Addressing the ball

The act of the player placing himself in position to strike the ball.

Approach

The stroke by which a player endeavours to play his ball on to the putting-green. See also page 105.

Bach spin

See Bottom.

Baff

To strike the ground immediately behind the ball with the 'sole' of the club-head in playing.

The object of so doing is to put undercut on the ball and send it high into the air, to make it fall dead when it lands. See also Selaff.

Baffy-spoon or Baffy

A wooden club with a short shaft and very much lofted in the face, formerly used for playing approaches. Sec also page 27.

Bent

A coarse grass found on seaside links.

Bogey, Colonel

The meaning of playing against a Bogey score is explained on page 13.

Bone or Horn

A piece of ram's horn, celluloid, wood fibre, or other substance, inserted in the sole of too wooden clubs to prevent the face from being injured at the bottom.

Borrow

When a putt requires to be played across sloping ground, the player must borrow, or play the ball a little up the slope to counteract the effect of its falling off down hill while rolling towards the hole.

Bottom

Back-spin, or a spin which will theoretically have the effect of making the ball after alighting roll back towards the player, but which practically only tends to prevent its rolling forward any distance after alighting. Also called ' undercut.'

Brassy

A wooden club shod with brass on the sole. See page 24.

Break-club

A stone or any other obstacle lying near the ball which might break or injure the club in the act of playing.

Bulger

A club with a convex face. See page 21.

Bunker

A sand-hole in the golf-course.1

Bye

A hole or holes which remain to be played in order to complete the full round of the links, after the match originally agreed upon is finished. See page 10.

Caddie

The person who carries the golfer's clubs.

Carry

Used to express the distance between the spot from which a ball is driven to the place where it first alights, exclusive of the distance it may thereafter bound or roll. A long carry or a short carry are used to signify the distance a ball must be lofted usually over a hazard.

Cleek

A golf-club with an iron head. See page 25.

Club

The implement with which the ball is struck in playing golf. See pages 17 et seq.

Course

A golf-course is the ground upon which golf is played.

Cup

A small, shallow hole in the course, frequently one made by the stroke of some previous player having removed turf.

Dead

This word is used in two senses: first, when a ball falls without rolling, it is said to fall 'dead'; and second, a ball is said to lie 'dead' when it lies so near the hole that the player is certain to put it in with his next stroke. The term is also applied to putting, and a putt is said to be laid ' dead.'

Dicot

A piece of turf. Frequently used to signify a piece of turf cut out of the links in the act of playing a stroke.

Dormy

The condition of a player when he is as many holes ahead of his opponent as there remain holes to be played. See page 10.

Draw

To play a ball so that it will travel with a curve towards the left hand. (Synonymous with Hook and Pull.)

1 I observe from reports of English golf matches that this word is being applied to all hazards, but such is not its original or real meaning.

Driver or Play-club

The wooden club with which the ball is usually driven from the tee, and with which the ball can be driven the furthest distance. See page 23.

Driving

Used in two senses: first, playing tee-shots; and second, playing any full strokes.

Duff

To hit the ground behind the ball. With a duffed stroke the ground is hit so far behind that the ball will not be driven any distance: while in a sclaffed stroke, although the ground behind is also struck, the ball will usually be driven nearly as far as if clean hit. See also Sclaff.

Face

This word is used in two senses: first, when one speaks of playing a ball over a 'face,' it there signifies the rise of the hazard or ground over which the ball is to be played; second, it is applied to the front part of the club-head which strikes the ball. See page 18.

Flat

A club is said to be 'flat' when its head is at a very obtuse angle to the shaft.

Fog

Moss; also thick, rank grass.

Fulluiv-through

The continuation of the swing of the club after the ball has been struck.

Foozle

A badly played stroke.

Fore! - The warning cry which a golfer gives to any person apt to be struck by the ball which he has driven or is about to drive.

Fore-caddie

A person employed to go in advance of the players to watch where their balls alight.

Foursome

A golf match in which four persons engage, two playing against the other two. See page 10.

Globe

Another term for a golf-hall.

Gobble

A putt played with more than necessary force which goes into the hole, such that if the ball had not gone in it would have gone some distance past the hole.

Golf-ball

A ball with which the game of golf is played. See pages 49 et seq.

Grassed

A club is said to be grassed when its face is spooned or sloped back so as to drive the ball high. Only used in connection with wooden clubs.

Green

First, the whole links or golf-course: second, the putting-green or portion of the links devoid of hazards within twenty yards of a hole.

Grip

First, the part of the club shaft grasped by the golfer while playing; second, the grasp itself.

Gutty

A golf-ball made of gutta-percha.

Half-one