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Golf Glossary

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H to P

 

H

A “hazard’’ is any bunker or water hazard.

 

The "hole'' must be 4 1/4 inches (108 mm) in diameter and at least 4 inches (101.6 mm) deep. If a lining is used, it must be sunk at least 1 inch (25.4 mm) below the putting green surface unless the nature of the soil makes it impracticable to do so; its outer diameter must not exceed 4 1/4 inches (108 mm).

 

A ball is "holed'' when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole.

 

The player who is to play first from the teeing ground is said to have the "honor.''

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L

 

A "lateral water hazard'' is a water hazard or that part of a water hazard so situated that it is not possible or is deemed by the Committee to be impracticable to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1b.

That part of a water hazard to be played as a lateral water hazard should be distinctively marked. A ball is in a lateral water hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the lateral water hazard.

Note 1: Stakes or lines used to define a lateral water hazard must be red. When both stakes and lines are used to define lateral water hazards, the stakes identify the hazard and the lines define the hazard margin.

Note 2: The Committee may make a Local Rule prohibiting play from an environmentally-sensitive area defined as a lateral water hazard.

Note 3: The Committee may define a lateral water hazard as a water hazard.

 

The "line of play'' is the direction that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke, plus a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction. The line of play extends vertically upward from the ground, but does not extend beyond the hole.

 

 

The "line of putt'' is the line that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke on the putting green. Except with respect to Rule 16-1e, the line of putt includes a reasonable distance on either side of the intended line. The line of putt does not extend beyond the hole.

 

 

"Loose impediments'' are natural objects including:

• stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like
• dung
• worms and insects and casts or heaps made by them, provided they are not:
  • fixed or growing
  • solidly embedded, or adhering to the ball
• Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere.
• Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player.
• Dew and frost are not loose impediments.

 

A ball is deemed "lost'' if:

• It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player's side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or
• The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball; or
• . The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place.

Time spent in playing a wrong ball is not counted in the five-minute period allowed for search.

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M

 

A "marker'' is one who is appointed by the Committee to record a competitor's score in stroke play. He may be a fellow-competitor. He is not a referee.

 

• Single: A match in which one plays against another.
• Threesome: A match in which one plays against two, and each side plays one ball.
• Foursome: A match in which two play against two, and each side plays one ball.
• Three-Ball: A match-play competition in which three play against one another, each playing his own ball.Each player is playing two distinct matches.
• Best-Ball: A match in which one plays against the better ball of two or the best ball of three players.
• Four-Ball: A match in which two play their better ball against the better ball of two other players.

 

A ball is deemed to have "moved'' if it leaves its position and comes to rest in any other place.

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N

 

The "nearest point of relief" is the reference point for taking relief without penalty from interference by an immovable obstruction (Rule 24-2), an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1) or a wrong putting green (Rule 25-3).

It is the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies:
(i) that is not nearer the hole, and
(ii) where, if the ball were so positioned, no interference by the condition from which relief is sought would exist for the stroke the player would have made from the original position if the condition were not there.

Note: In order to determine the nearest point of relief accurately, the player should use the club with which he would have made his next stroke if the condition were not there to simulate the address position, direction of play and swing for such a stroke.

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O

 

An "observer'' is one who is appointed by the Committee to assist a referee to decide questions of fact and to report to him any breach of a Rule. An observer should not attend the flagstick, stand at or mark the position of the hole, or lift the ball or mark its position.

 

An "obstruction'' is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except:

• Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings
• Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and
• construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.

Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule declaring a movable obstruction to be an immovable obstruction.

 

"Out of bounds'' is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee.

When out of bounds is defined by reference to stakes or a fence or as being beyond stakes or a fence, the out of bounds line is determined by the nearest inside points of the stakes or fence posts at ground level excluding angled supports.

Objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed.

When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is out of bounds.

The out of bounds line extends vertically upward and downward.

A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.

A player may stand out of bounds to play a ball lying within bounds.

 

An "outside agency'' is any agency not part of the match or, in stroke play, not part of the competitor's side, and includes a referee, a marker, an observer and a forecaddie. Neither wind nor water is an outside agency.

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P

 

A "partner'' is a player associated with another player on the same side.

In a threesome, foursome, best-ball or four-ball match, where the context so admits, the word "player'' includes his partner or partners.

 

A "penalty stroke'' is one added to the score of a player or side under certain Rules. In a threesome or foursome, penalty strokes do not affect the order of play.

 

 

A "provisional ball'' is a ball played under Rule 27-2 for a ball that may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds.

 

 

The "putting green'' is all ground of the hole being played that is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee. A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the putting green.

 

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