Seven Disputed Terms in Golf

[iacas]

Fighting words: Breaking down the 7 most disputed terms in golf | Golf News and Tour Information | Golf Digest

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Is it OK to use golf as a verb? Is it sand trap or bunker? Open Championship or British Open? We explore golf's most disputed terms … and declare winners

How do you vote on each?

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
6. "British Open" or "The Open"?
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

I'll vote after someone else posts so my reply isn't merged into this topic.

[boogielicious]

39 minutes ago, iacas said:

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
6. "British Open" or "The Open"?
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

1. Golf can be a verb
2. Albatross.
3. Bunker is the correct term. Sand trap is a golf forum.
4. Halved or all square.
5. Alternate shot and better ball are better descriptions of the format than the other two.
6. British Open unless you are pretentious.
7. pin location or placement. The pin is what we see from a distance. I’m fine with hole  location though.

[GolfLug]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Fighting words: Breaking down the 7 most disputed terms in golf | Golf News and Tour Information | Golf Digest

---

Is it OK to use golf as a verb? Is it sand trap or bunker? Open Championship or British Open? We explore golf's most disputed terms … and declare...

How do you vote on each?

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
6. "British Open" or "The Open"?
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

I'll vote after someone else posts so my reply isn't merged into this topic.

1. Yes. "He can golf his ball".

2. Albatross. Double eagle should be for hole in one on a par 5, cuz, ya know, two eagles is like -2x2 = -4. Heh.

3. Sand trap. It's more literally descriptive of what it has and what it does to the ball.

4. All square. Eh, sounds better. Tied and Halved are kinda bourgeois. 

5. Alternate shot and Better ball are better. Unlike the alternatives, are harder to confuse one for the other for the less golf conversant.

6. What @boogielicioussaid.

7. Pin placement. How else would I  blame the pin placer guy's evil deeds for my sins?

Edited September 28, 2022 by GolfLug

[iacas]

1. "Golf" can be used as a verb, but I generally prefer it not to be. "He can golf his ball" is less bad than "I'm golfing!"
2. Albatross. Double eagle is -4.
3. Bunker. "Sand Trap" is slang, not official language.
4. Tied is fine. It's more like what's used in other sports.
5. I've always felt that "foursomes" and "four-ball" were more the British type, but I don't care much which you use. I know what you mean, unless you're using "foursome" vaguely (to say maybe a group of four, not a form of a game).
6. British Open. Heck, the U.S. Open says "open championship" on it, not the Claret Jug.
7. Hole location. The "pin" isn't the definitive thing, it's the hole that is what we care about, and without the hole, there is no "flag" or "pin" or anything. The pin marks the location of the hole.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

How do you vote on each?

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
6. "British Open" or "The Open"?
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

1. Yes
2. Albatross
3. Generally I use bunker but I use sand trap often enough (actually just “trap” as in “I’m in the trap”).
4. I don’t use these enough to really have a preference.
5. Alternate shot and better ball because they’re more descriptive and I always seem to forget which one is foursomes and which one is fourballs.
6. British Open
7. I’m pretty sure I use hole, pin, and flag interchangeably so I’m going to abstain.

[Zippo]

4 minutes ago, billchao said:

1. Yes
2. Albatross
3. Generally I use bunker but I use sand trap often enough (actually just “trap” as in “I’m in the trap”).
4. I don’t use these enough to really have a preference.
5. Alternate shot and better ball because they’re more descriptive and I always seem to forget which one is foursomes and which one is fourballs.
6. British Open
7. I’m pretty sure I use hole, pin, and flag interchangeably so I’m going to abstain.

I'm with @billchao. If I were the OP I probably would have added "tee". Another somewhat vague term on its own.

[Darkfrog]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

• Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
• If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
• Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
• "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
• "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
• "British Open" or "The Open"?
• "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

Language is funny. I work in a highly regulated field where using the correct language is very important, but in the rest of my life, as long as the intent is clear, I pretty much don't care.

1. Yes, but I usually say I am playing golf, not I am golfing.
2. I've always called it an albatross, since that's what Mario Golf called it
3. I usually say bunker or just sand.
4. I rarely watch or participate in match play, but tied makes the most sense to me
5. Even being fresh off the President's Cup, I don't even know what those terms mean
6. I call it The Open, because that is what the app on my phone says, but British Open has a more obvious and direct meaning. But I like the NLU term; The UK British Open Presented by Her Majesty The Queen (although I guess it would be His Majesty the King now)
7. Picking from the three choices, I would say hole location. But me and my group usually refer to the "flag" on approach shots (as in back left flag), and "pin placement" around and on the green.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Darkfrog

[DeadMan]

1. Yes.
2. Either. Albatross is probably more correct, but either one will get across what happened, so whatever.
3. Either. Again, bunker is more correct because that's in the rules. But if you say a sand trap, everybody knows what it means.
4. Depends what we're talking about. A completed match or hole is halved or tied. A match in progress is all square or tied.
5. Either, The meaning is the same for either pair.
6. British Open.
7. Any. I think I use pin placement most often, but these things all mean the same thing.

[StuM]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

Fighting words: Breaking down the 7 most disputed terms in golf | Golf News and Tour Information | Golf Digest

---

Is it OK to use golf as a verb? Is it sand trap or bunker? Open Championship or British...

How do you vote on each?

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
6. "British Open" or "The Open"?
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

I'll vote after someone else posts so my reply isn't merged into this topic.

1) Yes

2) Albatross, not that I expect that to come up in my game often.

3) either, do not care.

4) “Tied” is for stroke play.  “All Square”  and “Halved” for match play.

5) I like “Alternate Shot” & “Best Ball” since more descriptive.

6) I like “British Open” to be more clear to non-golfers but overall do not care.  

7) all are fine to me.

[ChetlovesMer]

1. Golf can be a verb but only when it's a gerund. So I would say "I'm going to play golf", not "I'm going to golf". But if you use golf as a gerund you're fine. So, you could say "I'm golfing right now." 
2. Albatross or Double Eagle are both acceptable. It doesn't really matter as I've never made one, and I've only ever seen it happen one time on the course.
3. I don't have a preference on bunker vs sand trap, but I'll steal what @boogielicious said "Sand trap is a golf forum."
4. Halved or all square are both fine. Tied is what your shoelaces should be. 
5. Alternate shot and better ball are what I would use. The others sound rather British, kinda like saying "lift" instead of elevator. 
6. British Open is what I call it. But I realize that they are trying to get people to call it "The Open". Seems a bit silly to me. Kind of like OSU trying to trademark the word "Thee". Come on, get over yourself. 
7. Pin location, pin placement or hole location are all fine. I'd even accept flag or flag placement. I'm pretty sure I say that all the time. As in, "Where's the flag?" ... "Is the flag in the front or the back?" ... "How far to the flag?" ... "The flags were in tough spots today." etc... 

 

[dennyjones]

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?  Definitely
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"? albatross
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"? both but predominately sand trap
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"? Tied or All Square, never Halved
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"? Alternate Shot / Fourball
6. "British Open" or "The Open"? British Open
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"? I use all three

[ChetlovesMer]

4 hours ago, StuM said:

3) either, do not care.

6) ...  but overall do not care.  

NO.... You must care. 
Come on, Stu. This is important stuff here. None of this sitting on the fence crap. 👍😁👍

[dennyjones]

That looks painful!

[DaveP043]

12 hours ago, iacas said:

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"?
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"?
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"?
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"?
6. "British Open" or "The Open"?
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"?

 

1. I dislike the use of Golf as a verb.  I'm an engineer, not a English major, but "I'm golfing" sounds wrong to me.
2. Over the years, I've come to prefer "albatross"
3. Its a bunker
4. I still use the ancient terms "all square" and "halved"
5. Depends on the audience, I prefer the term used in the Rules of Golf, foursomes and fourball.  but I understand that lots of people don't know the specific meanings, so I commonly use both terms.  "We're playing fourball today, you know, better ball of the partners"
6. Either is fine with me
7. Another one where I don't have a big preference, I probably say "Pin Placement" more than either of the others.

[coachjimsc]

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")? Verb
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"? Albatross
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"? Bunker or Trap
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"? I liked All Square
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"? Alternate Shot or Better Ball
6. "British Open" or "The Open"? British Open 
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"? Pin Location

[TourSpoon]

1. Can "golf" be used as a verb (i.e. "I'm golfing right now!")?  Knock yourself out, I prefer not to use it as a verb but recognize your right to do so. 
2. If you make a 2 on a par five, is it an "albatross" or a "double eagle"? I will decide for myself if it ever happens, but I am perfectly comfortable saying double eagle or albatross. I would add that I would probably call a hole-in-one on a par 4 an ace for clarity. 
3. Is a sandy pit area a "bunker" or a "sand trap"? The Sand Trap is a golf forum, a bunker is language that the Director of Golf insisted upon when I worked at a club. I cringe (in my brain) when I hear the word "trap" used on the course. I guess it was the daily reminders and resultant PTSD. 
4. "Tied," "All Square," or "Halved"? All square or halved is fine. Tied is for laces. 
5. "Alternate Shot" or "Foursomes", and "Better Ball" vs. "Fourball"? This is where I deviate from traditionalists and will say alternate shot over foursomes. When you say foursomes, it almost always requires a follow-up conversation on why it's called foursomes and thus not worth the effort. Fourball is less problematic but is usually followed by its a two-man best ball format. 
6. "British Open" or "The Open"? British Open, but if I was from the UK it would always be The Open. 
7. "Hole Location" or "Pin Location" or "Pin Placement"? I tend to say pin from the fairway and hole when I am on the green. Location or placement is fine with me. 

 

[StuM]

9 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

NO.... You must care. 
Come on, Stu. This is important stuff here. None of this sitting on the fence crap. 👍😁👍

I'm glad you care that I don't care but in talking if I say "My ball landed in the left bunker" or "My ball landed in the left sand trap"  all of you know what I mean.  It is clear and not confusing.  As for "British Open" vs. "The Open" no matter which you say I will know what you are talking about, and vice versa.  Clear and thus "I don't care".  

As for what is confusing, I am flipping through the channels and see "US Open" and turn to it and it is Tennis, not Golf.  The first US Open Golf Tournament was in 1895 while the first US Open Tennis tournament was in 1987.  They need to change their name!

  

[Double Mocha Man]

17 hours ago, Zippo said:

I probably would have added "tee". Another somewhat vague term on its own.

I voice type on my phone quite often, when texting.  Especially when I'm rounding up other players for a tee time.  Why is android machine learning of my language so crappy that 9 times out of 10 the word "tea" ends up in my message?  I have probably texted "tee time" 3000 times.  But I have never, ever invited someone to "tea time"!

I have never intended to invite any of my golfing friends to an encounter where you raise your pinkie and daintily pour some Earl Grey into a porcelain cup that you can break just by looking at it.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Double Mocha Man