A quick reference to every golf term in our glossary that starts with G — 27 terms in total. Each one links through to a full plain-English definition.
- Gap WedgeGap Wedge A gap wedge is a golf club with a loft of about 50 to 54 degrees, designed to fill the distance gap between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. It is a
- GimmeGimme A gimme is a short putt that another player concedes, counted as holed without being struck. The stroke still counts on the scorecard; only the act of put
- Golf BallGolf Ball A golf ball is a small, hard, dimpled ball used in the sport of golf. Players hit it from the teeing ground toward the hole using clubs, and its size,
- Golf CartGolf Cart A golf cart is a small, low-speed motorized vehicle that carries one or two golfers and their clubs around a golf course. Most are electric, hold two
- Golf Clubs ExplainedA standard golf bag carries up to 14 clubs, each designed for a different shot — but the modern bag is more varied than ever. Drivers shaped like spacecraft, hy
- Golf Course FeaturesA golf hole has half a dozen named features, each with its own playing strategy and its own set of rules. This page is the master index of every part-of-the-cou
- Golf Formats and Betting GamesStroke play is what you watch on TV every weekend. But the majority of golf — the round you play with your friends on Saturday morning — is played in different
- Golf GloveGolf Glove A golf glove is a fitted leather or synthetic covering worn on one hand to improve grip on the club and protect the skin from blisters. Most golfers
- Golf Scoring TermsPar, birdie, eagle, albatross — golf’s scoring language sounds simple, but it trips up nearly every new player and a fair number of experienced ones. This
- Golf SimulatorGolf Simulator A golf simulator is an indoor system that lets a golfer hit a real ball into a screen and see the shot played out on a virtual course or driving
- Golf Slang DecodedGolf has more slang than any sport this side of cricket. Some of it is descriptive (a snowman for an 8, because the number looks like one). Some of it is self-d
- Golf Swing TermsA golf swing lasts about 1.5 seconds and includes a dozen named movements — most of which can go wrong in a dozen different ways. This page is the master index
- Golf TeeGolf Tee A golf tee is a small peg, usually made of wood or plastic, that a golfer pushes into the ground on the teeing area to raise the ball above the turf fo
- GrainGrain Grain in golf is the direction the blades of grass are growing on a putting green. It affects the speed and break of a putt, because the ball rolls more e
- GreenGreen A green is the closely mown area on each golf hole, specially prepared for putting. Also called a putting green, it is where players roll the ball into th
- Green FeeGreen Fee A green fee is the amount a golf course charges a player for one round of golf, usually 18 holes (or 9 holes at a reduced rate). It covers access to t
- Green speedGreen speed Green speed is how fast a golf ball rolls across the putting surface after being struck. It is measured in feet using a device called a Stimpmeter,
- GreenieGreenie A greenie is a golf side bet awarded on par-3 holes to the player whose tee shot finishes closest to the pin, provided that player also makes par or bet
- Greens and PuttingPutting is half the game and the half nobody practices enough. The PGA Tour average for a round is around 29 putts; the average amateur scores roughly 35. Closi
- Greens in RegulationGreens in Regulation A green in regulation, usually shortened to GIR, is when a golfer reaches the putting surface in the number of strokes equal to par minus t
- GreensideGreenside Greenside refers to the area immediately surrounding a putting green, generally within 20 to 30 yards, where short-game shots like chips, pitches, and
- GripGrip In golf, “grip” refers to two related things: the rubber handle at the top of a golf club, and the way a player places and positions their hands on that ha
- Grip It and Rip ItGrip It and Rip It “Grip it and rip it” is a golf phrase that means taking the driver and swinging as hard as possible off the tee, accepting less accuracy in e
- Grip PressureGrip Pressure Grip pressure is the amount of force a golfer applies to the club when holding it through a swing. It is most commonly described on a 1–10 scale,
- Gross ScoreGross Score A gross score in golf is the total number of strokes a player takes during a round or hole, including any penalty strokes, before any handicap adjus
- Ground Under RepairGround Under Repair Ground under repair (GUR) is an area on a golf course defined by the Committee as unfit for play, allowing a golfer free relief under Rule 1
- GunchGunch Gunch is golf slang for the thick, native rough beyond a course’s maintained areas, usually tall fescue or prairie grass that punishes wayward shots. What