Golf Terms

A mulligan is a do-over shot with no penalty, but it isn't legal under the actual rules of golf. Here's the real origin story and where it's allowed.

An eagle is two strokes under par on a single hole. Here's how rare it actually is for amateurs versus pros, and the most famous eagle ever made.

Every golf scoring term defined plainly: par, birdie, eagle, albatross, condor, bogey, and ace, with real odds and how each one is actually made.

How a golf scramble actually works: every player hits, the team picks the best shot, and everyone plays from there. Full rules and scoring breakdown.

Par is the score an expert is expected to make on a hole. Here's how par 3, 4, and 5 holes work and how par adds up to 72 for a full course.

A birdie is one stroke under par on a hole. Here's what it means, where the term came from, and how rare a birdie really is for the average golfer.

A bogey is one stroke over par. Here's the full over-par ladder, bogey through triple, what a 'bogey golfer' is, and the odd origin of the word.

From 'fried egg' to 'worm burner,' here are 40 golf slang terms decoded, so you can talk the talk on the first tee without just nodding along.

An albatross is three strokes under par on a hole, also called a double eagle. Here's how absurdly rare it is, the real odds, and the US-vs-UK naming split.

An ace is a hole-in-one: one shot from tee to cup. Here's what the slang means, when golfers use it, and how it differs from an albatross or double eagle.

Golfers yell 'fore' to warn that a ball is heading toward someone. Here's the contested origin of the word and the etiquette rule for when to shout it.

The odds of an average golfer making a hole-in-one are about 12,500 to 1. Here are the real ace odds for amateurs versus pros, plus the etiquette of the bar tab.

A shank is when the ball strikes the hosel and shoots sharply right. Here's why it happens, what actually causes it, and the two drills that stop the spiral.

A true links course is built on sandy coastal land with few trees, firm turf, and heavy wind. Here's what actually makes a course 'links' versus the misused label.