[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "Is the Pin High or Low?"

'Pin high' refers to when the ball hit toward the green is positioned symmetrically to the left and right around the hole.

'Pin high.'

This is a phrase often heard when playing a round in the United States. Nowadays, the term 'pin high' is frequently used in domestic golf broadcasts as well. A playing partner saw my approach shot toward the pin and exclaimed, "It's on the green! That's pin high." At first, I was confused, thinking it meant the ball was right next to the pin. Later, I learned the exact meaning through a golf terminology dictionary published in the UK.

I took a shot with an 8-iron from 120 meters remaining to the green. If the ball lands on the green to the left or right of the hole, that is considered 'pin high.' In other words, it refers to a shot that reached the correct distance to the green but the ball's direction was off to the left or right by about the height of the flagstick (around 8 feet) (Hitting it pin high or hole high means your ball traveled the correct distance to reach the hole but not the precise direction).

'Pin high' is not used if the ball falls short of or overshoots the pin. If the ball traveled 110 meters, it is short; if 130 meters, it is over. It doesn't matter if the ball is on the green, on the edge outside the green, or in the rough (When your ball is parallel with the hole, even if it's not on the green, it is pin high). It is also called 'hole high.' A 'pin high shot' refers to a very high trajectory shot, like when attempting a hole-in-one.

One TV commentator explained on air that 'pin high' is used when the pin is located at the very end or highest part of the green. Naturally, this is not the correct meaning at all. To express "My ball stopped very close to the hole," you say "I've stiffed it" or "I've hit it stiff," or more simply, "That stopped very near the pin." If you want to specify the exact distance, say "My ball stopped two inches from the cup."

A: Good shot! It's going straight for the pin. It's pin high, about 5 feet left of the hole.

B: Thanks. That was my shot of the day.

Written and photographed by Kim Maengnyeong, golf columnist