A quick reference to every golf term in our glossary that starts with D — 31 terms in total. Each one links through to a full plain-English definition.
- Dance FloorDance Floor In golf, “dance floor” is slang for the putting green, the closely mowed surface where each hole ends. A golfer whose ball comes to rest on the gree
- Dawn PatrolDawn Patrol Dawn patrol is a golf slang term for the group of golfers who tee off at sunrise, taking the earliest tee times of the day. The term also refers to
- DeadDead Dead is a golf term for a ball that lies so close to the hole that the next stroke is almost certain to drop, leaving a tap-in. The word also has an opposi
- DecelDecel A decel, short for deceleration, is when the clubhead slows down as it approaches impact instead of speeding up through the ball. It is one of the most co
- Desert CourseDesert Course A desert course is a golf course built in an arid environment, where maintained turf covers only the playing surfaces, and the surrounding native
- Dew SweeperDew Sweeper A dew sweeper is a golfer who plays in the first group of the morning, while dew is still on the grass. The term covers both recreational players wh
- DimplesDimples Dimples are the small, shallow indentations covering the surface of a golf ball. They reduce drag and add lift, allowing the ball to fly farther and mor
- DispersionDispersion Shot dispersion is the pattern of where a golfer’s shots come to rest around their intended target. It describes both how far offline shots fin
- DivotDivot A divot is the strip of turf displaced when a golf club strikes the ground during a shot, typically with an iron or wedge. The term also refers to the bar
- Divot RepairDivot Repair Divot repair in golf is the act of fixing turf damage caused during play, whether from a club striking the ground or from a ball landing on a putti
- Divot Repair ToolDivot Repair Tool A divot repair tool is a small, fork-shaped device golfers use to fix the small craters left on the putting green when a ball lands from a hig
- DoglegDogleg A dogleg is a golf hole that bends to the left or right somewhere between the tee and the green, instead of running in a straight line. The name comes fr
- Dogleg LeftDogleg Left A dogleg left is a golf hole whose fairway bends to the left somewhere between the tee and the green, instead of running in a straight line. The ben
- Dogleg RightDogleg Right A dogleg right is a golf hole whose fairway runs straight from the tee for a stretch and then bends to the right toward the green, taking the shape
- DormieDormie A dormie is a match play situation where a player or side leads by exactly the same number of holes that remain to be played. The leader cannot lose the
- Double BogeyDouble Bogey A double bogey is a score of two strokes over par on a single golf hole. On a par 3 it’s a 5, on a par 4 it’s a 6, and on a par 5 it’s a 7. What is
- Double DoglegDouble Dogleg A double dogleg is a golf hole whose fairway bends twice between the tee and the green. It appears almost exclusively on par 5s, where the extra l
- Double EagleDouble Eagle A double eagle is a score of three strokes under par on a single golf hole. It is also called an albatross. What is a double eagle? There are two r
- Downhill LieDownhill Lie A downhill lie is a position where the golf ball sits on a slope tilting downward toward the target, leaving the golfer’s front foot lower than the
- DownswingDownswing The downswing is the part of the golf swing that begins at the top of the backswing and ends when the clubhead meets the ball. It is the forward, acce
- DrawDraw A draw is a controlled golf shot that, for a right-handed player, curves gently from right to left in the air. For a left-handed player, the curve runs fro
- Dress CodeDress Code A golf dress code is the set of clothing standards a course expects players to follow, typically requiring a collared shirt, tailored pants or shorts
- DriveDrive A drive is the opening shot played from the tee box on a golf hole, usually struck with a driver to send the ball as far down the fairway as possible. It
- DriverDriver A driver is the longest club in a golfer’s bag and the lowest in loft, designed to hit the ball as far as possible from the tee. It is also called the 1-
- Driving AccuracyDriving Accuracy Driving accuracy is a golf statistic that measures the percentage of tee shots that come to rest in the fairway, calculated only on par-4 and p
- Driving DistanceDriving Distance Driving distance is the total distance a tee shot travels with a driver, measured from the teeing ground to where the ball comes to rest. It is
- Driving RangeDriving Range A driving range is a designated golf practice facility where players hit balls into an open field marked with distance targets. It exists for swin
- Drop ShotDrop Shot A drop shot in golf is the casual term for “taking a drop,” the rules procedure of putting a ball back into play after it has landed in a
- Drop ZoneDrop Zone A drop zone in golf is a marked area on the course where a player may, and sometimes must, drop a ball when taking relief. It is set up by the committ
- Duck HookDuck Hook A duck hook is a severely hooked golf shot that curves sharply right to left (or left to right for a left-hander) and dives low to the ground almost i
- DuffDuff A duff is a golf shot in which the club hits the ground before reaching the ball, producing weak contact and short distance. Many golfers also use “duff” l