We get it, golf has tons of equipment, rules, and terminology it can be tough to keep up with it all. That’s why we’ve written this guide to help you understand what is a dogleg in golf.
What Is A Dogleg In golf?
A dogleg is simply a golf hole that takes a sharp turn in one direction typically halfway through the hole.
When playing a dogleg you will typically be forced to aim in a different direction from the hole as the fairway is not in a straight line towards the hole.
Why is it called a dogleg in golf?
The reason this sort of hole is referred to as a dogleg is due to the shape of dog legs. These holes when looked at from above resemble the shape of a dogs leg as you go from the hip to the ankle area.
What is a dogleg right?
A dogleg right is simply a hole that takes a sharp right turn throughout the course of the hole. On a dogleg right you will find that the green will always be right of the location you tee’d off from.
What is a dogleg left?
A dogleg left is, of course, the opposite of a dogleg right. It is a golf hole that will make a sharp turn to the left throughout the course of the hole.
What Holes Are Typically Doglegs?
The most common holes to have doglegs are par fives. This is because on doglegs you are typically forced to layup. This pairs well with par fives as you can easily layup on your first or second shot. And still make the green in regulation.
Doglegs are also common on par fours. When a par four has a dogleg you will typicaly find the hole is shorter. This is to allow golfers to reach the green in two shots. Often times the dogleg will force you to put away your driver when teeing off.
Conclusion
We hope you learned from this article and found everything you were looking for about dog legs in golf. If you have any more questions regarding this topic we encourage you to reach out in the comments below.
If you did enjoy reading this article and would like to check out some of our others we suggest you read our guide to understanding divots in golf or understanding pulls in golf.
