The street names in Baywood -- officially called Ways and Dells -- are all, obviously, derived from golf-related terminology.  Here's an explanation or reference for each of the names (we still have a few to fill in!)

 

 

Your shot into the green from the fairway. Any ball struck from the fairway to the green is termed an approach shot, unless you are around the greens complex (in which case the shot will most likely be termed a chip shot or pitch shot). On a par-4, the approach shot should be your second shot - your tee shot should be followed by a shot to the green (with two putts expected to produce par).

 

The closely mowed area around a putting green, between the putting surface and any rough that might also surround the green. Another term for "fringe." Sometimes called the "collar," but not always accurately. Collar and fringe may be the same thing in many instances, but a collar is not necessarily as closely mowed as an apron. A collar may refer to a collar of rough, for instance; the apron (or fringe) is always very closely mowed.

 

In most usages, the final nine holes of an 18-hole golf course. On some occasions, a tournament round of golf might begin on No. 10 rather than No. 1. In those instances, the "back nine" would refer to final nine holes played, regardless of which holes they were.

 

A type of grass traditionally used for golf greens. Bent grasses spread by their long creeping stems, which extend over the surface of the soil. The joints (nodes) of these stems take root very easily, to form the thick, velvety turf for which bent grass is famous. Bent grasses are considered by many to be the most beautiful of grasses with their fine texture, deep green color, thick density, and low growing habit.

Also, a shaft designed for use in no-hosel putters, featuring a bend or bends within 5" from the shaft tip. The curved shaft creates offset and face balancing.

 

 

According to the USGA, out of bounds (OB) is defined as “beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked.”  This boundary is marked by white stakes (and lines connecting them) that are considered “fixed.” 

 

The penalty for hitting a ball OB is commonly called “stroke and distance.” This means that a one-stroke penalty is added to the score, and the ball must then be dropped as nearly as possible to the spot from which the original shot was played. In effect, this is a two-stroke penalty, since the player has gained no distance from the original shot; it is as if the original shot had never been played at all. 

 

 

People whose job it is to carry the golf bag of a player. Caddies for pro players assist with club selection and strategy. Players other than pros are most likely to encounter caddies at private courses or upscale resort courses.

 

A golf club that looks very much like a putter, but has the loft of about an 8-iron.  The club does what the name suggests: it allows you to hit a chip shot while employing a putting stroke.

 

Among historical (wooden-shafted, pre-20th Century) golf clubs, the cleek was an iron with a very narrow face and little loft most commonly associated with today's 1-irons. Cleeks came in variations, too. There was the "wooden cleek," a club also of little loft but with a wooden head (historically equivalent to a 4-wood). There was the "putting cleek," which, you guessed it, was used for putting.

 

The central, inner part of something.  Each golf ball has a thin, outer covering of toughened material, but most of the golf ball's construction is of its inner core, often consisting of one or more layers.  In some cases, the inner-most layer of the ball might be liquid or wound-up elastic.  Most modern golf balls have solid, multi-layer inner cores.

 

A well known golf course in Carmel, IN, designed by Pete & Alice Dye, famous golf course architects.

 

Tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night, when atmospheric vapor condenses.  For early-morning golfers, dew presents a small challenge, both for walking (water-proof shoes are a must) and playing.  Golfers who take up the earliest tee times on a golf course are often called "dewseepers," since by playing first, such golfers sweep the dew off the teeing grounds, fairways and putting greens.

 

The indentations that cover a golf ball. Dimples are aerodynamic devices and changing the shape and depth of individual dimples (or the overall dimple pattern) has an effect on the flight of the ball. Generally, the depth of the dimples is inversely proportional to the height of the ball trajectory; i.e., deeper dimples result in lower trajectories. Changing the circumference and shape of dimples are other ways that manufacturers can produce different flight characteristics.

 

 

A match-play match is said to be "dormie" when one of the players achieves a lead that matches the holes remaining (i.e., 3 holes up with 3 holes to play), thus assuring himself of at least a halve. The player who is trailing can only hope to tie in regulation, but cannot win. When a match reaches this state, it is said to "go dormie" or to have "gone dormie." The player in the lead has "taken the match dormie."

 

A drop where no penalty stroke is incurred.

Greens

The culmination of a golf hole, where the flagstick and cup are located and where a golfer will "putt out" to end the hole.

 

In the 20th century, multi-layer balls were developed, first as wound balls consisting of a solid or liquid-filled core wound with a layer of rubber thread and a thin outer shell. This idea was first discovered by Coburn Haskell of Cleveland, Ohio in 1898. Haskell had driven to nearby Akron to keep a golf date with Bertram Work, then superintendent of B.F. Goodrich. While he waited for Work at the plant, Haskell idly wound a long rubber thread into a ball. When he bounced the ball, it flew almost to the ceiling. Work suggested Haskell put a cover on the creation, and that was the birth of the 20th century golf ball. The design allowed manufacturers to fine-tune the length, spin and "feel" characteristics of balls. Wound balls were especially valued for their soft feel.

 

A rear, low, or bottom part.  The heel of a golf club is where the shaft of the club meets the head.

 

A shot that goes straight up and comes almost straight down with very little spin or forward momentum. Useful when there is not much green to play to

 

Irons with relatively little loft that typically hit the ball a fairly long distance. Such clubs include the 1, 2, and 3 irons.

 

A golf club with a wooden head whose face has a greater slope than the brassie or driver, fro hitting long, high drives from the fairway...a number 3 wood.

 

The "mashie" was the historical golf club (wooden-shafted, mostly pre-20th Century) that most closely resembled today's 5-iron. A modern 5-iron and the mashie are very different clubs; it would be incorrect to call a modern 5-iron a mashie. But in loft and use, the mashie was most equivalent to a modern 5-iron.

 

Most simply put, a "do-over." Hit a bad shot? Take a mulligan and hit it again. Mulligans are played only when expressly agreed upon by all partners in a friendly match, and are never allowed when the official rules are being followed (i.e., in a tournament or handicap round). Mulligans are most commonly played on the first tee, or played as one mulligan per nine holes. Mulligans are often sold at charity tournaments (as distinguished from official tournaments) - for example, if you would like to have five mulligans to use during a round, you would pay to purchase them. Then, five times during a round when you wanted to hit a shot over, you would be able to do so.

 

Why is called a Mulligan?  It is apparently named after Canadian-born amateur David Bernard Mulligan.

 

A "pitch shot" (or just "pitch") is a golf shot played with a highly lofted club that is designed to go a relatively short distance with a steep ascent and steep descent. Pitch shots are played into the green, typically from 40-50 yards and closer.

 

The rotation of the shoulders, trunk and pelvis during the golf swing.

 

A small, round but very deep bunker with steep faces common to links-type courses. British Open courses are famous for their pot (sometimes called pothole) bunkers, most of them greenside and many of them so deep that a person standing on the green may not be able to see the player standing in the bunker. It's also not uncommon for pot bunkers to be unseen from the tee.

 

A short-shafted club with a straight face for putting.