Match Play Lingo
Before entering a match play competition, try a friendly round of match play and use some of these terms to get comfortable with the format and jargon:
- ALL SQUARE: when the match is tied mid-round, you can refer to being all square with your opponent
- THAT’S GOOD: In reference to a putt that you are giving your opponent as a gimme. Be careful when you say to someone “good putt” as a compliment when you aren’t intending to give them the next one. You might say something else like, Nice roll, well struck, etc. (speaking from experience here)
- GOOD/GOOD: When you and your opponent both have small/equal length putts for the same score you may suggest that they are both gimmes and go to the next hole. This must be agreed upon by each player and it’s super fun to just both pick up and move on. Not a good idea if the match is getting close to the end and being hotly contested. If someone suggests good/good to you but you want to see them make their putt, you can always refuse the offer. (Side note: Whenever someone gives you a putt, pick it up…do not try to putt it in for fun or practice)
- WHERE DOES YOUR MATCH STAND? When asking someone in a different match how they’re doing
- DORMIE: When you are up or down in the match by exactly as many holes left to play. If you are standing on the 16th tee while down 3 to your opponent, this is dormie. If you are the player who is down, this also means that you MUST win all of the remaining holes in order to force a tie and extra holes.
- EXTRA HOLES: If your match is all square after 18 holes, you and your opponent will go to a sudden death extra hole playoff. The head pro or tournament director will tell you which hole to play, depending on course traffic
- CONCEDING A HOLE: If you are having a blow-up hole and your opponent is on the green (or clearly going to win THE HOLE) or if you just don’t feel like finishing, you can always concede the hole. I usually say something like, “this one is yours, let’s go to the next tee.” Or “I’m done, let’s move on.” Be as clear as possible that you are giving them the hole.
- REPORTING YOUR SCORE: When the match is over, the winner is required to report the score to the scoring table. When you do so, you will tell them how many you were up with how many to play. For example, If you were 3 up after finishing #16, you won 3 and 2. If you were 5 up after putting out on #14 you won 5 and 4. If you finished 1 up after #18 you won 1-up. You can also win 2-up on the 18th, if you have your opponent dormie on the 18th tee (1 up with 1 to play) and then win the last hole. During the round it is a good idea to have each player keep a scorecard with actual scores on each hole along with a notation about who is up or down and by how many along the way.
- HALVED: When a hole is tied, you may also say it was halved
- CAN I BUY YOU A DRINK?: It is customary for the winner of the match to offer to buy their opponent a drink after the round - A vodka cooler, or a Diet Coke is a nice way to decompress after a hard-fought battle.
Most importantly, have fun. No matter how the match goes, give your opponent a friendly handshake and a smile. Be a humble winner or gracious loser. No one will remember how you played on any particular day, but they will remember how you acted when you won or lost.