GOLF GLOSSARY ​-​ B

Back nine
The last nine holes of an 18 hole golf 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.

Ball
A small sphere used in playing golf, which is intended to be struck by a club and travel in the general direction of the green for a particular hole, if one is playing on a regulation golf course.

Ball-marker
A token or a small coin used to spot the balls position on the green prior to lifting it.

Ball-washer
A device found on many tees for cleaning golf balls.

Banana-ball
A slice that curves to the right in the shape of a banana. An extreme slice.

Bare Lie
When the ball lies directly on hard ground without any grass to buoy the ball up - ie where there is no grass creating a gap between ball and the ground. Applicable when practicing off hard mats.

Baseball grip
Grip style with all ten fingers on the club. Also known as the "Ten-Finger Grip".

Best ball
Where a single player plays a match against a team consisting of either two or three players.

BIGGA
Is the professional association dealing with all matters of golf management from a greenkeeper's viewpoint.

Birdie
A hole played one stroke under par.

Bite
heavy backspin applied to a ball that causes it to stop quickly instead of rolling when it lands.

Blade
Term used to describe one type of iron made by forging the metal rather than from a cast mold. Also, describes a shot struck "thinly" with an iron in the middle of the golf ball.

Blind
A shot that does not allow the golfer to see where the ball will land, such as onto an elevated green from below.

Block
A shot played severely to the right; as opposed to slices, which curve from left to right, a blocked shot goes directly right. Similar to the "push".

Bogey
A hole played one stroke over par.

Bounce
Technically, the measure of the angle from the front edge of a club's sole to the point that rests on the ground when addressing the ball.

Break
The amount of lateral slope one must account for on a putt. In the United Kingdom, it is known as "borrow".

Bullarding
Playing consistently above your regular handicap or regularly failing to achieve in competition play.

Bump and run
A low-trajectory shot that is intended to get the ball rolling along the fairway and up onto the green. Similar to a chip shot, but played from a greater distance.

Bunker Fairway
Hazard of bare earth or sand usually in a recessed depression. Grass and wooden walls or banks are not part of the hazard.

Bye
A short game played over the remaining holes when the main match finishes early because one player or team has won by a large margin. It serves the joint purpose of adding some competitive meaning to the rest of the holes and also for the losing side to attempt to regain some of the pride lost as a result of their humiliation in the main match. It is usual for the loser of the bye to buy the first drinks in the 19th hole afterwards. In this respect it is an almost direct equivalent to a beer match in cricket.