Definitions from the Rules of Golf

Rules Glossary

Below are terms used throughout the Official Rules of Golf, which appear on About.com Golf courtesy of the USGA. Some of these terms may also appear in our main Golf Glossary with some further explanation, but the definitions that appear below are as they appear in the Rules of Golf as written by the USGA and R&A.

Abnormal Ground Conditions

Addressing the Ball

Advice

Ball in Play

Bunker

Burrowing Animal

Caddie

Casual Water

Committee

Competitor

Course

Equipment

Flagstick

Forecaddie

Forms of Match Play

Forms of Stroke Play

Ground Under Repair

Hazards

Hole

Holed

Honor

Lateral Water Hazard

Line of Play

Line of Putt

Loose Impediments

Lost Ball

Marker

Move or Moved

Nearest Point of Relief

Observer

Obstructions

Out of Bounds

Outside Agency

Partner

Penalty Stroke

Provisional Ball

Putting Green

Referee

Rub of the Green

Rule or Rules

Side

Stance

Stipulated Round

Stroke

Substituted Ball

Tee

Teeing Ground

Through the Green

Water Hazard

Wrong Ball

Wrong Putting Green