What are dots in golf?
Emily Sparks
Published Jan 19, 2026
A dot is like an extra point for making par or better while executing a specific shot or making a shot from a specific area. We'll get to why they are called dots a little later. Some of the more common played dots are greenies, sandies and birdies.
What is the junk in golf?
"Trash" or "junk" is a special set of side bets in golf that can be earned by completing the hole in a specific way. Now, your goal on the tee is usually not to earn trash, but rather, trash rewards you for a special shot or circumstance along the way.
What are golf scats?
The USGA notes that “skins” are also known in various parts of the US as “scats”, “cats” or “syndicates” and suggests that the latter term is the likely origin of all these variations. But according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a “skin” is simply a slang term for a dollar.
What is the best ball in golf?
Best ball (also known as fourball in the Ryder Cup) involves 2-person teams where each player on the team plays his or her own golf ball throughout the round. After each hole the player with the lowest score on the hole (or “best ball”) out of the 2-person team serves as the team's score.
Does Wolf tee off first or last?
The 'Wolf' is always the last player to tee off. At each hole, the players rotate the tee-off order (on the first hole 1,2,3,4 and on the second hole 2,3,4,1 and on fifth hole 1,2,3,4 again) so that each player becomes Wolf once every four holes.
22 related questions foundWhat does a ringer mean in golf?
A Ringers (Eclectic) tournament is a Multi-Round Tournament that takes the best scores a player (or team) has made on each hole over the course of multiple rounds. These tournaments can be played in Stroke Play format or Stableford format.
What is Mutt and Jeff golf?
Mutt and Jeff is a tournament format in which the focus is on par-3s and par-5s only. The round of golf is completed, then the total net score for each player on the par-3 and par-5 holes is recorded. Prizes for low net on those long and short holes.
What is a greenie in golf?
1 - Slang for a simple green-in-regulation. 2 - As a betting game for par three holes. Of all the players who reach the green on their tee shot, the player who is closest to the hole wins a "greenie point".
What is a barkie in golf?
If a player's ball hits the trunk or a thick branch of a tree... and the player still makes par on the hole, the player is said to have "made a barkie". KEY: Universal Golf Lingo.
What is a sharkie in golf?
Sharkies: When you hit your ball in a water hazard and still manage to make par or better.
What are greenies and Sandies?
Some of the more common played dots are greenies, sandies and birdies. A greenie is a dot if you hit the green in regulation and make par or better. A sandy is a dot if you make a par on a hole that you played a shot from a sand trap somewhere along the way.
What is a sandy in golf?
In professional golf, a "sandy" happens when a golfer gets up-and-down in two strokes from a greenside bunker. Sandies are tracked in a statistic called sand save percentage.
What is a dogfight in golf?
The Dogfight is a quota based event. that requires each player to have a USGA handicap. Each player tries to exceed an allocated. point quota, which is based on your handicap index.
Why is it called Skins game?
According to an old legend, the name originated from American furriers who arrived in Scotland and took to the golf links and gambled the rounds with their pelts (animal skins). It is interesting to know that in the past, the game was known by many popular regional names such as cats, scats, skats, and syndicates.
What is a Ringerboard?
A ringer board in golf is used to accumulate the best score for every hole during a season. For example if you score a 7 on the first hole of a round one day, then on another VMC event you score a 4 on the first hole. The 7 would be deleted and replaced with the 4.
How do you score Eclectic golf?
An eclectic tournament is a multi-round golf tournament that results in one 18-hole score per player. Golfers compare their scorecards for each round and select the lowest score for each hole. That's their eclectic score.
What does Wolf mean in golf?
Wolf is a golf betting game which is played in teams. However, unlike other formats where the teams stay the same, these teams can change on every hole. Essentially, one player is designated to be the Wolf before each hole.
Do you play Wolf with handicap?
Because Wolf is played using full handicaps, partnering with a player who gets a stroke on a hole is an easy way to earn points.
Can you play Wolf with 5 golfers?
Wolf can be played with four or five players. Each person in the group will get to be the wolf in rotation. The biggest key to wolf is keeping the same order on the tee despite any honor system. This means that player 1 tees off first on the first hole, player 2 second and so on and so forth.
Why are golf scores named after birds?
A Bogey means one over par. Birdie: In the 19th century, the term "bird" was the equivalent of "cool" or "excellent" - golf scholars believe this is where the term came from. An Atlantic City, New Jersey, course claims that the term originated there in 1903. The meaning being a score of one under par.
What is the best shot in golf called?
An ace, commonly known as a hole-in-one, is the best score out there. When you get an ace, that means you get to write a “1” on the scorecard.
What is a golf course with no trees called?
When most people think of links-style golf, they are picturing golf that can be played along the ground with lots of undulation, plenty of dunes and little to no trees. These courses also usually feature pot bunkers as opposed to the larger sprawling American-style bunkers.
How do you play greenies in golf?
In golf, a greenie is when you hit your tee shot onto the green on a Par-3 and make par or better. If an opponent (or teammate) also got it on the green off the tee, whoever is closer to the pin has the greenie opportunity. However, the person further away can steal the greenie if they make their birdie putt.
What are the rules for greenies in golf?
Before we mention those, let's just make sure everyone knows what a green in regulation (GIR) is. On a par-3 hole, you earn a greenie by hitting the green in one stroke. On a par-4 hole, by hitting the green in two or fewer strokes. On a par-5 hole, by hitting the green in three or fewer strokes.