GOLF GLOSSARY ​-​ S

Sandbagger
A golfer that carries a higher official handicap than his skills indicate, eg, carries an eight, plays to a two. Sandbaggers usually artificially inflate their handicaps with the intent of winning bets on the course, a practice that most golfers consider cheating. Also known as a bandit.

Sand Save
When a player gets up and down from a greenside sand bunker, regardless of score on the hole. Sand Save percentage is a player statistic kept by the PGA Tour.

Sand Trap
A greenside sand filled bunker as opposed to a grass or waste bunker.

Sand Wedge
A lofted club designed especially for playing out of a bunker. The modern sand wedge was invented by Gene Sarazen.

Scotch foursomes
In scotch foursomes teams of 2 players compete against each other. Players alternate hitting the same ball. The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on until the ball is holed. To this point, the definition of ‘scotch foursomes’ is the same as that of ordinary ‘foursomes’; however, players do not alternate hitting tee shots as they would in foursomes. If Player A teed off on the first hole and Player B holed the final putt, Player B would not tee off at the second, meaning that Player A could, in theory, play every tee shot on the round. The team with the lowest score wins the hole.

Scramble
When a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better on a hole. Scrambling percentage is a player statistic kept by the PGA Tour. Also a two or four man format, similar to Best Ball, except in a scramble, each player strikes a shot, the best shot is selected, then all players play from that selected position.

Scratch golfer
A player's whose handicap equals zero.

Shamble
A format, similar to a scramble, where every player hits from the tee, the best tee-shot is selected, and each player holes-out from the selected tee-shot.

Shank
A severe mishot in which the golf ball is struck by the hosel of the club. On a shank, a player has managed to strike the ball with a part of the club other than the clubface. A shanked shot will scoot a short distance, often out to the right, or might be severely sliced or hooked.

Short game
Comprising shots that take place on or near the green. Putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play are all aspects of short game.

Skin
A skins game pits players in a type of match play in which each hole has a set value (usually in money or points). The player who wins the hole is said to win the "skin," and whatever that skin is worth. Skins games are often more dramatic than standard match play because holes are not halved. When players tie on a given hole, the value of that hole is carried over and added to the value of the following hole. The more ties, the greater the value of the skin and the bigger the eventual payoff.

Slice
A poor shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves sharply from the left to the right. This shot may occasionally be played intentionally to shape the trajectory of the ball, but it is then referred to as a 'fade' or a 'cut.'

Snap Hook
A severe hook that usually goes directly left rather than curving from right to left. Also known by the somewhat redundant term "Pull-Hook".

Snowman
An eight on a hole.

Sit
Telling the ball to drop softly, and not roll after landing.

Speed
A term used to describe the pace of a putt. Proper 'speed' of a putt will either hole the putt or leave it about 18 inches beyond the cup.

Sprachle
Play badly, Scottish term

Stableford
A scoring system using points, where the winner accumulates the highest number of points over the course of a round. Stableford points are awarded as 1 point for one stroke over a fixed score, perhaps par, on a hole; 2 points for the fixed score; 3 points for one stroke under the fixed score; 4 points for two strokes under the fixed score; etc. There are "modified" Stableford scoring techniques, like that used in the International Tournament on the PGA Tour, which award points (or loss of points) for various scores over or under a fixed score.

Stroke Play
See Medal Play

Stroke Some Balls
Hit balls at a driving range or play a relaxed round of golf.

Stymie
To block another player's putting path to the hole with one's own ball. Now an anachronism since the rules permit marking the spot of the ball on the green, thus allowing the other player to putt into the hole.

Sweet-spot
The location on the clubface where the optimal ball-striking results are achieved.

Swing
The movement a golf player makes with his/her club to hit the ball. A golf swing is made up of a series of complex mechanical body movements.