which allows a fabric or a dye to resist perspiration.
PGA - Professional Golfers' Association
pin - stick or pole that rests in the cup and holds the flag
play through – the group ahead waits while your group plays ahead of them
putt - a shot to make the ball roll on the green
putter - a club with a straight face
Q
Q School - the PGA Tour's annual qualifying tournament
R
range – an area set aside for hitting practice balls
rough – the area of longer grass next to the fairway
round - a complete circuit of 18 holes
rules of golf - regulations and procedures of the game as set forth by a collaborative effort of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland and the United States Golf Association
S
sand trap – a sand filled bunker
scorecard - the card used to record and tabulate scores during and after a round of golf
short game – approach shots to the green and putting
stroke – a shot in golf
Sun protective clothing - clothing specifically designed for sun protection and is produced from a fabric rated for its level of ultraviolet (UV) protection. A novel weave structure and denier (related to thread count per inch) may produce sun protective properties. In addition, some textiles and fabrics employed in the use of sun protective clothing may be pre-treated with UV inhibiting ingredients during manufacture to enhance their UV blocking capacity. A garment labeled “sun-protective” or “UV-protective” has to have at least a UPF of 15.
sweet spot - the center of mass of the club
swing - to make a stroke
T
tee – the area where the first shot at each hole is played
tee off - to hit a shot from the tee
tournament - an organized golf competition
trap- term used for a sand-filled bunker
U
UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) - The UPF rating indicates how effective a fabric is at blocking out solar ultraviolet radiation from reaching the skin. UPF ratings range from 15 to 50 with higher ratings indicating more effective blocking and therefore better protection for the wearer of a garment. Fabrics that test higher than UPF 50 are rated as UPF50+. UPF testing involves exposing a fabric to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and measuring how much is transmitted through the sample. Different wave-lengths of radiation in the UVR spectrum have different effects on human skin and this is taken into consideration when calculating the UPF rating. Factors that contribute to the UPF rating of a fabric are: *Composition of the yarns (cotton, polyester, etc) *Tightness of the weave or the knit (tighter improves the rating) *Color (darkest colors are generally better) *Stretch (more stretch lowers the rating) *Moisture (many fabrics have lower ratings when wet) *Condition (worn and faded garments may have reduced ratings) *Finishing (some fabrics are treated with UV absorbing chemicals)
under par - less than or below par
unplayable – when a player determines that a ball cannot be played. The player must take a penalty and not drop the ball any closer to the hole.
uphill lie - when the ball rests on an uphill slope in the direction of play or toward the target
USGA - the United States Golf Association
W
waggle – the player’s movements when addressing the ball
walk-on - a player without a reservation
water hazard – any body of water usually marked with either yellow stake or lines
waterproof - a term applied to fabrics whose pores have been closed, and therefore, will not allow water or air to pass through them.
water-repellent - a term applied to fabrics that have been treated with a finish which causes them to shed water, but is still air-permeable. Treatments can include wax coatings, resins, silicones, and fluorine derivatives. Such treatments do not close the pours of the fabric, while waterproof finishes do.
water-resistant - a degree by which water is able to penetrate a fabric. Not to be confused with water-repellent. However, the terms are often used interchangeably.
weaving - The process of forming a fabric on a loom by interlacing the warp (lengthwise yarns) and the filling (crosswise yarns) perpendicular to each other. Filling is fed into the goods from cones, filling bobbins or quills, which carry the filling yarns through the shed of the loom. Filling may also be inserted into the material without the use of a shuttle, as in the case of a shuttle less loom. The three basic weaves are Plain, Twill, and Satin. All other weaves, no matter how intricate, employ one or more of these basic weaves in their composition. Variations on the basic weaves make a variety of different fabric surfaces and fabric strengths.
wicking - The process of spreading or dispersing of moisture through a given area. Now used mostly in outerwear, active wear and golf shirts to disperse or “wick away” perspiration. Movement of moisture within a fabric by capillary action, usually along the filament surface, to where it can evaporate quickly Transport of liquid within an absorbent fabric, vertically into the fabric web and horizontally within the plane of the fabric.
wedge – a club with an extremely lofted face
whiff - a swing that misses the ball
wood – a club a long handle used for driving the ball. Originally the head was wood but now they are metal
X
X- a score that cannot be determined, as play on a hole was not completed
Y
yardage - distance measured in yards
