Sticks

Sticks is golf slang for golf clubs. The word usually refers to the full set a player carries in the bag, as in “nice set of sticks.”

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What are sticks in golf?

When golfers talk about their sticks, they mean their golf clubs. The word covers the whole set, from the driver down to the putter. Someone admiring a new bag might say “those are some nice sticks,” while a player weighing two options for an approach shot could be asked, “which stick are you hitting?”

The slang is informal but common at every level of the game, in casual weekend rounds and on tour broadcasts alike. Under Rule 4.1b of the Rules of Golf, a player can carry a maximum of 14 clubs during a round, so a golfer’s sticks normally means those 14.

Context matters, though. On the green, “the stick” almost always means the flagstick rather than a club. And calling a player “a stick” has nothing to do with equipment at all; it means they are seriously good at golf. The sections below cover each meaning.

Why golf clubs are called sticks

The nickname comes from what clubs used to be made of. For centuries after purpose-built clubs first appeared in Scotland in the 1400s and 1500s, both the head and the shaft were wooden. Hickory became the preferred shaft wood, and hickory shafts remained standard at the highest levels of the game into the 1930s, even after the USGA approved steel shafts in 1924.

Golf Compendium, a golf reference site, traces the slang back to at least the 1850s, which would make “sticks” one of the oldest pieces of golf lingo still in everyday use. Sam Snead, who won 82 times on the PGA Tour, recalled carving his first club out of a tree branch as a boy. Clubs were literal sticks long before the word settled in as slang.

Other meanings of stick on the course

Golf recycles this one word for several unrelated things, and the meaning depends entirely on context. The table below sorts them out.

Phrase	What it means
Sticks	Golf clubs, usually the full set
The stick	The flagstick (also called the pin)
A stick, or a good stick	A highly skilled golfer
Flat stick	The putter
Off the stick	Scoring by gross strokes, with no handicap applied
Chicken stick	A safer club a player hits instead of the driver

Two of these come up constantly. A caddie might call out the yardage “to the stick,” meaning the flagstick, and since a 2019 change to Rule 13.2a, players may putt with the flagstick left in the hole without penalty, so “leave the stick in” is now a routine request on the green.

The putter picked up the nickname flat stick because its face carries only about 3 to 4 degrees of loft, far less than any other club in the bag. To the naked eye, it looks completely flat.

Is it sticks or golf clubs?

The proper name for the equipment is golf club, and that is the only term the Rules of Golf use. Calling a single club a “golf stick” tends to mark someone as brand new to the game.

The plural slang is different. Experienced players use it all the time. Said knowingly, “sticks” sounds like insider shorthand, while “golf stick” said literally gives away a first-timer, which is why clubs remains the safer word in formal or written settings.

Related Golf Terms

• Big dog — Slang for the driver, the longest-hitting club.
• Flub — Slang for a poorly executed short shot that goes nowhere.
• Flat stick — Slang for the putter.
• Lumber — Slang for the woods in a golfer’s bag.
• Sky ball — A tee shot struck off the top of the driver that balloons upward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it wrong to call golf clubs sticks?

No. Sticks is accepted slang among golfers of every level. The formal name for the equipment is still golf club, so written and official contexts use that instead.

What does it mean when a golfer is called a stick?

A big compliment. It describes a skilled, consistent player, often one carrying a low handicap, and getting paired with “a couple of sticks” means the group can play.

How many sticks can a golfer carry?

Fourteen. Rule 4.1b of the Rules of Golf limits a player to 14 clubs during a round, with a penalty for carrying more.

What is the flat stick?

The putter. Its face has only a few degrees of loft, which makes it look flat next to the rest of the set.

Sources

• USGA. “Rule 4 – The Player’s Equipment.”
  https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/custom-search-pages/rules/2019-golf-rules-and-interpretations/pe-rule-4.html. Accessed July 20, 2026.
• USGA. “Rule 13 – Putting Greens.”
  https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/custom-search-pages/rules/2019-golf-rules-and-interpretations/pe-rule-13.html. Accessed July 20, 2026.
• Golf Compendium. “Lingo: Golf Clubs Are ‘Sticks’.”
  https://www.golfcompendium.com/2023/06/golf-sticks-definition.html. Accessed July 20, 2026.
• Golf Compendium. “What Is the ‘Flat Stick’ in Golf?”
  https://www.golfcompendium.com/2024/06/flat-stick-definition.html. Accessed July 20, 2026.
• Caddie HQ. “What Is a Stick on the Golf Course?”
  https://www.caddiehq.com/resources/what-is-a-stick-on-the-golf-course. Accessed July 20, 2026.
• Golf Workout Program. “What in The World Does The Term ‘Stick’ Mean in Golf?”
  https://golfworkoutprogram.com/stick-golfer/. Accessed July 20, 2026.