

Golf is known to be a technical sport full of technical terms that you may not know the meaning of. One of those golf terms sometimes mentioned on golf courses is the word “Hacker”. In golf, a hacker is not an evil nerd trying to hack into bank accounts through their supercomputer.
Therefore, if you expected a hacker to be computer-related in golf, you may wonder: What exactly does the term “hacker” mean in golf?
In this article, we will explain to you exactly what a “hacker” is in golf.
What Is A Hacker In Golf?
In golf, a “hacker” is a bad golf player with bad golf swing mechanics. A “hacker” is a rather derogatory term. The term sometimes references a golfer with a hack-like swing, as if the “hacker” were swinging their club like an axe to chop wood. A “hacker” has an ugly-looking golf swing.
In golf, a “hacker” is a bad golf player with bad golf swing mechanics. A “hacker” is a rather derogatory term. The term sometimes references a golfer with a hack-like swing, as if the “hacker” were swinging their club like an axe to chop wood. A “hacker” has an ugly-looking golf swing.
In the great game of golf, the term “hacker” is a word that is sometimes used on golf courses, especially if many bad players are around, or there are good friends playing together.
In golf, a “hacker” is a bad golfer with terrible swing mechanics. A “hacker” is a derogatory term that implies that the accused golfer has a golf swing lacking so much elegance that it looks like they are chopping wood with an axe.
A “hacker” is caricatured as the type of golfer who does not keep count of their score because it is so high. The caricature continues by painting “hackers” as weekend golfers who barely ever play, and when they do, they play terribly.
You can read a real-world example of the term “Fore” being used, down below.
Example:
Bob is an inexperienced golfer with only 10 rounds of golf experience.
He gets ready to tee off in front of a par 5 golf hole.
Bob winds his club back, and swings it like an axe, completely missing the ball.
A bystander nearby sees the scene unfold, and mutters “what a hacker”.
Bob gives the bystander a disapproving look and carries on with his round.
Calling someone a “hacker” is usually not a nice thing to say, unless you say it to a good friend and it is clear it is just a joke. Calling a great golfer a “hacker” while smirking can be acceptable because the sarcasm of it all would be blatantly obvious.
A “hacker” in golf is sometimes also called a “chopper” or a “duffer”, although those terms are not perfect matches in terms of precise meaning. In some rare cases, people will use the term “hacker” to describe an annoying and unpleasant golfer with bad golf etiquette and poor sportsmanship.
In general, not calling anyone a “hacker” will save you many arguments and headaches, on top of protecting your reputation as a respectful and elegant golfer.
If you yourself have been called a “hacker” with mean intentions, and are just learning what it means, do not think about it too much. Just ignore whoever said it, and remember that playing golf is a game meant to be fun. Focus on the fun part of golf.
Alternatively, getting golf lessons, and practicing your swing mechanics at the golf driving range will drastically improve your skill level, eventually past the point where anyone can call you a hacker. The more inexperienced you are, the more likely you are to be called a “hacker”.
Origin Of The Term “Hacker” In Golf
Linguistic experts claim that the term “hacker” in golf comes from the act of “hacking” at a piece of wood with an axe. Similarly, the term “chopper” comes from the act of “chopping” at a piece of wood with an axe.
Contrary to what a non-golfer would think, being a “hacker” in golf has nothing to do with computers or illegal activities!
If you do not ever wanted to be called a “hacker”, you need to improve your golf skills. To do so, you can read our guide to lower your golf score and become a better golfer: How To Improve Your Golf Score? – 9 Pro Tips.
Conclusion
There you go! After reading this article, you have learned exactly what the word “hacker” means in golf. You also got to read a real-world example to further improve your understanding of the meaning of the term “hacker”.
Do you have any other words you wish to know more about? Have you ever been called a “hacker”? Let us know in the comments down below!