Pace of play
time taken to play a stroke, hole or round, usually thought of in terms of maximum allowable time with an associated penalty for exceeding that time; covered by rule 6-7 of the USGA Rule book
Par
1. the standard number of strokes in which a scratch player would be expected to complete a hole or course 2. (also "even, even par, level, level par") the score of par for a course, or the state of being at that score during or at the conclusion of play
Par in
to score a par on each remaining hole
Past parallel
beyond the point where the club's shaft is horizontal, or parallel with the ground, at the top of the backswing
Path
the direction the clubhead is traveling (generally referred to through the impact area and in relation to the target line) (also "swing path")
Peeking
looking up to see the result of the shot before impact, mainly used in reference to putting, and particularly on short putts
Peg
another term for a tee - a small (usually, but not always, wooden) device for setting the ball up above the ground (also "tee")
Penalty stroke
a stroke that must be added to the score, for a variety of reasons (e.g., lost ball, unplayable lie), in accordance with the rules of golf
Perimeter-weighted
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 "cavity back, cavity-back")
PGA
(Professional Golfers' Association) organization to promote and regulate the profession of golf (also “PGA Tour”)
Pick up
lifting the ball and discontinuing play on a hole, for various reasons (e.g., informal - too many strokes and too much time has elapsed, causing the following group to wait unduly; team or match play competition situation: partner or competitor has already completed the hole with a better score)
Pill
another term for a golf ball
Pin
the stick or pole that rests in the cup and holds the flag (also "flagstick, stick")
Pin 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 "hole high")
Pin position
the exact location of the hole and flagstick (also "pin placement")
Pin sheet
a chart that shows the hole locations on each green
Pitch
a relatively short, lofted shot designed to land softly and not roll much (differs from a chip in its trajectory and amount of roll) (also "pitch shot")
Pitch and putt (course)
a par 3 course with extremely short holes (usually not much longer than 130 yards) (also "pitch 'n' putt")
Pitch and run
a lofted shot that is also intended to release/run/roll
Pitch mark
the depression that a ball makes when it strikes the ground (usually, but not always, associated with the putting green) (also "ball mark")
Pitchfork
a small (usually) two-pronged fork-like tool used mainly for repairing the putting surface (also "divot repair tool, ballmark repair tool")
Pitching wedge
a lofted short iron (usually next in chronological order after the 9 iron and somewhere between 47° and 52°) (also "wedge, P, PW, W" and more)
Plane
most easily visualized as the plane that the shaft of the club or the clubhead's arc describes during the swing (also "swing plane")
Playing the ball down
playing the ball as it lies, as opposed to improving the lie (also "playing it down")
Play through
passing the group in front of you (for various reasons) while they wait (also "go through")
Plumb bob
a method of reading putts where the putter is hung from the fingers (like a surveyor's plumb line) in front of one's visual field to create a vertical reference
Plug
1. when the ball embeds in the ground 2. a cylindrical chunk of earth removed by aeration
Poa Annua
grass (actually a weed) that sometimes grows on golf courses in moist climates and can make putting greens bumpy if mixed with other grass (also just "poa" or, incorrectly, "poanna")
Pop
another term for a handicap stroke
Pop stroke
a (typically putting) stroke characterized by an abrupt little "hit" or twitch of force at the ball rather than a smooth acceleration through the ball
Postage stamp
a green with a particularly small surface area presenting a demanding target (also "postage stamp green")
Pot bunker
a small deep bunker, typically with steep sides, requiring a very steep angle of ascent to escape
Power fade
a slight curve from left to right for a right-handed player (usually thought of in terms of tee shots or long shots) (also "slider")
Power leak
some error interferring with the efficient sequence of movements and delivery of force in the full swing
Practice green
a green which is separate from the golf course and is designated for practicing putting only or putting and/or the short game (also "practice putting green")
Practice range
an area, separate from the golf course, designated for hitting practice balls (also "practice facility, practice tee, driving range, range")
Practice round
a round of golf usually thought of as being for the purpose of familiarizing a player with a particular course, and referred to specifically to differentiate it from a round in a competition
Practice swing
a swing through the air made (without hitting a ball) to work on, or feel, the movements that you intend to make when you hit the ball, or just to loosen up (also "rehearsal swing")
Pre-shot routine
procedure prior to hitting a golf shot, usually thought of as a consistent sequence
Preferred lies
a local rule under which a player can improve his lie without penalty (also "improved lies, winter rules, bumping it")
Press
a wager on top of, or augmenting, an already existing wager, implemented at some point after the original wager has begun and applying to only the remaining holes
Private golf course
a golf course that requires membership, not accessible to the general public (also "private golf club")
Pro-Am
a tournament in which professionals and amateurs play together on teams
Pro shop
usually thought of as the building or room where the retail operation of a golf course takes place (the functions of a pro shop can vary widely and might include tee time reservations, club fitting, handicap posting area, and so on, in addition to the sales of golf equipment, clothing, accessories, etc.)
Progressive offset
where a set of clubs has differing amounts of offset (leading edge of face behind forward edge of hosel) throughout, e.g., more offset in the long irons than in the short irons
Provisional ball
an additional shot played in a situation where it is believed that the original ball may be out of bounds or lost (the shot is played before leaving the area of the original shot) (also "provisional")
Psycho grip
an unusual method of gripping the putter, popularized by PGA Tour player Chris Dimarco, where the fingers of the bottom hand are on top of the grip rather than on the bottom (also "Claw grip, Gator grip")
Public golf course
a golf course that is accessible for play to the general public
Pull
1. a shot that goes to the left of the intended line for a right-handed player (also "yank, jerk") 2. to select a club or remove it from the bag
Pull cart
a mechanical device or trolley with wheels and a handle used to carry a player's bag and clubs (also "hand cart")
Pull hook
a shot that is both a pull and a hook, starting and curving to the left of the intended target line for right-handers
Punch 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 "chip out")
Punch shot
shot played with less than a full swing, mainly to control distance, trajectory and spin (also "punch, knockdown, knockdown shot, half shot") a
Punch the greens
another phrase for aerate
Pure
(also "flush, solid, on the sweet spot, on the screws, on the nut") perhaps not proper English, but a great feeling -- a shot struck perfectly on the center of gravity of the club
Push
a shot that goes to the right of the intended line for a right-handed player (also "shove, block")
Push fade
a shot that is both a push and a fade, starting and curving to the right of the intended target line for right-handers
Putt
a shot (generally, but not necessarily hit with a putter) that is intended to make the ball roll (usually, but not exclusively, on or just off the putting green)
Putter
a club with a fairly straight face (very little loft) used for putting, or rolling the ball on the ground (also "flatstick, wand")
Putt out
to complete play by holing your ball, or to putt your ball into the hole whether you are away (farthest from the hole) or not (also "finish")
Putting green
the most closely mown and smooth (hopefully) area on the course, which is specifically prepared for putting and on which the hole is placed (also "green, putting surface, dance floor")