Golf Terminology - R

R

R&A

The ruling authority of golf throughout the world except the United States and Mexico, where this responsibility rests with the United States Golf Association (USGA). It works in collaboration with national amateur and professional golf organizations in more than one hundred and ten countries.

Range Finder

A measuring device used to determine one's relative distance to an object. In golf, they are most commonly used to find out how far a player is from the hole.

Redan

A hole that has a green which slopes downward and away from the point of entrance, typically the front right portion of the green, inspired by the original Redan hole on the North Berwick West Links, Scotland.

Release

The point in the downswing at which the wrists uncock. A late release (creating "lag") is one of the keys to a powerful swing.

Reverse Bounce Back

Scoring a bogey or worse on a hole immediately following a birdie or better. Also see Bounce Back.

Rough

The grass that borders the fairway, usually taller and coarser than the fairway.

Rowan Matchplay

A form of singles Matchplay which can be played by 3 or more players. Players begin all playing against one another until one player wins a hole outright posting the best score than all other playing partners on a hole. That player is then 1 up versus all of their combined playing partners who now form a team against the player leading and try to get the match back to all-square. In a 3 player game, after someone goes 1-up, the match then takes the form of the leading player versus the scores of the other two players.

Rub of the Green

Occurs when the ball is deflected or stopped by a third party/object, e.g. if a ball is going out of bounds and is deflected in bounds by hitting a spectator or a tree.

Run

The distance a ball travels once it lands. The two distances of a golf shot are first its "carry" and then its "run."

Rutter

A small headed niblick for hitting the ball from a cart track.