7 Golf Terms That Are No Longer Used

Golf has a long and rich history and the abundance of words and phrases relating to the game is sufficient to have filled a number of books. Terms for equipment, shots, playing surfaces and various situations one might find oneself facing or suffering have emerged and stuck over the years.

But some turns of phrase or terms go out of fashion, perhaps even out of use thanks to changes in technology, or The Rules of Golf. Here below are 7 golf terms that are no longer used… At least seldom used or used in changed circumstances.

SSS and CSS

Standard Scratch Score (SSS) and Competition Standard Scratch (CSS) were relevant to the old handicap system in the UK and Ireland. Each course had a Standard Scratch Score for each set of tees, much like the Course Rating under the World Handicap System (WHS) – The Competition Standard Scratch was calculated using SSS as a baseline. The performance of the field on a given day would dictate whether the CSS came down one shot from SSS or went up by a maximum of three shots above SSS before a round would have become “reduction only” – Your handicap could not go up as playing conditions were too extreme. This system has been replaced under WHS by Playing Conditions Calculation.

Water Hazard

As of 2019, the term “Hazard” has not been used in The Rules of golf, it’s been replaced by the more general “Penalty Area.” That was to reflect different topography across the globe – Penalty Areas are not just ponds, lakes and streams, they can also be desert and jungle…