What Is a Duffer in Golf?
Some non-golfers and players new to the game might believe that duffer is just a synonym for golfer. But that is not the case. This term refers to a specific type of golfer, not all golfers. In their 1949 book Golf Manual for Teachers (book titles are affiliate links, commissions earned), early LPGA teaching legends Betty Hicks and Ellen Griffin define "duffer" very simply: "A poor player."
In his 1926 book The Duffer's Handbook of Golf, sportswriter Grantland Rice declared that, "98 percent of all who play golf will remain in the duffer class, which is somewhere beyond 100 for the round."
But just what level of, well, badness qualifies any given golfer to be labeled a duffer is in the eye of the beholder. At some scoring levels, duffer really isn't an insult, but just a descriptive term. Calling someone who doesn't break 100 a duffer is no different than calling them a high-handicapper or a weekend golfer or a novice — or someone who needs a lesson and some practice time.
But call a golfer who averages under 90 a duffer and that player will probably take it as a slight. Mistakenly call a low-handicapper a duffer and that very good golfer will be insulted. And woe unto anyone referring to a golf professional as a duffer.
The earliest use of duffer in its golf sense that we can find in the New York Times is from 1894. In a brief piece about how self-conscious a novice golfer can be on the first tee, with more-experienced and better golfers watching as they wait their turn, the writer uses "duffer" as an adjective rather than a noun. He wrote of the golfer imagining "all kinds of maledictions heaped upon his duffer play by those awaiting their turn at the tee." That's a feeling most of us can relate to — no matter what level of skill we eventually acquire.
But "duffer" is a term that originated in the British golf scene, at minimum several decades prior to that New York Times reference, and probably even farther back.
The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms (which defines duffer as "an unskillful player") cites a usage from the 1870s. That reference book says the word originated in 19th century slang that more generally used the word to refer to any "incompetent, unskillful person."
Another old term for "duffer" was "dub," which is an old American slang for an unskilled golfer. In older golf books you'll often find duffer and dub used interchangeably. But unlike duffer, which is still commonly used today, "dub" long ago faded from the golf lexicon.
More definitions:
- What it means to duff a shot
- What is a 'natural birdie' or 'natural par'?
- Why you don't want to be a 'pigeon' in golf
Davies, Peter. The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms, 1993, Robson Books.
Hicks, Betty, and Griffin, Ellen. Golf Manual for Teachers, 1949, The C.V. Mosby Company.
The New York Times. The Novice and Golf, October 7, 1894.
Rice, Grantland, and Briggs, Clare. The Duffer's Handbook of Golf, 1926, The MacMillan Company.
