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What does fairway mean in golf?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 23, 2026

Definition of fairway

1a : a navigable part of a river, bay, or harbor. b : an open path or space. 2 : the closely mowed part of a golf course between a tee and a green.

What is the fairway in golf?

Fairway. This is the stretch between the tee box and the green. Its length is usually from 30 to 50 yards. Your goal from tee is to land the ball here. The second shot is easier made from the fairway than in other areas like the rough.

What does hitting the fairway mean?

Fairways Hit: A statistical measurement of driving accuracy, a fairway is considered hit if any part of the ball is touching the fairway surface after the tee shot on a par 4 or 5.

Why is it called the fairway?

The original term used by golfers to refer to the playing area was the 'fair Green'. This was mentioned in Rule 4 of the first Rules in 1744. The word fairway did not appear until a century later.

What is difference between fairway and green?

The area between the tee box and the putting green where the grass is cut even and short is called the fairway.

30 related questions found

What is the golden rule of golf?

Play the ball as it lies. Don't move, bend, or break anything growing or fixed, except in fairly taking your stance or swing. Don't press anything down.

What is the edge of the fairway called?

The rough is the area that surrounds the teeing grounds, fairways and putting greens.

Why is a golf fairway called a fairway?

"Fairway" originally was a nautical term, according to the same golf dictionary, which meant "a clear channel between rocks or shallows." Fairway, in its nautical sense, is still used today to mean a navigable channel in a river or harbor.

What is the green in golf?

Definition of putting green

: a smooth grassy area at the end of a golf fairway containing the hole also : a similar area usually with many holes that is used for practice.

Do par 3 holes have a fairway?

Fairways are always included on par-4 and par-5 holes, but may be absent from par-3 holes (since those are short enough that the golfer's goal from the teeing ground is to place the golf ball on the putting green).

Can you hit driver off fairway?

Hitting driver from the fairway — also known as "hitting driver off the deck" — is a specialized golf shot that you don't see much anymore even among the best golfers, and is a shot that mid- and high-handicappers have a lower chance of pulling off successfully.

Does First Cut count fairway?

When applied to the rough on a golf course, "first cut" refers to the grass that is immediately alongside the closely mowed fairway, but grown slightly higher than the fairway grass. That rough that adjoins the fairway is the first cut of rough.

Is first cut a missed fairway?

On both sides of the fairway there will usually be an area that is slightly taller than the fairway but is shorter than the rough. This area is known as the “first cut”. When a golfer hits it in this area, it will be counted as a fairway missed, but usually this area is not much different than the actual fairway.

Is Fringe considered fairway?

When that Rule applies, the nearest fairway reference point can be any part of the general area that's cut to fairway height or less. That could indeed be the fringe (assuming it's cut to fairway height or less), depending on where the ball went out of bounds or was lost as well as the geography of the hole.

What does Bunker mean in golf?

A bunker is a depression near the green or fairway that is usually filled with sand. It is difficult to hit the ball out of the bunker and to enter it is therefore considered punitive to a golfer who misses the target with the previous shot.

What do you call the flag in golf?

'Pin' "Flagstick" and "pin" are synonyms and are used interchangeably by golfers. ("Flagstick" is often shortened to just "flag," too.) However, the governing bodies always use flagstick, never pin. So you might say that flagstick is the technically accurate term of the two words.

What is the 90 degree rule in golf?

The 90-Degree Rule

Under this rule, carts are allowed on the fairway, but they must maintain a 90-degree angle from the cart path. You must take the cart path to a spot that is even with your ball, make a right angle turn and drive straight toward the ball. This rule may be in effect for all or some holes.

What is a target in golf?

Target golf means the ball will likely come to rest approximately where it hits the ground. All of the strategy takes place aerially. Much of the golf in America is classified as “target golf.” PGA Tour golf often fits under the description for “target golf” due to soft course conditions and highly skilled players.

What is the longer grass on the outside of the fairway called?

Rough - An area outside of the Fairway. The grass is longer making it harder to hit the golf ball cleanly. Slice - A golf shot that curves hard to the right. Usually this is a miss-hit.

What is a bogey in golf?

A player makes a “birdie” when he uses one fewer strokes than the par of the hole. If a player needs one stroke more than par to finish a hole, he makes a “bogey.” So, if you finish a par 4 with only 3 strokes, you make a “birdie”, but if you take 5 strokes to complete a par 4, you make a “bogey”.

Who goes first off the tee?

10-1. In match play, golfers play in this order: On the tee – On the first hole, the player listed first on the scorecard (as determined by the committee) tees off first; otherwise, the order is decided by lot or other fair means (e.g., a coin flip).

Do golf pros keep their own score?

Typically, PGA TOUR events feature scorecards that have detachable paper slips on the bottom of the card where players will keep their own score during a round. At the top of the card, each player will keep the score of their opponents while also tracking their own score on the bottom, detachable half.

What happens if you hit a golf ball into the water?

You get a one-stroke penalty for landing your golf ball onto a water hazard. Your ball is considered in the water hazard when it touches the yellow markers or lies within the hazard. It is also worth noting that there are two options a golfer can choose from for dealing with a one-stroke penalty due to water hazard.

What is green regulation?

Green in regulation (GIR) A green is considered hit "in regulation" if any part of the ball is touching the putting surface while the number of strokes taken is at least two fewer than par (i.e., by the first stroke on a par 3, the second stroke on a par 4, or the third stroke on a par 5).

How often do golfers miss the fairway?

Pros hit into stroke-and-distance trouble just one in 250 par-4 or par-5 tee shots — or about one big miss every 18 rounds. How do us weekenders do? We hit a decent 49 percent of fairways, and 31 percent into rough or sand.