NCG’s Golf Glossary: What is a chunk?

The world of golf is a complicated beast, with all many of phrases and terms that the everyday man can’t be expected to understand.

Here at National Club Golfer, we’re the publication for the everyday player and so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to give you a step-by-step introduction to the wonderful world of the golfing lexicon.

Word of the week: Chunk

Pronunciation: / tʃʌŋk /

What I think it means:

There’s a part of me that really wants chunk to be a good thing. I want it to be the unfortunate shot that appears ugly, but then goes on to considerable success, despite its shortcomings. I’m basically saying, I want it to be the golfing equivalent of this guy…

But, alas, as a high handicapper, I know it to be that unsuspecting shot that sneaks up on you. Usually following your one great drive of the day.

250 yards, down the middle, for once you’ve put yourself in a great position to play this hole as it was meant to be played.

Hit a solid iron, tap in for birdie.

What could possible go wrong?

This…

And then we all know, there really is only one reasonable response to such a disappointment…

Dictionary definition:

A golf term describing a poor shot where the player hits the ground behind the ball and moves the earth to a greater extent than the ball itself

Origins:

The verb ’chunk’ dates from the 1830s and is an American English variant of chuck, meaning ’to throw’.

Which is about right as that is what usually happens to your club in the immediate aftermath of chunking a shot.

Use it in a sentence:

“Did you hit a good shot?”

“No I chunked it. Damn near broke my club.”

What this actually means:

Usually what it actually means is that you would have been better off hitting your tee shot into the rough. At least that way, when you chunk your shot you can blame it on a poor lie.

Out on the flat, pristine grasses of the fairway, you really have no excuses for hitting such a horribly poor shot.

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