Cabbage
deep rough or vegetation off the fairway
Caddy
someone who carries a players bag of clubs and/or assists a player with advice and the details of play (also "caddie, looper, bag toter, jock, bagger, Noonan")
Caddie Master
the golf course employee in charge of managing the caddies
Calamity Jane
the name that Bobby Jones gave to his putter, heel shafted blade putter with a Hickory shaft
Callaway handicap system
a system of creating "fair" handicaps for a one-time event in which many players do not have verifiable or established handicaps (also "Callaway scoring system")
Calcutta
an auction/wagering method for team play matches, In a Calcutta golfers bid, auction style, on the team (or golfer) who they think will win the tournament (you can bid on your own team or yourself). All the money raised through the auction goes into an auction pool. At the end of the tournament, those who bet on the winning team (or golfer) that won the tournament receive a pre-determined payout from the auction pool.
Call up
common practice at some courses (usually on par 3 holes) where the group ahead (group A) signals for the group behind (group B) to play their shots when group A reaches the green rather than waiting for them to finish the hole (it is done in an attempt to improve pace of play) -- also could be when group A wishes for group B to play-through at any point on the course (also "wave up")
Camber
the curve of a club's sole, either heel-to-toe or leading edge-to-back of sole, to soften the sole's edges and create a more forgiving club (notice in picture that the sole is not perfectly straight in relation to the line underneath)
Can
1. another term for the hole or cup (also "jar") 2. the act of holing a putt or shot (also: canned, jarred, dunked)
Captain's choice
1. a tournament format in which all players in a group (foursome or otherwise) hit a shot from the tee, and each subsequent location, always playing from the position of the best or preferred ball until the ball is holed (also "scramble, captain and crew") 2. could also be used in reference to any team competition situation where the team captain makes the decision
Card 1. scorecard 2. to record a score on the scorecard
Carpet
a slang term referring to the putting green or fairway, usually when referring to excellent turf conditions (also: plush, velvet, silk, pool table)
Carry
1. the distance a ball travels in the air 2. the distance a ball must travel in the air in order to clear something or reach some destination
Carry-over
when a competition is played with a separate contest on each hole (like a skins game) any unresolved holes, or ties, must be added (or carried over) to the subsequent holes cumulatively until won outright
Cart
1. a three or four-wheeled electrical or gas-powered vehicle for use in transporting players and their equipment from hole to hole. 2. Pull Cart a hand-pulled (2-wheel) or hand-pushed (3-wheel) cart for carrying a bag of clubs, also available in powered versions controlled by remote.
Cart path
area specifically for the purpose of driving motorized golf carts (usually, but not always, having an artificial surface)
Carve
expression has been used to describe shaping or bending a shot to fit a hole's terrain or curve around something
Cast
1. a common tendency to actively uncock the wrists and throw the club with the hands too early in the downswing in an attempt to accelerate the club or square the face 2. (as in "cast irons") a process of manufacturing clubheads where stainless steel (containing varying amounts of nickel) is poured into a mold in molten state and removed as one piece
Casual water
a temporary accumulation of water (outside of a water hazard) that is visible before or after a player takes their stance
*snow and ice can also be taken as casual water, as well as water that overflows the banks of existing water hazards.
Cavity-back
a style of club head where the mass is distributed more toward the perimeter (outside edges) of the club head in order to increase the effective size of the center of mass (also "perimeter-weighted")
Cayman ball
actually a brand name, but generally thought of as lighter-than-standard-weight practice balls, with convex bumps rather than concave dimples, used in limited-length practice ranges, as they travel approximately half the distance of normal balls
CC
1. (also cc's, cubic centimeters) typical unit for measuring the volume of wood heads, usually tested by water displacement 2. (also "C.C.") abreviation of "country club"
Center shafted
putter in which the shaft is joined to the center of the head
Charge
to surge from behind and display superior play. Also to play or putt aggressively.
Chart the course
pace each hole so that you know how far you are from the green (also: map the course, walk off yardage)
Chase
1. a pronounced lateral movement of the upper body in the downswing in an attempt to keep the hands and body mass in front of the club head through impact (usually for the purpose of lowering the trajectory of a shot) 2. to run the ball along the ground instead of carry it through the air
Chicken wing
when the forward elbow joint (left elbow for right-handed players) collapses (flexes) out away from the body at impact and beyond, giving an awkward wing-like appearance and creating a variety of possible problems in the result
Chili dip
to hit the ground before the ball; causing the ball to go a much shorter distance than intended (also: fat, chunked, buried, lay the sod over a shot)
Chip
a shot that is designed to roll (run) farther than it flies (usually, but not always, from near the green) (also "chip and run, chip and roll, bump and run")
Chip in
a holed chip shot
Chip-off
(like "play-off") -- a method of breaking a tie by seeing who gets a selected chip shot closer to the hole
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Chip out
hitting a relatively small chip shot (many times sideways or even backward) to extricate oneself from trouble (e.g., trees) when a longer shot is needed but obstructed (also "punch out")
Choke
a derogatory term for poor performance under pressure or in a crucial situation (usually associated with nervousness)
Choke down
gripping farther down the grip or handle of the club (also "choke up")
Chop
1. to hit the ball with a poor swinging motion (also: hack, beat, slash, duff) 2. a golfer with erratic technique and ability (see chopper)
Chopper
a (usually) erratic and unskilled golfer whose technique is characterized by arm and hand oriented hitting at the ball rather than smooth swinging through the ball (also "duffer, hacker, beater")
Chunk
hitting the ground before the ball, usually resulting in the ball not going as far as intended (also "chunky, fat, thick, heavy, laying the sod over it, hitting the big ball [the Earth] before the little ball" and many more)
Claim
the term used in match play to denote a protest by a player regarding a possible breach of the rules
Claw grip
an unusual method of gripping the putter, popularized by PGA Tour player Chris DiMarco, where the fingers of the bottom hand curl over the top of the club's grip (palm oriented thumb-up and pinky-down) rather than under the grip, as in more common methods (also "Gator grip, Psycho grip")
Cleek
a fairway metal woods with shallow rake-like channels on the sole manufactured by the Taylor Made company in the 1980's
Clone
1. an general term for generic brand golf clubs 2. a term for clubs that are copies of a original poplar model brand name model
Closed stance
can apply to the alignment of the body/stance or clubface - for a right-handed player the stance would be closed if the body were aligned to the right of the target (also: closed alignment
Closed Clubface
a closed clubface would be aimed to the left of the target at address and/or towards the sky at the top of the swing (also: shut clubface)
Club
the implement used to strike the ball. Consists of a shaft, grip and a clubhead. Clubs are classified as woods (including the driver and fairway woods), irons, wedges, and putters (also: sticks) *a player is allowed to carry up to fourteen (14) clubs by the Rules of Golf 2. a golf course or group (also: Country Club)
Clubhouse
the main building or structure of a golf facility which can, but does not necessarily, include the pro shop, food service, locker rooms, lounge, offices.
Club face
the striking surface, or the lofted part of the clubhead that (ideally) makes contact with the ball
the most massive part of the club at the bottom end (opposite the grip or handle) of the shaft (the part of the club that makes contact with the ball)
Clubhead speed
the speed that the clubhead is travelling through impact (measured in miles per hour or kilometers per hour)
Club professional
a golf professional associated with the business operation of a golf facility
(See Golf Professional, PGA Professional)
Cock
to bend the wrists in the backswing or finish (also: set, hinge, bend)
COR Coefficient of restitution /
a measurement, expressed as a percentage, of how efficiently a ball bounces off the club face -- phrase became popular with the advent of "trampoline effect" or "spring-like effect" drivers and equpiment/rules controversy (formula: COR = ball speed after contact - club speed after contact ÷ club speed before contact) (also "COR, C.O.R.")
Coil
the turning of the body away from the target in the backswing (generally thought of as the turning of the shoulders against the lower body, like the coil of a spring)
Collar
the short grass that separates the putting green from rough or fairway (also called "apron, fringe, frog hair")
Come back (shot / putt)
the shot you make after you have overshot the green or hole (also: comebacker)
Come out of it
raising of the posture too early in the downswing
Committee
the person or group in charge of the competition, or if not in competition, the person or group in charge of the course
.
Compression
1. the resilience of a golf ball 2. the flattening of the golf ball when contacted by the club 3. the measurement for expressing the hardness or density of a golf ball (ball compression ranges from 50 to 110 depending on the type of ball) (See Ball Fitting)
Condor
a score 4 under par on a hole (e.g., a hole-in-one on a par 5) (also "triple eagle")
Connected
used to describe a united relationship between the arms and torso during the swing (also "connection")
Continuous putting
a common practice where a player, having putted the ball close to the hole, chooses to finish putting rather than to mark their ball and wait to finish until their turn is decided by distance from the hole
Core
1. the center of the golf ball 2. the mid section of the body (hips to chest)
Course
a designated area of land on which golf is played through a normal succession from hole #1 to the last hole. (also: golf course, track, links)
Course rating
a course rating is a numerical value given to each set of tees at a particular golf course to approximate the number of strokes it should take a scratch (par) golfer to complete the entire course (see course handicap)
Course management
the use of strategy, or a thoughtful plan, emphasizing strengths and accommodating weaknesses to make one's way around a golf course in the lowest number of strokes (also "game management, course strategy, game plan ")
Course rating
an evaluation of the difficulty of a course for a scratch player (expressed in relation to the par of the course) -- course ratings are determined by teams of players/evaluators that represent a state or local golf association
Cover the ball
to contact the ball with the hands forward (more toward the target than the club head), causing to some degree a descending angle of approach and a hooded club face, thereby compressing or flattening the ball well (also "trap the ball")
Cover the flag
an approach shot that is precisely on line, heading directly toward the flagstick (also "cover the pin")
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CPM
most common unit used in measuring shaft flexes or frequencies (more precise than L, R, S, X, etc.) (also: "cycles per minute")
Crack
to allow one's good play to suffer when under pressure (also: cracked, crumble, fold, choke)
Cross bunker
a long or wide bunker that crosses the fairway rather than running adjacent or parallel to the fairway
Cross-country golf
playing from the tee of one hole to the green of another hole, rather than playing the holes as they are laid out
Cross-handed
a grip where (for right-handers) the left hand would be the lowest hand instead of the right (usually associated with putting) (also known as the "left-hand low" grip, it has been known to help players combat the yips)
Crossed over
when the hands have moved the club over the plane on the backswing (especially at the top of the swing) (also "crossing the line, across the line")
Cup
generically refers to the hole, but also includes the base and liner, or sleeve, inside the hole that holds the flagstick in place
Definition by the Rules of Golf: The "hole" must be 4.25inches (108 mm) in diameter and at least 4 inches (101.6 mm) deep. If a lining is used, it must be sunk at least 1 inch (25.4 mm) below the putting green surface, unless the nature of the soil makes it impracticable to do so; its outer diameter must not exceed 4.25inches (108 mm).
Cup lining
rigid (usually plastic or metal) sleeve inside the hole (also: "cup liner")
Definition by the Rules of Golf: If a lining is used, it must be sunk at least 1 inch (25.4 mm) below the putting green surface, unless the nature of the soil makes it impracticable to do so; its outer diameter must not exceed 4.25 inches (108 mm).
Cupped
when the back of the left hand (for a right-handed player) is bent back toward the forearm at the wrist
Cut
a height at which the grass is mowed (e.g., fairway, rough, etc.), (also: referred to as the first cut, second cut )
Cut line
the required score that reduces the field to a pre-determined number and eliminates players in a tournament. Usually made after 36 holes of a 72 hole tournament
Cut shot
a shot which (for a right-handed player) curves gently from left to right (also "cut, fade")