About This Quiz
Are you a golf aficionado? Are you glued to the television each time there's a tournament? If this sounds like you, then you've found your way to the right quiz. If you think you know everything there is to know about golf lingo, then prove your worth by acing this quiz.
Golf is the sport of champions... wait, that's... basketball? Ok, golf is the sport of kings... wait, that's horse racing. Well then, golf is the sport of the gods... oh no, that's a book. Sigh.Â
Regardless of what golf is the sport of, it's a popular sport that was first played in Scotland. As you know, the sport has made its way across the pond here to the states, where millions of viewers watch the highly televised tournaments every year. But whether or not you know that golf is a great walk spoiled, or if you are a player or a viewer, you probably know that there is an entire vocabulary that goes along with the sport.
Do you know what a "grip," "groove," and an "albatross" are? If you answered yes to this question, and you know what each of these golf terms means, then you are ready to take this quiz.
Let's get started.
Every golfer wants to score par, or even better, under par! The term comes from the Latin word for "equal."
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Make sure you grip the grip correctly! Famous American golfer Ben Hogan said that "good golf begins with a good grip."
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Golfers have been choosing the right club and swinging away for centuries. It wasn't until the late 1800s that iron club heads could be mass-produced; until then, golf clubs were made of wood.
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Once you've played the first nine holes, it's time to finish the Back 9. Hopefully you're winning when you hit the Back 9!
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The term "birdie" came from 19th-century slang "bird," meaning "a good thing." Allegedly, American golfer Ab Smith first used "birdie" as a golf term in 1899.
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If you can get in your groove, your game will improve! Consistent swinging allows for more precision in placing your shots.
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If you score an "ace," your golfing skills are exceptional. Patrick Wills holds the Guinness World Record for most aces in a round of golf, scoring three!
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If you shoot an eagle, your game is going well! The term simply means "a better birdie."
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"Albatross" extends the "birdie" analogy for scoring under par. It's also called a "double eagle."
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Golfers are always losing balls into water hazards! If you do hit a ball into the drink, don't worry; you can play a new ball close to where the first went in.
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It may not be allowed in the rules of golf, but everybody needs to take a mulligan every once in a while. The term emerged between the late 1920s and mid-1930s, but its namesake remains a mystery.
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If you want to send a ball toward a distant hole, use your driver! Did you know that the longest usable driver on record is 28 feet and 1 inch long?
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Scoring a "bogey" can easily tip a round of golf into your opponent's favor. Did you know that the term comes from the bogey man?
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Bunker is of Scottish origin and was first used to describe "sand traps" in the early 1820s. The term was not used to describe a military fortification until much later, during the First World War!
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The term "greenkeeper" was used to refer to the person who oversaw the important task of keeping a golf course looking pristine. The term has since been replaced by "course superintendent."
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Hitting a ball out of a sand bunker will often send an explosion of sand into the air; thus the term "explosion!" Many golfers can still salvage their game with a well-played explosion.
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Lob shots are a delicate solution to many problems on the golf course. Usually lob shots are hit with a wedge.
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The rules of golf require you to take the flagstick out of the cup when putting. If you don't, it can be a two-stroke penalty!
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When picking a golf club, the head makes the difference. Each head is shaped and weighted differently for different kinds of shots.
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Steel shafts revolutionized the game of golf in the early 20th century, but did you know that they were banned by the United States Golf Association? Eventually they became so popular that the golfing rules administration had to allow them!
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Make sure you account for the break when putting! Even professional golfers lose strokes to a bad break.
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Most golf courses require you to book a tee time. This makes sure that many golfers can get onto the course and avoid running into each other!
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Every good golf game starts "teeing off" in the tee box. Be sure to be in the first hole's tee box at tee time!
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If you hit into the rough, you might be in for a rough game! The rough isn't kept as trim as the fairway and can feature wooded areas.
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Ultimately you want to hit the ball onto the putting green. Making flawless greens requires an ideal grass seed and an extensive drainage system.
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On many courses, it's best to drive the ball along the path of the fairway. It's much easier to hit from the well-kept grass!
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Many golfers will say they're "hitting the links" when they go golfing, but links are a specific type of golf course found primarily in Scotland. Links are built on linksand, which was not useful for farming and therefore used for sports since medieval times!
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Some call this golf gambling game skats, cats or syndicates. "The Skin Game" was popularized in the 1980s.
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The lie of a ball on the course seems like a small detail. But a bad lie can cost strokes!
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Good caddies can save you a few strokes per round. Did you know that "caddie" is the Scottish form of the French word "cadet?"
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Good golfers will coil back and gracefully drive the ball with their backswing. Backswings determine the power of a swing.
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The fewer the strokes, the better your game! In an ideal world, you would only have as many strokes as there are holes in course -- this never really happens, of course.
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Hitting a "chunk" can be embarrassing; and hope there's no pond nearby to swallow your ball!
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The term "dormie" comes from the Latin "dormir," meaning sleep. If a player is dormie, they could fall asleep and still win!
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The gentle, slow flight of a ball hit from the grass' cushion earns the term "floater." If you hit one, don't worry; you can redeem yourself at the next hole!
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