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hack
1. (also "chop") chopping violently at the ball 2. (also "duffer, hacker, chop, chopper") 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 3. unskillful and erratic golf shots or play in general
Example: 1. Hacking does not usually yield good results. 2. Bill is a hack/hacker/duffer/chop/chopper, but that is
not necessarily the reason for his mean-spiritedness. 3. When I was asked how I played in the tournament I had to admit that I had hacked/chopped.
hacker
(also "chop, chopper, duffer, hack") 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
Example: Every golfer has been a hack/hacker/duffer/chop/chopper at some point.
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
Example: Gina yelled, "#!bleep%#in'hairpiece," in frustration and was on the verge of snapping the shaft of her lob wedge after she chunked her short pitch
shot into the pond.
half set
(also "starter set, beginner 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
Example: A common configuration for a half set/starter set/beginner set might be 4, 6, 8, PW for the irons, a 3 wood and a putter; but sets vary.
half shot
(also "half swing, knockdown, knockdown shot, punch, punch shot") a shot played with less than a full swing, mainly to control distance, trajectory and spin
Example: A common variation on the half shot/half swing/knockdown/punch/punch shot is where the hands reach shoulder height on the backswing and also finish shoulder high in the follow-through.
halve
a tie on a given hole in match play
Example: The hole was halved, which is kind of like sharing half of the (w)hole.
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)
Example: When a team does "ham and egg" they go well together, like ham and eggs.
hammer hands
a player that does not have good sensitivity for controlling the distance of their putts
Example: When Karl got nervous he had hammer hands.
handicap
(abbr: "hcp, hdcp", related: "handicap differential, handicap index, index") the average difference between a player's scores and a set standard, as calculated by specified procedures and formulas (more detail)
Example: A handicap/index is mainly used in tournaments and wagers so that players of different levels of proficiency can compete against one another, but is also a valid and objective way of
measuring one's progress.
handsy
usually refers to loose or excessive use of the hands and wrists in a swing or stroke
Example: A player that is very handsy may be more prone to inconsistency, as a rule.
hanging lie
when the ball is on ground substantially above the player's feet
Example: A hanging lie adds variables to the swing, but all else being equal the shot will have a tendency to go more in the downhill direction.
hardpan
very firm, unyielding ground (many times bare)
Example: You can find a lot of hardpan on hot dry plains courses.
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)
Example: There is usually some kind of penalty for being in a hazard, whether it's strokes that are added to your score or just a more difficult shot.
head
(also "clubhead") the part of the club that is intended to make contact with the ball
Example: The head of the club had mud all over it.
headcover
protective sock or sheath of some kind, typically used on wood and putter heads, but also available for irons
Example: He left the putt so short we wondered if he had removed his putter's headcover.
heathland
open uncultivated land (particularly in the British Isles) having sandy soil and dominated by small shrubs with small hard leaves (e.g., heather)
Example: Many heathland courses are windy.
heavy
another word for fat
Example: I hit that one a little heavy, so it probably won't carry the bunker.
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
Example: Instead of contacting the ball on the sweetspot, she hit it on the heel. 2. I was trying to kill my tee shot but for all my effort I heeled it.
high side
the uphill edge of the cup when it is on any slant
Example: Bill missed his putt on the high side of the hole.
hitch
a noticeable rough spot or hiccup in the flow of a golf swing
Example: Ben had a hitch in his backswing that looked like he was receiving a jolt of electricity.
hitting from the top
excessive arm and hand pressure early in the downswing, particularly thought of as happening before any weight transfer has occurred
Example: Hitting from the top is an extremely common problem among higher handicap players.
hitting the big ball before the little ball
another phrase for hitting the ball fat (the big ball being the earth)
Example: Hitting the big ball before the little ball is not usually advisable unless for some specialty reason.
hold
(also "check, grab") when the ball stays near where it lands, not rolling much (if any) forward 2. to stay on the green after landing
Example: I was hoping my 6 iron shot would hold/check/grab since I was playing downwind. 2. When the greens get dry and firm the do not hold as well.
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
Example: 1. The hole contains the cup which holds the flagstick. 2. The difficult par 3 4th hole was considered impossible to par by many golfers.
3. All that remained for me to shoot 62 was to hole/hole out/make/drain/sink my putt on the 18th ... but I woke up.
hole high
(also "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)
Example: Terry's approach shot was hole high/pin high to the right.
hole in one
(also "ace") a score of 1 on a hole, holing the tee shot
Example: A(n) hole in one/ace is usually made on a par 3, but occasionally it happens on a par 4.
holed
(also "hole(d) out") when the ball goes in the hole (as of 2008 the entire ball must be at rest below the level of the lip)
Example: Jack shocked everybody when he holed out from a buried lie in the bunker.
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
Example: I got home in 2 shots on the par 5 18th hole. 2. The front nine on some golf courses goes out away from the clubhouse and then the back nine returns
home.
honor
the privilege of playing first from the tee (Note: "Privilege" was actually the word used until the late 1800's)
Example: The honor generally goes to the person with the lowest score on the previous hole, and if there are ties the hole before that, and so on. (In informal or casual play, especially when
there are players following, the importance of the honor is superseded by the need to play without delay, and "hit when ready" is usually a more appropriate M.O.)
hood
to lean the clubface forward (toward the target) reducing its loft
Example: A hooded club face is not necessarily closed.
hook
a shot that travels from right to left (right-handed player) - more severe than a draw
Example: He sliced his tee shot and hooked his approach.
horizontal bulge
(also simply "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
Example: Horizontal bulge helps toed shots draw or hook and heeled shots fade or slice.
hosel
(also "neck") the part of the club head into which the shaft is inserted (derived from the word hose)
Example: When the ball ricochets off the hosel before it hits the clubface it is called a shank. (Not recommended)
hybrid club
(also "hybrid iron, hybrid wood") 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)
Example: Tim liked using his hybrid club for long approach yardages and had more success with it than he did with his long irons.
The ABC's of Golf 
