X
What you put on your scorecard when you
do not finish a hole. A common optical illusion
makes it look like a four or a five.
X-outs - A series of Xs are printed
over the brand name of some golf balls to
indicate that, because of minor imperfections,
they are "x-outs," or "seconds," and are
cheaper than a properly manufactured ball.
Golf balls are a lot less expensive than
they were in the early days of the game,
when the handmade, goosedown-stuffed, leather-covered
"featherie" or the rubber "guttie" represented
a sizable investment, but it can
still be painful to lose one. Thus, golfers
who routinely fire balls into water hazards
or the woods will, when confronting these
hazards, switch to an x-out ball or, in
descending order of value, a "range ball"
(one purchased in bulk from a driving range),
"smilie" (a ball with a deep cut in it),
"filchie" (a ball taken from another golfer's
bag) or "spuddie" (a small potato).
