Lateral Type of water hazard, defined by red boundary stakes, that often runs parallel to the line of play on a hole. The penalty for hitting into a lateral hazard is one stroke. The term lateral may also describe a Shank. (See Shank.)
Leaf-Rule A rule, not recognized by the USGA, in which players agree that if a ball is lost in leaves, it is not treated as a lost ball (stroke and distance penalty.) This rule is common in certain climates (and times of the year) in which trees lose their leaves and make finding balls difficult.
Lie The position of a ball on the ground at any point on the course. A ball in the fairway will typically be considered to have a "good" lie, one in high rough grass will be labeled as a bad lie.
Links Specifically the label given to golf courses constructed in which the 1st hole begins at the clubhouse and the 18th ends there, with no holes except those returning to the clubhouse. Links courses are often built near water. Links is also a generic slang term given to any golf course having 18 holes.
Lip The edge (or rim) of the hole.
Lip Out A ball as it is rolling on a putting green, that hits the edge of the hole and does not go in.
Lob Shot A high, soft shot, generally played near the green with a high-lofted wedge of some type (i.e., a lob wedge.)
Lost Ball A ball is considered to be lost if it cannot be located or identified after 5 minutes of searching for it.
Low Riser Slang term given to a shot, intentionally played, that starts low and ends at a "normal" trajectory. Generally a player must have some degree of skill to play these shots.
LPGA (Ladies Professional Golfers Association) Governing organization of females making their living in golf-related endeavors. The LPGA issues guidelines and accreditation to its members depending upon their individual positions in the game.
