Golf Jargon Glossary

If you've never set foot on a golf course, this page is for you. Every term here is something you'll encounter when talking to club GMs, membership secretaries, and society organisers. Learn these and you'll never be caught out on a client call.

The Game

Par — The number of shots an expert golfer is expected to take to complete a hole or course. A standard 18-hole course is typically Par 72. Individual holes are Par 3, Par 4, or Par 5.

Birdie — One shot under par on a hole. Good result.

Eagle — Two shots under par on a hole. Rare and celebrated.

Bogey — One shot over par on a hole. Common for average golfers.

Double/Triple Bogey — Two or three shots over par. Generally poor.

Gross Score — The actual total number of shots taken, before handicap adjustment.

Net Score — Gross score minus handicap allowance. Used in competitions so players of different abilities can compete fairly.

Round — One complete game of golf, typically 18 holes. When a club sells green fees, they're selling the right to play one round.

Tee Time — A scheduled start time for a group to begin their round. Clubs manage tee times to control the flow of play and prevent overcrowding. This is the fundamental unit of golf commerce.

Tee Sheet — The schedule of all tee times for a given day. Managing the tee sheet to maximise usage — filling slots with members, visitors, and societies — is one of the most important operational tasks at any golf club.

Shotgun Start — All groups start simultaneously from different holes (e.g., one group on hole 1, another on hole 7, another on hole 13). Popular for society days and large competitions because everyone finishes at roughly the same time — important for post-round meals and prize-giving.

Green Fee — The fee paid by a visitor (non-member) to play one round. A primary revenue stream. Prices vary by day, time, and season.

Fourball — A group of four golfers playing together. Most tee sheet slots are designed for groups of up to four.

Threeball / Twoball — Groups of three or two golfers respectively.

Handicaps

Handicap — A numerical measure of a golfer's ability, used to level the playing field. Lower = better. A scratch golfer has a handicap of 0. A beginner might be 28+ (the maximum). When a club talks about their membership having "a range of handicaps," they mean players of varying abilities.

Handicap Index — Under the World Handicap System (WHS), a golfer's official ability rating expressed as a number to one decimal place (e.g., 14.2). It's course-independent — the same Handicap Index applies everywhere.

Course Handicap — The number of shots a player receives on a specific course, calculated from their Handicap Index adjusted for that course's difficulty. A player might get 15 shots at one course and 17 at a harder one.

CDH Number (Central Database of Handicaps) — A unique ID assigned to every registered golfer in England, managed by England Golf. This is effectively the unique identifier for a golfer in England — critical for CRM data accuracy. When someone joins a club, they're assigned or transfer their CDH number.

WHS (World Handicap System) — The global handicapping system introduced in 2020, replacing the old CONGU system used in the UK. Calculates handicap based on a rolling average of the best 8 of a player's last 20 scores.

Slope Rating — A measure of a course's difficulty for average golfers relative to expert golfers. Used in handicap calculations.

Course Rating — The expected score for a scratch golfer on a specific course. Used alongside Slope Rating.

Competition Formats

Stroke Play (Medal) — Total shots across the entire round are counted. Fewest wins. The most common format for formal club competitions. "The monthly medal" is a stroke play competition.

Stableford — Points-based format. Players earn points relative to par on each hole (adjusted for handicap). 2 points for par, 3 for birdie, 1 for bogey, 0 for double bogey or worse. Most points wins. Very common in UK club golf because you can pick up your ball on a bad hole rather than grinding through it.

Match Play — Players compete hole by hole. Win, lose, or halve each hole. The player who wins the most holes wins the match. Scores are described as "3 and 2" (3 holes ahead with 2 to play).

Texas Scramble — Team format. All players tee off, the best shot is selected, and everyone plays their next from that spot. Continues until holed. Produces lower scores and is very popular for society days because even weaker golfers can contribute.

Four Ball Better Ball (FOBB) — Pairs format. Each player plays their own ball. On each hole, the lower score of the two partners counts as the team score.

Foursomes (Alternate Shot) — Pairs format. Two players share one ball, taking alternate shots for the entire hole. One tees off on odd holes, the other on even holes.

Greensomes — Pairs format. Both tee off, choose the better tee shot, then alternate shots from there.

AM-AM — "Amateur-Amateur." A team competition where a team of amateurs (usually four) play together and combine scores. Common at society events and open days.

Pro-Am — A competition where amateurs play alongside a golf professional. Used as a marketing or hospitality event.

Knockout — Head-to-head match play in tournament bracket format. Loser goes home, winner progresses.

Club Championship — The most prestigious internal competition. The gross score winner is the Club Champion — the best player in the club.

Eclectic — A season-long competition. Each player records their best score on each hole across all rounds during the season. At the end, the best scores are combined into a "dream" total.

Rollup — An informal, casual group game — members simply "roll up" and play together. Not a formal competition. Some clubs organise regular rollups to encourage social play.

Membership Types

Full Member (7-Day) — The most comprehensive membership. Play any day, any time, usually with voting rights at the AGM. The most expensive tier and the most common reference point when clubs talk about "member numbers."

5-Day Member — Play weekdays only (Monday–Friday), excluding weekends and bank holidays. Cheaper than full membership. Very common at UK clubs. These members cannot play at weekends — relevant for event invitations and competition eligibility.

Flexi Member — Reduced annual fee in exchange for a limited number of rounds per year (e.g., 12 or 24). Growing in popularity as clubs try to attract people who won't commit to full membership.

Country Member — Reduced rate for people living beyond a certain distance from the club (typically 50+ miles). They play infrequently due to distance.

Junior Member — Under 18 (sometimes extended to 21 or 25). Heavily discounted. Clubs invest in juniors for long-term membership pipeline.

Intermediate / Young Adult — Transitional category for golfers aged out of junior but not yet in full adult tiers (typically 18–30). High churn risk — this is where clubs lose young members.

Senior Member — Golfers over a certain age (often 65+). May have time restrictions. Often discounted.

Social Member — Access to clubhouse, bar, and social events but little or no course access. Important revenue stream and community-building tool.

Corporate Member — A membership purchased by a business, allowing named individuals from that company to play or use the club for entertaining.

Honorary / Life Member — Granted free of charge for outstanding service. These members use facilities but generate no subscription income.

Waiting List — Prospective members who've applied but can't join because the club is full. A warm pipeline of prospects — important for CRM.

Joining Fee — A one-off charge when a new member joins, separate from the annual subscription. Can range from nothing to several thousand pounds.

Club Operations

General Manager (GM) — The most senior staff member. Responsible for running the entire business. Typically CAPTURE's primary contact and the key decision-maker for CRM purchases.

Membership Secretary / Manager — Manages the membership base — applications, renewals, leavers, communication. Often the day-to-day user of CAPTURE.

Club Captain — An elected member (not staff) who represents the playing membership for one year. Presides over competitions and events. Not to be confused with the GM — the Captain is an honorary role.

Lady Captain — The female equivalent of the Club Captain.

Club Professional / Head Pro — A PGA-qualified golf professional based at the club. Gives lessons, runs the pro shop, sells equipment, often organises competitions. Can be a key stakeholder in software decisions.

Greenkeeper / Course Manager — Responsible for maintaining the golf course. Course conditions are a major factor in member and visitor satisfaction.

Events Coordinator — Books and manages non-golf events — weddings, corporate functions, parties. Clubs with good facilities generate significant revenue from venue hire.

Pro Shop — The retail shop, usually run by the Club Pro. Sells equipment, clothing, and accessories. Often handles green fee payments and tee time bookings.

Committee — Golf clubs are often member-owned, run by an elected committee of volunteers who set policy and approve major decisions. Purchasing a CRM may need committee approval — this can create longer sales cycles.

AGM (Annual General Meeting) — The annual meeting where members vote on budgets, elections, and rule changes.

Society and Group Golf

Society — A group of golfers (from the same workplace, social group, or charity) who book a group golf day at a club. Not members. A major revenue stream — society days include green fees plus meals, and can range from 12 to 100+ players.

Society Organiser — The person who books and coordinates the day. Usually an amateur volunteer. The key commercial contact — nurturing this relationship drives repeat bookings.

Society Day — The event itself. Usually a competition with prizes, followed by food and drinks.

Open Day — A competition open to non-members. A revenue and marketing opportunity — exposes visitors to the club with the aim of converting them to members.

Captain's Day — The highlight of the club's social and competitive calendar, organised by the Club Captain. Full-day event with shotgun start, prizes, and dinner.

Corporate Day — A premium golf event for businesses — client entertaining or team building. Higher prices than standard society days.

The Golf Course

18-Hole Course — Standard full-length course. Takes 4–4.5 hours to play.

9-Hole Course — Shorter course, often played twice for a full round. Lower green fees and membership costs.

Front Nine / Back Nine — The first 9 holes (1–9) and second 9 holes (10–18) of an 18-hole course.

Links — Coastal course on sandy, undulating ground near the sea. Few trees, firm turf, unpredictable wind, deep bunkers. St Andrews is the most famous. A prestige descriptor — clubs market themselves as "a true links experience."

Parkland — Course set in wooded, park-like surroundings with tree-lined fairways and lush grass. The most common type in England. Generally considered more forgiving than links.

Heathland — Course on sandy heathland with heather, bracken, and pine trees. Found particularly in Surrey and Berkshire. Some of England's finest courses — Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath.

Fairway — The mown grass between the tee and the green. The intended path of play.

The Green — The closely mown area around the hole where players putt.

Rough — The longer, uncut grass beside the fairways. More difficult to play from.

Bunker — A sand-filled hazard on the course.

Driving Range — A facility for practising full shots by hitting balls at targets across an open field. Revenue from selling ball baskets/tokens.

Clubhouse — The main building. Contains bar, restaurant, locker rooms, pro shop, and offices. The social hub and often the venue for weddings and events.

Halfway House — A refreshment kiosk on the course, usually between holes 9 and 10.

Booking and Visitor Terms

Visitor — A golfer who plays but is not a member. Pays a green fee. Converting visitors into members is a key pipeline activity.

Guest — A non-member who plays as the invited guest of a member. Usually at a reduced green fee.

Walk-On — A visitor who arrives without a booking, hoping to play in a gap in the tee sheet.

Twilight Golf — Discounted tee times in the late afternoon/evening. Fills otherwise unused slots.

Buggy — An electric golf cart carrying two players and their clubs. Hired out for an additional fee. Some members require buggies for mobility reasons.

Trolley — A wheeled device (manual or electric) for carrying a golf bag around the course. Electric trolleys are very popular in the UK.

Hire Clubs — A set of clubs available for visitors who haven't brought their own.

Dress Code — Rules about acceptable clothing on the course and in the clubhouse. Typically: collared shirts required, no denim, rules on footwear. Varies by club — some traditional clubs are strict, others relaxed.

Medal Day / Competition Day — A day when a formal competition is running. The tee sheet may be partly or fully reserved for competitors.

Revenue Streams

The main ways golf clubs make money:

UK Golf Bodies

England Golf — The governing body for amateur golf in England. Manages handicaps via WHS, affiliated clubs, and development of the game.

Scottish Golf — The equivalent body in Scotland.

Golf Union of Wales (GUW) — The equivalent body in Wales.

Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) — The equivalent body in Ireland (covers both Republic and Northern Ireland).

R&A (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) — One of the two governing bodies of golf worldwide (alongside the USGA in America). Sets the rules of golf and oversees The Open Championship.

PGA (Professional Golfers' Association) — Trains, qualifies, and represents club-based golf professionals in the UK. PGA members are club pros who teach and run pro shops — not Tour players.

County Card — A scheme where golfers pay their county golf union a fee and receive discounted green fees at affiliated clubs across the county. Relevant because county card holders are essentially visitors using a discount — matters for revenue reporting.

CRM Terms in a Golf Context

Enquiry — An initial expression of interest from a potential member, society booker, or event client. The starting point of the pipeline.

Lead — A potential customer who's shown interest but hasn't committed. Needs follow-up and nurturing.

Prospect — A qualified lead — there's a realistic chance they'll buy.

Conversion — When a lead becomes a paying customer. A visitor joins as a member, or a society enquiry becomes a confirmed booking.

Retention — Keeping existing members. Renewing annual memberships each year. Often more cost-effective than acquisition. High churn is a serious problem.

Churn — The rate at which members leave or don't renew. (Members who left / total members at start of period) x 100.

Lapsed Member — A member who hasn't renewed. Important CRM segment — they already know the club, making them warmer than cold prospects.

Renewal — The annual process of members paying to continue. Clubs run renewal campaigns to prompt payment. Managing renewals is a core CRM function.

Onboarding — Welcoming and integrating new members — intro rounds, meeting other members, understanding club rules. Good onboarding reduces early churn.

Lifetime Value (LTV) — Total revenue expected from a member over their entire membership. A member who joins at 30 and stays 40 years at £1,000/year has an LTV of £40,000.

Re-engagement Campaign — Targeted communication aimed at lapsed or disengaged members to bring them back.

Abbreviations