golf

Formsgolfs, golfing, golfed

1. 1
   the sportnoununcountable

   A ball game in which individuals compete to hit a ball into each of a series of holes, usually eighteen or nine, using the fewest strokes.

   He took up golf after retiring and now plays three times a week.

   Professional golf demands precise control over distance and direction.

   UsageYou play golf or a round of golf, and it often comes before another noun: golf course, golf club.

2. 2
   verbintransitive

   To play golf as an activity, usually by going out on a course.

   They golf at a public course near the river.

   He learned to golf as a teenager and never stopped.

   UsageOften go golfing or golf at a course; play golf says the same and is more common.

   Note

   The verb was made straight from the noun, and it is old enough that Kipling could write "he learned to golf" in An Error in the Fourth Dimension (1894).

3. 3
   letter Gnoununcountable

   Alternative letter-case form of Golf from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.

   The controller spelled the call sign with golf, hotel, and yankee.

   He keyed the mic and gave golf as the third letter of the grid reference.

   Note

   This is the radio alphabet's word for the letter G, written in lowercase. The capitalized Golf is the standard code word, and the lowercase spelling turns up in running prose. It shares its spelling with the game but none of its meaning. Because it names a letter, it has no plural, and in a spoken sequence it simply stands in the place of G. Source

   Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Golf is the standard NATO/ICAO code word for G. faa.gov
   • In a spoken spelling sequence, Golf represents G. en.wiktionary.org

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