Glossary B - part 1
Back Door
The rear of the hole.
Back Lip
The edge of the bunker that is farthest from the green.
Back Nine
The last 9 holes of an 18 hole course.
Backspin
A reverse spin placed on the ball to make in stop short on the putting surface.
Backswing
The backward part of the swing starting from the ground and going back over the head.
Baff
An obsolete term, Scottish in origin, meaning to hit or graze the ground behind the ball.
Baffle
Previous name given to a 5 wood.
Baffy
A lofted wooden club developed from the baffling-spoon no longer in use. Also the alternate name given to the 4 wood.
Bail Out
To avoid trouble, such as a water hazard, in one area by hitting the ball well into another area.
Balata
A hard, resilient sap-like substance from the South American Balata tree that is used to make a cover for rubber-cored golf balls.
Ball
The round object which we attempt to hit into the hole. Prior to the 17th century it was made of wood or wool in a leather cover. After the 17th century feathers were boiled and compressed, then sewn in a leather cover. It continued to evolve to a solid gutta percha (or a mixture with gutta percha other substances) in the 1850's and strip rubber wound around a core in the 1900's. Presently made of solid compressed synthetic rubber with hundreds of surface indentations which aid in the flight of the ball.
Ball at Rest
The ball has come to a complete stop on the fairway or green.
Ball Embedded
A techinical term for a plugged ball.
Ball Holed
A ball is holed when it is entirely below the level of the lip of the hole.
Ball in Play
A ball is in play as soon as the player has made a stroke in the tee off area. It remains in play until it is holed out except when it is out of bounds, lost, lifted or when another ball is substituted in accordance with the rules.
Ball Marker
A token or a small coin used to spot the balls position on the green prior to lifting it.
Ball Retriever
A long pole with a scoop on the end which is used to collect balls from water hazards and other areas.
Ball Washer
A device found on many tees for cleaning golf balls.
Bandit
See hustler.
Banana Ball
A slice that curves to the right in the shape of a banana. An extreme slice.
Baseball Grip
Holding the club with all ten fingers on the grip.
