Hacker
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 "chop, chopper, duffer, hack")
Hairpiece
another phrase for hitting the ball fat, or hitting the ground first - if one were able to freeze time at the right instant the divot might be laying over the top of the ball, reminiscent of a hairpiece
Half set
a partial set of golf clubs usually consisting of either the odd or the even numbered irons, a putter and a reduced number of woods (also "starter set, beginner set")
Half shot
a shot played with less than a full swing, mainly to control distance, trajectory and spin (also "half swing, knockdown, knockdown shot, punch, punch shot")
Halve
a tie on a given hole in match play
Ham and egg
when players on a team (usually a two-man team) compliment each other during a match -- usually thought of in terms of "better ball" situations (e.g., when one team member plays poorly on a given hole the other plays well, taking up the slack)
Hammer hands
a player that does not have good sensitivity for controlling the distance of their putts (also: blacksmith, stone hands, brick layer)
Handicap
the average difference between a player's scores and a set standard, as calculated by specified procedures and formulas (abbr: "hcp, hdcp", related: "handicap differential, handicap index, index")
Handsy
usually refers to loose or excessive use of the hands and wrists in a golf swing or putting stroke
Hanging lie
when the ball is on ground substantially above the player's feet
Hardpan
very firm, unyielding turf or ground (many times dry and bare)
Hazard
any bunker (usually a hollow of some kind with a prepared surface, generally sand or similar) or water hazard (sea, lake, pond, ditch, etc. usually marked with either yellow or red stakes or lines)
Head
the part of the club that is intended to make contact with the ball (also "clubhead")
Headcover
protective sock or sheath of some kind, typically used on wood and putter heads, but also available for irons
Heathland
open uncultivated land (particularly in the British Isles) having sandy soil and dominated by small shrubs with small hard leaves (e.g., heather)
Heavy
another word for fat
Heel
1. the part of the clubhead that is nearest the hosel or shaft 2. (sometimes "heeler") the act of contacting the ball on the part of the club nearest the hosel or shaft
High side
the uphill edge of the cup when it is on any slant
Hitch
a noticeable rough spot or hiccup in the flow of a golf swing
Hitting from the top
excessive arm and hand pressure early in the downswing, particularly thought of as happening before any weight transfer has occurred
Hitting the big ball before the little ball
another phrase for hitting the ball fat (the big ball being the earth)
Hold
when the ball stays near where it lands, not rolling much (if any) forward 2. to stay on the green after landing (also "check, grab, bite")
Hole
1. 4¼ inch diameter hole in the ground into which the ball is to be played 2. the entire length of the playing area and immediate vicinity from the teeing ground to the putting green (all inclusive) 3. (also "hole out, make, drain, sink") to play the ball into the hole
Hole high
when the ball has travelled the correct distance and is even with the hole, but off to one side or the other… whether or not it's on the green(also "pin high")
Hole in one
a score of 1 on a hole, holing the tee shot (also "ace")
Holed
when the ball goes in the hole (as of 2008 the entire ball must be at rest below the level of the lip) (also "hole(d) out")
Home
1. to reach the green with a shot 2. the clubhouse or vicinity of the starting point and ending point of a round of golf
Honor
the privilege of playing first from the tee (Note: "Privilege" was actually the word used until the late 1800's)
Hood
to lean the clubface forward (toward the target) reducing its loft
Hook
a shot that travels from right to left (right-handed player) - more severe than a draw
Horizontal bulge
the curve of the face of a wood (across, from heel to toe) which helps shots hit toward the heel or toe curve back in the direction of the center (also simply "bulge")
Hosel
the part of the club head into which the shaft is inserted (derived from the word hose) (also "neck")
Hybrid club
a club that combines playing characteristics of both woods and irons; one valid method for differentiating between hybrid irons and hybrid woods is whether the face is flat (like irons) or has horizontal bulge and vertical roll (a curved face, like woods) (also "hybrid iron, hybrid wood")