A quick reference to every golf term in our glossary that starts with F — 22 terms in total. Each one links through to a full plain-English definition.
- FaceFace In golf, the face is the front surface of the clubhead that strikes the ball. It is the part of the club that controls where the ball starts and how it spi
- FadeFade A fade is a golf shot that starts left of the target and curves gently to the right in the air, finishing on or near the target line (for a right-handed pl
- FairwayFairway A fairway is the closely mown strip of grass between the tee box and the green on a golf hole. It is the target landing area for tee shots on par-4s and
- Fairway WoodFairway Wood A fairway wood is a long-shafted golf club with a rounded clubhead and a moderately lofted face, designed to hit the ball long distances from the f
- Fairways HitFairways Hit A fairways hit is recorded when a golfer’s tee shot on a par 4 or par 5 comes to rest on the fairway. It is a driving accuracy statistic, usu
- Fat ShotFat Shot A fat shot in golf is a mishit where the club strikes the ground before the ball, slowing the clubhead and dropping the shot well short of the target.
- FlagstickFlagstick A flagstick is the tall pole that stands in the hole on a golf green. Its job is to mark the hole’s location so players can see and aim at it from any
- FlexFlex Flex in golf is the measure of how much a club’s shaft bends during the swing. Shafts are labeled with letters from L (most flexible) to X (stiffest), and
- FlierFlier A flier in golf is a shot that travels farther than expected because grass or moisture gets between the clubface and the ball at impact, reducing the back
- FlightedFlighted In golf, “flighted” most often describes a shot played with intentionally controlled trajectory, usually lower than a player’s normal ball flight. The
- Flop ShotFlop Shot A flop shot is a high, softly landing golf shot played with a high-lofted wedge to clear an obstacle and stop the ball quickly on the green. What is a
- Flyer LieFlyer Lie A flyer lie is a position in light or medium rough where blades of grass sit between the golf ball and the clubface at impact. The trapped grass kills
- Follow ThroughFollow Through A follow-through in golf is the part of the swing that happens after the club strikes the ball, carrying the body and club through a balanced rot
- ForeFore Fore is a warning shout used in golf to alert other players, caddies, or spectators that a golf ball is heading toward them and they should take cover. Wha
- Four-BallFour-Ball Four-ball is a two-vs-two golf format where each player plays their own ball, and only the lower score from each pair counts as the team score on a ho
- FoursomeFoursome In golf, a foursome refers to two things: a group of four golfers playing together, or a competitive format in which two pairs face off, with each pair
- FoursomesFoursomes Foursomes is a golf format in which two players compete as a side, sharing one ball and taking alternate shots until each hole is finished. Partners a
- Free DropFree Drop A free drop in golf is when a player gets to lift their ball and drop it in a new spot without adding a penalty stroke to their score. It usually happ
- Fried EggFried Egg A fried egg in golf is a bunker lie where the ball is partially buried in the sand and surrounded by a small ring of displaced sand, resembling the yo
- FringeFringe The fringe is the narrow ring of grass that borders a putting green, cut shorter than the fairway but a touch longer than the putting surface itself. It
- Frog HairFrog Hair Frog hair is a golf slang term for the closely mown strip of grass surrounding a putting green, cut shorter than the fairway but higher than the green
- Front NineFront Nine The front nine in golf is the first nine holes of an 18-hole golf course, holes 1 through 9. It is also known as the outward nine, front side, or fir