A quick reference to every golf term in our glossary that starts with L — 20 terms in total. Each one links through to a full plain-English definition.
- LagLag Lag in golf is the angle between the lead forearm and the club shaft during the downswing, with the clubhead trailing behind the hands. The smaller the angl
- Lag PuttLag Putt A lag putt is a long putt played with the goal of leaving the ball close to the hole rather than holing it, so the second putt becomes an easy tap-in.
- Lateral HazardLateral Hazard A lateral hazard in golf is a body of water, dense brush, or other trouble area that runs alongside a hole rather than crossing it, and is marked
- Lateral ReliefLateral Relief Lateral relief in golf is a one-stroke relief option that lets a player drop a ball within two club-lengths of a fixed reference point, no nearer
- Launch AngleLaunch Angle Launch angle is the vertical angle, measured in degrees, at which a golf ball leaves the clubface relative to the ground. It controls how high a sh
- Launch MonitorLaunch Monitor A launch monitor is an electronic device that measures what happens to the golf ball and the club at the moment of impact, then reports the data
- Lay UpLay Up A lay up in golf is a shot played intentionally shorter than the player is capable of hitting, so the ball stops short of a hazard or trouble area and le
- LeaderboardLeaderboard A leaderboard in golf is the real-time ranking of every player in a tournament, ordered by score relative to par. It shows each player’s posit
- LieLie A lie in golf is where and how the ball sits on the course before the next shot is played. The word also refers to the angle of a golf club’s shaft to the g
- Lie AngleLie Angle Lie angle is the angle formed between the shaft of a golf club and the ground when the sole of the clubhead rests flat in its normal playing position.
- LineLine A “line” in golf is the intended path a player wants the ball to take after a stroke. The same word also refers to the alignment mark on a golf
- LinksLinks A links is the oldest style of golf course, built on sandy coastal ground with firm turf, few trees, deep pot bunkers, and constant wind. The term comes f
- Links CourseLinks Course A links course is the oldest style of golf course, built on sandy coastal land between the sea and inland farmland. Firm turf, few trees, deep pot
- LipLip In golf, the lip is the rim or edge of the hole on the putting green, or the raised edge of turf and sod around a bunker. The same word covers both because
- Lip OutLip Out A lip out is when a golf ball strikes the edge of the hole (the “lip”) and rolls away without dropping in. The term most often refers to put
- Lob ShotLob Shot A lob shot is a high, soft-landing golf shot played from close to the green, designed to fly almost straight up, clear an obstacle, and stop quickly wi
- Lob WedgeLob Wedge A lob wedge is a golf club with the highest loft of any wedge, typically between 58 and 64 degrees, used for short shots that need to fly high and lan
- LoftLoft Loft is the angle of a golf club’s face relative to its shaft, measured in degrees. Higher lofts launch the ball higher and shorter; lower lofts produce lo
- Long DriveLong Drive A long drive is an exceptionally long tee shot hit with a driver, or the competitive golf discipline in which players compete to hit the ball the far
- Long IronLong Iron A long iron is any of the lowest-numbered irons in a golf set, traditionally the 1-iron through 4-iron, built with low loft and a long shaft to produc